[Music] Ian voiceover: I have been on a serious arcade kick lately. It's been a prime destination for me when I feel like I need some time to unwind, and every time I go, I try to record a little bit of footage so I can share my arcade thoughts and opinions with the people of the internet. Today we're gonna be taking a look at a few coin pushers, along with a couple other arcade games I've been playing lately. Let's not waste any time and get started here at the Elvis Presley coin pusher. [Classic rock 'n roll music] Ian voiceover: A downside to my local arcade is that their coin pusher selection is pretty slim. This is one of three machines, and it's by far the oldest and most basic. Despite being an older machine, you have to pay a premium price to jam with "the King". It's $1.25 to play, and the machine only gives you four tokens, which, in my opinion, is a huge ripoff, especially because it seems like there's no way to win tickets or anything, you're basically just playing to get more tokens to put back into the machine. It's a hefty price tag for just a few seconds of brief amusements. [Music plays as the coins clatter in the machine. Arcade noise is heard in the background.] Ian voiceover: Adding to my frustrations is the fact that both sides of this machine were broken in different ways. On the left side you can see this little thing swinging back and forth that lets you strategically place your coin drops, but over on the right side, that part just doesn't move. So obviously I'm drawn to the machine on the left, but look down at the coin dozer. It's actually sliding over the coins instead of pushing them forward, so I guess the one on the right is the better option, since it might actually move the coins. [Coins fall and clatter. Music plays and arcade noise is heard.] Ian voiceover: I can't say that I'm enamored by this coin pusher. I didn't even plate enough to push any coins off of the shelf, just because it was so expensive. Neither side is working correctly, you can barely hear the rock and roll that plays, and as much as I respect the music I can't say that I'm an avid Elvis listener anyway, so... let's move on. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: I keep coming back to "Extreme Mega Drop" or whatever It's called, even though I really don't think the ticket output is worth the dollar investment. This is the one where you push a button to drop a ball, and hope that it lands in a high value H O L E. I've been watching a lot of arcade videos on YouTube lately, and it seems like everybody is a pro at timing the ball to swish through the jackpot. [Machine whistles as the ball drops.] Ian: Ugh... Ian voiceover: I have not developed that skill. I can reliably get the ball to bounce off of the jackpot ring... [Crowd groans] Ian voiceover: ...but I don't think I've ever intentionally sunk a shot. I've gotten close to the monster jackpot a number of times, but luck really needs to be on your side for this one. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: But I gotta say all that randomness makes it a pretty exciting, albeit brief game to play. That's probably why I keep coming back. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: And before heading back to another coin pusher, here's me giving Prize Locker another shot. If you're unfamiliar, the goal is to get the key through the slot, but this is much easier said than done. Now, I don't know for sure, but I'm gonna pretend that this is the exact same plasma orb that I tried to win in my last arcade video, which would mean that nobody can beat this dumb machine. I sure haven't won, and I refuse to accept that it's my own limitations holding me back. I choose to blame the machines. [Machine plays music. When the key doesn't fit, it makes a bouncing noise.] [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: Oh, who lives in a pineapple and helps kickstart gambling habits in young children? It's the SpongeBob Squarepants coin pusher. I got really hooked on this one for a while, It's extremely simple and fun to play, and served as a bit of a gateway into the coin pusher obsession for me. [Whenever a coin drops, the machine chimes and Spongebob says "Tokens!" A tone plays as the wheel spins.] Ian voiceover: You're probably noticing a lot of differences between the Elvis machine and this one, and that's because modern coin pushers seem to have really stepped up their game to keep enticing players to play. Coins get pushed way more easily here and, that's because pushing coins over the edge isn't really your objective, though it does earn you tickets, which is nice. [Sound plays as a card drops] It's these plastic trading cards that you're after. Each card is individually worth fifty tickets, but if you redeem a full set at the same time you get a huge bonus, 2,000 tickets at this arcade. That really increases how much you're gonna want to come back and play this machine, because you can hold on to cards until you've got one of each. Playing the SpongeBob coin pusher is really simple. You don't actually put the coins in yourself, you simply swipe your card to get some credits, then press your finger firmly and decisively upon Sponge's face to drop a coin. The only real control you have over how the game plays out is your timing. You want to get it through these pineapples to activate SpongeBob's wheel of doom [Machine chimes as coins drop. A tone plays as the wheel spins.] Ian voiceover: You can win "bonus credits", automatic coin drops that come out of this cute little coin slot here, or you can activate a card drop, which is the hardest and most desirable one to get. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: For a very brief period of time I was fixated on the SpongeBob coin pusher, but I've since realized that it has a number of flaws. For starters, not being able to aim your coin drops makes it extremely difficult to target a specific card that you want to win. For instance we're trying to win this Gary card on the right here since it's the rarest card in the set. If you see a Gary, you'll want to go for it. But unfortunately, the right side of the SpongeBob coin pusher is almost completely dead, as in, the coins barely move. Now in comes Gary #2. While we're trying to win the first one, another one falls down and he falls right down in the middle, a really great placement. Ten minutes of coin pushing later and we win Gary #2, while the original card I was after barely moved. I'm not really convinced that it moved at all, honestly. [Jazz music] [Gary meows. Polite applause.] Ian voiceover: So be cautious about any cards on the right side of this machine, because they can be very deceptive. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: Another complaint I have is the wheel that spins when you get a coin through the pineapple. [Machine chimes and SpongeBob says "Tokens!" as coins drop. A tone plays as the wheel spins. When it stops, a small, happy noise plays.] Ian voiceover: When you hit the bonus token space, it looks like you could win 4, 8 or 15 tokens, but I have literally never ever seen it land on anything but 4. It just never happens, It's always 4. So what's the point? What's the point, SpongeBob? [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: All in all though, it's still a pretty fun machine. The card collecting element is what makes it really exciting. It's a rush to walk up and find a card that you really need already sitting there, and it also makes the card drops really high-energy moments. Also, the music is really catchy and it sticks in your brain. [Machine chimes as coins drop. SpongeBob says "Tokens!" and "You got credits!" A tone plays as the wheel spins. A ukulele song plays. It sounds very exciting!] Ian voiceover: If you play enough of this game, you're gonna leave the arcade going, "Token! Token! You've got credits!" Heh. Overall, I recommend it. It's not my favorite coin pusher, but I still play it pretty much every time I hit the arcade. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: Whew! That was a lot of coin pusher talk, so let's take a break for a minute and I'll talk about my current favorite ticket-winning game, Pop the Lock. [Arcade noise. As the machine starts, it chimes. A metronome plays rising in pitch and speed as Ian progresses. A bell sounds whenever Ian hits a yellow dot. Ian voiceover: This game is incredibly simple, you just push the button when the spinning red line hits one of the yellow dots. Do that 50 times and you hit the jackpot, which is a generous 500 tickets at this arcade. Of course, this is a little easier said than done. The game speeds up as you play, and the yellow dots get closer together to knock you off your rhythm. Though in my opinion, It doesn't really get too tough until you're down to the last 10 dots or so, that's really when the game is decided. [A high-pitched, fast metronome plays.] [The machine plays a congratulatory chime.] Ian: :D Ian: The ascending tone that it plays can really drive your anxiety up as you near the finish line, especially if you've got a little crowd watching. [A high-pitched, fast metronome plays.] [The metronome stops abruptly as the game ends.] Ian: Eee. Ian voiceover: But even with the added pressure of young children staring me down and judging me, I'm still pretty stinkin' good at this one. [Metronome plays and chimes when Ian wins. As it pays out tickets, an unlocking noise repeats. A bell rings in the background.] Ian: I popped the lock. I'm gonna do it again. Ian voiceover: Now, sometimes the machine is easier than other times. I've definitely come back to this arcade and notice that it moves faster, the dots are placed a little more aggressively, but it is still based on skill, so I highly recommend Pop the Lock, because it means that if you're good enough you should be able to pretty reliably hit the jackpot, and that can't be said for every machine here. [Metronome plays and stops abruptly.] Ian: Those were close! Ian voiceover: Alright, on to the last coin pusher at this Main Event, it's the Wizard of Oz. [Wondrous, calm music plays.] Ian voiceover: This is a very popular machine at the arcade. From young to old, It seems like everybody likes this one, and for good reason. This is another card collecting coin pusher, Which I love, and on top of that you have these plastic tokens that you can redeem for tickets. Also, you're able to actually aim your tokens which makes for more strategic play. There's really no dead zones that I've noticed. [Wizard of Oz soundtrack plays. Coins clunk against the machine and other coins. Arcade noises sound in the background.] Ian voiceover: Pushing the regular tokens off of the shelf doesn't win you anything, But I still think that I make more tickets on Oz than I do over on SpongeBob because of these plastic tokens, uh, but that probably varies from arcade to arcade. The coins really move on this machine, even though the so-called "Rapid Fire" seems a little broken on this one. I've seen other videos where this thing just really spits out coins, but on this particular machine there's this weird delay that makes rapid fire a little unusable. Instead, I tend to try and get the coins to lay flat on the top shelf, which usually ends up pushing some stuff forward. Unlike SpongeBob, the wheel that you spin on this one is actually fair, and honestly, it's really generous at times. Each time you play a coin, the circle slowly fills up, and once it's complete you get to spin for bonus credits. ["Follow the Yellow Brick Road" plays as the wheel spins. Once it stops, it plays a congratulatory tone.] Ian voiceover: It lands on the 50 more than I'd expect, not all the time but surprisingly often. Cards and tokens are dispensed to the six dozers via this rotating mechanism in the middle, which is part of the reason I love this thing. It's really fun to watch it spin around and spit out tokens and cards, and since you don't trigger card or coin drops manually it's always a pleasant surprise when a new one plops down in front of you. [*Plop!*] [Polite applause] Ian voiceover: As I understand it, the coin and card distribution, while not triggered manually, isn't exactly random either. For instance, if one of the six sides of the machine is getting significantly less play than the others, the machine might spit out some new cards over there to entice new players. That's really cool, and it really makes you keep an eye on those machines, even if you're not playing, because a Toto could drop at any moment. Ian: Ooh! Guess what just dropped, guess what just dropped! Ian voiceover: That's the rarest card in the set, by the way, that's why I'm so pumped, heh heh. All in all, this is a great game. It is my current favorite coin pusher, though I guess that only means so much when my selection is only three. But I'm really eager to try some of the other themes this machine has. There is a Star Trek one, which is fine at all, but I really want to play the Willy Wonka version. I mean, you can win golden tickets in that one, I gotta try! [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: So what happens after you collect your cards from these machines? At first, I was very confused as to how you got these hunks of plastic to turn into spendable tickets. Well, first things first, you got to sit down and count up whatcha got, because you gotta decide what you're gonna redeem now and what you're gonna hold on to for later to try and make a set down the line. It's also just fun to take some time to appreciate the art, and in SpongeBob's case, the trivia. Ian: Pop quiz! [Um, I never saw SpongeBob! Singing??] It's poetry. Pop quiz. [I'm guessing makeup?] [Happy tone!] [Polite applause] Sleeping. Heh heh heh heh! Plankton's favorite sport. It's got to be something small. [Badminton?] Ian: Uuuuuuhhhhhh. Oh, he's evil. [Wait, the answer's right there.] Chess? [Buzzer] Ian voiceover: Alright, moving on. The cards and coins are then redeemed at this little kiosk here. You just slide them in one by one, and once you're finished you swipe your card to claim the tickets. [Jazz music. Once the full set is claimed, a congratulatory chime plays.] Ian voiceover: I'm always worried that some kid is gonna run by and swipe their card to steal my winnings. Hasn't happened yet, but it just seems so easy to do. It feels like I need to be on my guard. [Jazz music] Ian voiceover: And that was a little tour of the coin pushers here at this Main Event. Not a huge selection really, but enough to keep me coming back. The Wizard of Oz machine specifically, that's the highlight, that's what gets most of my money when I end up coming to the arcade. If I could, I'd probably just sit here and play all day. ...Uh, but I can't. Believe it or not, there are even more arcade games scattered about that I would love to share with you guys, so if you enjoyed this video, please let me know. I had a blast making it, it's really fun getting to share this little hobby with you guys so let me know if you like it. Thanks so much for watching, and I'll be back with another video soooooooonventually. You know how it goes. [Jazz music] [English captions by xxsDelphia]
I really like these videos. They’re very chill and relaxing
at this point, no one has ever finished this video
This video actually made me want to check out the Wizard of Oz coin pusher. It looks appealing.