Arcade Odysseus - Arcadeology! Edinburgh's Ancient Arcades
- Thread starter RygarR
- Start date
Wow!
Finally got round to reading your blog.What an amazing amount of research you put into this.I remember the one on Lothian road in the early 90s.I went in there regularly and had the good fortune of playing STUN RUNNER,Space invaders 91,Tiger Heli,Raiden and an MVS 4 slot.Up the back there was pinball machines including Dr Who and a Gunblade.You walked in to the building and there was a whole big long row of fruities or "puggies" as the Scots like to say.Then left and right were a couple of raised areas with the machines (maybe 15 in total) then walk up the back and you had change kiosk then toilet to the left and to the right was the pinballs (4 or so) and bigger cabs like the aforementioned Gunblade and even a Sega Time Traveller.Loved this place but was always slightly scared of using the toilet incase I got mugged or worse 🤔
Finally got round to reading your blog.What an amazing amount of research you put into this.I remember the one on Lothian road in the early 90s.I went in there regularly and had the good fortune of playing STUN RUNNER,Space invaders 91,Tiger Heli,Raiden and an MVS 4 slot.Up the back there was pinball machines including Dr Who and a Gunblade.You walked in to the building and there was a whole big long row of fruities or "puggies" as the Scots like to say.Then left and right were a couple of raised areas with the machines (maybe 15 in total) then walk up the back and you had change kiosk then toilet to the left and to the right was the pinballs (4 or so) and bigger cabs like the aforementioned Gunblade and even a Sega Time Traveller.Loved this place but was always slightly scared of using the toilet incase I got mugged or worse 🤔
Cheers Adamski.
There's no doubt that L.A. Amusements was at the rougher end of the arcade spectrum. I blame the puggies. The ambience may not have been its biggest attraction. On the other hand, just think about the life / survival skills it helped you to build.
Thanks for filling in the gaps machine-wise. I remember the pins, but not what they were. While I do enjoy a bit of silver ball action these days, they weren't my cup of tea back then
There's no doubt that L.A. Amusements was at the rougher end of the arcade spectrum. I blame the puggies. The ambience may not have been its biggest attraction. On the other hand, just think about the life / survival skills it helped you to build.
Thanks for filling in the gaps machine-wise. I remember the pins, but not what they were. While I do enjoy a bit of silver ball action these days, they weren't my cup of tea back then
The other one I frequented was up the bridges on the left as you walk away from Princes street.It had a downstairs area too.Walked in and there was a couple of 2p pushers but then........Afterburner just before the stairs down.I played the aforementioned although (controversially) I thought it's a bit rubbish even then!Played the mighty Twin Cobra,Lightning fighters,Sunset Riders and downstairs R-Rype Leo on an Elecro coin.
Last time I was in Edinburgh about 5 years ago I sought it out and its now an alternative clothing place.Said to the guy there that I remembered it being an arcade and he said "wow-That was a while ago"
Last time I was in Edinburgh about 5 years ago I sought it out and its now an alternative clothing place.Said to the guy there that I remembered it being an arcade and he said "wow-That was a while ago"
Can you remember which shop it is now? I suspect that arcade was emptied out by the time I arrived in Edinburgh. I'd asked around about arcades when I got myself settled in late 95 / early 96, but the only name that came up at the time in that neck if the woods was Leisureland, which had already been repurposed as a 'puggie palace'!
The other things that disappeared from the Bridges / Nicholson Street around that time were the leather jacket shops. There used to be 3 or 4. It's been decades now since there were any at all. Just when I need to get myself a brown leather bomber jaiket too!
Sad times.
The other things that disappeared from the Bridges / Nicholson Street around that time were the leather jacket shops. There used to be 3 or 4. It's been decades now since there were any at all. Just when I need to get myself a brown leather bomber jaiket too!
Sad times.