### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/3 "2011-09-29T05:29:12Z")
I always sucked at the arcade version of _Defender_. Got decent at the atari version, but it wasn’t really the same…
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/4 "2011-09-29T05:36:16Z")
I’ll put a quarter down to be next in line after **aruvqan**! I play this and Robotron: 2084 a couple of times a month at the Pinball Museum. Now if only I could find a Blaster machine!
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/5 "2011-09-29T11:02:05Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> \
>
> plunks down a quarter to get in line to play
>
> 😃
I’ve got two up there already, but I’ll let you cut…if I leave it on quarter play, I hope to fund my kid’s college education.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/6 "2011-09-29T17:28:13Z")
I bet in the right market there would be profit in running an old school arcade, all the classics. Put in a regular old 80s style bar, with classic pub grub and it would beat the hell out of Johnny Rockets.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/7 "2011-09-29T19:53:59Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> I bet in the right market there would be profit in running an old school arcade, all the classics. Put in a regular old 80s style bar, with classic pub grub and it would beat the hell out of Johnny Rockets.
You mean you have to use your hands? That’s like a baby’s toy!
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/8 "2011-09-30T04:15:06Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> You mean you have to use your hands? That’s like a baby’s toy!
I don’t think they make a lot of profit, but we practically have this here in Vegas. If you’re ever in town, be sure to go to the Pinball Museum. They have a few dozen old video games in addition to the pinball machines. It’s one of my favorite places on the planet.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/9 "2011-09-30T04:40:33Z")
> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> I bet in the right market there would be profit in running an old school arcade, all the classics. Put in a regular old 80s style bar, with classic pub grub and it would beat the hell out of Johnny Rockets.
There’s such a place (more or less) about 5 minutes from me. They charge a flat-rate admission fee ($15 regularly), but then you can play until they kick you out. I’m not sure that I’ve ever really gotten my $15 worth, if I were playing one quarter at a time, but it’s still a lot of fun. They have snacks and sodas, but no hot food (and no beer ☹ ).
> **[Galloping Ghost Arcade](https://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/)**
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### Author:  [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/10 "2011-09-30T17:50:40Z")
I’ve been to the Galloping Ghost once. They have a really nice selection of the 80’s-early 90’s era games.
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/11 "2011-09-30T18:12:27Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> There’s such a place (more or less) about 5 minutes from me. They charge a flat-rate admission fee ($15 regularly), but then you can play until they kick you out. I’m not sure that I’ve ever really gotten my $15 worth, if I were playing one quarter at a time, but it’s still a lot of fun. They have snacks and sodas, but no hot food (and no beer ☹ ).
>
> [http://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/](http://www.gallopingghostarcade.com/)
See, that’s how you’d have to do it, I doubt a quarter-a-play Arcade would last nowadays.
Around Denver, they’re in the usual Bowling alleys, and Dave and Busters, but I could see a standalone being a money losing proposition.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/12 "2011-09-30T18:19:47Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#):
>
> See, that’s how you’d have to do it, I doubt a quarter-a-play Arcade would last nowadays.
>
> Around Denver, they’re in the usual Bowling alleys, and Dave and Busters, but I could see a standalone being a money losing proposition.
I’m hopeful that these guys are able to make a go of it. They seem to be doing a fair business on weekends (they’ve been open for a little over a year now).
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/13 "2011-09-30T18:21:55Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#):
>
> I’ve been to the Galloping Ghost once. They have a really nice selection of the 80’s-early 90’s era games.
Yeah, they have quite a few of the Mortal Kombat-style fighting games, and the FPS-style games, which I don’t care much for (I guess I’m a few years too old for those to have been the core of my arcade memories). But they do have a lot of the early-mid 80s games which I played in HS and college (Tempest, Gyruss, Gauntlet, Galaga, etc.), and so, there’s plenty of appeal for me. Now, if only they could get a Cyberball game, I’d never leave the place. 😉
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/14 "2011-09-30T18:27:29Z")
The [Pacific Pinball Museum](http://pacificpinball.org/home) in Alameda charges a flat $15 fee as well. I went to take pictures of the machines, and I figured I’d just a do a quick run-through. I don’t consider myself a pinball aficionado, but I ended up spending almost a whole day there. What fun!
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/15 "2011-09-30T18:27:44Z")
Now, if I just had space for a Ferrari F355 Challenge sit-down…and a Sinistar…
I can still hear “I HUNGER!”
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/16 "2011-10-05T11:39:24Z")
The wiggling has turned to twitching. DEFENDER LIIIIIVES!
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbpeIfumNkI)
😃
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### Author:  [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/17 "2011-10-05T11:52:45Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#):
>
> The wiggling has turned to twitching. DEFENDER LIIIIIVES!
>
> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbpeIfumNkI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbpeIfumNkI)
>
> 😃
That’s awesome! I’ve been playing alot of the old games on MAME but you can’t beat an old upright or tabletop arcade game. The big buttons and joystick interface are irreplaceable. 😃
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### Author:  [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/18 "2011-10-05T13:06:21Z")
I was surprised to see the buttons are all exposed reed switches. I was expecting something with microswitches…very crude, but also very effective. (once the corrosion is polished off)
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/19 "2011-10-05T14:55:31Z")
The key, of course, is to tell yourself the humanoids are members of your family.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiggling-with-nostalgic-joy/597974/20 "2011-10-05T19:19:42Z")
Now all that is needed is a crappy bar stool, and something alcoholic to drink, and really loud music going on in the background 😃
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