Any games in your collection...

Maybe.

Every summer, my elementary school converted its cafeteria to a rec center. I lived a block away, so I visited pretty much every single day. They had two arcade games: Berzerk and Pleiades. In the summer of '91 (I was 10), I told myself that I'd own a Berzerk someday.

Fast forward to 2003, and I bought one from a local retailer about a 5-10 minutes from my former school. Just like the one I played more than a decade prior, this one's bat joystick was replaced with a red ball-top stick. It also had similar bezel flaking.

I have no way of knowing if it's the same machine... but I like to think it is. Either way, it was the first arcade game I ever bought, and I'll never sell it.
 
On the opposite extreme, I had never played or even seen an Eyes until I stumbled across one in a Fort Walton Beach thrift shop just about 30 years ago. Pretty sure it's the only one I've ever played to this day, now that I think about it.
But, did you end up buying it?
 
I got a couple!
Spy Hunter from the arcade at our local farmers market. (Zerns market)
Dig Dug from the local bowling alley (Lans-Bowl)
No Fear pinball from the Time Out arcade in the mall. (Montgomeryville Mall)
Safecracker pinball- this was at a go kart place that I had gone to several times, but I don't recall the name. When I bought it from a guy, I found some of the Go Cart arcade tokens in it.
All of these exact machines I played on location before owning them, and unfortunately all of the places they were once in are now closed.
 
I have a Burgertime that has an 83 tax sticker with the town and arcade name right on it, one I used to visit as a kid. I'm sure I played this very example!


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Ok, that sticker is the most amazing thing I've seen in a while.

I can't *remember* that last time I saw handwriting that well written?!?! :D
 
At one point I had a Marble Madness that had coin door inserts from Scandia arcade. I played that game there a bunch as a kid growing up, so there is a chance it was the same cab but I never had a way of verifying it. I miss that game.
 
Ok, that sticker is the most amazing thing I've seen in a while.

I can't *remember* that last time I saw handwriting that well written?!?! :D
Back in 83, people still wrote. That writing looks just like my mom's. Seems like everyone of a certain age writes exactly like my mom does!
 
None of my games are ones I played when I was a kid. At least as far as I can tell.

I did buy a Xenon pinball machine out of a bar I played as an adult. But that doesn't meet what is being asked here.
 
Back in 83, people still wrote. That writing looks just like my mom's. Seems like everyone of a certain age writes exactly like my mom does!
It's called The Palmer Method. I recognize it from my wife and her former manager (a school principal) and their handwriting.

Mine is not as refined or practiced.
 
My Neo-Geo setup's got some personal significance. First came across Metal Slug X at the now-closed Main Street Pizza in Scappoose, Oregon, around 25 years ago. Doesn't feel like it's been that long...
 
I choose to believe that the Spy Hunter i bought is the one i played bitd. I have no real evidence other than the guy i bought it from said the guy he bought it from bought it from the Putt-Putt on Mt. Moriah when it closed down, which is where i played Spy Hunter bitd, which is evidence enough for me.
 
My cockpit Sinistar is the very one that I played as a kid at Just Games. Williams put it on test there and after the test was over the arcade kept it and many years later I got it from them. The Battlezone I have is from the same arcade and was the one I played there as a kid.
 
My cockpit Sinistar is the very one that I played as a kid at Just Games. Williams put it on test there and after the test was over the arcade kept it and many years later I got it from them. The Battlezone I have is from the same arcade and was the one I played there as a kid.
Just popping in to say I love that you still have that avatar.
 
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I haven't asked you in a few years but are you going to CAX this year??
Well shoot. Looks like I'll be in your neck of the woods (Chicago) the following weekend so I'm out for CAX this year :(
 
Out of the many, many games I've owned over the years, certainly there had to be one or five that were the exact same game.

But to be honest, I didn't pay the closest attention to any details about the games BitD. Had I known I'd be collecting them someday, I'm sure I would have noticed some details to look for. I never scratched initials or anything on games, so that tell-tale tip is out.
 
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