The Video Game Critic

Our Wal*Mart just got in a real fun videogame after losing that crappy deer hunter; JURASSIC PARK 3. I was suspicios that this was an older game when I noticed the on-screen graphics were not even Xbox quality....then I saw the "25 cents" to play slot and now I KNOW it is ancient-but HOW ancient? Did this come out around the time of the movie (which came out the same summer the first GBA did, I remember that well! I bought the GBA and my freind treated me to a filming of JP3!)?

At any rate the game was FUN! I made it through THREE levels on ONE lousy quarter, you rarely see that play value anymore! My other question is...are there ANY coin-ops that have come out recently(last few years) that are NOT shooting/Driving or fighting games? Does anyone GO to arcades anymore?

I know there's a Chuck E. Cheese across town that still has arcade games, but I haven't been there in over a decade. So I have no idea of what's new out there.

I really miss arcades though. It used to be great to completely humilate some kid at Mortal Kombat right in front of his girlfriend. :~)

Then of course you have to rub it in by saying, "I've never played this game before. Have you?" haha

Arcades are dying, if not dead, for sure. But thankfully my local movie theatre has a nice selection of NAOMI coin-ops like Marvel vs Capcom 2, Crazy Taxi, and House of the Dead 2.

I go to one of the local arcades several times a month to play DDR, but that's it.  None of the other new games really interest me, except maybe an occassional game of Mario Kart Arcade or another racing game.

I think the Golden Tee series also has been very successful in the past few years in addition to DDR, but other than that, I can't think of any major releases.

All of the arcades in my city (Columbus, OH) are huge megaplexes like Gameworks, Dave and Buster's, etc.  Back when I was in college (1994-98) there were five small, independently owned arcades on the Ohio State campus ALONE, but of course those are all gone now.  I spent a LOT of time and money in those places.

The arcade industry hasn't died and isn't dying. It has, however, shrunk to a size relative to its place in the market.

What has died is the stand alone arcade. The only ones left in my area are terrible, they are totally automated with zero human staff, and are dominated with scummy kids that pretty much keep me from ever going in.

Dave and Buster's, Chuck E. Cheese, Mini Golf complexes, Movie theaters, truck stops, and box stores are the domain of arcade games now. Not a big enough market for Midway anymore, but smaller companies have taken over and are making good games, such as the new Need for Speed driving game.

Japan, however, still continues to be the place to go for the best arcades in the universe. If any of you guys, as gamers, want an excuse to make an expensive trip, you really have to go. The arcades there are AWESOME. I mean, totally and ridiculously awesome. And plentiful. In all seriousness, I want to go there again just for the arcades- that's reason enough.

-Rob

[QUOTE=feilong80]

What has died is the stand alone arcade.
[/QUOTE]

I assumed this (the stand alone arcade) is what everyone was talking about, feilong.

No, I think they were talking about coin-op games in general, but whatever.

-Rob

I go to Garcia's Pizza and play Mortal Kombat there.

Most people are talking about ARCADES themselves which was not my two questions. To re it tit er ate (jumpy this morning)

"HAS anyone played Jurrasic Park 3? If so any info on WHEN
it came out? Did you like it?"

"In hardcore gamer magazine they have a coin-op section; SOME new games are coming out. But they are almost all FPShooters and FP
Driving games, witha few FP fighters. Is that IT!? No more puzzle, maze or music games? No wonder arcades are dying..."

That was what Alienblue asked(reworded); as for ME, AB345, I could not care less, But ABone is driving us nuts so please answer his pathetic pleas, please! Na-nooooNanoooooo!