What inspired you to get into this hobby?

[_jmfr]

unfortunatly for me, i did NOT grow up in the 80's. Wasnt even born till '86.I remember Mortal Kombat coming out and my older brother renting it from blockbuster on sega. I think it stuck with me because it was the only game my mom refused to let me play, but of course I didnt listen. After seeing scorpions fatality, I became addicted. Soon after mk II was released, and I remember walking past tilt, seeing the cab for the first time with tons of kids around it. Being so young, and having NO money, I never got to play it, but drooled at the presense of the glowing cab, and the loud volume. After the release of mk 3 and umk3, I couldnt take it. I'd jack quarters from my folks, and went to the local theatre which had umk3 in it. I sucked, but loved the hell outta it nonetheless. Years past, and I was working in a factory. About 3 weeks before I quit to go to college, my co workers and I somehow started a conversation about arcade classics. The thought of that umk3 machine stuck in my head alllll night at work, so when I got home i pulled up craigslist. It had to be fate cuz that night someone posted a umk3 for sale about an hour away for $250!!! Picked it up the next day, had a little work done on the monitor, sanded,painted,new jamma harness with new happ pushbuttons,and put it all together. Couldnt believe it was sitting in my room. The thrill of the resto, mixed with other memories of classic games just hooked me. I cant get enough, and look forward to the day when i can actually afford to build more.

 

[sonnyburnett]

Was playing Mame one day when I had "a moment of clarity" that happened because I slowed down after years that were a rolercoaster ride of late night/early morning, alchohol and prostitutes and more stuff.

I came to think: Damn I'm in nearly my mid 30's, I'm an asshole, I have the money now.
Damn we're 17 years later in time now, hello it's 2006 not 1987 anymore sow now I can!!!
Let's get me what I always really wanted,

 

[andykmv]

pacman, scramble in 1981 - an addiction, mame in the late 90s, reborn mame addiction in 2005 onward, decided to build a pacman cocktail, started looking for parts, bought a cheap Defense Command, started researching how to repair it and OMG hasnt stopped since!

 

[wildwest3163]

Im one of those that never realized that people actually owned these at home. Actually, never even thought about owning one. played them heavily since the late 70s thru early 90s, just occasionally since (and the classics are almost impossible to find on route anywhere, anyway).

Anyway, almost 2 years ago now (Damn, that long, seems like yesterday) I was trolling eBay (dont even remember now what I was looking for) and ran across a cheap Frogger that was within driving distance from my house. Needless to say, I bid, I won, and went to the guys warehouse and picked the game up and brought it home. Naturally I played it before loading it (couldnt wait until I got home to play). Unfortunately, something happened to the board on the way home and it wouldnt play when I unloaded it. I called the seller and asked if he knew who could work on the board and he referred me to this funny sounding website where a bunch of game geeks hung out, called KLOV or something, cant exactly remember the name

Thanks Steve23, both for the addiction and the info on this site.

now Im up to 22 games and out of room. not quite got the game room finished and already thinking about an attachment

 

[gjinc]

Wife always love to play Tempest. I didn't have any idea what to get her for Christmas one year and saw one for sale on the bay. I won it and I think the cost to go get it was more than I paid for it. game was it great shape. Then she got me my Spy Hunter cockpit for retiring from the Air Force. that's how it started.

 

[Steve W]

I went to the Aladdin's Castle arcade (and Gadgets arcade) at Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ every weekend with my brother when I was growing up. I got hooked on Berzerk. After the arcades started slowly dying I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the games, the atmosphere and just hanging out and talking strategy, etc.

I probably hadn't set foot in an arcade since the late 1980's but then I went to a theatre in Princeton to see King of Kong at the urging of a buddy of mine who used to work at that Aladdin's Castle and was amazed that there were so many folks still dedicated to classic gaming.

After seeing the movie I decided to go set the record on my favorite arcade title, Berzerk, so I bought one, beat the record, submitted the tape to Twin Galaxies and got the record recognized. Now I own 3 of my favorite arcade games.

My wife and I will be closing on a new place next month so once I get settled in there (and it might be awhile before I come up with extra cash for more games) I will start adding to the collection as I will have a den for my arcade.

Happy Collecting.

Steve

 

[FrizzleFried]

One word: MAME.

 

[beerbarrel]

Mowing the yard

 

[havok69]

Loved growing up in the 80's with real classic arcades, knew I had to have them later in life. The prophecy has been fulfilled!

 

[Ubergeek]

A product of the '80s

Loved growing up in the 80's with real classic arcades, knew I had to have them later in life. The prophecy has been fulfilled!

I too am a product of the '80s. My addiction started with Stunt Cycle, Battlezone, and Karate Champ at the corner store. Those stayed on site for a while, then suddenly, one day..... Asteroids. It was all over by then. Many empty bottles were collected on the side of the road and returned so I could push quarters into that game. I spent the first half of the '80s in arcades, then joined the Corps in '86 and headed over seas. That pretty much ended my arcade days. I managed to hit a game here and there, but I spent the next 20 years moving around. I never really had a place of my own until 2007 so I just sat back and waited.... patiently.... until I had a place to put them. Now I do.

 

[shred]

"what inspired you to get into this hobby?"


growing up in the 80's

Pretty much the same for me..

I was a video game junkie in the ealy 80's late 70's... All I wanted to do was play arcade games and atari 2600.... Natural progression to want your own arcade game...


Dave

 

[copious]

All the HOT Chicks that dig guys that can get the high score on Star Wars.

 

[copious]

I went to the Aladdin's Castle arcade (and Gadgets arcade) at Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ every weekend with my brother when I was growing up. I got hooked on Berzerk. After the arcades started slowly dying I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the games, the atmosphere and just hanging out and talking strategy, etc.

I probably hadn't set foot in an arcade since the late 1980's but then I went to a theatre in Princeton to see King of Kong at the urging of a buddy of mine who used to work at that Aladdin's Castle and was amazed that there were so many folks still dedicated to classic gaming.

After seeing the movie I decided to go set the record on my favorite arcade title, Berzerk, so I bought one, beat the record, submitted the tape to Twin Galaxies and got the record recognized. Now I own 3 of my favorite arcade games.

My wife and I will be closing on a new place next month so once I get settled in there (and it might be awhile before I come up with extra cash for more games) I will start adding to the collection as I will have a den for my arcade.

Happy Collecting.

Steve

Aladdin's Castle is probably the only good thing to ever exist at Seaview Square Mall.

 

[videodan]

The show Silver Spoons had arcade games in the family's living room, and I remember being jealous of that. Someday, I knew I'd have a few games in my house when I got older. Seems like a 'few' turned into about 20! LOL

 

[retroACTIVE]

One word: MAME.

... same here, I was hoping to get my fix from building a super terrific MAME machine... didn't at all live up to my expectations.

 

[Steve W]

Aladdin's Castle is probably the only good thing to ever exist at Seaview Square Mall.

Burger Stop, Orange Julius and Chick-Fil-A FTW!

Also the cutthroat competition between Sears, Sterns and Steinbachs anchor stores. Pure fire. Do you recall the Gadgets downstairs in the mall? It was sort of a pizza place/arcade aimed more at kids I think but their game selection I thought was superior. My fondest arcade memory is going to a pizza party there when they first put Cliff Hanger out on the floor right in the middle of the arcade. I used all my tokens that day on it and had to get one for my home when I was able. I also recall there being a local kid who was a bit slow but was lights out on Crazy Climber there. All these memories that sort of flash into my head at times but since I was still pretty young, not entirely recall are sort of also what made me get into this hobby. Trying to recreate those scattered memories, I'm trying to remember fully. Doesn't really work that way, but it's fun to try. Every once in awhile though I'll remember something from those days like where a game was or someone I saw there all the time but never knew their name, etc.

 

[DLP]

I was flipping thru the local want-ad paper back in 1992. Came across a "Video Games" section and saw one game listed. One of my favorite games from back in the day.... Hyper Sports. I called the guy up, paid way too much for the game, and the rest is history.

 

[Oryk Zinyo]

I got divorced back in '05. I kept the house but the ex wanted all of the furniture. Now I had this large house with no furniture and no room mates except for the dogs. I decided I'd buy cool furnitire - a few pinball machines. I ended up buying one pin and a Spiderman cab and then they just looked lonely so I knew I needed more...

 

[GameRoomKid]

Great topic. I've always wanted to own at least 1 arcade game to say it was mine. When I bought my Arch Rivals and stuck it in my old basement. . it just took off from there.

 

[UnkulBuck]

I had a shitty internet connection and I needed something to do while I was downloading porn.


Seriously, I bought a VS Mario Brothers and the rest is his story (not mine his)