TWO Arcade Reports with Pics!

Pinwizkid

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Hi all,

Just got back from my trip to LA to visit my brother. Managed to find two terrific arcades that showcased a wide variety of games from various eras. I was very pleased with both...

First up: The Redondo Beach Fun Factory

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Hidden underneath the overhanging parking garage at the Redondo boardwalk is a gem of a classic arcade. I wish I could say all of the games were in tip top shape, but it's obvious this place has seen better days. That being said, they had a wide selection of games, ranging from the original Pong (!) to today's normal standard games, like Raw Thrill's Super Bikes. For the most part, the games were playable, but cosmetically abused. Most of the games were only a quarter to play, with some of the newer games being 50 cents, so that was a pleasant surprise. Lots of redemption stuff on one side of the place, classics intermixed with modern games, as well as plenty of early nineties stuff. TONS of air hockey tables (seriously, I've never seen that many in one place), old coin pushers, and cranes. There was even a tilt-a-whirl ride IN the arcade. No pins sadly, which was a disappointment since I had seen a video that showed this place having a row of em', including two Hercules machines.

Anyway, here's the Fun factory pictures gallery:

http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u303/Pinwizkid/Redondo Beach Fun Factory Arcade/

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And number two: The Santa Monica Pier Playland Arcade

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A smaller, but very dense arcade packed with classic titles from the 80's and 90's. The older games outnumbered the modern games in this place. A fantastic selection of racers including Daytona USA 1 & 2, Super GT, Ridge Racer 2 (very fun!!), Cyber Cycles, OutRun 2, and others. Nice row of pins in this place featuring an Addams Family and a Getaway, though they are beat as expected. I was there on a crowded day and the place was jumping! It was good to see an arcade thriving. Games were a little more expensive here; 50 cents was the most common price, some racers were 75 cents or a dollar. Daytona USA 2 was set to endurance mode, which means you get to race 40 laps on the beginner course (or at least try to). They also had a single player Time Crisis 2... not sure if they were manufactured like that or if it was cut in half by the op. Anyway, this place was a lot of fun.

Pics from Playland...

http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u303/Pinwizkid/Santa Monica Pier Playland Arcade/

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So, if you guys in Socal haven't checked these places out, I'd recommend them. They're not perfect, plenty of things to nitpick about, but overall, 2 very good arcades in this era of arcade-free society we're living in.

Brendan
 
very cool pics... the only thing that sucks about arcades now a days is that there is NO more excitement of waiting to see what the new game will be this week... You can alwyas tell cause there would be a huge crowd around the new game!!!
 
Next time you are in LA check out Japan Arcade in Little Tokyo and the arcade on Broadway in downtown LA (used to be almost all classics but has changed in recent years).
 
That Virtual On looked and played great! I had never played it before and was impressed with how fun it was. Wish I had a second player to fight against though.

Brendan
 
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