Guide to a Palms Arcade LAN Party
Introduction
Welcome to the definitive guide for attending a Palms Arcade LAN party! If you've never experienced the joy of lugging CRT monitors across town to game with friends, you're in for a treat. Our LAN parties focus on recreating the authentic experience of late 90s and early 2000s multiplayer gaming - complete with network cables snaking across the floor, the hum of cooling fans, and the satisfying click of mechanical keyboards.
LAN parties typically run from midday until late, depending on who is hosting and where. Come when you can, leave when you must.
Summary of the Ethos (Retro Hardware Only)
At Palms Arcade, we believe in preserving the authentic retro LAN party gaming experience. That means:
Period-appropriate hardware: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP machines are ideal
CRT monitors highly encouraged (nothing beats playing UT99 on a proper CRT)
Network via actual LAN - we supply the switches
No smartphones talk to eachother, or rip eachothers heads off in Quake.
Don't worry if you don't have all the gear - we have several "loaner" systems for newcomers.
These are usually not that great but good enough for the older games!
Since Retro hardware can be prohibitevly expensive these days,
you can use newer systems so as long as they can run Windows XP.
| Ideal PC Specs | Minimum | Maximum (to keep it challenging!) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Pentium III / AMD K6 | 2nd Gen i5/i7 |
| RAM | 64MB | 4GB |
| GPU | Voodoo 2 | GTX 580 |
| Sound | Aureal Vortex II | Onboard Realtek Crap |
| Network | 10/100M Network Card | 1000M Network Card or 802.11/b/a/g WiFi Card |
| OS | Windows 98 SE | Windows XP SP3 |
What to Bring
Essential stuff for a successful LAN:
1. Your computer: Tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse
2. Power strip/extension cord: We never have enough
3. Network cable: At least 2m ethernet cable.
Optionally:
4. Game CDs/DVDs: Original discs help with installations5. Snacks to share: Pizza money, chips, drinks
6. Comfortable chair: You'll be sitting for hours!
7. Basic tools: Screwdriver set for emergency repairs
Where to Get Games
Finding original copies of retro games can be challenging, but it's part of the fun!
If we are doing a Windows XP LAN Party, the LAN Party Pack will have the essential "classic" LAN Party games in a easy to install package.
If we are doing a Windows 98 LAN Party, you'll need to install the games individually from here.
Remember to install and test games before arriving if possible. Installation can take time with older CDs or over the network!
We also maintain an on-site server with patches, drivers, and games (along with other fun retro stuff)
File Sharing
Once you're connected to the LAN, you'll have access to:
\\pepperoni\stuff - games, patches, tools, software
You can also access it via FTP here: ftp://ro:[email protected]
To access this share from Windows 98/ME:
1. Double-click "Network Neighborhood"
2. Find "PEPPERONI"
3. Double-click to view available shares
4. You may be prompted for the password: "arcade98"
net use z: \\PEPPERONI\Stuff
net use y: \\ARCADE-SERVER\Maps
We also run an IRC server on the LAN for chat. Connect to 192.168.0.10 with mIRC to join!
Last updated: 10/05/2025 - Contact: [email protected]