This video has been making the rounds lately. Rather simple premise--show a bunch of deaths in arcade classics interspersed with oddly appropriate clips from vintage TV shows and commercials.

Neave Pacman button For the next episode of the podcast, I would like to get some feedback from our members. My question is - Which three arcade games would you put in your own arcade? Let's stick to just video-based games for this one. Pick three. If you have to go higher, limit it to five. Send me an e-mail with your picks. Don't post them here! I'll compile a list of them and try to talk briefly about each one in the next episode.

A few days ago I posted about the music that you remember from back in arcades "Golden Age" and I got to talking about it with a friend. He immediately started jotting down a list of music that he remembers blaring out in the arcades back in the day. I was interested to see what he was going to come up with because the few songs he mentioned (which were great songs) I didn't have on my list.. and that's basically why I did the post in the first place.. to create the ultimate arcade era play list.

While he was recalling songs to add to his top 10 list he said, "Hey, remember the video to Tom Petty's: You Got Lucky?". It had been so long ago that I'd forgotten about it.. but now, thanks to the wonders of YouTube, we can all view Tom Petty's vision of a post-apocalyptic world that has discarded the technologies of yesteryear.

It's a great song and a great video, dating all the way back to 1982 (28 years ago on Oct 22nd). It's just a shame that Tom took some vengeance out on a Stern Electronic's Astro Invader cabinet which, at the time, was a mere two years old.

My, how time flies..

Embedding is disabled on the video, so just watch the video on YouTube.

-Gandalf42

Back in the late 70's and early to mid 80's, arcades were the place to be. It was a time when there was a noticeable difference between what could be played in public and what you were playing at home. Once consoles and computers started to match the power and complexity of their arcade counterparts, there just wasn't a reason to pry your butt off the couch to get your video game fix.

It's sad really.. because there was a magic to the classic arcades.. a social dynamic that has been lost. Sure, some arcades still exist but they aren't the same- most are just a mess of dancing games, guitar games and redemption machines. And you might say that online multiplayer games with TeamSpeak adequately fill the void left by the arcades.. but I would argue against that. The spectators, high scores, trash talking, lining your quarters up on the marquee, the soda stained floors, the deafening din of the machines, and the music.. oh, the music. It was the soundtrack for your life.

What was the soundtrack for your "arcade" life?

Here's a fun Breakout Flash game that uses individual pixels as "bullets." Simply knock a few loose, and they become extra balls for your paddle. Pretty soon the screen fills up with wonderful colors. Nice take on the classic arcade hit. Via Boing Boing.

We write about videogames and we all have some opinion on just about any game out there. But how do we play them? Are we any good? Or do we stink? Well playing the games is where it is all about isn't it! Here's how I play.

For those interested, I have posted some photos from Funspot and Clark's Trading Post in New Hampshire from an August 2009 vacation, focusing on cool vintage technology, including classic typewriters and of course, arcade machines. For my own organizational convenience, I have also included the photos and videos from The Musee Mecanique in San Francisco from March 2009 in the same set.

The Pinball Blog has a short write-up on an apparently new home pinball machine from Zizzle, this time with a classic Atari theme. It looks great, and by my calculations, will be their third generation product. If you remember, I have the first generation model, shown in the photo at the bottom of this blog post. The second generation added a few minor improvements, including more environmental lighting. Both models sold for between $100 - $500 depending upon when and where you were able to score one.

EDGE Magazine has posted a neat article called The Making of Asteroids. The article features quotations from Ed Logg. There are also design sketches and other materials you won't want to miss if you're a fan of the game.