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Worth Every Quarter

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by J.Ukrop, Jul 19, 2019.

  1. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 2,789

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    J.Ukrop submitted a new blog post:

    Worth Every Quarter

    Continue reading the Original Blog Post
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2019
  2. Automotive Stud
    Joined: Sep 26, 2004
    Posts: 4,304

    Automotive Stud
    Member

    Wildwood NJ sounds similar. Mostly tourists in the summer, but in the basement of the boardwalk mall there's a vintage arcade where you can still play some of these amazing games. I've found myself trying to beat my own score in super shifter.
     
    Ron Funkhouser likes this.
  3. Oh my gosh! I forgot all about "Death Race". Used to play that all the time!
     
    Ron Funkhouser and kidcampbell71 like this.
  4. Joey, You gotta tell us about the steam powered motorcycle. . HRP
     
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  5. TWKundrat
    Joined: Apr 6, 2010
    Posts: 149

    TWKundrat
    Member

    Huh, who woulda thunk there was anything to see in san fran besides bums crapping on the sidewalks...
     
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  6. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    looks like a cool place. too bad it is in San Francisco. live 30 minutes from there and haven't been there in years. I can just go to the back yard if I want to step in crap.
     
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  7. Xander
    Joined: Jul 18, 2019
    Posts: 2

    Xander

    Next time business or pleasure brings you to Michigan (the Woodward Dream Cruise might be worth the trip) add Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum to your itinerary for more of this kind of goodness.

    http://www.marvin3m.com/
     
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  8. shivasdad
    Joined: May 27, 2007
    Posts: 584

    shivasdad
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Texas

    We did the touristy thing a few years back and I enjoyed it because it was all new. We saw and ran through the Musee Mechanique at the end of the day but everyone was hungry and I didn't get to play anything. Would definitely go again, though I don't need to see the rest of the wharf. Wouldn't mind touring Alcatraz again, they were doing some renovations and once again, the family was nowhere nearly as interested as I was because of the historical angle. Our kids live out there, so I'm sure I'll go again and I'm doing the tourist thing by myself this time! Might even crap on the sidewalk just to join in on the fun.
     
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  9. I was at the wharf last year and missed it. Maybe next time I am visiting, if I can get by the stench trying to get there..
    Cool stuff for sure. Thanks for posting.
     
  10. vinfab
    Joined: Apr 18, 2006
    Posts: 312

    vinfab
    Member

    Thanks for reminding me of some of the games of my youth. I miss those arcade games. Years ago, my son got some new play station games, one of which was a pinball game. Normally he could whup my a$$, but he could never beat me at pinball. He asked, Dad, how did you get so good? My reply was, a quarter at a time.
     
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  11. Nostrebor
    Joined: Jun 25, 2014
    Posts: 1,278

    Nostrebor
    Member

    Death Race... the first banned video game.

    I have a 280zzzap and a championship sprint video game, that will be residing in the shop soon. Just another car related vice to feed.:D
     
  12. Dutch 1960
    Joined: Nov 3, 2018
    Posts: 13

    Dutch 1960

    Go down the coast and try out the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk when you get a chance. The front door of the arcade steps out onto the beach, and full size trains roll up at the back door. The street people crap parade is not quite as bad, and the whole place is much more small town.
     
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  13. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Aquarius, my sign and my favorite pinball game, I wish I had one in the basement. Way back in the spring of 1974 there was a driving game that had a bucket seat and a 4 speed shifter with a t-handle on it. Behind the glass was a C3 Corvette, and a Christmas tree. The tree came down, and you made a pass. It was possible to redlight, and you could also miss a shift and blow the motor. The one I saw was in a traveling arcade, and disappointingly, I only saw it that one time, and there was always a line of us waiting to play. That would be another one I would like to have, I would have to put a 1/25 '55 Chevy in it instead of the Vette though.
     
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  14. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki





    Worth Every Quarter
    …nickels, dimes, and a pocket full of pennies, too.



    Hello,

    Great story on that particular, fun place! Those games were so much fun back in those early days. We have seen the games whenever we visited the Fisherman’s Wharf in S.F. But, we had our fill of these games at the So Cal location of the Pike on the shoreline of Long Beach. It was a long walk/short bicycle ride to the shoreline and the Pike from our house.

    When we visited the S.F. Fisherman’s Wharf and the Cliff House, we had seen similar games at the Pike. Our mom always scooted us toward the restaurants to eat at the Alioto’s. My mom and dad loved seafood and this was the place during these late 50's road trips. Plus, my mom did not have to cook, so she enjoyed the dinners out immensely.

    We did get to see the Musee Mecanique in person in the late 60s and 70s, during our Northern California photo trips. But, the one time in college in 1965, it was a fabulous Lobster Thermidor dinner at Alioto’s. It was with an old high school friend from Long Beach that just made a two-day stop over during her Pan Am flight schedule. That was a money scrimping, outstanding evening & meal if there ever was one during college.


    Jnaki

    We spent hours in the penny arcades with those fun mechanical arcade games and especially the crazy metal boxing figures. Our favorite at the Pike Arcade had a chip in one of the boxer’s head. The result of an errant swing and constant playing all through the day and night by most everyone that came into the place.

    The supervised and unsupervised visits to the “peep” show areas was always a challenge. With so many people going in and out of the arcade, there was so much supervision that the attendant could offer. So, the time was right to get a sneak peak. But, kids will be kids…ha!


    The memories that flow out of places like the Musee Mecanique are a great part of history. Not only in S.F. but, in most arcade laden cities from back in those good old days. These days, it is so difficult to get a parking spot anywhere around the tourist places, that it is not worth the effort to seek out an opening. Besides, there are so many other things to do in a great place like San Francisco.
     
  15. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,152

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    If going there was her idea, she is a keeper. Looks like a good time.
     
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  16. williebill
    Joined: Mar 1, 2004
    Posts: 3,274

    williebill
    Member

    Loved your post. Thanks for writing it. My son is now 33 years old, and I used to have as much fun as he did at the big arcades when he was little. Spent a ton of money on the big, sit down, Daytona 500 game. I wanted one of those for the living room, my now ex promised she'd divorce me if I got one. Should have bought it anyway, I could have been single again much faster.
    I agree, she's a keeper.
     
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  17. mwhistle
    Joined: Feb 19, 2007
    Posts: 314

    mwhistle
    Member
    from sacramento

    Wonderful story. Thank you. I was born in San Francisco but seldom return (I now live in the Sacramento Valley). The more rural or less populated areas of California are still great, but unfortunately the population centers are an embarrassment.
     
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  18. MarkS1975
    Joined: Apr 25, 2010
    Posts: 23

    MarkS1975
    Member

    I remember that place my wife and I used to go from time to time when we lived there
     
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  19. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,059

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    Been a long time since I was there but as I remember, North Beech had some interesting attractions for a guy site seeing alone.
     
  20. El Jefe
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 738

    El Jefe
    Alliance Member

    Been there too. Coolest thing on the wharf for sure. And as a side note we grew up with the Road Race pinball machine at the house as a kid. Best present dad ever brought home for all the kids in the family. We got pretty good at it.
     
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  21. I grew up in Tiburon, across the bay from SF. Old man Zelinsky lived there and had a smaller version of the Musee Mecanique on Main Street. It was pretty cool, lots of old arcade machines, probably some of the stuff that ended up at Fisherman's Wharf. I had no idea he had a bigger version at Playland at the Beach. It's cool that all this stuff has stayed together and is available to see.
     
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  22. J.Ukrop
    Joined: Nov 10, 2008
    Posts: 2,789

    J.Ukrop
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Funny that you say that. I'm actually from the metro Detroit area and my mom used to take my brother and I there regularly. I revisited the place during my high school years and it was still fun! Definitely worth a return trip. I snapped this photo in 2010 thinking about the H.A.M.B.! 74198_1708256589772_3938010_n.jpg
     
  23. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    Way cool. Love anything vintage. Too young to have played those games though.:D
     

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