Friday, May 30, 2014

Arcade!

Well, it’s done. I don’t have room for any more. The arcade is now complete.*

I’m not even sure how it happened really. I know I didn’t start out with a plan to have a home arcade. I was just tired of having a big pool table that we never used taking up the whole game room. And during the process of selling it on Craigslist, I somehow stumbled across an ad for a TRON video game and smirked to myself “huh, wouldn’t that be fun?” It was listed for $750 though which is more than I’m willing to take a flyer on, so I low balled the seller with an offer of $350, expecting him to say no. Well, he didn’t, and I ended up talking him down another $50 when I went to pick it up two days later.

For $300, I had to buy it. Sure, the game plays great, looks great, and was always one of my favorites. But more importantly, for $300 I had accomplished something every kid who spent time at an arcade in the early 80s had at least thought about – “wouldn’t it be cool to have that at home?” For $300, the impossible became a reality.

But one game isn’t an arcade. It’s a neat diversion. A conversation piece. “You really have a TRON at your house?”

That was 2007.

Fast forward 7 years (I’m patient), and a lot of Craigslist wheeling & dealing over that time. In all, seven more games found their way upstairs, though two of em (Midway 12-in-1 & Take Five) ultimately didn’t make the cut. All of em were funded by stuff I sold/traded on Craigslist.

It wasn’t until I rearranged the room to accommodate the latest arrival (Genesis), that I really stood back to take it all in: a row of six arcade games lined up along one wall, all in attract mode with their lights flashing and marquees lighting up the room. It’s not a “game room” anymore. It’s an ARCADE!

FREEPLAY** ARCADE NOW OPEN

 Invaders From Above!

 Classic Arcade Cabinet Art

 For Movie Nights

Attract Mode

*Unless it’s not.

**FREEPLAY ARCADE is a little generic. Anyone wanna suggest another name?

3 comments:

  1. Games look great but really Love the couch :)...looks good after all this time!

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  2. I am not giving the couch back. :|

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  3. I think Suzi might fight you for it if you ever weaken! m/g

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