Summer Break 2007



	SUMMER BREAK 2007 - LONDON
The trip to London was booked for Friday so I decided to spend Thursday checking out what was available in Norwich. It turned out to be quite an interesting day. After grabbing a coffee from my favourite stall on Norwich Market, I popped in to see Paul at One Step Gaming. I was lucky enough to pick up some loose Master System carts, two boxed Megadrive Games, some NES games, some loose SNES games, and a boxed copy of Solstice on the NES, plus an original Gameboy and a copy of Tetris for a tenner. A nice little addition to the collection. Although there wasn't much at GameStation, Swallow Games, and Second Hand Land, thankfully Andy didn't let me down at Norwich SpaceStation. I bagged Wonder Boy and Columns on the Game Gear for £2 each. This would give me something to play on the train to London. GameStation did have a copy of 'In The Hunt' for the Saturn, but at £9.99 it was not really worth it.
The Highlight of the week was always going to be Friday. A trip to London with a list of places I wanted to check out, how exciting. I had ten hours so I was going to try to visit as many as possible. With a grin on my face I packed the bag for my next adventure. Game Gear & games, Camera, Voice Recorder, Phone (loaded with some classic sid remakes), train tickets, and some spending money. At the station I had some time to kill so I grabbed a quick baguette and a coffee. And as the train departed I was eagerly looking forward to my day in London. Maybe in the sun shine that was making me feel so good (about time!!).
Leaving Liverpool Street station, I decided to check out the Retro Game shops. First stop was Tottenham Court Road and the second stop was the nearest Starbucks for another shot of caffeine. Just down the road I found Game Focus with their 'retro' basement. It didn't seem like this place had changed much from how I remembered in back in 2006. I did take a look at the Japanese Saturn games as I had recently bought an Action Replay cartridge. Most of the good games were quite expensive and even though a few were only a fiver, I decided not to risk it. There wasn't really much else on display so I made my way to Computer Exchange (CEX). The once great CEX is now woefully lacking in much of a retro scene. To make matters worse their aircon must have failed as they had a large pipe trying to expel the hot air inside. I didn't hang around very long in there.
So with two locations crossed off my list, it was time to check out Casino Leisure Centre. Last year I did stick my head in door in passing but as I only saw one or two new cabinets (with the rest of the room being filled with fruit machines), I just carried on walking. The only reason I had wanted to return was an article on the web stating that this was where Namco previewed their latest machines. As it was there wasn't really much different from my previous visit. But I did notice a sign at the end of the room stating that there was more machines downstairs. Unfortunately all I could see was a door marked private. Assuming that the sign was out of date, I went to leave the place. It was pure chance that I looked back as I walked onto the street and saw that there was an arrow just inside the door pointing downstairs. Feeling a little silly that I had missed this walking in, I descended the stairs with apprehension. What I saw made me stop in my tracks (and I was probably grinning like a fool as well). Laid out wall to wall was a large collection of older machines. Most of them were fighting games but I could hear the familiar sounds of Mr Do! in the background, so I knew there must have been some old school too.
Pay close attention to the right when entering... Wall to wall arcade cabinets... Three of the many games on offer.
Although many of the cabinets where generic, the games running on them were the real deal. Most of the cabinets on the lower level were fighting games (I've never been much of a fighting fan so I couldn't name them). But there was a decent selection of genre's, Virtua Striker 2, Tekken 3, Pocket Gal Deluxe, Metal Slug 3 & 4, Major Title, Puzz Loop, Strikers 1945 Plus, Do Don Pachi, Mighty! Pang, Gigawing, and Marvel Super Heroes. As I walked around I felt like I was in a gaming nirvana. There were several people playing the games, including a chap playing Mr Do! who had racked up over 300,000 points!!! I knew I had to record this experience so I popped back upstairs and asked the guy in the change booth if I could take a few photo's. He was a little apprehensive to start with and didn't want me to (he said the manager had to agree). After a little persuading he relented but said I could not take photo's of the upstairs machines. This suited me as I wasn't interested in the newer machines. So I thanked the kind gent and, with camera in hand, I headed back downstairs. Unfortunately I haven't learnt how to take great shots of videogame screens so I made up for it by making a video tour instead. Most of the games were from the 90's and beyond but there was one generic cabinet that had a large collection of old games on it. I seem to remember the title page referred to 'Game Not Over' but I haven't been able to find this on the web. All the classics were there, Space Invaders, Pac Man, Ms Pac Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, 1942, Dig Dug, Mr Do!, Rally X, Galaxians, Moon Cresta, etc. I couldn't leave without having a little dabble myself so I pumped a few quid into the machine and had a retro trip. Okay, so it wasn't the original cabinets but the whole atmosphere and cabinet made it feel pretty close (certainly better than Mame on my Xbox). The only problem was that the joystick was a little sluggish (a problem I seemed to find with a lot of the older machines). I would have played Mr Do! on the upright machine but the guy from HMV was still playing it (damn, he was really good!!). I left the place feeling relieved that there were still places that had older games and I will certainly be back in 2008 to have another fix.

The rest of the day was given over to 'tourist' mode. Camera in hand I strolled down the streets grabbing images of the great buildings. I headed down Regent Street (which was extremely busy) and popped into Hamleys. The place was absolutely packed but it was nice to relive my childhood by visiting one of the largest toy shops in the world. Another item on my list was to check out a GameStation in London (okay so that probably sounds sad, but humour me please...). It was quite a journey to the one in Euston and I made the mistake of partaking in the tradition of hurrying down the escalators to catch the tube (I think I did that a little too much as I was completely knackered by the end of the day). After leaving Euston Station it was a 15 minute walk to Camden High Street. As I entered the store I was disappointed to find it the same as all the other ones. No retro hardware and very little in the way of games (just the usual Sega and Nintendo stuff). Even those same damn footy games were there... arrrgggghhhh!!!!!! As I headed back to the station I contemplated what to do next. It was still a little early for dinner so I decided to try and find Forbidden Planet (it was my second attempt). Unfortunately I must have been in the wrong galaxy as I yet again failed to find it. Strolling along I ended up in Trafalgar Square, which presented plenty of photo opportunities. Still snapping anything that moved (and most that didn't), I headed down to St James Park and then Westminster. By this time all the walking was making me hungry so I headed for the nearest tube station. I couldn't visit London without having a meal at my favourite restaurant, so TGI Friday's it was. I had a little hassle getting in as it was busy and they put my name down on the list, but as time passed I wondered if there wasn't a problem. Asking at the front desk I discovered that my name was not on the list... thankfully it didn't take long to get me in after than and I was soon enjoying a fillet steak and cheesy mash. After having another latte and a nice slice of cinnamon cheesecake it was time to move on. The food was absolutely wonderful and the nice waitress, Marta, made sure I was looked after. I really do like Fridays.
The best place for an evening meal on Fridays. The front of the Trocadero, home to Funland. And inside Funland.
After the meal I had around an hour and a half left before I had to get the train home so I decided to check out the Trocadero. This was another place I had visited last year but as I had more time this year I decided to take a better look. I headed for Funland which is a large amusement arcade with a decent selection of new games and some of the older ones (but not really retro though). The place was packed out and there was a buzzing atmosphere. I liked the look for Raiden 3 so put a few quid in, nice game but I had found another cabinet with a dodgy stick (how unlucky was I). I managed to do pretty well considering and the explosions when you take out the end of level bosses are so bright it felt like my retina's were burning... ouch. I also had a go on Strikers 1945, which I thought by the title was a soccer game, but was a high-tec version of 1942 and really good fun. I must have been in the 'zone' as I managed to get through several levels with my one credit. Lastly I climbed into a massive hydraulic sit-in Outrun 2 SP. It might have been £2 a go but it was one hell of a ride (and made the Xbox version I had played at home, feel like a scalextric kit). I managed to get a quick 'unofficial' video and then headed off.
So with only a little while left before the train to Norwich departed, I had to make a mad dash to Liverpool Street. I caught the train with only minutes to spare and so began the journey home. I did have a bit of a snooze on the train but still had time to fire up the Game Gear for some quick Sonic, Wonder Boy, and Columns fun. As I left the train station I realised that it was Saturday morning and it was my birthday. By the time I got home it was well past 1am. I hit the sack and was soon asleep, tired but contented.

Article by Retro Kid, September 2007.

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SUMMER BREAK 2007 - LONDON

The trip to London was booked for Friday so I decided to spend Thursday checking out what was available in Norwich. It turned out to be quite an interesting day. After grabbing a coffee from my favourite stall on Norwich Market, I popped in to see Paul at One Step Gaming. I was lucky enough to pick up some loose Master System carts, two boxed Megadrive Games, some NES games, some loose SNES games, and a boxed copy of Solstice on the NES, plus an original Gameboy and a copy of Tetris for a tenner. A nice little addition to the collection.

Although there wasn't much at GameStation, Swallow Games, and Second Hand Land, thankfully Andy didn't let me down at Norwich SpaceStation. I bagged Wonder Boy and Columns on the Game Gear for £2 each. This would give me something to play on the train to London. GameStation did have a copy of 'In The Hunt' for the Saturn, but at £9.99 it was not really worth it.

The Highlight of the week was always going to be Friday. A trip to London with a list of places I wanted to check out, how exciting. I had ten hours so I was going to try to visit as many as possible. With a grin on my face I packed the bag for my next adventure. Game Gear & games, Camera, Voice Recorder, Phone (loaded with some classic sid remakes), train tickets, and some spending money. At the station I had some time to kill so I grabbed a quick baguette and a coffee. And as the train departed I was eagerly looking forward to my day in London. Maybe in the sun shine that was making me feel so good (about time!!).

Leaving Liverpool Street station, I decided to check out the Retro Game shops. First stop was Tottenham Court Road and the second stop was the nearest Starbucks for another shot of caffeine. Just down the road I found Game Focus with their 'retro' basement. It didn't seem like this place had changed much from how I remembered in back in 2006. I did take a look at the Japanese Saturn games as I had recently bought an Action Replay cartridge. Most of the good games were quite expensive and even though a few were only a fiver, I decided not to risk it. There wasn't really much else on display so I made my way to Computer Exchange (CEX).

The once great CEX is now woefully lacking in much of a retro scene. To make matters worse their aircon must have failed as they had a large pipe trying to expel the hot air inside. I didn't hang around very long in there.

So with two locations crossed off my list, it was time to check out Casino Leisure Centre. Last year I did stick my head in door in passing but as I only saw one or two new cabinets (with the rest of the room being filled with fruit machines), I just carried on walking. The only reason I had wanted to return was an article on the web stating that this was where Namco previewed their latest machines. As it was there wasn't really much different from my previous visit. But I did notice a sign at the end of the room stating that there was more machines downstairs. Unfortunately all I could see was a door marked private. Assuming that the sign was out of date, I went to leave the place. It was pure chance that I looked back as I walked onto the street and saw that there was an arrow just inside the door pointing downstairs. Feeling a little silly that I had missed this walking in, I descended the stairs with apprehension. What I saw made me stop in my tracks (and I was probably grinning like a fool as well). Laid out wall to wall was a large collection of older machines. Most of them were fighting games but I could hear the familiar sounds of Mr Do! in the background, so I knew there must have been some old school too.

Pay close attention to the right when entering... Wall to wall arcade cabinets... Three of the many games on offer.

Although many of the cabinets where generic, the games running on them were the real deal. Most of the cabinets on the lower level were fighting games (I've never been much of a fighting fan so I couldn't name them). But there was a decent selection of genre's, Virtua Striker 2, Tekken 3, Pocket Gal Deluxe, Metal Slug 3 & 4, Major Title, Puzz Loop, Strikers 1945 Plus, Do Don Pachi, Mighty! Pang, Gigawing, and Marvel Super Heroes. As I walked around I felt like I was in a gaming nirvana. There were several people playing the games, including a chap playing Mr Do! who had racked up over 300,000 points!!!

I knew I had to record this experience so I popped back upstairs and asked the guy in the change booth if I could take a few photo's. He was a little apprehensive to start with and didn't want me to (he said the manager had to agree). After a little persuading he relented but said I could not take photo's of the upstairs machines. This suited me as I wasn't interested in the newer machines. So I thanked the kind gent and, with camera in hand, I headed back downstairs. Unfortunately I haven't learnt how to take great shots of videogame screens so I made up for it by making a video tour instead.

Most of the games were from the 90's and beyond but there was one generic cabinet that had a large collection of old games on it. I seem to remember the title page referred to 'Game Not Over' but I haven't been able to find this on the web. All the classics were there, Space Invaders, Pac Man, Ms Pac Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, 1942, Dig Dug, Mr Do!, Rally X, Galaxians, Moon Cresta, etc. I couldn't leave without having a little dabble myself so I pumped a few quid into the machine and had a retro trip. Okay, so it wasn't the original cabinets but the whole atmosphere and cabinet made it feel pretty close (certainly better than Mame on my Xbox). The only problem was that the joystick was a little sluggish (a problem I seemed to find with a lot of the older machines). I would have played Mr Do! on the upright machine but the guy from HMV was still playing it (damn, he was really good!!). I left the place feeling relieved that there were still places that had older games and I will certainly be back in 2008 to have another fix.

The rest of the day was given over to 'tourist' mode. Camera in hand I strolled down the streets grabbing images of the great buildings. I headed down Regent Street (which was extremely busy) and popped into Hamleys. The place was absolutely packed but it was nice to relive my childhood by visiting one of the largest toy shops in the world. Another item on my list was to check out a GameStation in London (okay so that probably sounds sad, but humour me please...). It was quite a journey to the one in Euston and I made the mistake of partaking in the tradition of hurrying down the escalators to catch the tube (I think I did that a little too much as I was completely knackered by the end of the day). After leaving Euston Station it was a 15 minute walk to Camden High Street. As I entered the store I was disappointed to find it the same as all the other ones. No retro hardware and very little in the way of games (just the usual Sega and Nintendo stuff). Even those same damn footy games were there... arrrgggghhhh!!!!!!

As I headed back to the station I contemplated what to do next. It was still a little early for dinner so I decided to try and find Forbidden Planet (it was my second attempt). Unfortunately I must have been in the wrong galaxy as I yet again failed to find it. Strolling along I ended up in Trafalgar Square, which presented plenty of photo opportunities. Still snapping anything that moved (and most that didn't), I headed down to St James Park and then Westminster. By this time all the walking was making me hungry so I headed for the nearest tube station. I couldn't visit London without having a meal at my favourite restaurant, so TGI Friday's it was. I had a little hassle getting in as it was busy and they put my name down on the list, but as time passed I wondered if there wasn't a problem. Asking at the front desk I discovered that my name was not on the list... thankfully it didn't take long to get me in after than and I was soon enjoying a fillet steak and cheesy mash. After having another latte and a nice slice of cinnamon cheesecake it was time to move on. The food was absolutely wonderful and the nice waitress, Marta, made sure I was looked after. I really do like Fridays.

The best place for an evening meal on Fridays. The front of the Trocadero, home to Funland. And inside Funland.

After the meal I had around an hour and a half left before I had to get the train home so I decided to check out the Trocadero. This was another place I had visited last year but as I had more time this year I decided to take a better look. I headed for Funland which is a large amusement arcade with a decent selection of new games and some of the older ones (but not really retro though). The place was packed out and there was a buzzing atmosphere. I liked the look for Raiden 3 so put a few quid in, nice game but I had found another cabinet with a dodgy stick (how unlucky was I). I managed to do pretty well considering and the explosions when you take out the end of level bosses are so bright it felt like my retina's were burning... ouch. I also had a go on Strikers 1945, which I thought by the title was a soccer game, but was a high-tec version of 1942 and really good fun. I must have been in the 'zone' as I managed to get through several levels with my one credit. Lastly I climbed into a massive hydraulic sit-in Outrun 2 SP. It might have been £2 a go but it was one hell of a ride (and made the Xbox version I had played at home, feel like a scalextric kit). I managed to get a quick 'unofficial' video and then headed off.

So with only a little while left before the train to Norwich departed, I had to make a mad dash to Liverpool Street. I caught the train with only minutes to spare and so began the journey home. I did have a bit of a snooze on the train but still had time to fire up the Game Gear for some quick Sonic, Wonder Boy, and Columns fun. As I left the train station I realised that it was Saturday morning and it was my birthday. By the time I got home it was well past 1am. I hit the sack and was soon asleep, tired but contented.

Article by Retro Kid, September 2007.