Nowadays, it seems like every self-respecting gamer owns a Sony Playstation, Nintendo or Sega console. Factor in PC gaming, and there's practically no reason to leave the house at all. But there's something beyond sitting in your living room, staring into a small screen and clicking a mouse: the arcade. Multicolored lights of flickering machines, the cacophony of bazookas, body blows and screeching brakes and the presence of others like you, popping coin after coin into the machines.
Despite the rise of the extremely profitable home-video gaming industry (on a par with the movie and music businesses), video arcades have not gone away -- you just have to look for them in the corners of bowling alleys, pizza parlors and pool halls. Today, most stand-alone arcades are mall-bound chains -- though a few independents still stand proud here and there. Besides the slew of video games and pinball machines, analog favorites like foosball, Skee-Ball and air hockey can also be found in today's arcades, if sometimes few and far between.
Admission is free to all the arcades listed here except the Hi-5 and Nickel City. And don't blame us if you can't find a game we mentioned -- arcades change their stock around without notice, though older games tend to stick around longer.
San Francisco
Airtight Garage
With its retro-futuristic interior and unique games designed by Jean "Moebius" Giraud, the Airtight Garage (named after a Moebius comic book) is its own little gaming world. Nowhere else will you find the likes of Hyperbowl (rolling a giant ball through scenic locales) or Quateria (blasting away other patrons in a multiplayer arena). With food and drinks served at the in-house bar, it's easy to kill a lot of time here. Just don't be surprised at how fast you empty your wallet -- once you buy a game card, it's easy to lose track of how much money you're spending.
101 Fourth St., Sony Metreon, SF; 10 am-11 pm daily; (415) 369-6000.
Amusement Center
Also known as Broadway Billiards and Video Games, this arcade has an old-school flavor that's real (it's been around for about 20 years). The games range from recent (but not necessarily brand-new) to early-'80s favorites like Moon Patrol, Joust and the entire Pac-Man family. Its proximity to the porn shops and strip joints of North Beach cut down on the kid factor, and its large windows make it feel more airy than other, more basementlike game rooms. Not all the video or pinball machines are in good repair, but where else can you dance villains to death with Michael Jackson's Moonwalker? The pool hall in back is for players 18 and older.
447 Broadway, SF; Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri-Sat noon-2 am; (415) 398-8858.
Bonkers
This arcade -- located up a creaky set of stairs above a deli in a most unlikely Financial District location -- is the very definition of an old-school dive. Don't bother looking for the latest version of Street Fighter or any huge racing games. The small, cramped game room contains mostly older titles like Tetris and Pac-Man. The challenge here may not be winning the games, but finding the ones that work. If you must revel in nostalgia for an age before Pokémon, this is your time machine.
483 Pine St., SF; 10 am-6 pm daily; (415) 986-2637.
Cyberstation/Namcoland
This touristy colossus of an arcade is big, bombastic and deafening. Filled with wandering tourists and local teens, Cyberstation is stocked with all the latest games -- from connected racers to gruesome, giant-screen shooters. There is always a line and an admiring audience at Dance Dance Revolution (one of the few games that can give you a real, discotheque-style workout). With its Pier 39 locale, there are as many onlookers as there are kids blowing rolls of tokens. There are also two air hockey tables and a bumper car ring. Walk past all the T-shirt and memorabilia shops to the back of the pier and you'll find Namcoland, Cyberstation's nearly abandoned sibling. This arcade is smaller and quieter, and some of the same games are actually cheaper, though they aren't in as good shape as those at the arcade's more popular cousin.
Cyberstation, Pier 39, SF; 10 am-11 pm daily; (415) 399-9907.
Namcoland, Pier 39, SF; 10am-9pm daily; (415) 399-1909.
Great Entertainer
This spacious pool hall is serious about billiards. Dozens of pool and snooker tables fill the warehouse space, and the arcade occupies one corner with its two dozen games. Besides the usual variety of zombie-shooters, kung-fu fighters and puzzle games (and an old Centipede machine), there are two shuffleboard tables, a foosball table and a handful of pinball machines. The crowd is mostly young, and the best time to play is mid-afternoon, before all the serious cue-wielding sharks shuffle in. There's also an older, smaller Great Entertainer in Fremont.
975 Bryant St., SF; Sun-Thu 11 am-2 am, Fri-Sat 11 am-3 am; (415) 861-8833.
Musee Mecanique
Harkening back to days of yore, before microchips and joysticks, this arcade (which by definition is a gallery of coin-operated amusements), nestled next to the Cliff House restaurant, offers some old-world curiosities. Long before Pong and Pac-Man spawned a thousand quarter-eating machines, Thomas Edison and his contemporaries amazed the masses with mechanical wonders and "high-tech" inventions. Antique buff Edward Galland Zelinsky's rotating collection of turn-of-the-century automata includes mutoscopes, fortune-tellers, player pianos and a 1915 grip tester that rates your physical prowess. For the more modern-minded player, there is also a slew of games from the '80s and '90s. You know -- the good old days.
Cliff House, 1090 Point Lobos Ave., SF; Mon-Fri 11 am-7 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-8 pm; (415) 386-1170.
East Bay
Entertainment Zone
Basically the lobby for Q-Zar, this arcade -- with its numerous shooting games -- provides a sort of training ground for the laser-tag arena inside. The new games (no classics) are in varying states of repair. If you've ever wanted a stand-up game for your den, there are always a few machines for sale (though no prices are listed). Two air hockey tables, a few carny-style games and a party room round out the place.
2295 Willow Pass Rd., Concord; Mon-Thu noon-10 pm, Fri noon-midnight, Sat 9 am-midnight, Sun 10 am-10 pm; (925) 521-9663.
Fun Time Pizza
For parents and kids wanting a break from all the putting and driving of Karts N' Golf across the street, this pizza parlor and arcade is just the place. The place features five pinball machines and a dozen games -- including the currently ubiquitous Dance Dance Revolution.
34775 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont; 11 am-11 pm daily; (510) 744-9900.
Great Entertainer
Though not as spacious or spiffy as its San Francisco cousin, this Great Entertainer, with its nappy red carpet and old beer signs on the walls, has the feel of an old-time pool hall. Just inside the entrance and blocked off from the billiards area, the quiet arcade features about 20 games, including various versions of Tekken and four pinball machines (Johnny Mnemonic, anyone?).
4140 Peralta Blvd., Fremont; 11 am-2 am daily; (510) 797-0973.
Time Out
A big, bombastic mall arcade that rivals SF's Cyberstation in noise, if not in size, Southland's Time Out offers tons of racing games, from water-ski to motorcycle to semi trucks, as well as pinball, air hockey, Skee-Ball and redemption machines. Barry Bonds wanna-bes can step into the electronic batting cage and practice their homers. Time Out's proximity to the mall's huge food court may mean more than a few greasy joysticks.
26 Southland Mall, Hayward; Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-7 pm; (510) 784-0566.
Tilt
One of two Bay Area colonies of the national Tilt empire (owned by Nickels & Dimes Inc., though few, if any games cost less than a couple quarters), this mall hangout is geared mainly toward kids and teens. Its stock of 50 mostly new games includes fighters like Tekken Tag, an array of racers and shooters as well as redemption machines and an air hockey table. If you're not easily creeped out, be sure to ask the employees about their "otherworldly residents."
1093 Newpark Mall, Newark; Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-6 pm; (510) 794-9870.
North Bay
Time Out
This San Rafael arm of the Namco-owned arcade chain sits on the edge of the Northgate Mall food court and boasts dozens of big new games, Skee-Ball, redemption machines, an air hockey table and lots of TVs blaring music videos. The focus tends toward the violent side of gaming, with lots of big-screen fighting, driving and shooting games. The arcade's young gamers probably don't miss the lack of old-school games as they shoot their way to victory to the tune of the latest Limp Bizkit number.
4890 Northgate Mall, San Rafael; Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-6 pm; (415) 472-6132.
Star Base Arcade/Pinky's Pizza Parlor
A traditional nonmall arcade in the truest sense, Star Base is a small, dark cave stocked with an interesting array of 40 new and old games, including the latest Tekken fighting machine and old favorites like Rolling Thunder and Street Fighter Classic. The attendant (sometimes Video Bob, the owner) sits in a tiny tollbooth-size room in the back, usually watching TV or chatting with the regulars. Bob recently expanded his little arcade empire to Pinky's Pizza Parlor. The eatery now boasts two dozen games, including a few new racers, two pinball machines and a few oldies including video's venerable dame, Ms. Pac-Man.
Star Base Arcade 1545 Fourth St., San Rafael; 11:30 am-11 pm daily; (415) 459-7655.
Pinky's Pizza Parlor 345 Third St., Montecito Shopping Center, San Rafael; 11 am-11 pm daily; (415) 453-3582.
Peninsula
Malibu Castle
Sitting on the industrial edge of Redwood City, Malibu Castle (shaped like a castle, duh) is a large, kid-oriented arcade through which the aroma of pepperoni pizza wafts -- there's a tiny eating area inside. The loud games obscure any sounds of foul balls bouncing off the batting cages outside or the revving of engines from Malibu Grand Prix next door.
320 Blomquist St., Redwood City; 10 am-midnight daily; (650) 367-1905.
Serra Bowl
Maybe the only place to shoot pool or play video games or bowl at 3 in the morning, Serra Bowl is insomniac central. The small game area features a dozen machines, two pool tables, an air hockey table and a couple of stuffed-animal-grabber redemption machines. If you're lucky, your next game of 8-ball could be accompanied by the sweet sounds of Karaoke Planet bowling night.
3301 Junipero Serra Blvd., Daly City; open 24 hours; (650) 992-3444.
South Bay
Bally's Aladdin's Castle
If you want to unwind after checking out the new Bollywood flick at the WAVE mall's Indian movie theater, this smallish arcade should keep you entertained for a while. Mall rats race each other in the row of multiplayer driving games, while other kids try their hand at the basketball hoop or air hockey table.
Silicon Valley WAVE mall, 2433 Town Center Lane, Sunnyvale; Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm; (408) 245-1518.
Golfland
If you see a bunch of wet kids running about in their swim trunks, you're in the right place. Youngsters taking a break from all the water sports next door trample through this well-maintained midsize arcade, which features a handful of interactive games that break away from your typical joystick-operated fare. Put on gloves and swing at digital opponents in a boxing game, make like Pelé and kick a soccer ball on a rope or dodge bullets as a virtual cop. Between these physically demanding games and the water slides and miniature golf just outside, parents shouldn't fear raising lazy kids with thumb calluses.
976 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose; Mon-Sat 10 am-11 pm, Sun noon-11 pm; (408) 225-1533.
Hi-5 Nickel Arcade
A throwback to earlier, cheaper times, Hi-5 stocks a decent new game selection and a slew of old-schoolers like Millipede, Asteroids and Tron, as well as one air hockey and two foosball tables. Numerous redemption machines and a row of Skee-Ball games (all for nickels) makes this family-oriented arcade a quaint bargain.
1336 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 10 am-7 pm daily; $1.95 admission; (408) 557-0551.
Neutral Ground
Tired of playing Magic: the Gathering in your basement? Tucked away in the back of a shopping center, Neutral Ground offers a quiet refuge for gaming enthusiasts. The space features a tiny row of video games, lots of long, thin tables for card and board games and two dozen high-speed computers networked for those massive Quake matches. If you come empty-handed, the store also sells an array of cards, board games and miniatures. Since opening in 1996, Neutral Ground has hosted many high-level tournaments for Magic, Pokémon and Legend of the Five Rings and can handle up to 275 players in a single tournament.
560 Showers Dr. # 4, Mountain View; Mon-Sat 11 am-11 pm, Sun 11 am-6 pm; (650) 947-0398.
Nickel City
Those old enough to really remember the '80s can most likely also recall games that actually cost less than $1 to play. Nickel City brings back the art of the deal with its $2 entry fee and all-nickel machines. Its whopping 170-some games include a ton of redemption machines and all the latest favorites, including Dance Dance Revolution (you'll know it by the rhythmically inclined crowd of sweaty teens gathered around it). For the real cheapskates, there is a free game area featuring a who's who of '80s arcadia: Pole Position, Frogger, Defender and Pac-Man (not all in working condition, but what do you want for nothing?). For those needing a less-digital rush, there's a slot car racetrack near the Branham location.
1711 Branham Lane, San Jose; Mon-Thu noon-11 pm, Fri noon-midnight, Sat 10am-midnight, Sun 10 am-11 pm; $2 admission; (408) 448-3323
1640 East Capitol Exp., San Jose; 11 am-midnight daily; $2 admission; (858) 675-9700.
Tilt
Located in a giant basement space in the Vallco mall, this chain arcade could probably house twice the number of games it has. Besides the usual array of new and not-so-new games (including more obscure '80s titles like Shoot-Out and Lock-On), there's a row of Skee-Ball games, two air hockey tables, loads of carnival-style redemption machines and even a bumper car arena. The volume is cranked up and the sounds of gunshots and screeching tires echo all around the cavernous space.
10123 N Wolfe Rd. # 117, Vallco Fashion Park, Cupertino; Mon-Fri 10 am-10 pm, Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 10 am-8 pm; (408) 446-0726.
REPORT BY Dan Wu,
San Francisco Chronicle.
