Finding myself in Des Moines, Iowa, I discovered Up-Down arcade! But what was I doing right smack in the middle of Iowa?
This is the second in the series of Arcade Road Trip 2018 blog entries about a day-long trip I took to three modern video arcades in the midwest on August 2, 2018.
UPDATE: Since I last visited, Level 257 has changed its name to Pac-Man Entertainment.
Located in Schaumburg, Illinois, Level 257 is a Pac-Man-themed concept restaurant/arcade/entertainment venue owned and operated by Namco. I’d been wanting to check it out ever since it opened years ago (I can’t remember or find an exact date, but I recall hearing about it opening), but I didn’t want to drive 3 hours to the Chicago area just for that; I was hoping to tack it onto a trip for some other reason. Well, my visit to Galloping Ghost gave me the perfect opportunity.
As you classic gaming nerds have probably already guessed, Level 257’s name is inspired by Pac-Man’s “kill screen” that occurs at the 256th level. Apparently, after level 256, there’s food and booze and bowling and videogames, because that’s what you’ll find at Level 257. Continue reading “Level 257: Om-Nom-Namco”
Yesterday, August 2, 2018, I took a day off work.
I know, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but look, I work my tail off 6 days a week, and with a family and a lot of responsibilities, I actually don’t get a lot of time to myself to enjoy this hobby that I blog about. So I decided to give myself a day off, and hit the road on a day trip that I have had in mind for a long time.
Of course, it revolved around video games. Continue reading “Introducing the Arcade Road Trip 2018 series”
About a year ago, I was finally able to cross a major location off my list of “must-visit” arcades around the country. Most years, my wife and I take a vacation (often a road trip) in August to celebrate our anniversary. Last year, our trip took us to the northeastern area of the US, from our home in Wisconsin all the way to Buffalo NY for a few days, a night Vermont, and ultimately to Salem, Massachusetts. But in between our stay in Vermont and our destination in Salem was a stop in Laconia, New Hampshire, so that I could visit the famous Funspot, also known as the American Classic Arcade Museum.
Continue reading “Arcade Pilgrimage: Funspot/ACAM, Laconia NH”
I’ve been to Las Vegas several times, and had always intended to check out the Pinball Hall of Fame, but it wasn’t until June of 2014 that I finally got a chance to visit. I loved it so much that when I was back in Vegas in November of that same year, I went again, and I fully intend to go anytime I find myself in Las Vegas from now on. Continue reading “Arcade Pilgrimage: Pinball Hall of Fame, Las Vegas”
As I mentioned in my first post here on RGSH, I make it a point to travel to arcades around the country. My wife and I love to travel as it is, and if I can find an arcade to visit, even better. But I’ve been known to take huge detours or even special trips just to find arcades I’ve heard about. I always document them with lots of photos too; I think in the back of my head, I always wanted to write about them, and now with RGSH, I finally have that chance.
Back in 2008, it became semi-widely reported among news outlets that historic Gameland arcade in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin — opened in 1944 — would be closing after over 60 years in business. Continue reading “Arcade Pilgrimage: Gameland, Lake Geneva, WI”
