UK Arcades

[xand49]

Howdy,

Apologies if this has already been discussed and i've no doubt it has, I couldn't find much mention with the search feature.

Are there any good arcades left anywhere? (ideally close to Manchester)

I was just about getting my fix from the namco station in The Trafford Centre, went in this weekend and it's now entirely reward/ticket machines and a selection of sit in games / gun games. not one single joystick in the place! this is the only one I really know of after the death of the Meadowhall arcade a few years back.

How's Blackpool these days?

 

[ZedEx48K]

It's been like that for a while at the Trafford center, well once a year now in Manchester you have the PlayExpo, there's also the john o'groats (or what ever it's called) pub, otherwise you have a trip to Blackpool, or one of the local collectors when they have an open day

Though you may as well just get a cab and MAME it if you are after a variety of games for now.

 

[xand49]

I'm in the process of configuring a MAME cab at the moment!

How has Blackpool survived? I honestly don't think I've been that way since I mid teens and the big one came out. are there still huge arcades?

 

[Alpha1]

There was one arcade left that had a decent section for classic games but it shut in 2011 IIRC.

 

[Purity]

It's the Lass O' Gowrie in Manchester that has the arcade machines.

Which part of Manchester are you from xand49?

 

[xand49]

I'm in Castlefield, outskirts of the city centre,

shame that one shut down, I'd settle for one that's semi modern these days!

 

[xand49]

Had a look at the Lass O'Gowrie, looks like a hidden treasure cabinets aside, will definitely be checking it out.

 

[Jodo]

Blackpool is awful.

I went hunting a few months back and managed to find a Daytona Twin (switched off) and that was pretty much it for all the big arcades and piers. Everywhere is full of gamblers, huge modern molded plastic movie tie-ins (shooters and bikes - all fugly) and bandits. It's incredible that nothing classic related has survived at all in such a huge seaside resort. Where did everything go? Not all to collectors and Ebay for sure. It's heartbreaking.

 

[Outrun2]

Anyone know if Arcadia in Ryde, IOW is still open? It was the only place left for really old games a few years ago but I know it's taken a few hits in the last year or so.

Bit too far for a day trip from the north west anyway

 

[Jodo]

Arcadia is still open and has a nice selection of classic cabs; it's been selling off the 'big hitters' every so often so I can't vouch if the sit on Hang On is still there or the Out Run Dlx but there is a reasonable select of JAMMA stuff. The Space Harrier Dlx has definitely gone though.

 

[tb lilley]

For Blackpool could always book in to The Cherry Blossom Hotel

Not cheap, but would make for a decent weekend of playing some nice dedicated classics.