North Korean video game arcade

Here's a collection of photos from a run-down North Korean video arcade. I'm sure that lots of developing countries have similar arcades, but this is notable due to the stark contrast with the legendary PC Baang arcades in the south. Inside a North Korean Arcade (via Waxy)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Gadgets • Games • Kids

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

Lucifer

where do the North Koreans find the money to put into these arcade games? Do they whittle tokens out of tree bark?
js7a

The patterns of wear clearly show it was played a lot.
SC_Wolf

This is the sort of arcade I’d expect to find Videlectrix’s classic Where’s an Egg or Super Soviet Missle Mastar (A mini-game from flash-game turned console game, Alien Hominid), except in their original arcade cabiniets.
scothampton

this is what the ‘king of kong’ should be tested on.
Jack

Is that Boot Hill?
avraamov

Arf. ‘Service Unavailable’. those guys have a long reach.
EH

“You have died of malaria.”
Jasonclock

No sign of Polybius?
bobhughes

Wow, they actually used a modern generic cabinet for a Yie Ar Kung Fu conversion. A small glimmer of tastefulness in the DPRK? Or was it purely circumstantial?
80sArcadeDenizen

I’ve done some homework on these games and have identified all but two.(that are visible anyway)

They are:
Monaco GP/SEGA/Gremlin 1980 (second pic with family)
Flying Fortress II/Taito 1977(third pic)
Western Gun/Taito 1975 (fourth pic at left)
Submarine/Midway 1979 (fourth pic at right)
Yie Ar Kung-Fu/Konami 1985 (fifth pic)

Boot Hill is a sequel to Gun Fight, and Western Gun is listed as a copy of Gun Fight.
Can’t make out what machine is to the left and right of the family that was enjoying Monaco GP, or the orange thing that the woman is sitting at to the left

Sources: http://www.arcade-museum.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Hill_%28arcade_game%29

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10420
Gainclone

These photographs appear to have be suppressed.
festivemanb

PC Bangs (PC rooms) are not video arcades but are very well-equipped internet cafes.

From South Korea,

B
80sArcadeDenizen

Whoops! How embarrassing. I first posted at http://www.weirdasianews.com/2009/10/21/north-korean-arcade-blast/ (still awaiting moderation)

My descriptions were based on that site’s order for the photos.

Sorry for any confusion! Mods, if you would edit my previous post to reflect this and to delete this post, I’d appreciate it. Thanks. :)
Nasty

Awww, link didn’t work for me. *cry* I wanted to see what games the North Koreans got to play.
Nasty

Oh, now the link works. This is great stuff.
eustace

Meh. I’ve seen as bad in the US. Granted, it was a combo arcade/laundromat…
DeuceMojo

I don’t think that’s Boot Hill; I think it’s Great Leader. You know, the game where you try to acquire the biggest gut, the best collection of velour tracksuits, nuclear weapons and, of course, the 2nd largest collection of pron in the world.
OCNCTY

Oh, man! Sky Cactus Jr!
Lea Hernandez

That IS Boot Hill! WOW!
alowishus

Beautiful.
justONEguy

Wrong header, it’s the North Korean Air Surveillance System.