Greatest Gaming moments #5

Way back in '86 arcades were cool. I was about 14 and money was in short supply, and it was around then that arcade games stepped up a gear (quite literally).

Once a year the "Showmen" or "The Shows" would arrive in town; you probably know it as the fairground or summat. With them they would bring their various vomit and fear inducing rides. It's not because the rides were fast, it's that they were bolted together in a couple of hours by a bunch of uneducated baboons who used piles of rotten wood to "balance" them. I felt sick looking at them and had a fear of going on.
With them they brought mobile arcades: a trailer full of bandits and arcade cabinets. The side of the trailer opens up and off you go inside, being choked in an enclosed space by diesel fumes powering the whole fairground. I spent many an evening in a fug, stumbling from one arcade to another, gasping for breath.

In years gone by we had such highlights as Gryzor, Pac Land, Yie-Ar Kung Fu and Crystal Castles (oh Bently Bear, I miss you). This year there was a newcomer: Out Run. As space was limited, the show ground was limited to two or three uprights and they had increased the cost per play from 20p on all machines to 50p for Out Run.

I always liked the cloudy level

Out Run's release garnered much attention, even from my non-arcade playing friends. The fact that it was in a custom cabinet only increased the appeal. I still hold Out Run in very high regard, and although the Dreamcast version lost the prancing horse; I still play it with my steering wheel occasionally.
As I said at the beginning, money was in short supply so my games of arcade Out Run were limited. I had a posh friend who's dad was a solicitor, and he had enough money to keep playing Out Run all week until he got good enough to complete it. Smug bastard.
I'm still not sure about his tactic of slamming into low gear then back to high to slow down. Still, it worked for him.

Nope, never got here

I was still the Gryzor king, and that counted for something.

26/10/06