So why do people like Bloodlines so much?

[DragonmasterDan]

That looks like a really nice arcade, apart from the seemingly complete lack of pinball.

There's some non-functional pinball machines in their repair rooms. I'm going to guess they'll be put out to be used eventually.

[TheClash603]

That arcade looks awesome.  That would be a weekly visit if it were in the Buffalo area.

What kind of crowds do they get there?

[DragonmasterDan]

That arcade looks awesome.  That would be a weekly visit if it were in the Buffalo area.

What kind of crowds do they get there?

It's been busier the past few times I've gone there.

It's 15.00 to get in, you can stay all day if you want. There was maybe 40 people there last night.

With that said it's in an old suburban downtown with limited parking and they've only been open around 6 months. It's not quite as busy on non-weekends. I hope they can keep the business going.

I went with Chany60126 back in November as well, perhaps he'd like to provide further descriptions of GGA.

[chany60126]

Galloping Ghosts is an awesome arcade, in fact, I'd even go as far as saying that it's the best arcade I have ever been to in my life. Each time I go the place gets better and better as the folks manage to fix machines. They have an excellent assortment of retro games, and not just the standard Donkey Kong or Pacman cabinets, but some pretty obscure ones. They have Splatterhouse, Tempest, Hyper Neo-Geo 64 cabinet and Street Fighter 1 (Fighting Street) which are really hard to find.

The fifteen dollar fee is totally worth it. I usually go on a Saturday and stay for about 7 or 8 hours. Lots of affordable places for food around the area as well.

Like Dan mentioned above, this place has been opened for about 6 months. It's hard to say how successful a place like this will be since arcades are more of a niche activity nowadays instead of being mainstream, but we'll see. Everytime I have gone, there have been more people attending. It worries me a bit that the place remains open during the weekdays since most people are busy during the week and cost of electricity of keeping the cabinets turned on must be really high. If you are within the vicinity of the Chicagoland area, do yourself a favor and check this place out. I will be hosting Turbo Fest once again on July 16th. It would be awesome for people to visit the arcade afterwards since it is not far from there for those who do come, among other places as well.

The arcade has garnered some attention from the local TV stations, check out these cool newscasts.

http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/14c17d90-9805-47b2-9a81-b70328a6ed03/News/Old-school-gaming-at-Galloping-Ghost-Arcade

http://kotaku.com/5701087/americas-second-largest-arcade-pushes-gamers-buttons

[SignOfZeta]

Man, that place sounds awesome. I'm lucky to live 15 minutes from Pinball Pete's in Ann Arbor, which is one of the few "major" arcades still around (30 years running) but even I'm impressed. Its great to hear that the dudes running this understand the simple concept of keeping the machines maintained. This seems to be lost on %90 of all operators.

What it needs is a bunch of pinball. Here in Michigan we have Pete's for that, and also this:

http://www.tilttown.com/

I want a place like Tilttown just for fighting games...

[TheClash603]

The only arcade of any substance I've been to in the US is in China Town, NYC.  Even that place is only...  meh.

[SignOfZeta]

They have good arcades in casinos, but you have to actually go to the casino so...f*ck that shit. I haven't been to an amusement park like Cedar Point or King's Island in ages, but in the 90s those places were massive and had everything. Also, truck stops. They aren't amazing quantity-wise, but truck stops often have the latest and greatest games.

You have to be willing to travel, and since this is the US "travel" means hundreds of miles. Often times though great stuff is just around the corner and you don't even know it.

Not only does Michigan have Pete's, and Tilt Town, but it also has Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (rad, Youtube it) and this is Michigan one of the most depressed economies in the country. There has to be something near you. I'm sure there are many people in Michigan that don't know about these cool places either.

[blueraven]

Yeah I really like Dracula X too.

[chany60126]

Galloping Ghost Arcade is like a breath of fresh air. Previously the only way to play retro arcades was to go to certain bowling alleys or some run-down discount outlets where the cabinets are in pitiful state.

The arcades at Galloping Ghosts are in great condition and nicely refurbished for the most part. Sure there are some that are still in need of repairs, but they'll get fixed in a matter of time.

It's nice to see that the owners are really passionate about arcade gaming.

[_joshuaTurbo]

Bloodlines, has great graphics...

...what?

Bloodlines, has great graphics...

[SignOfZeta]

I snapped this pic with my phone the last time I was at Pete's:



Recent new-old games, Tron, Donkey Kong, Contra, POW, and Outrun. The SFII' is Rainbow Edition, btw.

I wish this place had a Joust. I actually don't know of any Joust machines locally. I like Joust.

[DragonmasterDan]

I snapped this pic with my phone the last time I was at Pete's:



Recent new-old games, Tron, Donkey Kong, Contra, POW, and Outrun. The SFII' is Rainbow Edition, btw.

I wish this place had a Joust. I actually don't know of any Joust machines locally. I like Joust.

GGA has Joust.

[SignOfZeta]

I'm talking with some friends here in Michigan about organizing a trip there.

[ddd1234]

I don't know why people hesitate to call a "good game" good.

I hear people trash Donkey Kong Country, Contra 3, Castlevania 4....now the victim is Castlevania bloodlines.

I don't know what to tell ya man!

The game just feels great. In other words, the controls are spot on!

The levels have a strong "Gothic" horror feel and atmosphere.

The music is mint, and the bosses are sweet!

Come on man, it's old school Castlevania done right! How can you go wrong with that?

[Mathius]

I just picked up Bloodlines a few weeks ago. I like it for what it is. The graphical effects are great in spots, but I know Konami can do a lot better with the Mega Drive hardware. Just look at Rocket Knight Adventure! Bloodlines feels a tad rushed to me.