Hanging out at the arcade in 1981

Video from a local arcade in Illinois and the various customers playing the different games.
Shots of several titles and lots of gameplay.
This video last around 7 minutes.
#arcade
#pacman

[@yeksun]

I like how the arcades then ,there were all kinds of people in there. Older men and women , Business men, Blue collar men, Kids , women, Everyone liked going to the arcade.

[@SkinniJ]

@@Acoolstuff Nope, this has its place in history and things evolve for the better for a reason. You’re on the internet now so quit saying it ruined everything.

[@aortaplatinum]

It's so interesting how before the home console crash in the mid 80s, video games were an all-audiences thing. But then since Nintendo advertised the NES as either a "home entertainment system" or as a toy, which they just so arbitrarily decided to put with the boy's toys, the demographic DRASTICALLY shifted towards boys and young adult men. Even 30+ years later we're still not back to where we were before Atari's stupidity fucked up everything, even after decades of genuinely mature games aimed at adults and more freeform fun-centric games aimed at all audiences, tons of boomers and gen X still see gaming as a toy exclusively for young male nerds, and nothing else.

[@yeksun]

@@aortaplatinum Thats an interesting point. I remember Atari kiosks in the department stores and they were aimed at everybody . The games also had something for everyone. My grandparents both had Atari. My mom bought it for my dad.. Then when Nintendo came No one in my family bought that. I did get it several years later as a Christmas present.

[@MrMenefrego1]

@@SkinniJ I guess he isn't allowed to have an opinion.

[@MrMenefrego1]

@@aortaplatinum How do you see gaming; as a toy, exclusively for young male nerds, or?

[@deepelements]

It’s like the person filming was from the future and knew this would be amazing to look at in 2023

[@redadamearth]

Nope. We just filmed everything once video cameras came around. Not a LOT of people had video cameras in '81, but those who did filmed everything, all the time, as it was a new thing. That said, judging by the specific shots, this very likely B-roll footage shot for a news broadcast about arcades, as there were a lot of new stories about video games and arcades that year.

[@jgunther3398]

@@redadamearth i don't remember that at all. i would have been about 25. it certainly wouldn't have been saved for 40 years. this is probably stock commercial footage, maybe originally shot on film.

[@jgunther3398]

it could be from something they showed us in school about not wasting your time in arcades 🤣

[@supercoolyguy]

Did anybody else even notice? Blinky and the Gang were on point that day.

[@gavinvalentino6002]

Supercoolguy-- remember when the cheat books came out, showing all the patterns to memorize?!?

[@loribollinger2457]

I was 16 in 1981 worked at my local mall,our arcade was called the gold mine,at this time it wasn’t just a bunch of little kids ,it was a mixture of ages ,42 years ago wow ,I will turn 58 this summer graduated in 1983,crazy,your videos bring back so many memories ,so nostalgic,bittersweet it is .Keep them coming 🥰

[@joshua9862]

I was born in the early 80s and and my childhood was still full of arcades. Places like 'tilt' and others. Though by then i do not remember any adults there playing.

[@laureencriss8220]

I was 15 in 81. Worked at the mall the next year. But, I went with my friends to an arcade called Mickey's in the late 70s and early 80s. I graduated in 1984. I loved those decades!

[@joshua9862]

@@laureencriss8220 makes me want to sit by the fireplace and have you tell me other stories 😊

[@laureencriss8220]

@@joshua9862 loool

[@nicodemoscarfo]

I was 1 Years old back then

[@fightingfortruth9806]

I remember back then I dreamed of the day when we could play video games like this in our own living room. Now I dream of going back to the arcade again.

[@joedimaggio3687]

So true

[@brianmeen2158]

Lol I hear you. I remember the buzz of enthusiasm I’d get going into an arcade with a friend. Now I have hundreds of much better games at the touch of my fingertips and I’m way too spoiled to feel enthused.

[@mresturk9336]

Yeah, I'm in a bit of a lucky situation in that there are two decent retro arcades in my local area. And some larger ones within a 5 hour driving distance I can occasionally visit. So I'm enjoying my nostalgia fix while it lasts. Even if those places are all still here in 10 years many of the aging machines hosted by them are slowly breaking down beyond the point of repair.

[@AdmiralBison]

LOL.

[@paulgann7935]

Same here.

[@dropkickninja5379]

There was magic in the air in the 80’s.

[@Lekter]

Wearing a suit and tie while playing a Pac-Man session. Now that's what you call playing with style.

[@oliverdelgado6952]

I would get so hot wearing that. Different times

[@joelpineda2042]

WOW. I'm 50 yrs old and videos like this really take me back. Truly especial memories.

[@luigivincenz3843]

Same. Back then, people were more civilized. People who were watching knew who was next at the game. My dad would just give me money, leave me inside for an hour, and he does his dad stuff like groceries or make a phone call. And the Galaga games were the sit down table type, not the stand-up type so MORE people can watch.

[@LuckyTheCat777]

i was 6 years old in 1981

[@checkpointchecky9665]

@@LuckyTheCat777 I was 13 years old roller skating and arcades was the place to hang out

[@BlamcoTV]

@@luigivincenz3843 Those are called cocktail tables and it's for sitting your beverages on. They were more popular in restaurants and bars.

[@jglg7238]

what a time to be alive if you where born in the arcade machine era, it was really magical first time stepping inside a arcade place and seeing hearing the sounds, i really miss those days

[@glizzyhendrix]

bro as a kid walking into a arcade was like walking into heaven

[@conejitaaa]

I love how there's no music edited over. Feels so much more "in the moment." Been watching all of these videos. Love them!

[@vampirerobot]

Awesome.. happy you are enjoying them Willow 😊

[@GasMaskParade]

Yeah,without a soundtrack were almost right there.

[@supercoolyguy]

The quarter drop 🎶

[@johnmandiram]

Sounds like some Kung Fu fight happening...............

[@rickmontgomery3037]

Exactly. Glad that didn't happen here. I've seen so many peoples' vids with irritating and distracting music added...most of the time it just ruins it for me.

[@greenlantern1123]

1981 I was 12 years old and glued to missle command. My mother had to pull me off the game after spending hours at the arcade. Lol thanks Mom for all the quarters God rest your soul. Great memories from the golden age of gaming. 👍🏻

[@backwoodsbully9841]

I was 11 in 1981 and never passed up an Arcade!! What A decade to grow up in....the 80s

[@Spookje09]

Same here...I was 10/11 in '81 and loved dropping quarters in the arcade at the mall. My mom worked in a toy store in the mall, so I would grab all the new SW toys that arrived and spend hours in the arcade until her shift was over. I have a few arcade cabs in my home to get my fix. I wouldn't trade being a kid in the 80s for anything.

[@jnolette1030]

I was too then I blinked now I'm 53 wtf

[@WinrichNaujoks]

Same, but it wouldn't take many games and then my pocket money was gone!

[@efogg3]

\m/ hell yes!

[@robinhess9570]

Best decade of my life

[@christschool]

I practically lived at the Arcade on the weekends in 1981.

[@TheUtuber999]

1981 was sophomore year for this guy. A 7-Eleven was half a block away and had Pac Man and Donkey Kong. The arcade was about a mile away and was the go-to place for a wider variety of games.

[@TaxmanTV]

Ah.. the nostalgia is palpable watching this. So pure.. no interference. Just takes you back in time... to a good time.

[@findlaycurtis]

I was born in 1981 and grew up playing games that were also released in 81 including Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and Galaga. I remember staring at the other older kids playing for a long time trying to decide on what to play because I only had a dollar to spend that my Dad gave me while him and my Mom went shopping in the mall. Man I sure do miss those good old days.

[@rjjr5056]

The sound of all the games at the same time was part of the magic.

[@Kwaj]

I was only 4 in 1981, but I'll never forget the sounds and sights of the arcades when I'd walk past them with my mom. It was amazing; all the older kids and teens were in there shoving quarters/tokens into the games. There was laughter and smiles everywhere. Two years later, my dad took me to Aladdin's Castle, and I was hooked on gaming ever since. Thanks 4 posting this video!

[@BLM_Big_Lipped_Marxist]

Aladdins Castle! Memories! 👍🏼🤠👍🏼🇺🇸

[@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106]

😂 I was only 2 in 81.

[@jax597]

We had a Aladdin's castle in are mall too!!

[@DeepFriedDave]

I was born a year later in '82 but still have fond memories of arcades that were around until the early 2000s. Man what times those were!

[@princessmarlena1359]

Same here!

[@adamwest3266]

Those arcade days (toward the end) in the 90's were NOTHING like the Arcades in the late 70's and early 80's (the original time period). Sorry you missed it.

[@hexkwondo]

@@adamwest3266 I dunno, I mean I love the 80’s too but, I but I don’t miss the fact that I actually had to keep pumping quarters into games that I can for free today. That being said, if a Time Machine were invented today and I could use it I’d go back in a heartbeat! Those McDonald’s breakfast meals that came in styrofoam package still haven’t found a match for anything we have today!

[@omegaweapon116]

Going to arcades was what I did on weekends in the late 90s and early 2000's. I was always looking for some good challengers on fighting games.

[@sopheakchey5905]

I was at the arcade everyday after school in the early 90s

[@King_Colombia_Inc]

42 years, and Pac-Man hasn’t changed.

[@mikemulligan5731]

True! In fact, so much so, that some people are actually saying that old Pac-Man is now the New Pac-Man!

[@jgunther3398]

building it into bar tables was a brilliant move

[@Ioncandi]

I actually have makeup with Pac-Man on the packaging. The eyeshadow palette looks like the screen on the cabinet lol

[@meisterlymanu5214]

facebook have just removed the pacman community game for some reason. It was brilliant. A real loss.

[@jeremyroskes5391]

I wish arcades still looked like this

[@chasefreak]

Wow! This is so cool-I was 11 in 1981 and entering middle school (6th grade)-this is EXACTLY how I remember the Mall arcades of the early '80's... just prior to becoming serious with my music, I was addicted to these games (along with my Atari 1600, Starlog and Fangoria magazines-total nerd baby...sweet memories)

[@RisetotheEquation]

Fortunately, I'm only 2 hours away from Fun Spot in Laconia, NH, where I can still play all these awesome games from my childhood!!

[@wethepeople7629]

I remember as a child back in 84-85 hanging out at Arcade in Bucharest Romania. Yes we had them too.

[@WesleyPipes-wc3gl]

Simpler times before the revolution lol

[@kevind4606]

That's awesome. This may be a stupid question but where the games like Galaga, Pac-Man etc or did Romania have an arcade industry of it's own?

[@wethepeople7629]

@@kevind4606 I definitely remember Pac-Man, Pole Position (car racing), Donkey Kong, Robotron & Time Plot. But there’s a few others I forgot what they’re called.

[@mistersamdi]

@@wethepeople7629 Robotron 1984 was and still is one of my favorites. I do miss going to the arcades :)

[@ricflair9717]

Dedicated arcades were still rare in 1981. Most arcade machines were just stand alone or 2 to 3 at a bowling alley or pizza place. This was very early footage of arcades. By 1982 to 1983, most arcades were dark. Brightly lit arcades only existed in the late 70s to 80, 81.

[@markastoforoff7838]

The first arcade I was ever in was in 1980, I was 11 my brother (RIP) was 21 and took me to see the Empire Strikes Back at a mall, in the mall they had also had an arcade and I was mesmerized by the games and sights and sounds. I had played Pong and Space Invaders a couple of times before that but had never been in an arcade.

[@Spookje09]

ESB and arcades....two of the greatest 80s events!

[@snarkus63]

It was a fascinating time... but for someone born in '63, it meant having to watch all the mechanical arcade games of the 70s die out.

[@nimohobbs9827]

Oh wow this takes me back to the 80's when life was good..🧡🧡🧡

[@texaswunderkind]

East Park Plaza mall in Lincoln, Nebraska. You walked through the food court to a single door to reach Sluggo's. It wasn't particularly large, but it was the mecca for arcade games at the time. The dirty smokers from the wrong side of the tracks (one block to the north) would burn holes in the machines by allowing their lit cigs burn while they played. At any moment a bully in the requisite Levi's jean jacket could invite you to go outside to have your face rearranged. What a time! East Park was much smaller than Gateway Mall to the west, but with the movie theater, food court, better record store, etc. it was the fun mall while Gateway appealed to an older demographic. The first time I got to third base was in the parking lot behind a dumpster! Classy!!!

[@NinjaRunningWild]

I remember my family taking a cross-country “Griswald” trip summer of 1989. Lot’s of endless drab 14 hours in the car days, but the highlight was going to the arcades in Las Vegas. 300+ arcade cabs at Circus Circus. My parents gave me & my sister $20 each & I just drenched myself in arcade bliss. For about an hour until the $20 was spent! 😂

[@energyasylum997]

Whoever took the time and filmed this IS AUTOMATICALLY A LEGEND!!!! thnx for this!

[@partsunknown9892]

40 year later and now we are wearing the arcade on our heads. Crazy to think what another 40 years will bring

[@xtlm]

We will be the arcade and I really don't know if that's a good thing lol

[@Ioncandi]

There won't be anything-Mad Max times.

[@ButterCookie1984]

Good observation!!

[@rocknroller77]

As a kid, I remember going to the arcade they had there. Except it was dark. The lights in the place were from the games. Parents would shop and my brothers and I would spend the time in the arcade.

[@WestalSage]

Yeah I really dig this old footage, but this arcade is way too brightly lit. It was cool to be in the dark with all the glowing marquees and screens.

[@philiplombardo249]

Nice!! I was born in 1980 and I remember the arcades from about 1986 onward. Talk about FUN back then! Arcade cabinets, those sounds and competitions with other players, coins dropping in the machines, hot pizza slices at the counter, and soda cups everywhere. I wish I could go back and enjoy those great days again!

[@Ioncandi]

I think we all wish we could go back-the audience for these videos I mean.

[@philiplombardo249]

@@Ioncandi I’m with ya on this idea! Let’s call Rufus and get that time machine phone booth fired up 😆

[@Ioncandi]

@@philiplombardo249 🤣

[@bobabooey4537]

Good times... it was when a quarter had its most value. I can remember a song called Pac Man fever that came out on the radio and a line in the song was 'i have a pocket full of quarters and im heading to the arcade' lol.. or something like that. These were good times though, I also remember when 7-11's would have one or two of these video games in the store.

[@jonathansantos2271]

cool adults we had even we were just babies at the time. thank you for existing peacefully❤️

[@spaztekwarrior]

My memories of arcades from the early 80s were that they were always dark, lit only by a few black lights and the lights from the games themselves. The walls were dark and often depicted space scenes. The carpets were extremely low pile and dark coloured. What a glorious place to hang out as a teen.

[@tom11zz884]

So happy someone had the forethought to film this so future generation can enjoy

[@gr3ygh05t9]

These arcade cabinets are making a HUGE comeback in Texas. The arcades today that are in these retro arcades isn't a 1up machine or some other knockoff. These are the real thing. There's several different retro arcades here.

[@CameronInEgyptsLand]

I was 7 when this was filmed. My brother and I spent a good amount of time in these growing up. Good times!

[@mike727272]

Love this. Takes me back. I’m 50 now but the 80’s and early 90’s were spent in Arcades. I use to drop so many quarters in the games. Sadly where I’m from there isn’t any Arcades left. But I’m in Japan a lot and they still have a lot of Arcades. The best thing is they always have a couple of games from the past and Im in heaven lol. Except in Japan the games are $1

[@midnightkitty8172]

I loved how many Arcades there were in the 80's. 😻 I swear I would get 'game - drunk' after spending all my quarters. Anyone else have that experience?

[@tartgreenapple]

Yes! Super Saturday at Putt-Putt golf & games had a deal for 100 tokens / Free Pizza & Drink / Free mini-golf for $10. Several hours of pure bliss.

[@jpongothics]

Love this trip back! Gotta say, tho...this is the most lit arcade in history. The arcades I went to just used the games as their lighting.

[@philipdefibaugh5683]

As a child my father worked at the Play Palace Arcade at Rolling Acres Mall and we got to play the games for FREE. We went up there every weekend! I have a mini Arcade in my apartment to remind me of the fun times there.

[@craigmartinj]

I grew up in places like this, born in 1970 and started going to arcades when I was 7. Very fond memories of places like this. Its nice that someone has film (and this started out as film not video) of this era and these places that no longer exist.

[@TheMahayanist]

If I was born in the 80s I'd have loved this. We had arcades growing up in early 90s and 2000s but they seem to have gone away at some point.

[@kaykiekid]

Back in the early 80s, my friend and I used to go to Times Square, NYC. There was a candy store, and they had one arcade game, a crime action chase game. It was about two vice squad officers going for the chase in their car to catch up with the bad guys. Wow! It was fast chases, loud yelling, shootings, crazy crashes, etc. We kept going back mostly every weekend to put money in and play for hours. 😄👍💯❤

[@chrisgoffe5048]

might be Chase Hq

[@kaykiekid]

​@@chrisgoffe5048 Hello! Yes, you're 💯 correct! Thanks for the update!

[@NaiveInThe90s]

I am so happy I found your channel!! Talk about nostalgia

[@PaladinLarec]

I was 6 years old when I started going to my local mall arcade (back in 1982) when my mom worked at the Orange Julius. Had my grandparents drop me off from school at the mall and just wasted their money they gave me at the arcade while waiting for my mom to get done work. I can remember the older kids laughing at me because I had to use the stepping stool to see the first level of the donkey kong machine. Good times though. I went to that same arcade every week until I was 20 when it closed in 1996. Everyone got along there and it was the one place I could go where I felt normal and where I belonged and everyone accepted you.

[@toddinthemiddle]

imagine an arcade now. sounds like trouble...with all the thug life culture

[@20vtechnik]

I was only a few years old in 81 but I remember the arcade scene in the later 80s and it was bustling. I’m glad people lugged those bulky video cameras around to document the local happenings. This is an eye into that moment in time. In particular the human interaction with the game and not the game itself. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!

[@Tombzy]

All the malls had arcades in my city and we had 2 massive, 2 story arcades downtown called The Palace and The Casino. The Casino was over 18 to enter because it had peep shows in the basement. I remember every local convenience store having machines as well. What a time to be alive.

[@FirstnameLastname-dm2xl]

I grew up around arcades during the 90's, it was just magical, best years of my life of overwhelming desires for everything.

[@KWHCoaster]

Ah, 1981. My first year of university and many many hours/quarters in arcades. I tended to play pinball more, seemed to get more for my $$ with them. Wasn't a fan of arcades that used tokens. I can still picture the inside of arcades that I frequented. Used to go in 4 or 5 arcades when walking on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, in the early '90s. Three close to Yonge & Dundas. The last one I recall being in was a small one in the basement of Union Station, played while waiting for the train. I miss them.

[@ge2623]

Have a friend who back then got a million points on Centipede. It turns over to 0 when you do. The arcade we went to had a pizza place in it and the owner had a deal where if you beat the high score you'd get a free pizza. So my friend would go in there every weekend and beat the high score (which was always his) by just a little. We ate free pizzas for weeks until the owner caught on. 😁

[@vampirerobot]

lol...hilarious!!

[@ZefTillDeath8878]

But how much time and quarters was invested in getting those pizzas?

[@ge2623]

@@ZefTillDeath8878 About $10,000 😁

[@bertwhetstone3173]

Vampire Robot, thanks so much for sourcing all these videos. One of the sounds I really miss from the 80s is the arcade, there's nothing like being immersed in it. I used to skip school to go to Aladdin's Castle in Sarasota Square Mall before they opened so I could listen to the machines boot up in unison. They had everything on one breaker box and just a switch throw would power up the whole arcade. I've never heard anything like it since.

[@chr970]

Awesome memories! Love this. I was terrible at these games though, but still had a lot of fun. Thanks uploader👍

[@randez626]

Am i the only who finds arcade background noise so soothing af???

[@jabbah7115]

This type of bliss is hard to come by these days. And I'm not even an 80s kid lol Edit: I'm a zillenial

[@pmafterdark]

Was 16yo that year and what a great memory trip. Went to the arcade with my friends so many times. I remember these games like it was yesterday. There was a huge arcade here in Framingham MA called Fun & Games. It was double glass doored and once you went through that 2nd door it was like a different world. A giant rocket ship hanging from the ceiling, multi colored flashing lights, a disco ball turning and wall to wall video games. They even had a pinball game and pool playing rooms. Only a quarter a play and kids would sometimes put their quarters at the bottom of the screen to reserve a turn. Just staring at the Pac Man graphics almost makes me feel like it's 1981 and I'm there all over again.

[@markmohr463]

Graduated from High School that year. Love the sounds, haircuts and coats. What memories.

[@blueskiesandgreenpasturesp3848]

I was in middle school when arcades became popular. One thing I notice in these old videos is that everyone has such HEALTHY HAIR!

[@gavinvalentino6002]

It was a combination of nicotine-air highlights, fed from within by the real lard used in the McDonald's fries back then.

[@blueskiesandgreenpasturesp3848]

@@gavinvalentino6002 you’re probably right. That why the government tried to stop smoking and eating fat.

[@namco003]

Man, I used to hang at two arcades back in the early to mid 80s. We had a Putt-Putt Golf, next door to a Flipper McCoys. Putt Putt is where I met my best friend. He told me next door had Space Ace and Dragon's Lair for a quarter instead of fifty cents. I was 10/11 and I'll be 50 in a few months, and we still talk weekly. I worked for Chuck E Cheese as a tech, and then namco, then Chuck Es at a different spot as assistant tech, then another namco spot tech, and then managed/head tech another namco until it closed. Great Wolf Lodge/FEG as assistant tech manager. Then worked for Gameworks as head tech until they closed at the end of 2021, which I helped by being flown throughout the US. I was one of the last people to get a paycheck. Still friends with my old boss, who reopened the Seattle store for now. I also own like 20 machines, including Dragon's Lair, Ms Pacman, TMNT, Simpsons, Street Fighter 2: Turbo (my first machine). I like arcade games... Thank you for coming to my TED talk

[@Lightwolf333]

Reminds me of my childhood. Thank you for posting this.

[@JohnDoe-tb3rv]

I remember those days. It was the best time of my life. All those people are now in there 50's.

[@DyenamicFilms]

As a kid in the 70's, I remember going to the arcade in the mall. It started out mostly pinball machines with maybe one or two arcade video games. The next few years, I remember slowly but surely video arcade games taking over. I just remember thinking back then, one day it'll ALL be video arcade games and no pinball machines. Sure enough.

[@Theomite]

I liked this before I even started watching it. Love this slice-of-life archival footage.

[@desselbane4872]

Brings back memories of Jimmy’s Arcade in Bakersfield. ‘81-‘83 we would ride our bikes there or just go hang out while ditching school. Jimmy would let us bring our bikes inside so the truant officers would notice them?

[@bardo0007]

I remember that Pac Man machine! It was my introduction to video games.

[@jackgoff2072]

I lived it! Such a great time to be a kid. Games like Sinistar,Defender,Galaga,Tempest,Joust. The best times.

[@BreakerLove]

I enjoy seeing a time before me. To see how people enjoyed life in that time is amazing. Video brings so much information. I hope that same day as I near my last few years that someone will look back and enjoy my recorded history or even comments on the internet.

[@cartwrightworm1317]

My mom was stunned watching my brother and I being so focused on the TMNT arcade around 1990 that we broke into sweat.

[@lezgobranden1707]

great game

[@loganford3921]

I was born in August 1981 and grew up playing my parents Atari with games like Crystal Castles, Keystone keppers, Spiderman and ET. It's really the 90s that hold most of my favourite arcade memories.

[@mexton]

Good Times❤❤❤❤❤Was a great place to hang out with the girls.Miss these days.

[@ShOwStOpp3rr]

Aladdins Castle arcade was the place to be when i was a kid..

[@JoePAcalaughs]

Granite Run Mall lol

[@johnnyc5422]

In December of 1981, the Atari 2600 exploded in sales for Christmas but the graphics weren't nearly as good as your local arcade.

[@bbo40]

1982 and I am 16 yrs old with my own car (when my mom let me drive it) Used to go to the arcade with friends ; there were about 3 within my driving range. Remember them well

[@ernestconnell8087]

Definitely looks like a place that hung out in 1981. Galaga and Asteroids were my favorite.

[@thomastedder2944]

Love the memories this video brings back. I grew up in Miami, FL near 441 and 199 st.. Anyway we had 2 choices of arcades where we could ride our bikes to. One was a bar called Leon's and it was split into a bar/pool hall on one side and the arcade was on the other side. The other one was called Saturn 1 and it was a quarter mile south of Leon's on road 441. The coolest part for me was trying for the high score on Stargate which was a grander version than its predecessor 'Defender'. Anyway, i would get there as soon as it opened and would play 10 to 12 hours just to try an get the highest score without turning the game score over . The top players in north Miami were either Eli, Albert or me. I actually met them both. I even worked with Albert at an AMC Theater, unknown to me who he was until we started talking about Arcade video games. He was a wonderful guy to work with. Eli, I met during his run for the high score at Saturn 1. He seemed like a decent guy. So, if you were to go into one of the many arcades at the time in Miami during the early 80s and saw a score like 9,999,995 (i think that was the highest score you could get) and the 3 letter abbreviations next to the score were either ELI, ALB, TST or( X.T, XT. - i used these as an aliases) then you now know who we were.

[@williamzoom9200]

Wow - you can see the beginnings of our obsession with staring at screens right here.

[@TheLaker85]

I was 14 in 1981, hanging out at Westworld arcade in Westwood Village in L.A. I can still see that place in my minds eye. Many quarters were dropped there. Memories for ever.

[@WinslowLeach1974]

Weird, all the arcades I've been in as a kid and I've never seen that 'New York, New York' game, and I'm from New York! Great footage, great memories.

[@orlyno364]

Gotta love the arcades. I was 15 and it was a joy

[@pjcnet]

There's nothing like the sounds in the classic arcades, I remember them well.

[@depletable]

A little before my arcade days, but I still understand the vibe. I do appreciate when the lighting and carpeting, etc., starting to be factored into the experience.

[@JohnJohnson-tw8qk]

I was 10 in 1981 and this reminds me of the arcade we had in the high street miss those days great video

[@BIGDINKMAN]

So cool to see Harold Ramis in this film!

[@hippiedaze1970]

I'm slowly becoming obsessed with your channel. It's the closest thing I'll ever find to a time machine. Where do you find all these videos? Thank you for your hard work. 😊❤

[@johngrimkowski598]

bro I wish there was a such thing as a time machine

[@annother3350]

I think theyre usually off cuts/library film from old news reports

[@homebrandrules]

what an excellent comment !! good to see people expressing gratitude. thankyou for being thankful

[@steelersrus8055]

The great times!! Priceless memories ❤

[@StormadoMan]

This is great! :) I remember the arcades of the 80's they were numerous and always had that wonderful blend of sounds. If anyone ever visits Manchester, England checkout Arcade Club, one of the biggest arcades in Europe, it's like stepping back into the arcades of old.

[@243wayne1]

One of our most popular Arcades in my city was called The Pirates Den. It was in a local mall. Cool place. Mom always gave me a few bucks to play games while she shopped.

[@labspeciman7402]

Oh yes I remember these. Although I was an adult so I was prone to playing at a bar. These games were everywhere.

[@Firewizard23]

I like seeing the guy in the suit playing pacman. I was born in 1982, so 'the crash' had just happened. I never saw the heyday of arcades.

[@ctvxl]

The decline didn't really begin in ernest until around 1989-1990. At age 15, I went to work for a coin machine vendor in 1985. We operated over 1000 upright video games, 300 pinball machines, 500 coin operated pool tables, and 500 jukeboxes, plus a smattering of other amusement machines. We had machines in arcades, convenience stores, grocery stores, bars, coffee shops, etc. We were going strong until around 1988, then revenue started slowly declining. By 1991, our revenue was cut in half and still falling. I left in 1996, and by then, the company was barely hanging on.

[@MarkWhich]

Kind-of childish too.

[@Ioncandi]

Crash? Things were just heating up lol

[@jasongoodacre]

Arcades were for everyone. I remember it well playing my first game of Defender.

[@mssinocent]

Some of the best times of my life as a kid were spent in places like this!!

[@YourTubeVideoss]

I Remember So Well -- I Played Few Times And Watched In 1981 -- I Seen Many Quarters Dropped Into Those Arcade Machines

[@Joe-pd9hj]

Stellar camera work. I've never seen such lingering close ups of nerds.

[@vampirerobot]

🤣🤣

[@Nolegu]

I was one of those that went to the arcades in the early 80's when they started to pop up everywhere in cities and malls, just simple rooms with no cheesy decorations and loud music- all you heard were arcade noises nonstop. Good ones started coming out around 1985 or so, Afterburner was one of those I spent a ton of time on then I got hooked on Hard Drivin later.

[@Whitehorse_crimefighter]

The craziest part of this video is everyone in the arcade is only ten years old! People used to be born fully grown and then sent off to the mines to work and then at the end of the day they would relax at arcades

[@pistachiosandpopcorn7146]

Nice. 80s “Home” videos and it’s not your own so you don’t cry over all the people that have passed…but you still get to see the 80s again.

[@VigilanteMan32]

TIME MACHINE ! ! ! Thanks for posting this. I keep looking for myself!

[@hhvictor2462]

My favorite video arcade served beer (Nathan's on Central Avenue, Yonkers, NY). Drinking beer was allowed while playing. Cup holders for the beer on the machines. Lots of young kids played video games there as well as with adults. In the many years I patronized the place there was never an issue with alcohol.

[@McTaco]

The fact that you had to put clothes, go there, wait your turn, use your money, be around others, stand while playing and you knew it was a limited time experience based on the tokens in your pocket I think made it a better user experience despite the games being archaic by today’s standards. Eases of access has killed arcades and movie theaters.

[@charlesledbetter1735]

The Gold Mine in the College Hills Mall was the best. It was dark and had a smell to it, not in a bad way just a unique smell. Probably the heat of the machines. But when I was there it was like home. A great time and tons of good memories. Probably 1981 - 1983 were the my video game days.