Old Irish arcade photos - do they exist?

20-08-2018 4:55pm

I saw this from Dublin City Council images page. Where is it?
056_Video_Games.jpg?itok=cY9WsRYh

deadl0ck · 22-08-2018 9:19am

Great thread - just saw it now.
I'll see if I can find anything

Grandeeod · 30-08-2018 8:42pm

Yeah a fab thread indeed. I haunted arcades in 1980s Dublin (I'd no choice as we couldn't afford a C64 or 128.:D) and now that my daughter wants a Switch for Christmas, I've suddenly realised that after all the consoles I've bought over the years, she has never actually experienced an arcade and what her Dad relied on.

My memories in Dublin city centre. The Pierrot Club on Batchelors walk was the go to spot for me. The stories I had from there and the money I poured into the place.

We had one around the corner on O'Connell street. Playland? Ground floor and basement. Think it ironically became a bookies afterwards. Two others I frequented was one on Burgh Quay (Funland?) and then one off Talbot Street in a laneway backing onto the Irish Life buildings.

As for Bray, well that was when the money allowed the trip out. During the 80s, I gamed in them all on the sea front. I vaguely remember the arcade in the laneway from the train station. All changed now.

CathalDublin · 31-08-2018 9:59am

Grandeeod wrote: »

then one off Talbot Street in a laneway backing onto the Irish Life buildings.

Barneys, I'm pretty sure it still looks like this too, I wonder whats in it

L1005796+copy.jpg

Doge · 31-08-2018 1:11pm

CathalDublin wrote: »

Barneys, I'm pretty sure it still looks like this too, I wonder whats in it

o1s1n · 31-08-2018 1:33pm

I was never in Barney's when it was open, was it really as rough as I've heard?

Steve X2 · 31-08-2018 3:18pm

o1s1n wrote: »

I was never in Barney's when it was open, was it really as rough as I've heard?

"Come for the Street Fighter II, stay for the Heroin", that was their slogan wasn't it?

CosmicSmash · 31-08-2018 6:10pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I saw this from Dublin City Council images page. Where is it?

That's 77 Benburb Street, just off Stoneybatter in Dublin 7. It's down the road from my old stomping ground.

https://goo.gl/maps/XKJ9pVeQrPF2

Grandeeod · 31-08-2018 8:09pm

So Barney's it was called. I was in it a lot of times around 1985/86. Wasn't a great spot for games and rough as sand paper alright.

Skerries in north county Dublin had some really good arcades in the 80s. I spent two Summers in them. '83/84.

Kidchameleon · 01-09-2018 8:19am

I used to go into Barneys during my college years and play King of Fighters 97 on an Electrocoin duet

super_furry · 03-09-2018 5:07pm

Would love to see some old pictures of the Atari Expo in the Square before it turned into just another casino. No idea how but they always had the latest machines and stuff that just never made it out to anywhere else by Dr Quirkies. I spent hours and probably a small fortune there playing Derby Owners Club, Top Skater, Prop Cycle, Star Wars Arcade and the rest of the big machines. They even had two Virtuality VR machines with Dactyl Nightmare at one stage.

Steve X2 · 03-09-2018 5:20pm

super_furry wrote: »

Would love to see some old pictures of the Atari Expo in the Square before it turned into just another casino. No idea how but they always had the latest machines and stuff that just never made it out to anywhere else by Dr Quirkies. I spent hours and probably a small fortune there playing Derby Owners Club, Top Skater, Prop Cycle, Star Wars Arcade and the rest of the big machines. They even had two Virtuality VR machines with Dactyl Nightmare at one stage.

Ah Dactyl Nightmare, powered by an Amiga 3000 or 4000 if i remember correctly.

Inviere · 03-09-2018 5:37pm

super_furry wrote: »

Would love to see some old pictures of the Atari Expo in the Square

First time I ever seen SFIII was in there

Kidchameleon · 03-09-2018 9:02pm

Does anyone remember the arcade machines in the Gala in Ballyfermot? I remember they had Mortal Kombat

Optimus Prime · 03-09-2018 9:05pm

Yeh , they had sf2 as well. And the game where you have Hoover’s on your back and fire out people you suck in like snowballs/snowmen

They also had a side scroller where you pick from knights with swords and a fighting game where you are in an arena and can pick a Minotaur as one of the characters.

I’ve played these games myself recently I just can’t remember the names off hand.

Corholio · 03-09-2018 10:51pm

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Yeh , they had sf2 as well. And the game where you have Hoover’s on your back and fire out people you suck in like snowballs/snowmen

They also had a side scroller where you pick from knights with swords and a fighting game where you are in an arena and can pick a Minotaur as one of the characters.

I’ve played these games myself recently I just can’t remember the names off hand.

The fighter one with the Minotaur is 'Mutant Fighter' (Death Brade in Japan) I have fond memories of that in my local arcade here in Cork as well.

Optimus Prime · 03-09-2018 11:01pm

That’s the one ! Tumble pop is the one with the Hoover’s I mentioned and the other is knight of the round I think.

Can’t remember any others. I remember being shown how to do the “handcuffs” thing with guile in there.

Doge · 04-09-2018 12:28am

Corholio wrote: »

The fighter one with the Minotaur is 'Mutant Fighter' (Death Brade in Japan) I have fond memories of that in my local arcade here in Cork as well.

Can you remember the Arcade in the Savoy where you could pre paid cards that could activate the machines, like a leap card for arcade machines if you will?

I often wonder how it compared in size to the Dublin Arcades and if it was the biggest arcade in the country.
it seemed pretty big at the time but I was only 10ish and have vague memories.

I distinctively remember Mad Dog Mcree and another laserdisc game set in space, as well as a street fighter II cab with hacks.

I think there was also 2 slides and one would make you summerault hen you came out of it and land on those plastic ball pits. Unless I've confused it where somewhere else.

Its quite surreal now to think it existed back then, I would love to know more about and photos or footage of it would be so good to see.

04-09-2018 9:30am

Doge wrote: »

Can you remember the Arcade in the Savoy where you could pre paid cards that could activate the machines, like a leap card for arcade machines if you will?

I often wonder how it compared in size to the Dublin Arcades and if it was the biggest arcade in the country.
it seemed pretty big at the time but I was only 10ish and have vague memories.

I distinctively remember Mad Dog Mcree and another laserdisc game set in space, as well as a street fighter II cab with hacks.

I think there was also 2 slides and one would make you summerault hen you came out of it and land on those plastic ball pits. Unless I've confused it where somewhere else.

Its quite surreal now to think it existed back then, I would love to know more about and photos or footage of it would be so good to see.

Was it Space Ace?

rubadub · 04-09-2018 10:37am

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Tumble pop is the one with the Hoover’s .

Tumblepop was in the pierrot on the quays. Great game, similar to bubble bobble, and visually like Pang. Surprised it is not more well known or converted more.

CathalDublin · 04-09-2018 12:33pm

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Yeh , they had sf2 as well. And the game where you have Hoover’s on your back and fire out people you suck in like snowballs/snowmen

They also had a side scroller where you pick from knights with swords and a fighting game where you are in an arena and can pick a Minotaur as one of the characters.

I’ve played these games myself recently I just can’t remember the names off hand.

Think you are getting tumblepop and snow bros mixed up there

Doge · 04-09-2018 1:19pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Was it Space Ace?

It must have been Space Pirates. For some reason I remember it differently though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSxyrEndT04

o1s1n · 04-09-2018 1:21pm

Speaking of slides, any of you guys remember The Fun Factory (Was in Stillorgan I think)? Slide and ball pit heaven.

I distinctly remember at one point they had a few arcade machines on feeplay, only game that comes to mind is Sf2 - it would randomly reset which was annoying.

I think they also had a few console kiosks up in the viewing area.

Optimus Prime · 04-09-2018 1:38pm

CathalDublin wrote: »

Think you are getting tumblepop and snow bros mixed up there

The game i remember was defo Tumblepop i googled it earlier, and there was a level with snowmen in it too as far as i remember. good game as well.

Inviere · 04-09-2018 3:28pm

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Does anyone remember the arcade machines in the Gala in Ballyfermot? I remember they had Mortal Kombat

Was in there a few times years back yeah. I remember seeing Tekken for the 1st time in there, think they had Pole Position 1 or 2 there too.

Optimus Prime wrote: »

I remember being shown how to do the “handcuffs” thing with guile in there.

Same. Probably by the same guy!

Doge · 04-09-2018 3:43pm

How did people figure that **** out back then!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znHhJfQ2b1g

Inviere · 04-09-2018 3:57pm

It was all word of mouth, and passing knowledge on in person. I remember seeing Guile's "Freeze", and "Handcuffs" in the Gala for the first time

CathalDublin · 04-09-2018 6:06pm

sugarman wrote: »

Always felt like walking into a rough inner city bar, regulars only kind of place. Youd get some odd looks walking in if they didnt know you. Never had any real hassle tho other than a few mouthy young fellas trying to show off in front of their mates. They were never playing any games either ...nobody really was! Was just a hangout spot.

Few decent cabs but they were rougher than the locals before it closed... when did it close by the way? Was prob last there 03/04?

I was offered a couple of the machines when they were selling them off in 2004/5, I was told at the time they were al going up the north, I don’t knownif it was Pokers, jammas, pins or what, to be honest I thought it closed way before that but I think it was mainly pokers/slots in later years. There was always a group of rough street drinkers outside.

CathalDublin · 04-09-2018 6:11pm

There was a couple cabs in the back of the chipper in Malahide on the Main Street we use to go to when we were about 10

Grandeeod · 04-09-2018 8:43pm

Another Dublin arcade I was in a few times in the 80s - Rathmines. It was facing Pat Graces and I think it eventually became a dump called Tram co in a new build.:D

Old Irish arcade photos - do they exist?

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