MAME and the New Emulation Reality
I've been following the emulation scene since the late 90s and have really come to appreciate how important a cultural preservation emulation is providing. It's more than just nostalgia, these machines were literally the focal point around which entire cultural milieus were constructed.<p>If you didn't grow up when arcades were healthy, there's literally nothing similar to them today. The local Dave and Busters has the games, but the mood and setting is all wrong. Stepping through the entrance at your local mall arcade was like walking out the backside of a magic wardrobe. The lights and sounds instantly drove parental units away and a curious kid could wander around with pocket change and try a few games and take control of skilled fighters, jet planes, space ships, skateboarders and on and on forever.<p>Forging skill, he could become a minor celebrity in this world, if he could top the high score, or compete harder than all challengers, a crowd would literally gather and start cheering the player on..and soon you had this <a href="https://youtu.be/07Upyd9EVog?t=84" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/07Upyd9EVog?t=84</a><p>With so many people in one place, all doing the same things, with competition and champions, losers and cheaters, how could a culture not spontaneously emerge?<p>I can't really think of any similar phenomenon today and work like this, and a few scattered preservationist barcades and personal collections might be the only thing that comes close.<p>I'm just sad I never made it to Luna City before it closed <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103933.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02...</a>