Arcades in China

[Inky]

I'm currently in Shanghai and wanted to check out the Arcades here so went to Feng Yun Zai Qi Gaming centre in Peoples Square. Which is set within a 1930's underground mall.

I know arcades have a bad rap here, partly due to all the rubbish Chinese-made games full of bugs, but this place was pretty awesome.

There were 5x double initial D cabs and it had the only Vewlix VS I've seen anywhere - about 10 of them, plus about 5 single Vewlix's that's like 25 Vewlix Cabs in the same arcade (admittedly all Chinese L models obviously). Then there was about 30 candy cabs. Plus plenty of the rest DDR rthym games, time crisis, Carnevil and the usual racers. And nothing was over 30p a go, the Vewlix and Candies were all 10p!

Overall though it was just filled with loads of people enjoying them, including Chinese girls in Cosplay. I've still got a bit of travelling around yet, so I'll check out some more places.

Anyone else been before?

[pubjoe]

Any photos?

[Inky]

Here you go... I snapped a couple of shots in Feng Yun Zai Qi Game Center.







I also snapped a pic at Lie Huo Game Center today too. A little further out the city, this is definitely a different type of arcade filled with over 100 old cabs mainly BlastCitys and VsCitys with a few LCDs around.

It's filled with mainly old school 2D Fighters, seemingly a big mix of American and Japanese Boards.

[TheRedKnight]

Nice! Very nice.

But... is there no aspect ratio control on those Vewlix cabs?

[pubjoe]

Wow.

I've heard it said before that Chinese arcades have a rubbish reputation, but **** hell I'd take that.

[Inky]

Nice! Very nice.

But... is there no aspect ratio control on those Vewlix cabs?

I think the Japanese versions 'might' have a secret LCD screen menu which has that option, but actually the Chinese made Vewlix tend to use some consumer models of LCD's, so,depends on them I guess.

But there's plenty of CRT's around - tomorrow gonna head out to a 90's mecha arcade here in Shanghai which should be cool!

I think I finally know where all the old cabs are really ending up. At least their damn popular here...and cheap!

[Paulie]

Nice photos, Chinese arcades may not have a good reputation but IMO they look like pretty amazing places to hang out play games.

[crunchywasp]

Nice pics. That place looks great.

Chinese girls in Cosplay

Any photos?

+1

[theMot]

Lie Hou is awesome, i was there earlier this year.

http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showthrea ... e-Shanghai"

[pubjoe]

Sounds great Mot. Though I'm not authorised to view the photos for some reason.

[theMot]

Sounds great Mot. Though I'm not authorised to view the photos for some reason.

Not a member of teh drama eh?

[Inky]

Tried going to the Xin Xin Game Center which was supposed to be an amazing 90's Arcade including a four player Mario Kart GP2 setup and super cheap games, definitely found the place but when I went at 4pm the doors were locked closed and the lights were off, couldn't see any cabs through the glass doors, but it was dark. Might have closed or moved?

Anyway traveling to Xian where will try checking out some more arcades and terracotta warriors, then on to Beijing slowly. So will give some more reports.

[Stompp]

Woooh, all those Versus cabs! I'm...sooooo...jealous

Rad pics Too bad about the Mecha arcade. Would have been a blast to see some pics from that one.

[pubjoe]

Sounds great Mot. Though I'm not authorised to view the photos for some reason.

Not a member of teh drama eh?

I joined but I haven't offered my **** out.

[Inky]

So continuing in my trip here in China, I'm now up in the North at Xi'an a pretty cool walled city akin to if the Great Wall and York had a baby.

Seemingly a lot of arcades westerners have blogged or visited have closed down or moved so there was a lot of trekking around, the quality of the arcades found though was still far and away better than most European affairs and far far cheaper too.

First up is Tom's Place. A chain arcade here in China, there was definitely one in Shanghai too, though I never popped in. It's a well-lit, clean (non-smoking), relatively cheap place with nothing above 30p. Which is perfect for taking the kids to.

It's located just off Luomashi the main pedestrianised shopping area behide Xingzhengyuan Plaza.

There's plenty of rhythm games, light-gun shooting and racing to be had - including a Mario Kart GP2 Dual setup, which all appear legit.



The same can't be said for the small classic and fighting section however with maybe 16 cabs total, all knock-off noir LCD setups with screens stretched at 16:9 for classic games looking awful.



Worse still the six SF4AE / Tekken Tag 2 Unlimited versions being modified console / PC versions with horrible laggy controls.

There is some far better fun to be had at the recently opened Pandora Arcade Located a stones throw from the Bell Tower, be hide the east side of the Kaiyuan shopping mall. To the north-west side of Luomashi area.



There's no cosplay maids here like in Shanghai however and the first thing you see is a huge crowd of people watching the new DDR games with girls and boys showing off their 'elite' skills to the crowd and rapper acting friends waving their hands towards them to motivate them on...



Once you get inside you'll find a huge arcade, clean and airy, but dim enough you don't mind who's watching (And despite this I think my camera did a passable job), though more expensive - 30p a pop for fighters, 40p Racers and Light Gun games, though their tokens are Hello Kitty themed and so good I kept some...



There's by far the biggest selection of sit down racing games I've seen in China. A few light gun games, other rhythm/music games and a fair showing of some of the better Chinese made titles (from Wii Tennis clones to throw the ball at the touch screen whack a frog, which were damn fun...when they worked properly).



There's also at least 12 classic games setup in their own area, though on Chinese LCD cabs which seem to be running on MAME with filters applied so they looked a little better, though at 16:9.



The fighting cab setup was pretty cool however with several sets of about 8 decent quality 'Explosion' Chinese LCD cabs, setup in circles with seemingly legit SSF4AE in a 4 way tournament link-up and similarly with Tekken 6 and TTT2U and Clasic KoF (still on LCD). I'm used to a Vewlix-F and thought these cabs seemed pretty good overall.



The modern fighter crowd is definitely here and I got my **** handed to me well and truly, but fun none-the-less. Not as awesome as Shanghai, but still overall an awesome arcade by most standards and definitely improving my opinion of the arcades here. Next off to Beijing...very slowly so the next real post in about three weeks...

[Toaplaniano]

Wooooooooooooooow awesome places,

really,

Greetings.

[andygeezer]

Cool!

Its like China is having its late 80s/early 90s now and catching up fast.

Shame arcades in most western countries are either redemption only or closed.

[jase]

Very interesting write ups and great pictures, thanks for sharing.

[geotrig]

great pics , think that the most sitdown drivers i've ever seen together ever

[bazza2000]

They all look like great places! Good finds.