The scene
my arcades
the spots, ranked. everything here is my own opinion on a given day. names are my nicknames for places, not their real names, because i don't want this wiki to become a review site.
the rotation#
| nickname | games | vibe | rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| the big one | maimai ×2, chuni ×2, sdvx valk ×1 | big chain arcade, loud, always crowded on weekends | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| the mall spot | maimai ×1, chuni ×1 | tiny corner in a mall, short queues, mid maintenance | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| the dungeon | sdvx ×2 (one valk), chuni ×1 | small rhythm-game-focused place, regulars, excellent cab care | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| the bowling alley | maimai ×1 | dark, sticky, one cab, sometimes the left screen dies | ⭐⭐ |
| the travel list | — | places i want to go | — |
the big one#
- cabs: 2 maimai (4 player sides), 2 chuni, 1 sdvx valkyrie
- pros: most cabs, newest versions, long hours
- cons: weekend queues are 30+ minutes, the left maimai's 6/7 buttons double-press, the crowds
- best time: weekday afternoons, or after 10pm
- spend: card-based pricing, works out to a bit over $1 per credit with bonus loads
- notes: the valk speakers are amazing. the left chuni's air sensors are sensitive (good for me)
the mall spot#
- cabs: 1 maimai, 1 chuni
- pros: basically no queue on weekdays, quiet, close to food
- cons: the maimai's screen has a dead spot near A3 (slides through there break sometimes), version updates are slower
- best time: anytime, except saturday afternoon
- notes: my "chill session" spot. good for low-stakes practice
the dungeon#
- cabs: 2 sdvx (1 valk), 1 chuni
- pros: owner actually cares, knobs are fresh, sensitivity is tuned, the regulars are friendly
- cons: far, small, closes early, no maimai
- best time: whenever i can make the drive
- notes: this is where i set most sdvx pbs. the community here is why i got back into the game
the bowling alley#
- cabs: 1 maimai
- pros: nobody plays it, so infinite credits with no queue
- cons: everything else. sticky screen, ambient lighting makes reading hard, the left screen dies at random
- notes: emergency maimai only
the travel list#
- a proper JP arcade trip (akihabara, the multi-floor places). someday
- whichever city has the closest JP-version cab
- the big chain locations in other states when i travel
what i track per arcade (for kiroku)#
- which cabs and versions it has
- cost per credit (for spend tracking)
- known broken stuff (so i don't blame myself)
- my session count + pbs set there