The Ultimate Early 80s Arcade Tribute

www.PatrickScottPatterson.com - I recently took some footage I had in my archives and made a video of early 80s video game factories. The vid proved a big hit worldwide, so I thought I'd take clips of the early 80s arcades themselves and do another mash-up.
Enjoy 10 minutes of footage from the early 80s arcade boom and some arcade music along with it. Every scrap of this footage is from 1981-1983.
How many games in here can you recognize? Some famous locations to arcade history also shown in here, and some champion players, too.
Post who/what you spot in the comments section below.

[@kepilee6762]

Born in 1970 so blessed to experience the 70s and 80s awesome decade's

[@daveidmarx8296]

Right there with you, Kepi LEE! I may be turning 47 in a few weeks, but at least I got some fun memories of better times.

[@TortureBot]

Turning 46 next week myself. I have 4 arcade machines and a MAME cabinet to play all the classics in my house! Those were awesome days. I probably played more games in the arcade at my local skating rink than anywhere because I would go with my two older sisters and they didn't mind giving me most of their spending money to use on the arcade machines so I would stay out of their hair. LOL! Remember playing Dig Dug, Frogger, Super Pac-Man, Donkey Kong jr., and I especially loved trying to play Karate Champ when the older kids would let me get a game in.

[@unwelldanny7108]

Do you remember Cyborg?

[@chickasawstarrmountain9747]

Me too,born in 72!we were the last free generation ;We weren't lazy spoiled internet kids we had friends ;went swimming ;riding around lol;and arcades;arcades were all the technology we had!!No phones!!better life then!

[@Sam-sw4vq]

Lucky you i was born in the shitty 2004 thats sucks

[@Buelligan88]

I can recall the smell the arcades had back then... the aroma of heated circuitry and new carpet. And the cacophony of sounds that never stopped, not just from the sound effects from the machines, but the sounds of levers and buttons and steering wheels being pulled, pushed, and twiddled. Quarters were the only important form of currency for kids back then. You always got your expendable money converted into quarters... I can remember my pockets being full of them.

[@bxpress6507]

Buelligan88 sound of change machine ejecting quarters alot added to the feel back then!

[@TetsuyaIT]

Amen bro, amen.

[@ghostchips6146]

One of my favorite Arcades was a Lazer Tag place to. It was always misty because of the Smoke Machines...still can smell it haha.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

@Laid-Off Huffington Post Journalist oh yeah, how many controller areas had cigarette burns on them. HA

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

Fucking eh man the kids of today have no idea what they missed with those crappy ipads.

[@nmndza]

The whole 80’s aesthetic is just so legendary. What I wouldn’t give to be a teenager during the 80’s.

[@zadeh79]

I miss the arcade generation.

[@nightmuffin937]

Oh its still around to this day. only they have Bars inside

[@rodneyjohnson7958]

+nightmuffin937 what do you mean

[@uhhwhateverdude9463]

Rodney Johnson Barcade. Google the word.

[@AngelofAnguish]

AMEN or LIKEWISE!

[@sirMAXX77]

Man. I miss this era. I would love to just spend a day in the 80s again in an arcade, fill up on pizza and the snack bar and check out the girls with big hair.

[@supercoolyguy]

Word!

[@jordannicholson9070]

@@Sino_Is_Cool Covid 19

[@one7decimal2eight]

@@Sino_Is_Cool girls played hard to get back then. Now they play hard to want. Fat. Tattoos. Face Piercings. Nope.

[@hughdismuke4703]

Spend a day in the 80's and fill up on pizza and big hair? FORGET THAT! I'm putting thousands into Steve Jobs future!

[@Voltabulous]

80's kids forever!

[@NEWARK767]

We Rule! 😎💪🏽#IAMGenX

[@scottmiller6495]

How about the Roller and Ice Skating Rinks from the the 70s and 80s that had arcades in them? I played Pinball and Video machines all day instead of skating! I had kids begging me to give them my machine with so many free games, WOW 😳😳😳

[@scottmiller6495]

You'll Never Ever See days like this Ever Again Ever PERIOD!!!!!

[@scottmiller6495]

Space Invaders, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, you name it it was a blast!

[@JuicyPlayer]

I miss the 80s , I remember when you could walk into a 7-11 , Circle K or a Video Store and it would have arcade machines. It was such a magical time!

[@TortureBot]

Yes, every gas station or convenience store had at least ONE video game or pinball machine back then.

[@maxmulsanne7054]

Astroids and Centipede is what we had at the local mini-mart. All the rest could be found at the arcade in the mall, a 30min. drive away.

[@williamhaynes4800]

The 7- 11 around the corner had a Mr. Do game and a properly working Rygar machine. The overhead shooter on the bowling alley Rygar never worked.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@williamhaynes4800 our games were at the bowling alley or at an arcade called Funway Freeway by the mall 3-5 mi away. Great times and like you guys said, every pizza shop and mini mart had them, it was Lawsons for us. Damn, to go back

[@KevyB.]

I feel so sorry for those born after the 80's...they missed out on everything...clothes, tennis shoes, Boomboxes, Walkmans, Arcades, 80's Cartoons, TV shows, Music and Movies, shooting marbles, spinning tops, flying kites, building forts, Water wars(w/balloons and Super Soakers), playing video games with friends present and FRIENDS.

[@raydeen1]

+KevySuavey Agreed. I was a teen in the 80's. Feel sorry for the kids today that have such shit culture(music, tv, etc).

[@GymClubHouse]

on the flipside, a smartphone today can do a few thousand things that you needed a few thousand things of back then. gaming, tools (like a level or ruler or flashlight), music, videos, movies, video chat, a mobile phone itself, and thousands of apps. i loved the 80s but ONLY because the job market was much SAFER and better. no outsourcing on h1b visas. no risk of ppl. recording your life and putting it on the internet. privacy was better as was job security.

[@datmem3guy79]

raydeen1 im not one of those kids i like anything from the 80's even though i wish i was born in the 80's 😔

[@ams4800]

......saturday morning cartoons and super sugary cereal!

[@raydeen1]

guest They can have it. I'll take my childhood over theirs any day of the week.

[@JackTheGamer3]

I may only be 15 but I am crazy for these arcade machines

[@SmackDab]

Going to an arcade with a pocket full of quarters was the ultimate joy back in the day

[@dandagamer2238]

You my friend have great taste! 😁

[@dandagamer2238]

I missed out too. Not as much I am 32 now born in 88 but when I played them they were at grocery stores. Malls places like that.. arcades were pretty much dying by the time I was old enough to remember 😔

[@opaljk4835]

Dan Da Gamer I was born the same year, we definitely had plenty of time growing up to enjoy the tail end of arcade machines being everywhere. Basically grew up with 8/16 bit machines...and I remember there being a lot of birthday parties at those pay one price and play all day arcade places. In the 90s I think these machines were being sold off to wherever would take them, so we ended up seeing a lot of the games from the golden era survive for years,

[@soupyri]

Dan Da Gamer im 12 and i live for things like this, like retro things 😭

[@brad1368]

Ahhh those were the days. I was young and my parents would drop me off at the arcade for a few hours while they shopped at the mall. That anxious feeling of adventure was amazing. Great video!!

[@supercoolyguy]

Arrrrg I couldn't wait to burn some quarters at the Arcade. The best of times.

[@scottmiller6495]

These young people of today 35 and under will never understand these times, sad and sickening!!!!!

[@Baldmaxx]

Thank you so much for posting this. I'm 45 now, and this is how me and all my friends grew up, in a mall, at the arcades.

[@jasonknight8581]

1980's FOREVER!

[@padistedor]

I'll never forget walking into a Jersey shore arcade and seeing 20 PacMan machines in a row. Those were the days.

[@AchtungBaby77]

Rather than being glued to our phones, we were glued to these monster arcades whilst having a soda, slice of pizza and a hearty laugh with friends and loved ones about who could get a higher score! What fun times they were!

[@oldironsides4107]

And beating hobos

[@deathstrike]

This is why I converted one of my bedrooms into a functional arcade and classic toy room!!! I'm an 80s kid and I enjoyed the arcade era so much I wanted to share it with my sons. I have Battlezone, Gorf, Missile Command, Pac Man, Mario Bros, a converted Pleiades game into a 412 in one jamma game, 2 cocktail pinball machines (Allied Take Five and Gottlieb Night Moves) 2 slot machines and a video poker machine. It was just a great era with great memories, thank you for keeping it alive with videos like this!!!

[@sharonbraselton4302]

goód fór yoú

[@archieriverdale769]

Those were the days!!! The last great era that will never return. Im so privileged to have lived back in those days where life seem so simple compared to now. All the fashions, and the hype. The show's and movies that they are trying to remake now, we were there when all this started. People my age, please like if y'all agree.

[@daveyboy_]

We don't know ur age

[@dimwitdinklepants]

@@daveyboy_ okay and

[@Frank-ed3db]

Can’t forget the pocket full of quarters 😂

[@cassetinhodoespaco8590]

Ok boomer

[@MeppyMan]

What happens when you get old. Lol.

[@tomy.1846]

I stole so many quarters from my dad's dresser in the early 80's! I remember leaving a few in his pile of change hoping he wouldn't notice! Every once in a while he'd ask me and my brothers who was taking his money. Nothing better than a bunch of quarters! :) Great times!

[@gibnichtauf]

Haha same here. It was their laundry money.

[@mrcommonsense9074]

I was taking my brothers money for arcade. My sis was taking his money for cigs. Not proudest moments. Early signs of a problem lol. Never stole again by way

[@TortureBot]

That's why you'd simply go for the nickels and dimes! Always more of those, and you could change them for quarters easily enough. DID TAKE LONGER to sift them out of the pile though, increasing the risk of being caught!

[@FightingCoward]

Arcades converted every 80s kid into a thief lol

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@FightingCoward damn that’s true lol. My buddy’s parents owned a carry out, we would mug rolls of quarters and go to the bowling alley on our bikes, then to the pizza place. Boy we had a blast.

[@TheDarkMikado]

My first memory about video games was with my dad at a video store in my hometown that had 1942. I was 5 years old and too short to play it, so he'd lift me up by the waist, I'd pop a quarter in and see how far I could get. From there I was hooked. It was the game that got me started.

[@SwankeyMonkey]

Yeah, cool Dads! My Mom bought me the Genesis as my first console on its release day... I've been a hardcore gamer and SEGA fan ever since.

[@FightingCoward]

My older brothers would hold me up when we first started going.

[@guitarofdestiny]

I like the part in the song where she sings "you'll never feel lonely anymore." If only that were true.

[@TheDigitalThreat]

Growing up in this era was awesome, and in the 90's as we watched arcades wither and die out, so did a little bit of my soul.

[@WillScarlet1991]

So much great nostalgia :) - from the hair, to the clothes, and to the games themselves; thanks uploader :)

[@SuperBoomshack]

I was wearing a Loverboy painter cap, a vans tanktop, OP shorts, vans checkerboard shoes, and listening to Billy Squier on my boombox in the arcade, lol

[@unwelldanny7108]

Do you remember Victor Stone, aka Cyborg? If not, you're not a true 80s kid.

[@Revelator2025]

Haha totally!

[@Revelator2025]

RashandFierce whatevers Bobi

[@yemarican]

wow... this was my time back then.. this is literally how I used to play video games back in the 80s. not everyone had ANY video games at home. they were worth playing back then and every quarter meant something.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Whoa! For a brief moment I time traveled to a 13 year old again. The smell of circuity in the air, cigarettes and rock music of the day played over the area. The older dude behind the counter next to the door. Every now and then checking that you and your friends bicycles were still out front (no bike locks).

[@raggeragnar]

Great video !!! Lovely memories. Miss those teenage days when everything was simpler. Hanging out with friends , spending all quarters , having fun. Feel sorry for todays kids not to experience that. THX for upload.

[@cranelane2882]

(R.I.P) arcades from 80s/90a

[@cranelane2882]

90s

[@sonicexereaper6814]

Roger Fredriksson Well, some kids like me are still lucky to learn about the arcade era. I was born in 1997 and still an infant, but after curiosity when I saw arcade cabinets anywhere I go during 2007, I was desperate and wanted to know arcade works differently than home gaming like my Gamecube. One of my first and most favorite out of all arcades to this day was Sega’s House of the Dead. I heard that this game haunted the childhood of many arcade users, but to me, I was into it and smiling with joy at the gameplay in using a rail gun to shoot and eliminate zombies and monsters while saving survivors, along with some built-in action and intensity. I played and boy do I suck at aiming at the screen and learning how to reload, but as the years go by, I’ve gotten better. Also, that introduction lead me to play other arcade games like King of Fighters 10th Anniversary, Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur II, Marvel vs. Capcom, Tekken, Jurassic Park, etc., but also, I may be judged that those are somewhat modern arcades, but fear not, I have old classics I enjoy like Mario Bros. Galaga, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Puzzle Bobble, and my favorite out of all, Donkey Kong. Now, I didn’t know them till I play em’ on home consoles since it was at the time before I knew arcade history. For example, I’ve played Mario Bros. since Super Mario Advance on Gameboy Advance; Dig-Dug, Pac-Man, and Galaga since Namco Museum for PS2, Puzzle Bobble on Taito Legends, and Donkey Kong as a Masterpiece demo in Super Smash Bros Brawl for Wii. To this day, as an adult, college student, I play these games along side with my home console games. I play em’ for childhood enjoyment and practice if I was to ever play it on an arcade cabinet. Now, you may ask why would I play them on a arcade cabinet if I could do it at home, well, #1 some games I have are extremely different compare to the arcade ones and #2 it wouldn’t hurt much to give my respect in payment as a support for what these cabinets taught its users throughout its history and spreading its message. Also, for the 1st time, during at Dave & Busters, I saw an arcade with a selection of Namco games and to make it better, each quarter inserted will all be donated to charity like Make-A-Wish foundation I just saw, so, thought I could share my support to not just these cabinets, but to the foundation as well. To this day, I am not only known as a gamer who plays Switch, Xbox One, PC, PS VITA, PS2, Wii, 3DS and PSP, but also, both a real arcade lover and gamer. 👍 (:

[@lilPerc30]

toss the xbox 1 for the ps4. i have a nes and gamecube duck hunt was fun i played in 2007 i was born in 2001

[@sonicexereaper6814]

Codplayerz22 No lies as I say it, but I stupidly bought it cuz of the announcement of Dead Rising 3 being exclusive to Xbox One and TBH, I love the series ever since Dead Rising on the Xbox 360 and I find it thanks to Frank West in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom when I thought he was from a Megaman game with the Servbot Mask and Mega Buster special until I se his special move of spawning in zombies and zombies on shopping carts. Anyway, after hearing Dead Rising 3 later introduce a PC port, I start to feel that regret after getting the Xbox One and seeing little exclusives and some like Halo going far away from its original content. So, for now on, I’ll just stick with PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo products for now since they got better exclusives.

[@coffeebirdtree]

The first song is probably the coolest song ever

[@mort6913]

If only I could put a quarter in a time machine and go back to the 80s.

[@Gr8thxAlot]

Once in a while I find an older quarter and wonder how many arcade machines it's been in.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

tróñé dóse ²8 watt lazsrr zàper

[@elidoesawesomestuff9630]

The 80's rocked

[@unwelldanny7108]

If you don't remember Cyborg, then you're not a true 80s kid.

[@Whtxombi]

My local arcade was in a bowling alley. They had all the biggies: Tempest, Donkey Kong, Dragons Lair, etc. I moved to Georgia in 86 but last I heard it was still there.

[@FightingCoward]

I saw a kid complete dragon's lair on a single credit once... I wonder how much he'd spent to get to that level?!

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@FightingCoward had to be a shitload of $, that damn game was hard as hell

[@FightingCoward]

@@deborahchesser7375 I know, I couldn't get past the 4th or 5th screen.

[@thedoogo3334]

YO THIS IS SICK! i love arcades and the hole atmosphere so freaking much the music from the speakers to the art on the arcades cabinets the bright lights coming from the screen and the darkness of the arcade its self! its all so awesome to me 😆 sadly im only a teen and wasnt alive to witness this amazing time but i seem to have a heart of an old soul lol sadly there isn’t much arcades the focus on original games but theres this one arcade in Canada hours from where i live but it mainly focuses on the old school games from defenders to pacman to digdug and they have it all!. it feels like i step in a different time that i wish i was alive in when i step in :)

[@tinnitischannel]

Thank you for producing this piece of history.

[@CycleCruza]

I still rock with Galaga, screw these new games that take all day to play..

[@TortureBot]

CycleCruza I hear you man! It's nice to sit down and play a game for 15 to 30 minutes without having to dedicate a month of your life to finishing the damn thing! That's what was so great about these games. You could play them a lot and master them or you could just play them casually and still have a lot of fun. Even though I think some of the games today are nice and inventive it seems like you have to play them for hours.

[@jermainewilliams7108]

CycleCruza I agree ☝️ with you bro 😎 bring back the 80’s please 👻👻🎃❤️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️💖🍿🪐🌌🎥🤣😎🥗🌯🌮🥙

[@TortureBot]

@Lance Kendall I think I downloaded the wrong thing. Just keeps making these glowing blue circles everywhere. I'm scared to go in one.

[@OzoneGamerStation]

for $60, I hope a game takes more than 1 day to play... Weird take on video games.

[@TortureBot]

@@OzoneGamerStation what is $60?

[@moronpigy]

:( LIFE WAS BETTER

[@cocconoce]

*_Y Eh_*

[@cranelane2882]

Yep

[@unwelldanny7108]

Jesus, Cyborg still exists. He's updated for a newer generation. Come to think of it, lots of things that started in the 80s, including arcade games, have been updated for a newer generation. So you can shut your trap, 80s kids, as you just feel old and are sick and tired of your hemorrhoids and shingles.

[@dennisneo1608]

I'm glad to be 50. Because, at least I remember the world before it went batshit crazy.

[@dennisneo1608]

@@unwelldanny7108 lol. Haha. We're not that old mate.

[@christopherzdebski5259]

1986 was the year for me I started playing the majority of these legendary classics now at 40 years old I’m seeing players almost half my age today playing these games that are older than them and are loving em. That puts a smile on my face!

[@nicholaspiazza8687]

9:44 Last, but not least, the Game Over screen from Missile Command.

[@nicholaspiazza8687]

THE END

[@afa78djd]

Man, the Sears mall arcade during the late 70s and early 80s in El Monte CA! Underground, hot, dark, smelling of cigarettes and popcorn, that was the place to be. All kinds of lights flashing and the music playing beyond loud. Loved it. None of this, "oh i'm a gamer" business. Everyone played arcade games, and guess what? The best players were the junkies with their bottle of beer and endless quarter supply.

[@951oct]

afa78djd sears not there no more huh? I went out there and seen Denny's there and longo Toyota and the Honda dealership.

[@unwelldanny7108]

And of course the posters, hopefully the famous Cyborg Pin-Up, as drawn by George Perez from 1981, was on one of those walls.

[@nashismox3]

@@unwelldanny7108 Shut the fuck up

[@HaleXF11]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Nostalgia overload. Thank you!!

[@DesmondBotes]

This is a trip down memory lane.

[@bxpress6507]

desmond botes very nostalgic indeed!

[@unwelldanny7108]

Guess what? We still have IRL friends and we still play in the arcades on vacations. Now we have video games with amazing graphics at home, so there's no need to go outside the house. What do you want, video games to return to 8 bit graphics and music again? Jesus.

[@micosstar]

Sometimes a game doesn't need graphics, or a complex storyline. Arcade games had simple controls, move up, left, down, and up, and a simple objective, get as many points (most of the time). Don't forget, 1980-early '82's arcades had no "Continue", lasting the game for hours and hours. And that's all you need. Friends, I won't argue. My take on it is to make an extra effort to have IRL (In Real Life) friends.

[@khbkcbdck]

I feel blessed to live my childhood on the 80s

[@unwelldanny7108]

Do you remember Cyborg?

[@Winchester3]

@@unwelldanny7108 I remember when Pablo Escobar died

[@RavingNoah]

Wonderbowl in Downey, CA in the 70s-80s is where my childhood was infused with 'the arcade.'

[@Topesio66]

I'm 47, I grew as a kid in arcades, always loved arcade culture. I agree this is a real pop culture and anyone that take care about this and preserve such memories deserve all of my personal admiration. You made my day ! Thanks.

[@Carlos-no2sk]

Happy 53 birthday

[@Topesio66]

Man with a funny cookie hey thanks so much!

[@tomh4544]

I was a video game junkie in the 80s, started in like 76 for real, in the 80s I once spent about 30 dollars on vids, What a mistake..that was in one afternoon....

[@unwelldanny7108]

Nice.

[@hoagie1978]

I started playing video games at age 3 in 1981. Seeing this brings back childhood memories. I use to get something to stand on to play the old consoles in the arcade and got an Atari for x-mas 1982 (which I saved). Kids today who are use to high tech graphics and sound may laugh at this, but there was something special about these old games.

[@IRgEEK]

That was major bad ass! Thanks so much! I almost wish had original audio. I miss all those sights and sounds. Great times!

[@mademypeace]

Wow, Thank you for that blast from the past. I wish my kids could have the arcade experience. Dave and Busters just isn't the same.

[@daminmancejin]

I know what you mean steve I get so depressed how things changed and I don't like it because I don't feel happy anymore like I did as a kid

[@Vendzor]

FUCK what I'd give to experience the 70s and 80s... If time travel ever were to exist I doubt it ever end up in the average person's hands though.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

The early 80s arcade was truly something that had to be experienced to fully understand. Best that can be done is to tell those stories and try to get those who weren't there to get that :)

[@davesmart73]

Yep..the sounds..the smells..the laughter..

[@brillopad6901]

Reading your comment makes me so happy I got to live my best years during that time period. I was born in 73 so the late 70s with Atari and all the arcades was just awesome. Once Nintendo hit I was addicted for life to gaming, the arcades were still around and still awesome. Personally I loved the 90s as well, I was still gaming, just not as much but the first five years of the 90s still felt like the 80s to me. It wasnt until around 98 or 99 when I finally decided to try growing up some. Lol

[@coolbluelights]

I was born in '80 so I got to experience the tail end of the old arcade, a lot of the old machines were still in use by the time I got old enough to play. quarters, the smell of warm electronics, the sound of the skiball machines, the funky colored carpets... man I miss those days

[@brillopad6901]

coolbluelights I miss it too.

[@apollo-so5yj]

Wow what a great nostalgic video with amazing tunes! Love 80s music and I never heard any of these tunes before, but I made sure to Shazam them for my collection. Pac man fever, that's a real gem. Thanks a lot for this!

[@cineddiction]

Wow! What great memories. I miss the 80's and the Arcade. Thank god for funspot. Thanks for the upload, awesome job!

[@ziggymorris8760]

Was between the ages of 8-12 then, you couldn't get on any of them because the teenagers had quarters all over the sides of the screen which meant they had next X 100. Most popular was Pac Man, there were Pac Man t-shirts, scratch off wins, bubble gum, pillows, pens, pencils they even made a song about Pac Man that is burned into my brain forever.

[@Magiksystems]

Excellent! Brings back memories! Forgot about some of these songs!

[@swolearcade]

I’m 26, born in ‘97. Arcades as they were known before redemption became the business model we know today, a place to play video games for the sake of fun alone, were all but dead when I came into the world. Today I privately own 20 original classic machines, many of which are seen in this awesome tribute. This is what I never knew but for some reason try to keep alive. There is no experience quite like standing at the cabinet playing the greatest games ever made.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

I liken it to certain films and the movie theater. Sure, I can always watch Ghostbusters or Star Wars or Die Hard at home on streaming via my 65" Smart TV and Bose speaker system. But nothing beats seeing it on the big screen as I did originally, so I'll always catch a screening if I can. Same thing here... I can always play Galaga or Donkey Kong or Asteroids on a computer or game console or even on a mini-cabinet made for home. But nothing can top playing it on an original coin-op arcade cabinet as I did back in the day. Nothing ever will.

[@TheThunderWeasel]

I appreciate the use of Video Fever from WarGames. Well played...

[@erranttraveller]

This is some amazing 80s mood here. I miss arcades. Not the ones now with retro value.

[@redrocket763]

Awesome collection of clips here, I've been looking for a collection of 80's arcade footage for a few years. Nostalgia... Ahhh... :)

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

Was fun to cut it together. Thank you for your comment :)

[@daveidmarx8296]

It sucks that camcorders were a rare thing in the early '80s (and not something to be dragged to a mall arcade), as I'd love to see more footage like this - specifically of arcades from the Poughkeepsie-Fishkill, NY area (I'm looking at you, Dream Machine, Park Place + Twilight Zone!!)

[@unwelldanny7108]

@@daveidmarx8296 Do you remember the Xenon pinball game? I love that game. BTW, you know who Cyborg is, don't you? Every true early 80s kid knows who he is.

[@daveidmarx8296]

@@unwelldanny7108 I actually played Xenon less than five months ago, at Silverball Museum in Asbury Park, NJ!

[@RetrocosmNet]

So pleased to have grown up in this era, life was good, I'd pay anything for a hot tub time machine to go back. Thank you for uploading this.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

It's interesting, as this video was just a passion project I more did for myself... over a decade now at that. And yet it's manage to resonate and become one of my most consistently viewed videos still to this day. I'm glad I put together something that has taken people back to this era, even if just for ten minutes... and I thank you for taking the time to write this nice comment about that.

[@Koldeman]

The good ol' days. Our local arcade was called "The Gold Mine" in an aging shopping mall by the back doors. The entry looked like something out of Indiana Jones & it was sheer joy! Every Saturday, after cartoons, mom would take me to the mall, give me a dollar in quarters & I could make that last an hour. She would go shopping & I'd play "Star Wars", "TMNT", "Indy & TOD", & "Pac-Man". If I ran out of quarters early, we'd all watch the 'big kids' play "Dragon's Lair". Afterwards, go to the snack bar for nachos. Then it was time to go home & I'd go outside to find neighbor kids to play with (believe it or not, we did that back then). Kids watch 'The Goonies" nowadays & don't understand, we were actually JUST LIKE THAT. We'd get our bikes & go out to find adventure. I miss it so much.

[@jetuber]

Great video compilation. I wish it preserved the original arcade sounds, though.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

1). A montage with the original sounds wouldn't work. 2). As noted throughout, this was old stock footage. B-roll. Most of it didn't have any sounds to share.

[@ShyteKreek46]

So... many... TRUCKER HATS!!!!!!

[@earinsound]

non-ironic too

[@OsnRavens]

And they were just called hats...lol

[@musashi66973]

Kkona

[@cherryjames4720]

Wow what a blast from the past! All my favorite video games... There was one I did not see, Centipede lol that was a great video 👍🏻

[@williamworth9024]

Loved the video! I can remember how much I loved that arcade smell... and the sound! I never will forget that magical feeling of walking into a crowded arcade, especially when all of the games were turned up and it was really loud. When my local arcade, Aladdin's Castle was shut down, my heart sank. I'd give anything to experience that feeling one more time. That video brings sooo many memories... thanx!!!

[@Scrap-dog8181]

4:21 This is a classic diagnosis of Defender finger.

[@andrewniles1]

I miss those days. wish I knew then what I know now!

[@mxmxpr]

What a great collection of historic footage!

[@TheFoodieCutie]

Thanks for the upload, this was great! The cameraman had a lot of light though cause most arcades I went to in the 1980s like at Nathan's or the local pizza shop or video rental store were like almost pitch black inside. Some bonus tidbits: it was almost as if the 1980s had a cockroach explosion cause they would be crawling around the machines no matter where I went in the 80s and don't forget the greasy joysticks and the smell of hot pizza in the air!

[@Ace1000ks19751982]

This is such good nostalgia!

[@bluethunder7391]

This video must be included in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically snd aesthetically significant. Props to the songs PacMan Fever and soundtrack from the movie Wargames.

[@thrillington2008]

A shame I can only id Pac-Man Fever. I just need to know what the name of the other two songs are.

[@maaaguz]

video footage from authentic 80ties arcade is so rare....thx for preserving this for those who whitnessed this wonderful decade....when video games were magical

[@spaztekwarrior]

Being a kid in the 70s and graduating in ‘84... Arcades and the first consoles and handhelds were awesome. A friend of mine lent me Coleco Electronic Quarterback in ‘78. I played it all weekend mostly during the night. Saving up quarters to hit the arcades... and the familiar sounds as you walked inside one. Good memories :)

[@raimmartin2804]

Good Memories; My arcade was called 'Time Out' on the top floor of the Sherman Oaks Galleria near the food court. Circa early 80's (Jr. High for me). That was a great hangout.

[@unwelldanny7108]

Early 80s, you say? Do you remember Victor Stone, the literal Cyborg? If you don't remember him, you're not a true 80s kid.

[@tomy.1846]

Nice, at Roosevelt Field Mall in New York the arcade was also called Timeout! Miss those days and games!

[@philipdefibaugh5683]

My father ran an Arcade so every Friday and Saturday I got to play all the games for FREE!

[@estebanfassio78]

It don't matter how good the graphics are today on the new video games. Every time I look at this, I can remember what a wonderful feeling was meeting with my friends, counting coins to see how many games we had available and the amazing competitions created. Coming back every day just to see if someone was able to beat my score from the day before. I grew up to fast, I need to be 10 again and be back in 1988 to play like I have never plaid before. Life moves to fast and for me was only a blink. Make me sad that we dont have more of this places available to recreate our amazing past. Their is things that should never change, and this is once of them.

[@jtmassecure4488]

Skyrim , halo and call of duty franchise is still better than any game in the 80s and 90s

[@joshhuffines5978]

Oh man, this video is solid gold classic nostalgia. Love it, great video.

[@junkjuiceful]

I was 9 during the crash of 83. Never understood it! I mean, I never understood the economics that brought down the industry. The craze was still there in the public and kids like me. I felt like I was home when I was in an arcade. When I go somewhere new, like on vacation, I am always scoping out where I can play arcade games. I explain to my wife that I am doing it for our kids. Let me just say, I HATE REDEMPTION GAMES! They swallowed all the space in the arcades that are left. When I do see a throwback game, I have to play it. The most recent was a Carnival cabinet.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

junkjuiceful - The crash, at least on the arcade side, actually started in 1982. The home console crash of 1983 was actually a different thing with its own reasons. I didn't understand the arcade side of it at the time, either, and began to study it as much as I could starting just a few years after it. I also dislike the redemption games and the "required continue" titles as well, but having read what I did I understand them. You could count the number of arcade titles that were ever truly profitable for the arcade operators of the early 80s on your fingers and toes... and yet that is all the arcades had to fall back on. The operators that had a wide range of equipment managed to survive that period of time. The all-vids operators did not.

[@junkjuiceful]

You are correct Patrick. As a kid, I saw with my heart, rather than my head. What I liked was not as profitable for the arcades, I understand that now. Yes the 'required continue' games are disliked by me also. No matter how well you did, at some point, you had to feed the beast.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

junkjuiceful

[@CM-fk3or]

The local amusement park here had a great arcade full of cabinets they had maintained for decades. Probably about 50 in all.....caught fire a few years ago, now it's strictly redemption machines.....very depressing

[@jaywest3734]

Another crash will end up coming if game studios don't get their act together soon.

[@TheChuck624]

Very cool. I would love to have one of those Defender games. That was my favorite. Better yet, I would like to have the money back I pumped in it.

[@CP200S]

WarGames + Pac-Man Fever soundtracks just bring complete perfection to your video. Thank you a lot for sharing it with everybody.

[@tkmad7470]

My local arcade was Video Roundup in Scottsdale AZ. So much fun!

[@davesmart73]

Great days.Got me into a lot of trouble.Manipulating people to feed that buzz.It started of with a ZX spectrum in 1982, then trips to skegness (uk) and the arcades were a new found love.I could hear Double Dragon from the otherside of a new arcade buzz, in amongst Pac Man,Shinobi,Choplifter,Operation Wolf,Out Run,Spy Hunter and many more.The arcade owners were also accomodating as in they would supply milk crates for you to stand on and be able to reach the gun on Operation wolf...I was even that desperate I drilled a hole in a ten pence piece and threaded fishing line onto it.I stuck in and out of robocop and got infinate lifes, but we got caught.Great days and a sadly missed experience.

[@haylibooth71]

Wow ,thank you for the trip down memory lane:)I miss the arcades:(Kids these days have no clue:)

[@ArcadeDude44]

This video is all kinds of awesome. Subscribed, my good man!

[@rickwells1558]

Nice vid, man I feel old. But I loved this, thanks dude.

[@yeksun]

I Like the music! Lots of comments against it BUT it fits the time perfectly. I Guess all the haters would prefer "Take on me "by: ah ha. To That I say give me a break. That is the epitome of cliché 80s music. It is the one song I forbid in my arcade. Another reason I like this video, It shows the arcades full . and full of young people. Thats the way it was... Never to be again. Now you see retro arcades and arcades that people have built as a labor of love but they are always empty or very few people in them. And the people in them are old fat guys. Oh wait ..,. I guess I now fall into that category. But its true. Most kids that are the ages in this video want nothing to do with this stuff now. I guess thats understandable... Its not nostalgic for them ,but thats a topic for another day

[@mcorleonep]

I was expecting Subdivisions by Rush

[@WesleyCaju]

Amazing era!!! Everything was incredible. It´s like to see Stranger Things. The places are so magic.

[@nashismox3]

Strangers things is not real, you cannot emulate the spirit of an era.

[@jnnx]

Stranger Things is a poor facsimile of the real thing.

[@SmackDab]

Really fun to watch a reminisce about the good old days. I’m planning to visit a retro arcade soon and make a video about a simpler time lol

[@Khultan]

People may not know this but when you visit San Francisco and you go to the Wharf, there's Pier 39, The Riptide Arcade in the early 1980s was a huge go to place for kids, hell,for anybody with a video game craze on the weekend. There were bumper cars and ball games but the place was just wall to wall video games. Damn, miss those days!! : )

[@Khultan]

Wooohooo!!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!! I don't know why my memory failed for a moment, but I remember it now, one of my ultimate faves--SPACE HARRIER!!! : )

[@alitlweird]

Being born in 1972 and growing up in America in the 1980s is like winning the lottery. ✝️🇺🇸

[@mpmgap]

Maravilhosos anos 80. Epoca que jamais se repetirá

[@Grasshopper80s4ever]

So many quarters and so many hours spent ...... I would go back in a heartbeat !!!

[@yozza4978]

I can still remember the feel and smell of finding a great new arcade game and being with all your friends leaning on the side of the arcade watching your mate play and waiting for your turn....you'd allways do a lap of the arcade first to see what games were in and see if any of your friends were there.

[@stevesurffff]

Amazing dude!... From where did you get this?, It's and Incredible History footage... THX!

[@CaseKirby]

I think I saw Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Will

[@Squicx]

where?

[@CaseKirby]

Boi it's a stranger things joke

[@Squicx]

Case Kirby No shit BOI

[@nicholaspiazza8687]

You forgot Max. Dragon's Lair and Dig Dug, anyone?

[@nicholaspiazza8687]

Palace Arcade

[@DrWho2008t101]

thanks for the video, it brings back fond memories.

[@Ddog2]

The experience growin up in the 80s and 90s was far more social... playing together in the arcades, Couch coop, skating and driving around streets ist with bikes vs today the Kids are more isolated and only connected through online media

[@darklordojeda]

First song is from Wargames the movie.

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

darklordojeda - So is the last one.

[@darklordojeda]

Sorry didn't watch the vid long enough. Had to hit the road. Going to watch it again now.

[@power2084]

I was just about to say that too, darklord !!

[@peteostro]

Patrick Scott Patterson there doing a war games remake :(

[@SwankeyMonkey]

Shall we play a game...

[@PatrickScottPatterson]

Contrasts - All three songs play for me just fine on multiple browsers on my PC. Not sure why you wouldn't have audio.

[@thomascampr]

THANKS!!! That me at Mothers pinball in Illinois. 6:33 playing defender on the far left. Thought I'd never see that again. It was on the news that night. Very cool. Thanks again.

[@nerdswithattitudes5849]

What are the names of the songs on the video?

[@starshipcaptain4753]

In this video I saw games my 1981-1984 local arcade did not carry. My favorite days were 1977 with Star Wars, 1979 Atari 2600, 1980 Empire Strikes Back and then the best of the best my local arcade (Astro Sports in Tigard, OR) opened up from 81-84. Best years of my life!

[@beachlifechris]

SUCH GREAT MEMORIES.....THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@Moumou727]

Wargames (1983) music is great!

[@sajidkhanmahmood]

thank god for mame

[@I_Play_Pool]

Some great games from an awesome time! I loved Sinistar, Bump 'N Jump, Operation Wolf and sooooooo many more.

[@megamatt1915]

I remember Defender! Such a great game!