A closed chapter on beach arcades, OC Maryland

[Cassidy Nolen]

This past weekend Nicole and I were in Ocean City, Maryland for a car show. While there we always hit the arcades. The one closest to the inlet parking area always had a good number of classics; Dig Dug, Centipede, Space Invaders even! They also had a number of classic pins (70's era). I always enjoyed the games and they stayed pretty packed back there everytime I would go in.

 

This year however found a number of slot machines in its place. I have no idea what slots are doing in an arcade but I feel sure they must make more money than the classics. Sadly, they are all gone, as are all but one classic pin. The 50's or early 60's Gottlieb (with the manual ball launch ramp) was out of order and the big Cowboy gun game needed a tune up in the worst way.

 

Now I also know an arcade up the boards around 16th street had a Hercules pinball. This time I was destined to find it. I last played that machine in college, circa 93 and I had heard it was still there. Finally we ran into the owner of the building and she said they sold it two years ago to a collector in PA that needed it to piece two others together. Funny, I missed it each time I had been since 01 and never could find the correct arcade. Last year I remembered it was WAY up the boards and we found it, just a season or two too late.

 

I am well aware the game age for classics is past. I am also painfully aware that the classic resurgence in interest has been satiated by these %^&$%@#$ multicade boards (and mame machines) thereby keeping the profits down on the real deals. Its to each their own, but there is nothing like the real thing, whether its a classic muscle car or a classic game, to me.

 

The one classic I did manage to find was in the Holiday Inn on 67th st. They had a Tapper! Amazing. The cab was great but the graphics board was screwy. Good thing the bars were burned into the screen, thats how I knew where to throw the beers!

 

Another classic arcade mecca gone. I can really only think of a few that remain unaltered. The few classics in Rehoboth Beach, DE are gone now too. They have a Fishtales pin, thats about as classic as it gets....

 

Cassidy

[mos6507]

Another datapoint. There is an arcade at Nantasket beach. Previously when I went there it was mostly coinops. Not many classics, mind you, but at least real arcade machines. Recently when I went there it looked more like Chuck E Cheese. Almost all redemption machines. This seems to be the trend. Arcades that stay open are phasing out games with "kiddie gambling" machines taking their place.

[CARTRIDGE STEALER]

you should have asked what had happened with the arcade games and made him an offer if he still was in possession of them.

[+HatNJ]

My wife and I are going to OC, MD Nov 4-9 Are there any Arcades at all worth visiting?

or should we resign our selves to bars and touch screen games?

[Shannon]

I forget where exactly it is but there used to be an arcade place (in the corner of some plaza) somewhere past 114th street? That used to have a bunch of classic arcade stuff. Had not been there in years though.

[+RangerG]

Cassidy,

 

I hear you. When I presented at a conference in August in San Diego, I made sure to go to Mission Beach to catch the beach roller coaster and the arcade. They had a few pins and late 80s machines. Last time we drove through Panama City Beach, Florida, I also went on an arcade search, but so many are gone. Those multicade machines just don't do it. I have another conference in the Spring in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and I hope a few of the beach arcades are still there.

 

Take care,

RG

[Cassidy Nolen]

My wife and I are going to OC, MD Nov 4-9 Are there any Arcades at all worth visiting?

or should we resign our selves to bars and touch screen games?

 

 

Shannon Posted Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:43 AM

I forget where exactly it is but there used to be an arcade place (in the corner of some plaza) somewhere past 114th street? That used to have a bunch of classic arcade stuff. Had not been there in years though.

 

That arcade is still there in OC. It had a Galpus and a few other classics about 4 years ago (last time I stopped there). We do tend to play more games in the bars (touch screen Photo Hunt type games) when we go to the beach but that one on bayside, about 100th street, 114 sounds right. Its in the L nook of an L shaped shopping mall, all brick, right next to a pirate ship-putt putt golf center. Can't miss it. Its still mom and pop, kinda cool.

 

As for arcades on the boards, the one across from the inlet parking center (near the haunted house) is ok. Best I can tell/figure, the owners do own the machines and then just contract out for the brand new pieces. There is one arcade (new a few years back) on the boards that was completely contracted....I am sure of it. All the pieces were premium and the overhead alone was WAY too high for someone outside the route operations size to own all the games...just too big.

 

I should have asked about the classics, they do have those 2 EM games left. Maybe they'll have them next time I am down. Should be back that way this winter. I don't know if they actually stay open all year. Hope they do The smell, the salt, the sand; its as close to the real thing as I can get (ok the Pinball museum in Vegas is THE best you can get, just not geographically advantageous to me).

 

C