Compiled from memories, May 1st 2023.
I heard about this arcade from a friend of a friend called Joe. It was just one of those conversations about where arcades were located and this place popped up. The discussion itself took place in the mid-1990s around the time Sega was or had opened many Sega Park locations in local areas and Romford got one inside the grand old Debenhams building. Now, Sega Park was an arcade full of the latest games running on big shiny cabinets, lots of which were linked up for competitive play.
However, Joe mentioned another place in Romford he had visited on the odd occasion that was Silver Dollar Amusements. He told me it was at the end of the high street not too far from the main road and a big roundabout. What really elevated my interest was that Joe said something about there being a couple of classic games at the location, one of which I clearly remember was R-Type, which I hadn't played the arcade version of for a few years.
So off I went a day or two later to seek this classic arcade out. As I write this in the summer of 2023 my memories of this place and particularly its contents are a bit hazy so stay with me on this.
The first aspect I recall is that it was an arcade mostly in the classic form with lots of upright cabinets. The floor was split into two section but not a front and back but side to side because I recall a partition dividing the space to the left and right. Hence, as you entered, the left side held I believe fruit and gambling machines and the games were on the right. There may or may not have been more floorspace to the back but I can’t say for sure. What I do remember is a staff kiosk towards the back and right side of the floor just behind the games section.
As for the games, I am trying my best to remember a list of some kind but very few come to mind. R-Type was there in all its glory on an upright cabinet. I think there were also a few Electrocoin duet sit down cabinets here running along the right wall. These I believe had a version of Street Fighter 2 running inside some of them, possibly Mortal Kombat too. I think there was also a variant of Virtua Striker here and then a 2 or 4 player Daytona on twin linked cabinets.
I later found out that Silver Dollar Amusements was run by someone called I think either Colin or Chris. I knew this as I got talking to the owner about the R-Type after a few visits and he agreed to sell me the game PCB which I luckily still have to this day. They also told me that they had some other games for sale stored somewhere off site and would have to check.
Sadly, I got very busy with university life after this and didn’t visit for a few years. When I did, I found out that Chris or Colin still ran the place but had reverted to some kind of a back office role at another location and the staff left in charge told me that he only came in occasionally. I thought I would enquire about the other games Chris or Colin might still have for sale but the staff were unaware of this and asked me to try and visit on a Monday or some other day of the week when the owner was at the location.
Although I did go back once or twice, Colin or Chris was nowhere to be found and so the other games he might have had for sale remain a mystery and lost in the mists of time.
I also remember some arcade game posters on the walls but again can’t recall exact titles but Silver Dollar Amusements had a classic vibe to it which bridged the 1980s to the 1990s.
If anyone reading this can recall visiting this arcade back in the day and can help with details including the games on offer, its atmosphere and décor, not to mention their own stories about the location, then please get in touch using the contact form.
