What was 'your' arcade called?

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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I remember that spot too, now that you mention it. No idea what the
name was. The first place I ever saw an air hockey table, probably
1973.

bogart
www.pinrestore.com
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

We had Aladdin's Castle in Castleton Mall in Indianapolis. They had a
good pin lineup in the late 70's. That's where I first saw Black
Knight. That thing ate quarters so fast especially if the flippers got
weak!!! Another arcade nearby (can't remember the name) had the first
pinball that got my attention - Flash. It had that cool droning
electronic noise. Flash outclassed the videos like Starcastle, Omega
Race, Asteroids, Space Invaders, etc. Those are both long gone.

I really got hooked on pinball hard at a Putt-Putt in Dayton, OH. In
1991 they had Funhouse. Ah, beautiful Funhouse. My first pinball in
my home collection.
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I lived most of my childhood in a bowling alley (70's & 80's). When I
was young they had all pins (about 6). Then as video games came out the
vids came in and the pins left (all but 1). Thats about how it remained
until I stopped going there in the mid 90's. I went there about 6
months ago and all they have now is 3 video games & a redemption
machine. They also took out the 4 full size pool tables and put in 1
bar table Blah!!

Also on Sundays I use to take my $20 and either ride my bicycle or
walk about 8 miles to this arcade called The Grand Illusion.

Chas
http://home.comcast.net/~corvair/
 
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ChrisH

Distinguished
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Electorcade in Kutztown Pa. A large dark room with one side a row of
about 20 pins. Flash, Gorgar, Playboy, Black Knight. I'm 35 now but
in may early teens my dad and I spent a lot of time there while my mom
shopped next door. He loved pinball. Now, only a year ago, I've
become addicted to what he loved and I played for fun to be with my dad
when I was a kid. I have an arcade of my own now with 6 late model
pins and a seventh on the way. I have become close to my dad all over
again. We go out in search of places to play and he comes to my house
several nights a week. When I see him we talk pinball. He never had
one of his own. Now he lives only a few blocks away and I feel like
I'm giving him something he never had - An arcade of his own. And in
my arcade he never runs out of quarters.

ChrisH
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

There were so many for me...I never stvck to one in particvlar. All
were in the Baltimore, Maryland area:

Time Ovt (Golden Ring Mall, Eastpoint Mall); Qvarters (White Marsh
Mall); Rivertown (a Chvck E. Cheese clone); Gadgets
(bar/restavrant/arcade); Satyr Hill Cve Clvb (the only place I ever saw
Pengo before I owned one); the vniversity vnion at Towson State
University (50+ vids, 16 pool tables, 8 bowling lanes, and a foosball
table--it's a wonder I ever went to class!)...and a covple more smaller
ones that I don't remember the names of. Those listed above are the
ones where I spent most of my free time in the 80s.

Then, of covrse, there were bowling alleys, pizza parlors, convenience
stores, game rooms at campgrovnds and hotels...heck, games were
everywhere back then!

-Dave Ellis
http://www.davesclassicarcade.com
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

No name, just a double-wide trailer near Highway 78 with about 12 pins in
it. If there was a sign, I don't remember it. It was all word-of-mouth
advertising.

<rwkeown@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1121180525.339634.118390@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> The recently posted classic arcade pics got me thinking again about my
> favorite place to burn quarters as a kid. It was called Funway
> Freeway. They always had at least 6 pins in excellent shape. The
> techs really must have known what they were doing, as I never recall a
> game being dirty or less then fully functional. Wonder what those
> guys are doing now....
>
> Cheers!!
> Bob
>
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Big City Game room, and Malabu Grand Prix .....

both gone now :-(


Tom
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Amusements Unlimited.

They also rented moonbounces and supplied stuff for parties. I think the
arcade was actually more of a sideline.

Serg
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

With Dr Dave I remember Fun and Games, I remember playing a lot of games of
Sterns Lightning there...
and their satellite games at Village Green in Natick,

neither was my favorite, that would have been 1001 Plays in Cambridge
before they had this weird "we want a national name to license" idea of
being named "America's Game" with the matching carpet with their name all
over it.. green.. it was just all so green ;-)

Other Boston area early 80's places to play:
Ziggys in Raynham,
PJ's in Raynham
Tewksbury Grand Prix

I never really got into any of the Dream Machine locations....

Diane
 
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In article <D9udnUKodv3C7EnfRVn-gw@comcast.com>,
dianebrat <newsies at qwack dot org> wrote:
>...
>neither was my favorite, that would have been 1001 Plays in Cambridge
>before they had this weird "we want a national name to license" idea of
>being named "America's Game"...

Good to see the New Englanders chiming in! 1001 Plays was also my normal
spot *as a player* in the late 1970s. They got all the test pieces. (Not
prototype, but the next step after.)

If I mentioned "my" arcades as an owner or operator, I would be accused
of trolling for votes. None have been mentioned yet.
--
.................David Marston at MV
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In Cherry Hill NJ I played a lot at Old Pro mini Golf course after getting
my drivers license. Got hooked on The Getaway there. Before that was mostly
the 7-11 and corner stores. Where I really got hooked on System 11 classics
like high Speed, Pinbot, Cyclone and Taxi

I also spent a lot of time in the summer in North Wildwood NJ Where I
remeber playing at The Family Game Room on NJ avenue. They had the smaller
place with the ramp then the second or third summer we were there they
moved into a much bigger place a couple doors down. I also played in all
the arcades along the Boardwalk I remember lots of pins at the Reflections
arcades. There were a few other arcades there that had real games and pins
around the wildwoods but now redemtion rules the boardwalk.

John

--
Audubon, NJ
http://www.southjerseypinball.com
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Timeout, Alladin's Castle, Dream Machine with a wall of 20 pins, all
late 70's, early 80's, all gone now. Didnt Sega own Timeout at one
point, then Namco bought them?~Pinball Bret
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Woodstock, N.Y. Mid-70's Magic Markies. A new owner took it over
and it was called Brettlee's Pinball Palace. That's where I got
addicted to Pin Up and GoldStrike.
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Growing up in the Washington DC suburbs and getting the bug around 1976
or so (yeah I am 41) meant tons of machines.

Electric World: Probably 25 pins

7-Eleven: One or two machines in every store.

Bowling Alleys: At least 10.

Gateway Amusements: Another 20 pins. Such classics as Hokus Pokus, El
Dorado, Captain Fantastic, Old Chicago, Buccaneer, Flicker.

Iverson Mall Arcade: 15 or so. Same titles as above.

.... Then towards the early 80's: Time Out Amusements. Both of them at
Springfield Mall. Time Out Amusements also had an arcade at Forest
Village Park Mall (off of Pennsylvania ave in Maryland suburbs of D.C.)


At this Time-Out, I won a Stern Magic Pinball machine. At that time
(1981-high school) I was the only person in the neighborhood that had a
machine in the (parents) basement. Have owned ever since.
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Lotsa names: "The Arcade" (original, I know), "Funtastic Family Fun
Center", "One Step Beyond", "Silver Cue", and "Spainhower's House of
Billiards", all in lovely Monroe, MI.

"Red Baron" in Toledo, "Electric Circus" in Detroit, and "Pinball
Pete's" in A-squared round out my youth. Oh, and "Wizard House 2", in
Dundee. -JW
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

The only "arcade" I played at was at Kennywood Park.
On occasion when at the Mall, we would play the few machines in the
back of the G.C. Murphys.
We would spend a lot of time at a "pool hall' / bar called the Corner
Pocket. They had a 1/2 dozen machines or so. When the local liquor
control was around the owner would chase us out.
Then there was Heads Together, where we played a few machines right
next to "Red" the tattoo artist.
Mostly played at the local pizza joint - until a Gorgar showed up in
place of the EM that was there. That game turned me to the dark side
and I played a lot of video games for a while. Pinball went from ¢25/5
balls to ¢50/3 balls.

Lee
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

It wasn't in my neighborhood. It was at the summer vacation. Long
Beach, Maine. At the end of the pier was the "Fun-O-Rama". I blew many
many quarters there. I remember Space Shuttle, Jungle Lord and aisles
of EM's. Games were stacked behind the Skee-Ball lanes and in the north
end of the building all the old nickel and penny games were there. Some
of those things were real antiques. What I would have done for an extra
$15,000 and an 18 wheeler. I have been told that the place was sold and
most of the games went out. I guess it's full of redemption games now.

Anyone with news of this place... I'd love to hear it. Where did those
games go...?

KMR
 
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hooked

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Time out. Pegasus II. Funny thing it Pegasus II was in a strip mall
in Dale City and I never saw another Pegasus anywhere in the area.

Robert
Hooked
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

J. Weaver Jr. wrote:
> Lotsa names: "The Arcade" (original, I know), "Funtastic Family Fun
> Center", "One Step Beyond", "Silver Cue", and "Spainhower's House of
> Billiards", all in lovely Monroe, MI.
>
> "Red Baron" in Toledo, "Electric Circus" in Detroit, and "Pinball
> Pete's" in A-squared round out my youth. Oh, and "Wizard House 2", in
> Dundee. -JW

North NJ - Willowbrook Mall - Fun 'N Games - Still there...... Also,
had "The Purple Room". South NJ - Seaside Heights - Flashback - All
80's games. Still there and includes pinball machines. Used to have
"The Great Escape" in East Rutherford. Closed this year. I guess you
can't make a buck off these anymore eh?

John
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In the NW suburbs of Chicago we had:

Just Games
Super Just Games
Aladin's Castle - Noridge, IL & Rosemont, IL
Galaxy World - Noridge, IL
Enchanted Castle
Chicago Game Company - Niles, IL
Showbiz Pizza (don't know if that counts or not)

At the University of Illinois, Champaign:

Space Port
 
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Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

From 1979 - 1984 S.S. Billiards in Hopkins., MN was my arcade of
choice. The fact that it was only a block from my home made it a
natural choice but I really appreciated the great condition of the
games and clean environment. Even as arcade games were reaching their
prime, I still loved the fact that S.S. Billiards had a great
selection of pinballs. I also put a ton of quarters into the Robotron,
Moon Patrol, Tempest and Star Wars machines.

I also frequented another arcade on the Hopkins strip. A dingy dump
who's name escapes me. This place had more drug transactions than a
CVS in South Florida.

Here I am twenty years later in GA just starting to amass a pinball
collection over the last 12 months. Who is one of the first people to
help me with troubleshooting? Lloyd from S.S. Billiards.

Things have come full circle.

Mark
Norcross GA
 
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