Games You'd Own (or do own) for mainly Background Ambiance

Phetishboy

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Games You'd Own (or do own) for mainly Background Ambiance

I just realized that a lot of the nostalgia I have for arcades and arcade games may actually come less from playing the games, and more from the many attract modes that most games employ, including game demos, sounds and screen changes. Back in 1986-1987, my brother, my friend Jon and I played the shit out of Double Dragon almost every Friday and Saturday night after Rollerskating. When I started in this hobby, I decided that I simply had to have a Double Dragon in my collection to relive those fun days. Well, I picked one up a few years back, restored it, placed it in the game room and...


...was mildly disappointed. No matter how much I wanted to like it, it just wasn't the same. I thought it was because the game play just didn't hold up well after all these years. Recently I realized that it wasn't so much that the game failed to live up to my expectations (though it did seem a little more boring than I remember), but I have actually come to realize that without the attract sounds of "OPERATION WOLF" in the background, the feeling just wasn't the same. The 2 games sat next to each other and you had no choice but to hear OW sounds the whole time you played Double Dragon. Anyone else feel that you would own or do own games just for the nostalgic ambiance their attract modes offer?

This isn't a BEST ATTRACT MODES thread, but more a "WHAT ATTRACT MODES MEAN THE MOST TO YOU & WHY" Thread.
 
I have found that I don't care for any side-scroll beat-em-ups unless I can hear someone playing pinball in the background. I think this is because the Putt-Putt that I played most of these games in had a large row of pins that were always getting played.
 
I have found that I don't care for any side-scroll beat-em-ups unless I can hear someone playing pinball in the background. I think this is because the Putt-Putt that I played most of these games in had a large row of pins that were always getting played.

EM, SS or DMDs?
 
I only do my best at Virtual On with blaring rock music in the background, probably because of where I used to play it...
 
Karate Champ!
The Space Station (arcade I spent the most time at) had two of them and no matter where you were in the building you could hear them playing.
Also, PacLand (I still need to find one).
 
Turn the lights off, have Primal Rage SCREAMING in the background, and play Mortal Kombat II. Yeah-heah, just like at the community center. :D
 
EM, SS or DMDs?


They had a good blend of all three but the call outs I remember most are from Creature From the Black Lagoon. "Move your car!" and the loud kissing sound both bring back strong memories of playing Nightcrawler on a six player X-Men and stomping on the enemies. All I need is the sound of the pop bumpers to get me in the beat-em-up mood...



Going the opposite way, Dragon's Lair's attract mode puts me in the mood to play a Twilight Zone pinball machine. We had a DL at the Seattle show this year and I had a difficult time not running off to the TZ pin everytime I heard the attract storyline.
 
Pole Position.. I can still walk into an arcade and the light countdown noise still is the first sound my brain picks out. Not a fan of the game based on its reliability, but to have that sound in the background would be a huge bonus for me.
 
Pole Position.. I can still walk into an arcade and the light countdown noise still is the first sound my brain picks out. Not a fan of the game based on its reliability, but to have that sound in the background would be a huge bonus for me.

Holy shit, I was just about to post this. I played a ton of Karate Champ with a PP right next to it BITD...
 
For me, its gotta be Street Fighter II. EVERY pizza place I went to in my Jr High years had one and the into music, and then hearing Ryu and Ken say "HADOUKEN!" in the attract mode is so awesome. I need to find a nice Z back and throw CE in it.
 
Galaga, and Pac-Man arrangement even though it isn't really a classic. I have always had a Namco Collection II next to me while playing Ms. Pac.
 
For me, its gotta be Street Fighter II. EVERY pizza place I went to in my Jr High years had one and the into music, and then hearing Ryu and Ken say "HADOUKEN!" in the attract mode is so awesome. I need to find a nice Z back and throw CE in it.

I remember that shit too. I always thought he said:

"Are YOU Ken?"

I'd always think, "Maybe. Who wants to know?"
 
For me, its gotta be Street Fighter II. EVERY pizza place I went to in my Jr High years had one and the into music, and then hearing Ryu and Ken say "HADOUKEN!" in the attract mode is so awesome. I need to find a nice Z back and throw CE in it.

Same here, SF II is what I vividly remember about arcades. And how can you forget the sound of a baller putting a $10 in the change machine. That always turned heads.

Listen to the 1992 sound clip to take you back http://arcade.hofle.com/downloads.htm
 
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Hearing the Vaus deflecting the ball on Arkanoid represents a complete arcade atmosphere for me. I don't even care to play it that much, but when I had one in the garage, it reminded me of my old YMCA arcade back in the 80's.
 
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I just realized that a lot of the nostalgia I have for arcades and arcade games may actually come less from playing the games, and more from the many attract modes that most games employ, including game demos, sounds and screen changes. Back in 1986-1987, my brother, my friend Jon and I played the shit out of Double Dragon almost every Friday and Saturday night after Rollerskating. When I started in this hobby, I decided that I simply had to have a Double Dragon in my collection to relive those fun days. Well, I picked one up a few years back, restored it, placed it in the game room and...


...was mildly disappointed. No matter how much I wanted to like it, it just wasn't the same. I thought it was because the game play just didn't hold up well after all these years. Recently I realized that it wasn't so much that the game failed to live up to my expectations (though it did seem a little more boring than I remember), but I have actually come to realize that without the attract sounds of "OPERATION WOLF" in the background, the feeling just wasn't the same. The 2 games sat next to each other and you had no choice but to hear OW sounds the whole time you played Double Dragon. Anyone else feel that you would own or do own games just for the nostalgic ambiance their attract modes offer?

This isn't a BEST ATTRACT MODES thread, but more a "WHAT ATTRACT MODES MEAN THE MOST TO YOU & WHY" Thread.

Dragon's Lair. Every time I hear that narration, it brings me back...
 
Gotta love the bass thump of space invaders or the sounds from star castle....if i had unlimited space, I'd have those in the cade.

Tom
 
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