ARCADE

Hype.

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:46:05 -0500

Hype.

The Chinatown Fair, 1944. It’s official.

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:22:28 -0500

The Chinatown Fair, 1944. It’s official.

Photo

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:19:28 -0500

Irene holding the light. Owen with camera. on Flickr.Friday...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:12:35 -0500

Irene holding the light. Owen with camera. on Flickr.

Friday night shoot at Next Level. We interviewed Amanda and Ben. I think we got some great footage.
-Kurt

Money Match on Flickr.Money Match. We have been filming at Next...

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:47:40 -0400

Money Match on Flickr.

Money Match.
We have been filming at Next Level.

We shot all around Chinatown this week. Definitely captured the...

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:53:39 -0400

We shot all around Chinatown this week. Definitely captured the neighborhood. Here is our director of photography, Owen Strock, getting the very necessary shot of duck and chicken hanging in the window. You can barely see it, but in the background is a cook in his chef whites chopping meat. Owen is amazing at rack focusing, which he nailed on this shot.

We are in the middle of a lot of shooting. I will be documenting the process. Check our Flickr page and Facebook (www.facebook.com/arcademovie) for more!

-Kurt

mixahsrk: My only picture from my last visit to Chinatown...

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:26:00 -0400

mixahsrk:

My only picture from my last visit to Chinatown Fair.

Last Friday I was a part of a panel discussion about arcades at...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:37:47 -0400

Last Friday I was a part of a panel discussion about arcades at NY Comic Con. It was an amazing time. Somehow, at 11 am on a Friday, we filled the room with people eager to hear a talk about arcades. Leaves me feeling hopeful that the movie will receive a lot of attention when it is finished! The panel was moderated by Tal Blevins who has been at IGN since the early days, 13 years and counting! He was the perfect host. Seth Killian was there providing an incredibly unique perspective (As far as I can tell he has one of the coolest jobs in the world). Jamin Warren was beyond articulate, as always. And let me state this here: In 20 years, Kill Screen will be the Rolling Stone of video games. The Harlem Hero, Norman Burgess, was there waxing poetic about Chinatown Fair. And the star of the panel, Henry Cen, “Golden Cen” aka 50 Cen, was wonderfully cynical and cracking up the audience with his musings.

Thank you all for coming and saying hi. I met some new friends and look forward to continuing this discussion!

-Kurt

So, as you may or may not know, NYC Comic Con arrives at the...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:51:00 -0400

So, as you may or may not know, NYC Comic Con arrives at the Javits center on Thursday, October 13th. ARCADE is happy to announce that we were selected to host a panel on Friday October 14th at 11 AM to 12 PM. The panel will be moderated by Tal Blevins and participants will include: Seth Killian, Henry Cen, Norman Burgess, Jamin Warren, and our very own Kurt Vincent.

If you don’t already know who Seth Killian is, he is the face of CAPCOM and a Street Fighter bawse (no literally, the SFIV boss Seth, is named after him).

Henry Cen is a New York City arcade legend and former manager of Chinatown Fair— he has played in every arcade in the city and lived through the golden age and downfall of arcades. Against all odds, Henry opened up his own Arcade, Next Level, and he will be discussing the role of arcades past, present, and future.

As arcades were dwindling in number, pockets of gamers were gathering in living rooms and basements. Norman Burgess’s uptown apartment is Harlem Arcade. Every Friday night, Norman hosts a gaming night with a dedicated group of gamers. These nights usually end around 7 am Saturday morning.

Gamers Don’t Read. This is the misconception Jamin Warren is out to dispel with his groundbreaking quarterly, Kill Screen Magazine. Jamin was an arts and entertainment reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was a columnist for GOOD magazine, and in addition was also a music critic for Pitchfork. The director of ARCADE, Kurt Vincent will be answering questions about our film.

See more about our Panel, Meet Me at the Arcade: here.

I’ll admit, I’ve never been to a Capcom Fight Club before, so I...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:42:10 -0400

I’ll admit, I’ve never been to a Capcom Fight Club before, so I really did underestimate the line. “You’ve got to be at least two hours early”, I was warned. But I shrugged it off, “I’ve been to CF on a Friday night, I know what to expect”. I did not. I was expecting maybe a few hundred people over the course of 3 hours, not enough to warrant getting there early, that’s for sure. I was wrong. When I arrived a half an hour after the official start time, there were literally over a thousand people waiting in line. I was truly stunned. I have never seen the fighting game community out in such force. Everybody was repping their Broken Tier shirts (some even cosplaying) and talking about the latest SFxT and UMvC 3 reveal videos while determined to put in the time to get a chance to play some early builds. And boy, did we put in some time. I was online for waaaay to long (I should also mention that is was raining half the time), but I finally got in. Once inside I could tell Capcom put a tremendous amount of effort into this shindig, and it’s awesome to see them so engaged in the community. The wait finally paid off when I got a chance to play Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and got my hands on my new favorite character Nemesis. That guy is a beast! All in all, it was an amazing experience, both seeing Capcom give back to the community, and seeing how huge the NYC scene really is!

-Reed

One Last Time: My final visit to Chinatown Fair “It stinks in...

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:42:00 -0400

One Last Time: My final visit to Chinatown Fair

“It stinks in here”

Those were the first words said by Henry Cen, long time CF manager and fighting game ass-kicker, as he entered the doors of 8 Mott Street for one final visit. It was just about 6 months ago that CF closed its doors for good, but for one day, they were opened again to a lucky few for some amazing shooting and exquisite garbage rummaging.

I am not going to lie; when the gate was first opened I cringed. These unattended months had not been kind to the arcade, and between the doors and the gate were about a thirty cubic pounds of garbage, consisting of flyers, phone books, and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. It was like going to visit a relative’s grave only to find some drunken frat-boys had passed out on top of it. Inside was just as double-take inducing. Quiet, dark, and empty are adjectives I never would have used to described CF. The place was always alive with chatter and video game noise, which was almost always drowned out by the booming techno of the dance games, and while it may have been dimly lit at times, you were always engulfed in the light of CRT’s. And even midday at its least crowded, there was never enough room to swing a cat in that place. This was really the most harrowing of the three, the place was just so empty and it looked so wrong.

But that feeling only lasted for a few seconds. It was still CF, so it was still home. All around were cabinet parts and posters and old brackets that needed to be explored. It is really hard to explain what it was like, but imagine being a kid in an abandoned toy factory; I felt an obligation to look through everything that had been left behind, because the place was littered with things that still had meaning to me. I swear on Dan Hibiki I will keep a Chinatown Fair token until the day I die.

We got some truly amazing footage, but the real treat was having Henry Cen come by for a final visit, and give us the full tour of the place. He told us awesome stories of letting the chicken loose, building Sam’s office, and showed us how to properly throw someone out. And while I felt sadly nostalgic for CF, Henry seemed genuinely happy not to be working under the unwinnable odds that forced its closure. I could tell that he really cared about the place, but at the same time was determined to make Next Level even better.

I always regretted not being able to visit Chinatown Fair on its last day, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain how thankful I am for being able to go back to the place that meant so much to so many, for one last time.

-Reed

This is a cool piece G4 did on the history of fighting games...

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:05:19 -0400

This is a cool piece G4 did on the history of fighting games back in the day. I remember distinctly watching this on TV when I was really into Marvel 2 and immediately feeling the urge to hop on the subway and blow the entirety of my meager allowance over at Chinatown Fair.

-Reed

I read about this anime in the Street Fighter history that IGN...

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 17:50:15 -0400

I read about this anime in the Street Fighter history that IGN put together. “…Inafune had cribbed heavily from 70’s manga and anime Karate Baka Ichidai for several character designs.”

IGN Presents the History of Street Fighter

IGN’s historical outline of the origin of Street Fighter is really well done. Props to Rus McLaughlin who wrote it. He does such a good job that I am left wanting to know more.

A chapter in ARCADE will definitely cover Street Fighter. As an outsider looking in it seems that the game started something that continues to grow. I am becoming a convert myself. I just found a $10 copy of Street Fighter Anniversary for PS2 on Amazon. Soon enough Ben Fong will be creating me a stick to use. I now understand how Anthony Cali Jr. can talk so reverently about 3rd Strike. And how people will travel half way around the world to play against the best.

A letter I received about a night at Chinatown Fair arcade

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:00:00 -0400

I got this in my inbox last night and thought I would share it with you guys.

I’m not a super avid arcade gamer by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, one of my favorite nights ever was spent at Chinatown Fair.

My roommates and I were Sophomores at NYU, living on the border of Chinatown and the Financial District at the time. After a particularly rough run, we were all depressed, bored, and my one roommate had just been broken up with. We decided that we needed to do something. Wandering to one of Chinatown’s closet-like liquor stores where you pay through a hole in the glass, we got a few little bottles of booze using my fake ID, and mixed it with the Gatorade each of us had just picked up. It was classy.

Then, we wandered over to Chinatown Fair. It’s hard to describe why - the alcohol, the camaraderie or the video games - but this place was an escape for us that night. I still remember it fondly and talk about playing a seemingly unnamed Japanese vertically scrolling shooter that we pumped at least 20 dollars into, just for the mere fact that you get a giant movable laser cannon. Something changed in our collective friendship that night.. we all became a little closer.
A week or so ago, I was enthusiastically telling another friend about Chinatown Fair and demanded we go - which is when I found out it was closed. I wanted to play that shooter with the laser cannon and now, all I’ve got is the memory of the experience. Which may be better than the actual game, admittedly, but still.
-Steve

I think a lot of people have had similar experiences at Chinatown Fair. Irene, Reed, and I spent a lot of time at Next Level arcade this weekend. Friday night felt a whole lot like the way CF used to feel. I am so happy that Nick and Henry, the owners of Next Level, have put their heart into creating such a welcoming place.

-Kurt

I’m sad to report that another arcade has been lost to modern...

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:28:00 -0400

I’m sad to report that another arcade has been lost to modern times. Denjin arcade, known for being the Mecca of West Coast 3^rd Strike as well as the host of countless tournaments (including the 2009 SBO qualifiers and Cali Regionals) closed its doors for good yesterday. Denjin truly exemplified what a real arcade was: a place of community and competition, where players went to learn and level up. This is sadly another nail in the coffin of the American arcade.

-Reed

My first visit to Next Level was originally for work rather than...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:15:00 -0400

My first visit to Next Level was originally for work rather than play. I went to help document a 3^rd Strike tournament, but ended up being completely entranced by its siren-song of gaming. The venue itself lies just off the D train, tucked away amongst residential houses and small shops. The neighborhood is pleasantly quiet, although compared to Chinatown, pretty much everything seems quiet. I enjoyed a shoulder-check-free walk through the neighborhood and upon entering Next Level I was immediately greeted with sweet, glorious, air-conditioning. For those unfamiliar, Chinatown Fair did not have air-conditioning, and believe you me, that place got hot in the summer.

I was greeted by a helpful staff member (he said his name was Kuma, sick) who explained how the arcade worked, which was great, because I’ve never been to an arcade that worked like Next Level (which is not at all a bad thing). I worked my way through the Arcade Edition machines and sat down next to a guy playing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I pulled out my trusty Hori stick, and instantly remembered why I love arcades so much: I felt that nervousness that you don’t get playing online, or with your friends. That pit in your stomach, your heart-rate eclipsing that of a mid-jump skydiver who also happened to be on fire and taped to a bear, feeling the need to beseech the Marvel gods so they might be kind in your upcoming match. The match starts, and I immediately went into autopilot. I started strong, hit my combos, got my DHC’s, and ended up winning pretty decisively. And then, I was totally fine. No more nerves, just Marvel. I ended up putting a 30-winstreak on that station, and had other people challenging me left and right. I played some other games, played some money matches, and before I knew it, just like CF, it was 5 hours later and dark outside. As I left, I was greeted by a familiar sight: people hanging out outside, smoking cigarettes, laughing, and talking about games, just like CF. And walking away, I felt that sting of community, and couldn’t wait to go back, just like CF.

-Reed

EVO first day impressions: I’m speechless. I remember last...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:54:23 -0400

EVO first day impressions: I’m speechless. I remember last year EVO’s grand-finals stream had 16,000 viewers. And the stream crashed. I remember watching my first Starcraft II tournament stream at 8 in the morning EST and it had 50,000 viewers. I was stunned, I felt hurt for the fighting game community. I wondered if it could ever grow to the heights of other prospering video game communities. But today, at 4 in the afternoon on a weekday, on the first day, during pool play, the viewership has more than doubled from last year grand-finals! I say more than, because that screen grab is only one of the streams! There’s a second stream with 8,00 viewers! I can’t quite describe how amazing it feels to see the fighting game community grow, all I can say is that I can’t think of anything else I’d rather watch right now than EVO.

-Reed

Rooftop Film's Kill Screen Video Game Film Festival

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:38:22 -0400

Rooftop Film's Kill Screen Video Game Film Festival :

Rooftop Films and Kill Screen Magazine have put together an evening of short films for Saturday, July 30th in Brooklynn New York. We have put together a work in progress excerpt to show! Our piece introduces Chinatown Fair and one of our favorite people, Anthony Cali Jr, aka HelgenX.

Check out the link for more info!

KILL SCREEN VIDEOGAME FILM FESTIVALSHORT FILM PROGRAM$10 ONLINE OR AT THE DOOR.
8:00 PMSATURDAY JUL 30, 2011

8:00PMDoors Open8:30PMLive Music9:00PMFilms Begin11:30PMReception in Courtyard with Indie Video Games

Venue:

THE OLD AMERICAN CAN FACTORY
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
GOWANUS/SLOPE
232 Third St. at 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union

EVO photo courtesy of Kotaku.com Screw the holidays, it doesn’t...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:51:00 -0400

EVO photo courtesy of Kotaku.com

Screw the holidays, it doesn’t get any better than this time of the year! We sit, poised at our computers, ready to stream, making joke Justin.tv accounts, (mine is AdamSesslerisGodlike), and priming our various Stream Monster copy-and-paste shenanigans (（╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ ) for we have reached the cusp of Evolution 2011. Who can contain their excitement (or their intense jealously for those who are going)? Surely not this fighting game fan! What’s even more exciting is that Arcade’s very own Kurt Vincent is going to be there on the fighting game front-lines, hitting everybody with sick bread n’ butter of cr.mp, st.mk, overhead boom, DP+ camera, FADC, Ultra II: The Close-Up. Follow him @ArcadeMovie on Twitter for Evo updates throughout the weekend!

But with all the fanfare we tend to forget the little guy: the arcades that made this all possible. The places that cultivated the scene, brought the community together, and got the ball rolling in the direction that it is today. Not to mention develop the talent! When you watch the top 8 of AE this weekend, I guarantee that all of them were devoted to playing this game in arcades for months before it made its way onto home consoles. And some of the best players you see at Evo owe their skills to CF: Justin Wong, Henry Cen, Santhrax, LI Joe, Ricky Ortiz, Yipes, Chris G. And that’s just naming a few. This literally goes on and on. Even Viscant, who’s now known for being one of the best Online Warriors in the tourney scene, got his start at CF.

So as we prep to stay up to all sorts of ungodly hours of the night watching the stream, take a second think of the arcades that allowed the grand majesty that is Evo to exist in the first place. Then get back to prepping that notepad that has all the images you plan on copy & paste spamming in the chat, you little Stream Monster you!

（╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

-Reed

Screen Grabs: Ivan’s Puma Tapers Behold, the Puma Tapers....

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:46:00 -0400

Screen Grabs: Ivan’s Puma Tapers

Behold, the Puma Tapers. Pictured here with one of the In The Groove gods of Chinatown Fair, Ivan Yeung, these shoes are the must-have of music games. Like a Mad Catz TE to fighting gamers, like Wonderboy to Roy Hobbs, or a hefty .44 to Dirty Harry, these bad boys are the go-to for any serious DDR or ITG player. If you want to be doing this, you had better be wearing those.

-Reed