Comments on: Retro Home

By: KrazyFace

KrazyFace — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:35:09 +0000

Yeah Burbie, I already stuck my Namco arcades in there a while back, then swapped them around as more (playable to friends) arcade cabinets became available in Home. The pub space feels fine with a few in there but nothing meets the mind-blow of walking into a full-on arcade hall with machines for walls lol!

By: CheekyGuy

CheekyGuy — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:09:25 +0000

There is a HUGE retro gaming culture all of it’s own and the gaming industry is just waking up to realise the demand is ‘stil’l there and that nostalgia (as with anything, food, multi-media) is big business. I can’t think of anybody I haven’t met, who hasn’t downloaded a gaming emulator of some sort (A gaming ‘grey’ area I have to admit) to relive his / her childhood every once in a while.

What gamers of today won’t know, is just how BIG Atari was, Atari was the early 80’s ‘Nintendo’ of it’s day. What followed from TV advertisements are T-shirts, Mugs, Keyrings and all manner of merchandise you probably will still SEE today,

(Some most notably Pac-Man & Space Invaders)

Home first came out with Namco’s earlier games (Galaga, Pacman ) to play in your Private space. Your friends had to also own the game in order to play it. (Which didn’t feel right if you invited them over and they come back to you disappointed in that they couldn’t play simply because they didn’t have a download copy of the game.)

These were the games that I wanted to see in Home’s first recreational space (The Bowling Alley) I really didn’t like the selection of arcade games they had back then, but if Sony placed those Atari or Namco Arcade games in the Bowling Alley now, it would be one of THE places for people to go if they wanted to play a good retro classic that was easy to pick up, yet harder to master.

By: LostRainbow

LostRainbow — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:10:43 +0000

Great article. I love nostalgia. I loved my Atari 2600 and playing Adventure and Space Invaders. I loved arcades too and was addicted to Pacman and then Ms. Pacman. When those games came on the Atari 2600, I was thrilled. I think I am going to purchase a few of these games on Home. Sometimes hearing the sounds and music from them brings you back to childhood! I am so glad Home is doing all this and I really need to check out the Action District! Speaking of nostalgia, I sure miss Twinkies and Drakes Cakes. Like you found your favorite Doritos, I sure hope to find those cakes again one day on my supermarket shelf! Again, great article!

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:56:04 +0000

I had already turned my free garage space into a sort of arcade a long time ago with all the stuff I already have. I loved arcades growing up, but the ones I had only had pool tables and a few pinball games. Later I would occasionally frequent ones with Pac Man and Asteroid consoles, and I got to use those quite a bit in the bars I worked in as well.
I met a guy when I was working in the early 70’s who had a home computer he had pieced together. He showed me the “computer game” he had been cobbling together on it. I was fascinated by this new idea, having never seen a computer in my life or in someones home. I hope his dream of being a game creator came to pass.
Nostalgia is a fun thing. Nice read Ted.

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:49:51 +0000

Saw a friends arcade he did in his Pub that looked really nice Krazy. It worked well with the back room there and he did it in the whole front as well.

By: KrazyFace

KrazyFace — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:36:46 +0000

Yeah, I *might’ve* squealed like a girl when I saw these. Then ran off and bought EVERYTHING!!! lol. It’s been one of my dreams to have a retro arcade in some form or fashion and Home has *nearly* given it. All that remains is an appropriate place to make the arcade. I’ve used my neon lit Sodium Lounge for the time being, which is kinda cool, but the age of the arcades being as they are I think a proper arcade hall would be best. I did think of getting Game Mechanic’s space but it was just a tad too disheveled.

My first proper gaming moments acctually came from school! They had a BBC Acorn Micro (lol at the “micro” bit) and after doing a bit of work, they allowed us to play some games -- always educational ones though. Not long after that I was given access to an Amstrad CPC -- 464, then a Commodore 64, a Sinclair Spectrum and finally an Atari 2600 -- WITH AN ACTUAL JOYSTICK!!! It was like having an arcade in your HOUSE! And even though Britain’s bedroom coders fought off the consoles with cheap, funny and original games for the “computers” we had, it became obvious that a world of kids making and selling games wouldn’t last forever against newly forming companies like Atari and Nintendo. And Imma shut up now coz I could wind-bag about this era forever…

Nice read Ted, cheers.