Thanks to the modern age of portable, console and computer gaming, it's been a very long time since I stepped foot into a video arcade.
Way back in my younger years, I spent a lot of time and money plugging and playing coin operated video game machines for my escape from reality. The first arcade I ever walked into was called House of Coin, pictured above at it's first of two locations in my hometown.
There is no way of knowing just how many quarters I dropped into those machines over the years, but it's safe to guess I could have purchased one outright (getting it home would have been another story altogether). Games like Pole Position, Hang On (and the later Super Hang On), Out Run (it's sequel Turbo Out Run) and Ridge Racer, just to name a few.
There is no way of knowing just how many quarters I dropped into those machines over the years, but it's safe to guess I could have purchased one outright (getting it home would have been another story altogether). Games like Pole Position, Hang On (and the later Super Hang On), Out Run (it's sequel Turbo Out Run) and Ridge Racer, just to name a few.
A personal favorite from the past was a top down viewed title called All Points Bulletin, I relive in part in my mind whenever I play a police themed game today.
Now, let's take a trip down to a local arcade and skip ahead over twenty years from when I spent any real measurable amount of time in one, where the games have become a much improved experience.
This particular arcade title, Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3, is based of the manga, then anime and later Live action movie of the same name. The basic premise of the series involves fictional characters involved with high speed racing on Tokyo's highway and expressway system, loosely based on real life events and people during the late 80's and 90's in that area in Japan.
Well, so much for my first versus battle against my son.
My son tried to convinced me to give this "climb in, sit down and drive experience" a try. After watching him perform a few practice rounds on his own, I decided to give it a go, since it didn't look too hard to me....
Well, so much for my first versus battle against my son.
As much as I love good driving games, one of the things that most can't replicate is the very "feel" of driving. Sure, they can simulate the feedback through the steering wheel and pedals (both arcade sit down machines and home consoles/computers can have this optional equipment, I still use gamepads for both), but not the g-forces the body is subjected through in hard cornering, accelerating and/or braking (I suppose gimbles could be used to some effect, but the cost of maintenance and safety certification of those machines could be very prohibitive).
For an experience that comes as close to real driving (short of actually doing it, in a legal and safe manner), would have to involve Go-Karts.
For an experience that comes as close to real driving (short of actually doing it, in a legal and safe manner), would have to involve Go-Karts.
I decided to purchased a game card for Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3, to save the progress of my races and any upgrades to my Mitsubishi Evolution VI RS, should we go back for future rematches. My son got a really lucky break, collecting a free, pre-loaded card from one of the attendants of the arcade and awaking the Paul Walker fan inside him....
Seems I have to step up my game.
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