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What is this site? This site is essentially an attempt to allow the viewer to
experience a glimpse of what were some of my fondest childhood memories, the
arcades of the early 80's.
From the second I played my very first video game, a space invaders cocktail,
to the latest and greatest console systems, I have always been a huge fan of
video games. But, it is the games of the early 80's that hold the strongest
nostalgic value for me.
Playing games back then was more than simply putting a quarter in a game
and attempting to temporarily postpone an alien onslaught, it was an
all-encompassing environmental experience. The huge popularity of games such
as Pong
and Space Invaders,
lead to arcades sprouting up everywhere. From the
smallest crack in the wall convenience stores, to mid-size dedicated arcades,
to the mother of them all, the mall arcade.
Each of these locations had their own ambience which I can still remember
like it was yesterday. Some locations were kept very dark, sported
popular rock music of the time, and constantly pushed the latest and
greatest games. Others were more, "family friendly", typically combined with
food (usually pizza) in an attempt to invite parents and their children to
participate.
Going to an arcade always seemed exciting and new. It also provided for a
great social experience. We didn't sit at home, gaming and talking with people
over the Internet. Instead, a group of friends would ride their
bikes to the local arcade, and attempt to conquer the latest challenges.
I remember working with my friends to beat such classics as
Tron,
Track & Field,
Dragon's Lair and
Cliff Hanger.
When we weren't working together, we challenged each other to beat our personal
high scores.
Eventually, the arcades of the early 80's started to disappear. Sure, we
now had computers and home consoles with games (really great games). But,
the experience was missing something. At the time it was difficult to determine
exactly what that was. I believe it was the fact that we had the games, but we
no longer had that all-encompassing experience.
A few years ago I started thinking again about those games of the past. I
wondered, if any of them still existed? If so, how much would they
cost? Well, those thoughts have lead to the
collection of games
you can see listed on this site. For some reason, I seem to really enjoy
obtaining these games, repairing them, and playing them. Doing so has lead
to an interest in electronics I never really had before. Hopefully, some
of the techniques, troubles, etc. I have documented repairing these games
can aid fellow collectors in getting a classic up and running again.
It wouldn't be hard to say that the arcades of the early 80's really set the
path for the rest of my life. My interest in the games lead me to working on
and programming computers. From the early Apples and Commodores, to today's
modern PCs, I have always had a desire to program them. This desire lead
to obtaining a degree in Computer Science, and ultimately lead to becoming
a software engineer. On this site, I will also list some of the current software
programming projects I am working on that are related to video games.
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