[I really love arcades. It’s something I’ve missed for a while, and I’m yearning to check out something like this. God dammit, I don’t want to go to New Hampshire, but unless I find something else, it looks like it’s a trip to a mecca for RetroforceGO… — DMV]
Where have arcades gone?
Some of the greatest minds of our time have pondered this question. Destructoid’s very own retro podcast, RetroforceGO!, has pondered that very same question. The truth is that arcades have faded into obsolete-ness with the advent of more affordable home consoles. However, arcades have one thing that a home console can never truly provide: a completely social experience. Nothing is quite like being right next to someone, trying to pull off a shoryuken or working together to kick Shredder’s ass.
Some of you might say that arcades are dead. You’re wrong. What I am about to present to you is an estalishment that MSNBC describes as “an entertainment mecca.” It is the savior for arcade junkies. It is… Funspot.
Funspot is the largest arcade in the world, fostering over 500 arcade games in its three stories of floor space. The arcade has been around since 1952, when it was founded by Bob Lawton. It is located in Weirs Beach, NH, so you have to travel to the middle of New Hampshire to enjoy it. Funspot “offers new and classic video games, an indoor golf center, a 20 lane ten pin & candlepin bowling center, cash bingo, mini-golf, a restaurant and tavern and more! There’s something for everyone!” The mascot of Funspot is a dragon named Topsnuf (bonus points if you can tell me where the name comes from).
Let’s take a floor by floor tour of Funspot.
Level 1 is probably the most modern of the floors. One wall is almost entirely composed of cockpit racing games. An aisle down the middle is made of slot machines and video poker. In the corner, sit two large air hockey tables, partly cordoned off by a fence. Sitting on the other side of this fence are a few arcade games, including various Mortal Kombat iterations and an NBA Jam machine. The floor also has a couple of crane games.
The two biggest attractions on this floor are the Skee Ball lanes, and Roller Bowler. I’m sure that most you have played Skee Ball, but if you haven’t played Roller Bowler, you are missing out. The concept of Roller Bowler is this: a bowling ball sits between two metal rails. The rails form a hump in the middle and the end of the rails curve up as well. If the player can get the correct force and push, the ball should remain between the hump and the end of the rail. It’s incredibly addictive.
Most of the games on this floor deal out tickets, which can be redeemed for prizes. The prize counter sits in the corner of this floor by the cafe.
Let’s move on to the second floor…
The second floor is what I like to call the Kiddie Floor. In the middle of tis floor sits a large rubber mat and a number of small bumper cars, which operate on tokens. No one over five could fit in these cars. Believe me, I’ve tried. Surrounding the bumper car area are more coin-operated rides similar to the ones found outside convenience stores, except these rides don’t have expletives written all over them.
Surrounding the stairs leading down to floor 1 are numerous arcade machines, such as Time Crisis 3. This floor is also home to four of my favorite arcade machines, which are Street Fighter II, a coveted The Simpsons arcade machine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hydro Thunder.
On the other side of the kiddie room, there are a few more slot machines, the tavern that only creepy bikers use , and the bowling allies. Hidden on this floor is also a cockpit Star Wars arcade machine to the right of the Main Entrance.
PRO TIP: Next to the bowling counter sit two change machines where you can get tokens. They have an out of order sticker, but are really just meant to deter people who don’t have coupons. The secret of these machines is that instead of giving the requisite 125 tokens for every $20, they dispense 175 tokens, netting you an extra 50 tokens.
And last, but certainly not least, there is floor 3… the retro junkie’s nirvana.
Let’s get the crap out of the way first. There is an indoor golf center up there. Done.
The third floor of Funspot is also known as The American Classic Arcade Museum. The ACAM houses over 200 classic arcade games. Its walls are plastered with arcade flyers of games from years gone by and is filled with original arcade cabinets and pinball machines. It would make any arcade lover wet themselves.
Here is the list as of August 16, 2007:
ACAM’s Current Classic Arcade Game Collection
1942
1943 The Battle of Midway
720 Degrees
A.P.B.
After Burner (deluxe cockpit)
Alien Syndrome
Alpine Ski
Arkanoid
Asteroids
Asteroids Deluxe
Astro Fighter
Astro Invader
Astron Belt
Atari Basketball
Ataxx
Bagman
Battlezone
Berzerk
Blueprint
Bosconian
Breakout
Bump n’ Jump
Burgertime
Canyon Bomber
Carnival
Centipede
Challenger
Champion Baseball
Cheeky Mouse
Cheyenne
Chiller
Choplifter
Circus Charlie
Cloak & Dagger
Clowns
Commando
Congo Bongo
Contra
Crazy Climber
Crossbow
Crowns Golf
Crowns Golf Hawaii
Crystal Castles
Dark Adventure
Defender
Deluxe Space Invaders
Depthcharge
Destroyer
Dig Dug
Domino Man
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Doom
Double Dragon
Double Dribble
Drag Race
Dragon Spirit
Dragon’s Lair
Eagle
Elevator Action
Enduro Racer
Fax
Final Lap
Fire Truck
Food Fight
Frogger
Galaga
Galaxian
Gauntlet
Gauntlet II
Ghosts n’ Goblins
Gladiator
Gorf
Grand Champion
Gravitar
Guerilla War
Guided Missile
Gun Fight
Gun Smoke
Gyruss
Hang-On (deluxe)
Hard Drivin’
Heavy Barrel
Ikari Warriors
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indy 4
Joust (cocktail)
Joust 2
Jungle Hunt
Jr. Pac-Man
Kangaroo
Karate Champ
Kick Man
Krull
Land Sea Air Squad (cocktail)
Lazarian
LeMans
Leprechaun
Liberator
Lode Runner
Lunar Rescue
Major Havoc
Make Trax
Mania Challenge
Mappy
Marble Madness
Mario Bros.
Millipede
Missile Command
Monaco GP
Moon Patrol
MoonWar
Motorace USA
Mouse Trap
Mr. Do!
Ms. Pac-Man
Operation Wolf
Out Run (deluxe)
Pac-Man
Pac-Man Plus
Paperboy
Pengo
Phoenix
Playchoice 10
Pleiades
Pole Position (cockpit)
Pong Doubles
Popeye
Pulsar
Punch-Out!
Q-Bert
Q-Bert’s Qubes
Qix
Quantum
Quartet
Radical Radial
Rally-X
Rampage
Red Alert
Red Baron (cockpit)
Ring King
Road Runner
Robot Bowl
Robotron: 2084
Rolling Thunder
S.T.U.N. Runner
Satan’s Hollow
Scramble
Sea Wolf
Shooting Master
Shootout (cocktail)
Sky Shark
Space Ace
Space Duel
Space Harrier
Space Invaders
Spectar
Speed Buggy
Sprint 2
Spy Hunter (cockpit)
Star Castle
Star Trek
Star Wars
Stargate
Starship 1
Stratovox (cocktail)
Super Breakout
Super Bug
Super Cobra
Super Mario Bros.
Super Pac-Man
Super Sprint
Super Zaxxon
Tag Team Wrestling
Tank II
Tapper
Tempest
Tetris
The End
The Real Ghostbusters
Thief
Thunder Blade
Tiger Road
Timber
Time Pilot
Track & Field
Triple Hunt
Tron
Turbo (cockpit)
Turkey Shoot
Tutankham
Vanguard
Venture
Video Pinball
VS. Dr. Mario
VS. Duck Hunt
VS. Golf
VS. Hogan’s Alley
VS. Tennis (cocktail)
Warlords
Wheels
Wheels II
Wild Western
Wizard of Wor
Wonderboy
Xenophobe
Xevious
Xybots
Zaxxon
Zoo Keeper
PINBALL MACHINES
Big Guns
Black Knight
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Devil’s Dare
Dirty Harry
F-14 Tomcat
Fire
Fireball II
Flash
Genie
Gorgar
Grand Lizard
Grand Slam
Harlem Globetrotters
High Speed
Joker Poker
Jurassic Park
Kiss
Laser War
Mata Hari
Middle Earth
Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man
Old Chicago
Paragon
Pinbot
Playboy
Sky Jump
Space Shuttle
Stop n’ Go (Display Only)
Superman
Tome 2000
Time Machine
Xenon
VARIOUS ELECTRO-MECHANICALS
Base Hit
Foreign Legion
Line Drive
Twin Rifle
Upper Deck
Whatizit
Are you getting the picture? Every year, the ACAM hosts the International Classic Videogame & Pinball Championships, allowing thousands of players to compete for glory and a cash prize of $250. The games aren’t announced until the beginning of the competition, so don’t worry about whether or not you’ve practiced enough. They also have a wall of fame for those who set new records at Funspot.
You should also know that Funspot and the ACAM were prominent locations for filming during production for The King of Kong. Its website can be found here. Funspot will also go down in history as the location where Billy Mitchell completed the first perfect game of Pac-Man.
So there you have it. I have provided a few photos, but my camera died before I could get enough, so I have linked to a few Flickr albums from people who love Funspot as much as I do.
Funspot, the world’s greatest arcade, is living proof that arcades haven’t gone six feet under just yet.
Links
Funspot
The American Classic Arcade Museum
Noiseland Arcade – Funspot – Weirs Beach NH
Noiseland Arcade Funspot Flickr set
ELI-173’s Funspot vintage arcade floor Flickr set
AzyxA’s Funspot Flickr set – CLICK THIS ONE!
