Afternoon at the Arcade - Dec 28, 2023
Listing the games I played at the small but really cool Super Marion Arcade in Marion, IA.
Including brief impressions of each.
Including brief impressions of each.
13 Games
Two Player linked cab, right cab was out of order.
Game: 10/10
Cab Condition: 8/10 - Would be higher if both cabs were running. Screen was bright and clear, seat and cab were in good condition.
Outrun 2 is one of my all-time favorite games, so seeing a (partially) working sit-down cab in the wild was exciting. Played a round of heart attack mode and had a great time.
Game: 10/10
Cab Condition: 8/10 - Would be higher if both cabs were running. Screen was bright and clear, seat and cab were in good condition.
Outrun 2 is one of my all-time favorite games, so seeing a (partially) working sit-down cab in the wild was exciting. Played a round of heart attack mode and had a great time.
Technically a Silent Scope EX cab.
Game: 8/10
Cab Condition: 9/10 - just how cool is the scope on a silent scope cab? Love this thing.
The game itself was quite fun in story mode. I played through quite a ways on just 1-2 credits.
Game: 8/10
Cab Condition: 9/10 - just how cool is the scope on a silent scope cab? Love this thing.
The game itself was quite fun in story mode. I played through quite a ways on just 1-2 credits.
Game: 9/10
Cab Condition: 8/10
Played against my brother - the mini-games in PB2 are incredibly fun and varied. I particularly like the single-bullet challenges.
Cab Condition: 8/10
Played against my brother - the mini-games in PB2 are incredibly fun and varied. I particularly like the single-bullet challenges.
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 8/10 - screen really sharp to the point where it may be an LCD replacement. Nonetheless, it looked great.
CvS2 is a classic. Played an Akuma/Zangief/Iori combo and lost but had a great time.
Cab Condition: 8/10 - screen really sharp to the point where it may be an LCD replacement. Nonetheless, it looked great.
CvS2 is a classic. Played an Akuma/Zangief/Iori combo and lost but had a great time.
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 8/10 - A two-player linked cab set. This machine was a little worn but the guns themselves were great. I love the force-feedback on the guns and the foot-pedal to reload/weapon swap makes things feel fresh.
I've never been super impressed by the Time Crisis series - they're fun and I love the light-guns but it's always felt like a quarter muncher to me. With that said I had a really good time with this one.
Cab Condition: 8/10 - A two-player linked cab set. This machine was a little worn but the guns themselves were great. I love the force-feedback on the guns and the foot-pedal to reload/weapon swap makes things feel fresh.
I've never been super impressed by the Time Crisis series - they're fun and I love the light-guns but it's always felt like a quarter muncher to me. With that said I had a really good time with this one.
Game: 6/10
Cab Condition: 7/10
tbh this game didn't hold up - I had great memories of this from way back but the trackball wasn't as responsive as I remembered. I know trackballs are kind of hard to maintain but the one on this cab felt like it was too close to the screen, I kept hitting my hand on the bottom of the bezel when swiping forwards.
Cab Condition: 7/10
tbh this game didn't hold up - I had great memories of this from way back but the trackball wasn't as responsive as I remembered. I know trackballs are kind of hard to maintain but the one on this cab felt like it was too close to the screen, I kept hitting my hand on the bottom of the bezel when swiping forwards.
Game: 5/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped. Crystal Castles played with the trackball for movement which was cool but the trackball on the machine felt light and inprecise.
Crystal Castles as a game is a bit strange and mysterious - I can't say I really dug the gameplay loop - the isometric Pac-Man esque stuff works better in theory than in practice - but I do like the strangeness of it all.
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped. Crystal Castles played with the trackball for movement which was cool but the trackball on the machine felt light and inprecise.
Crystal Castles as a game is a bit strange and mysterious - I can't say I really dug the gameplay loop - the isometric Pac-Man esque stuff works better in theory than in practice - but I do like the strangeness of it all.
Game: 8/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
The pixel art of Last Blade 2 rules
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
The pixel art of Last Blade 2 rules
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
Waku Waku 7 is super fun and it was hype playing it against my brother.
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
Waku Waku 7 is super fun and it was hype playing it against my brother.
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
How has there not been a string of Twinklestar-likes? This shmup vs blend is really cool and unique.
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
How has there not been a string of Twinklestar-likes? This shmup vs blend is really cool and unique.
Game: 8/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
Love this game, even if the cab made it hard to play.
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
Love this game, even if the cab made it hard to play.
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
This Windjammers/Breakout/Pong gameplay mix is really fun and accessible. Good for people that get finger cramps from mashing too much in fighting games.
Cab Condition: 5/10 - This was played on an Arcade Legends Multicade (I believe it was the Arcade Legends II Ultracade with additional game bundles? I found it peculiar but cool that it had so many SNK/Neo Geo games). The Arcade Legends cabinent is a bit smalland the button configuration feels a bit non-ergonomic/cramped.
This Windjammers/Breakout/Pong gameplay mix is really fun and accessible. Good for people that get finger cramps from mashing too much in fighting games.
Game: 7/10
Cab Condition: 8/10 - Really beautiful cab with a big, bright screen and a cool wheel that has the item launch buttons built-in.
I love all of the weird SEGA pulls here - I've grown to really love the non-Sonic SEGA catalog over the years. The Dreamcast should've won that console generation.
Cab Condition: 8/10 - Really beautiful cab with a big, bright screen and a cool wheel that has the item launch buttons built-in.
I love all of the weird SEGA pulls here - I've grown to really love the non-Sonic SEGA catalog over the years. The Dreamcast should've won that console generation.