I think I learned of the trick from the magazine blurb mentioned in TFA. If you didn't happen to read that specific page in that specific magazine in the few da

I think I learned of the trick from the magazine blurb mentioned in TFA. If you didn't happen to read that specific page in that specific magazine in the few days it was on the newsstand, you would've had to find out via word of mouth/watching someone do the trick in person. Most arcades didn't have the space to keep games around forever. Games that didn't bring in the quarters got replaced by newer, shinier, flashier games. By the mid-80s, you'd be lucky to find one Galaga machine in most arcades. So if an older friend mentioned the trick or you happened to read that specific issue of Joystik magazine in the library, you'd have a hard time even finding a Galaga machine to try the trick. By the late 80s, ever more expensive arcade games lost their novelty and home entertainment (game consoles/rentable VHS movies) got good enough so overcoming the inertia of staying in the comfort of your home/sofa was too great. The convenience stores/random stores got rid of their one or two standup arcade machines, then the smaller arcades closed down.