Big Bear Family Arcade - Big Bear California - GREAT PICTURES!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

My good friend Les (owner and operator of www.thestool.com) sent me this email last week, I thought it would be of interest to both people who have and haven't frequented this place.

Looks pretty awesome (if not as typically "weathered" as an arcade of that age).

Here's the emails and pictures he sent! Enjoy! -Frankie

I was up in Big Bear, a remote town in the California Mountains, and I checked out their "family arcade", which
apparently hadn't changed much in the last 50 or so years. Some of the games were busted, but I can't remember
finding this many iconic, classic arcade games in one place. I've seen king of kong, I know they exist, many due to
the retro resurgence, but this place was totally untouched but time.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/01.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/02.jpg
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http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/10.jpg

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Pictures, continued...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/11.jpg
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http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/20.jpg

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Pictures, continued ...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/21.jpg
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[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Pictures, continued ...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/31.jpg

[GnawRadar]

My God...the next time I'm in Big Bear I'll make sure to definately stop by, if I ever go to Big Bear. I would definately like to go to a place like this considering I am too young to have actually played most of these games in the arcade and there are no good arcades near where I live.

[otaku]

that is a sweet arcade!

[MrRoboto19XX]

Wow, that's some really amazing stuff!

[madman77]

That place is definitely stuck in time, brings back a lot of memories of my childhood. I haven't seen one of those palm reader machines in at least 20+ years.

[Moon Jump]

Nice stuff. Good selection of stuff. Can't say I like what they did to that Nintendo Vs Cab...Maximum Force!? O_O

I love how they have the SITDOWN Roadblasters and the Deluxe Disks of Tron. I would have loved to play that!

[shawnbo42]

Packing the wife, kids, car.....

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Somebody needs to do a road-trip cross-country documentary about the "disappearing arcades".

I'd pay to see that.

[DreamTR]

Reminds me of the Arcade games you see at Wisconsin Dells.

[Moon Jump]

Somebody needs to do a road-trip cross-country documentary about the "disappearing arcades".

I'd pay to see that.

We kinda do that at Press Start, but since we don't have the money to do that, we just go around to the ones near us.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

We kinda do that at Press Start, but since we don't have the money to do that, we just go around to the ones near us.

Pitch the idea to a studio! They'll fund it if they back the production!

The success of King of Kong may have opened some doors.

[Greg2600]

Holy Cow, Frankie, that arcade has the greatest number of my favorite all-times games I've ever seen in one place. It's like they took every game I used to play in the 80's and early 90's and put them in one place. 3,000 miles away....:( We should have a DP bus trip of something, get like 50 of us nuts to go.

[Flack]

Pitch the idea to a studio! They'll fund it if they back the production!

The success of King of Kong may have opened some doors.

Unfortunately from what I have read, King of Kong may have CLOSED some doors. From what I have read and heard, so many people that were involved feel slighted by the King of Kong film that many are hesitant to get involved in any more film-related projects.

As for documentaries, Jason Scott (BBS Documentary) is working on Arcade: The Documentary. It won't be out for several years, but filming has begun.

http://www.arcadedocumentary.com/

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Unfortunately from what I have read, King of Kong may have CLOSED some doors. From what I have read and heard, so many people that were involved feel slighted by the King of Kong film that many are hesitant to get involved in any more film-related projects.

As for documentaries, Jason Scott (BBS Documentary) is working on Arcade: The Documentary. It won't be out for several years, but filming has begun.

http://www.arcadedocumentary.com/

Well, Kong made some decent scratch for the studio and was one of the top rated films of the year, considering it's budget and distribution I'm betting we'll see some more classic gaming documentaries in the near future, even if a lot of the community that was slighted in Kong doesn't want to participate.

And, I'll keep my eye out for "Arcade"!

Still waiting to see "Chasing Ghosts" ... I've heard that doesn't have any of the negative spin that Kong had (intentional or otherwise).

[diskoboy]

I love Midway style arcades :D

That Hercules looks like it's seen better days. But an actual M.A.C.H. 3 cockpit!! Every time I've seen one in the past decade, they've been converted to a Sega Choplifter. :(

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I love Midway style arcades :D

That Hercules looks like it's seen better days. But an actual M.A.C.H. 3 cockpit!! Every time I've seen one in the past decade, they've been converted to a Sega Choplifter. :(

Took me like 5 re-views to find it ... hiding in front of the Discs of Tron machine!

Wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out!

[doubledownon11]

What a stellar arcade. My only three problems are:

1) Too bright, arcades should be dimly lit
2) Not smokey enough, I remember all the old arcades when I was a kid were smokey as hell
3) No creepy old guys hanging out try to score high school chicks

Aside from that, that's definately a sweet place.

[lostflix]

I might have to visit just to play "Discs of Tron"