Oh man, you certainly did miss out on some of the best days of arcades. I was born in 1976 and remember standing on a milk crate in the cart area at the front of a Safeway so I could play their Super Mario Bros arcade machine while my dad did his early morning shopping (I was in 3rd grade or something and played before school).

The memories. Oh man. Seeing 8 Street Fighter II Champion Edition units side by side, it was a sight alright. Finding a random Street Fighter II machine in the corner of a gas station while out riding bicycles with my friends back then. It was definitely a different time.

One arcade I frequented had ash trays on the machines for smokers. I remember many an adult getting mad, burning their fingers or dropping their cigarettes while playing Asteroids, Centipede, or Street Fighter 1 among other games.

It was a great time to be a gamer, sadly, we didn't realize it and didn't enjoy it like we sometimes like to claim we did today. Make those memories and enjoy every moment.