Are the megasize arcade games just a fad?

linx310

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Seems like every place that has arcade games is now installing megasized versions of every thing.

They now have giant versions of Pac Man, Space Invaders, Connect 4, Claw Machines, ect.

Any one else notice this fad?
 
Gotta try to offer what you can't get on an iPhone or console.
 
"nostalgia appeal" is a fad that never goes outta style

give it a few years and you'll see the equivalent with Farm Heroes, Candy Crush, etc
 
in the ticket arcade business, size matters, for whatever reason. :)

it probably is just a fad though. it worked for the Pac-Man, I think Galaga happens eventually (if it hasn't already, I don't follow these things too close anymore), I figure Raw Thrills will keep doing it until the concept craps out.

that business effectively has no soul whatsoever. nobody 20 years from now are going to say "remember Big Bass Wheel? that was such a great game."
 
BIG Games

I have played "The World's Largest Pacman" and it's very fun with 2 players. The screen is a series of LED panels about 8 feet high.

I would like to see a giant Donkey Kong with a similar treatment that looks like the DK from the Pixels movie animations.

My favorite of the newer, classic game reboots is the Pacman 4 player championship deluxe. It's sooo much fun with 4 players.
 
The giant Pac-Man is a ton of fun to play, like playing an arcade game on a neon billboard. It's also remixed just enough that it ads something new and has been mentioned is outstanding with a second player. For whatever reason it's the only upscaled game that I really enjoy.
 
The "arcade" at the beach we went to two weeks ago had a huge Space Invaders with one of those "wall o led" screens. It had a big gun attached to it for some reason, it didn't look too interesting so I didn't bother playing.
 
The "arcade" at the beach we went to two weeks ago had a huge Space Invaders with one of those "wall o led" screens. It had a big gun attached to it for some reason, it didn't look too interesting so I didn't bother playing.

Saw one of those (or something like it) at the new arcade they put into the Exton mall. Looks like you can do two players at once.

Didn't really look that fun.
 
Has anyone figured out if that giant Pac-Man screen is bespoke to that build? Can it accept any monitor input?

That sucker would make the ultimate vertical MAME/JAMMA machine :)
 
One arcade near me has the large space invaders, it has 2 seats and you sit down then you have to shoot giant guns at the screen, you win tickets depending on how well you do.
 
"nostalgia appeal" is a fad that never goes outta style

give it a few years and you'll see the equivalent with Farm Heroes, Candy Crush, etc

Candy Crush and Flappy Bird were already out 2 summers ago. Took pic of Candy Crush because my kid was nuts for it at the time.
 

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The arcade at Deptford Mall in the 80's had what I guess were custom-built front-projection games of Pac-Man and something else (maybe two pac-man's?). Cost $1.00 to play but it was pretty awesome to a little kid to experience.

One of these with the control panel in front of it.
157066.jpg
 
The arcade at Universal's Islands of Adventure (near Dr. Dooms Free fall) had a large size game (I think it was Space Invaders). There is a large size Pac-Man at the airport arcade too.
 
There are more and more environmental cabinets these days:

Jurassic Park
Ghostbusters
Transformers
Mario Bros
Walking Dead

They are pretty much the same old shooting games, though. I guess that's what makes money.
 
I went to a Dave and Busters a couple weeks ago for the first time. I was surprised that wasn't even a single upright traditional style arcade cabinet like from the 80s and 90s. I guess LCD screen have changed the form factor of modern arcade games.
 
I went to a Dave and Busters a couple weeks ago for the first time. I was surprised that wasn't even a single upright traditional style arcade cabinet like from the 80s and 90s. I guess LCD screen have changed the form factor of modern arcade games.

If they don't spit out tickets, they tend to get passed over. I think the last game they had running a CRT at the Philly location was a single Namco reunion cab with the front of it butchered to accept donations to a local charity.
 
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