The 2009 Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Bounties Contest   September 2009, Flemington, New Jersey

Introduction    (click here to skip to table of contents)

     The first-ever Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) Bounties Contest is being held at the best classic games arcade in the entire New Jersey multi-state area - Richie Knucklez' Arcade, which is located in Flemington, New Jersey.  The one day event will take place on Saturday, September 26th, and features over $3,500 in cash bounty awards (the biggest amount of multi-prize money offered at a cag event in history !), on over 15 classic arcade game titles.  As always, the arcade will be open on Friday evening (the 25th), and interested players may come out and play from 6 to 10 PM for the regular $10 cover charge (note that no scores made on Friday will count toward bounty awards, for any reason).  Like the huge yearly CAGDC Tourney, it is being co-organized by myself (Mark Alpiger, administrator of this web site), and my location partner, which is the arcade's owner - Richie Knucklez.  Read on for all the details...

Who will be there    (click here to go to table of contents)

    J.J. Cahill, a regular at the Richie Knucklez Arcade, was the first gamer to sign up, and both of his brothers will too, he relayed to me.  Also, newcomer Jerry Casey is an experienced 80's gamer who has 'turned off' (or, reached the killscreen on) numerous titles, including Dig Dug.  He also has committed to going for Pole Position, which will be a tough one.  Well, Jerry's the first contestant to enter and choose a game title to attempt a bounty on.  And, closely following that entry, the great Don Hayes signed up (perhaps to stop Jerry's quest for the wr ??), and also chose Dig Dug as his game to contest.  Next to join in was Jimmy Linderman, then Ben Falls, Graham Ogilvie, and Charlie Ricketts.  For info on current prospects, see the table below.

    Games that will be listed under an entrant's name indicate arcade game titles that the player is good at.  Titles listed in green indicate that the player has chosen (or, likely will choose) that title to make a bounty attempt on.  Most titles have a strict two-player limit, maximum.

    Be sure to sign up ASAP, and you can be part of an elite group of top gamers who are working to win hundreds, or even over a thousand, dollars !  Also, you can meet co-stars of The King of Kong movie (specifically, Donald Hayes (scheduled to appear), plus organizer Mark Alpiger), and even go for local, or world, records on a large selection of game titles !

Reasons to attend    (click here to go to table of contents)

    For those who've not had the privilege of visiting the Richie Knucklez' Arcade, you may be wondering what makes this a 'must-attend' gaming event ?  Well, Richie's is one of the biggest cag arcades in the nation, with almost 60 classic video titles.  Check out the list, along with full info on the location, here (for Richie's dedicated website, click here).  Richie and I both take events seriously, so contestants at this event can rely on the following things to be in place:

    .  the contest games will be working properly

    .  the contest results will be updated multiple times daily during the event

    .  all contest games (other than as noted) will be set at the factory / default difficulty settings, as is the case in all CAGDC
       contests and events

    .  a whiteboard will be prominently displayed, with pertinent event info and updates that all contestants need to know,
       or be aware of

    .  transportation to and from motels, and airports, will be coordinated with other players, so that we can best combine our
       resources

Contest format    (click here to go to table of contents)

    The format of the event is very simple - look at the game list (shown in the table below), pick the game or games that you wish to attempt bounties on, and then pay 10% of the bounty amount as the contest entry fee (note that this is in addition to the attendance fee for the day), with a maximum fee of $25 per title.  There will be a strict limit of two entrants per title, other than on games that have a very short play time (such as Marble Madness, and Pole Position).  Those will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

    Only contest entrants may play the contest title they've paid an entry fee on, and they may play each title they've entered on as many times as they wish during the contest hours (shown in the table at bottom), as the machine is available (since more than one entrant may be attempting the bounty for that title).  As always, there may be one or more games that become non-functional, or unavailable, at the beginning (or before) of the contest time.  This is unlikely, and will be avoided at all costs, but it can happen, and in this case, the player's contest entry fee, and attendance fee (if desired, and if applicable) will be refunded.  If a contestant has less than six hours of game play opportunity, then a refund of all fees paid (as per title, and attendance) will be given, assuming that the player did not win a bounty; if they did, no refund will be given.

    If more than one player is attempting the bounty on a title, then the first to claim the bounty will end the bounty offer for that title.  Note that, to qualify for receiving the bounty on a title, all players must:

record the entire sequence of game play for the qualifying record score in a quality, well-framed (only the game screen need appear) manner, and with a quality camcorder / camera set to the highest quality mode (any exceptions to this, and all non-DV camcorders costing under $250, and all regular 'picture' cameras, need approval from MA first); players will be required to provide their own equipment, power cabling, and support (i.e., a tripod), unless otherwise arranged; also, this game recording, and the score, must be submitted exclusively to CAGDC, which may use it for any and all purposes, with no compensation to the player

immediately submit the recording to Mark Alpiger at the contest location; after evaluation, taped recording(s) will be returned to the player at CAGDC's expense (U.S. mailing addresses only)

    Exceptions to the submission requirement being exclusive for CAGDC will only be for Frogger and Pole Position, and the recorded game play must be submitted first (and immediately, at the contest) to CAGDC; also, players may choose to forego the bounty award, if they wish to submit to another scoreboard

Contact info for the organizers    (click here to go to table of contents)

    For information on the regular, and the contest (for contestants only) arcade hours, see the second table below.  For any questions on arcade-related matters, you may contact Richie Knucklez via phone; the number at the arcade is 908-806-2400, and the best time to try is Friday through Sunday, from about 4 PM to 6 PM ET.  To contact me (Mark Alpiger) about contest matters, go to the e-mail link in the next-to-last paragraph below.

Information for travelers    (click here to go to table of contents)

    Now, lets get to an important issue to many contestants (especially those traveling into the Flemington area) - the local amenities.  The arcade is located about 4 miles west of the center of Flemington, which has lots of restaurants along the main 'strip' of town.  Specifically, there's a Boston Market (highly recommended !), a Perkins (neat bakery goods there), a Chili's (I personally hate this place - average food, yet expensive), and quite a few pizza joints, especially near the 'official' hotel for the event - Ramada.

    Speaking of places to stay, there are a number of hotels in this same area, including a Ramada, plus Hampton Inn, Travel Inn, and a bed and breakfast (warning - it's very pricey !).  Travel Inn's regular rate is surprisingly affordable (and the lowest among the locations mentioned), tho it is furthest from the arcade, and thus I discourage anyone without a car on staying there.  Also, note that the person who answered the phone at the latter location was a bit snippy (this may not bode well for the service !), and had a foreign accent, tho I'm sure I understood the rate quote correctly.  Also, another gamer, who checked into the location, told me that the Travel Inn had gotten horrible reviews, so... buyer beware !  In any case, the pricing / contact information is as follows:

Ramada  -   1 or 2 occupants / 2 beds 'standard' room is about $70 - $75, for either 1 or 2 nights, when prepaid
                     Go online, or call 908-782-7472, to make reservations.
                     This is the 'official' contest hotel location, and a ride will be provided, as we can, for those who need one.

Hampton Inn  -   1 or 2 occupants / 2 queen beds room, $139, for either 1 or 2 nights
                             Call the desk at 908-284-9427 to make the reservation, or go online.
                             As a 'bonus', if you stay here, you can get a 10% discount at the Perkins restaurant in town.  Just present
                             your room key when eating there.

Travel Inn  -   regular rates of around $55 - $65, per night, either or both 'weekend' nights (Fri. / Sat.)
                        Call the desk at 908-782-2883.  Note this hotel is the furthest one (listed) from the contest location.

    As far as airports go, the least expensive location to fly into, for most, would be Philadelphia.  The airport there (code: PHL) is located about an hour from the arcade.  Naturally, feel free to check out alternate locations, including New York City airports.  However, in addition to more traffic issues coming from NYC, I have been told that renting a car is much more expensive than in Philly.

    Now, what about those who may need a ride, versus a car rental ?  Well, so that contestants may coordinate with each other, for cost savings, and / or convenience, please check this post on my forums.  If you need (or can offer) a ride from your location, or from the airport, or if you desire (or are willing) to share a room, e-mail me at the link four paragraphs below, and I'll post this info on the forums.  That way, all out-of-town contestants can benefit.  Note that I will be able to give a ride each day to 2 or 3 gamers, both when I leave in the morning for the arcade, and when I leave the arcade to go back to where I'm staying at the end of each day.  No doubt others will be able to offer rides too.  Of course, these rides are first-come, first-served each day, as allowed by room in the car, and only one trip will likely be made each way.

    A final note about rides concerns those who may need to travel in from New York City via public transport.  Click here for info from Trans-Bridge Bus Lines, and look for Flemington and the entry just below that.  The stop is at a place called Liberty Village Shoppers, which is just 4 miles from the arcade.  According to one person who checked into it, the cost is about $37 for a round trip.  If anyone uses this method, Richie or I will try to have you picked up when you arrive.

Prize purse and entry fee info    (click here to go to table of contents)

    As mentioned at the top of this page, there's over $3,500 in cash bounty awards available for the scheduled game lineup; well, make that $3,550, to be exact !  There are 16 games in the scheduled lineup, and the bounties range from $100, to $250, with a 'grand bounty' prize of $1,000, for the game Crystal Castles.  To win a bounty, contestants must beat the existing world record, as per Twin Galaxies, and Classic Arcade Gaming (dot com) scoreboard listings, as determined by research by Mark Alpiger, on 08-25-2009.  The game titles, associated bounties, and world record points, are listed in the table below.  The first contest entrant on each title to break the listed record will win the single bounty prize for that title.  Note that, as listed above, contestants must record their entire game play, and make it, and the score, exclusive to CAGDC, other than the exceptions noted.

    Well, now that the awards have been listed, what is the entry fee ?  As mentioned above, the fee is 10% of the bounty amount on each listed game title that you wish to attempt a record on, with a limit of $25 per title.  Thus, games with a $100 bounty have a $10 entry fee; a $250 bounty title has a $25 entry fee; and, the $1,000 grand bounty prize for Crystal Castles has a fee of $25.  Note that this covers the bounties only; there's an attendance fee for the arcade of $20 (for Saturday only; the regular $10 fee applies for Friday night), which allows anyone (whether a bounty contestant or not) to play any non-bounty game title.  Now, just so it's clear, you may attend all day Saturday, for $20, and not have to play (or pay) for a bounty; in other words, participation in the bounties contest is optional, and you can play all day (12 hours) on the dozens of non-bounty game titles.  Also, note that a number of bounty titles may not have entrants attempting a bounty on them, and therefore, those titles will also be available, for anyone who attends, to play.

    The fees noted above (other than those paying 'at the door', which is discouraged) must be sent via PayPal (credit cards are accepted if you don't have a PayPal account), with the final deadline day for receipt being on Thursday, September 24th.  The entry fee cannot be paid at the arcade, unless you pay during the event 'weekend' (meaning, Friday evening, or Saturday); again this is discouraged, and you should pay beforehand, if at all possible.  Payments made at the arcade location, during the contest, must be in cash.  Note that entrants who are 'locals', and play at the arcade during the Friday evening 'Flashback', may pay Richie at that time, anytime before the event weekend.

Final notes    (click here to go to table of contents)

    Well, that sums up the contest, and should address most questions or issues regarding the event.  If you feel there is something that I haven't covered on this page, then you may with your question, or even send a suggestion.  Up-to-the-day information can always be found on this page, and likely also on the CAGDC forums.

    The date of this page's last update was September 24th, 2009.  Keep checking back for further updates, and, most of all, come out and support both the event, and classic arcade gaming !

    click here to go to table of contents

    click here to go to table of contents

    click here to go to table of contents

    If you wish to attempt to win more than one bounty award, and / or wish to pay for more than one attendance fee, then calculate the total amount of bounty entry fee(s) for your game(s), and add $20, or $15, as appropriate, for each adult or child entry fee, to your bounty fee total (if applicable), and then, click here to go to the PayPal page where you can manually enter, and pay, this grand total amount.

    click here to go to table of contents

 
Click above to go back to the previous page...