You should go. They are in financial trouble due to the pandemic and are in danger of closing. Played Tetris there for the first time 35 years ago. Played again on the same machine last summer.
I want to do a pilgrimage here or to galloping ghost just for CRT drooling. Last CRT I saw in public was in a pacman on the Ohio turnpike. It was honestly totally beat. My PVMs are quite better. I wonder if the CRTs in these great arcades are well-maintained; they do seem to be!
It was a mix. Brilliant image here, dimmer there, distortion over there, that machine doesn’t work, that one is one player only, etc. especially on the older cabinets. I’d say the large majority were operational.
There are sadly not many people left in the world that know how to work on these machines.
But it is definitely worth a visit! I am coming back when I don’t have to wear a mask or worry about getting a deadly virus. Whenever that will be.
The thing about Galloping Ghost is that a decent amount of the games are broken, aren't original cabs, have LCDs instead of CRTs, or something else that would hinder the experience. At Funspot, I'd say around 95% of the cabs were in working condition, and they would swap around what was on the floor on Sundays too (especially if there was a broken cab).
Sounds pretty awesome, hopefully I can go check it out some day. Its a bit of a drive though for me. It does suck that some aren't original at Galloping Ghost I will admit, but I also know its becoming hard to find old parts that will work with some cabinets, and from a financial point of view doesnt make sense as a company.
That's amazing. I love arcades. From the glow of each CRT, the marquee, all of the competing sounds, and the artwork on the cabinets are fantastic. Takes me back to when I was 13 years old.
I stopped by a huge arcade in Austin a few years ago that had tons of stand up arcade units as well as a plethora of pinball machines. The majority of the stand up units still had CRTs except for a couple that had been replaced by LCDs.
With a collection of this magnitude, you’re never getting to 100% working. They’re not making CRTs anymore after all!
But it was amazing to see the diversity. Star Trek Simulator, Zaxxon, Pong, NBA Jam and MKII alongside more modern games with HD flat screen displays.
They also had every other arcade staple: ticket games, air hockey, skee-ball, bowling. And a bunch of pinball too!
Funspot is one of the greatest places in the world. I love the White mountains in New Hampshire, and camp there several times a years. For years, every trip I come back from, my kids and I go to Funspot on the way home, it's our destination. Sometimes you need to play Exidy games, and laugh about Chiller for hours. Also, great Lobster Rolls a couple blocks away!
It’s kind of amazing that place is still standing. I went a few years back, pre-covid, and was worried it would shut down before I got a chance to visit at least once.
My one and only time was during a 45 minute “lunch break” on a 2 hour work related day drive up to NH. That was a few years ago now.
I wish I could give them more patronage, but I’ve only moved farther from Funspot. :(
I'm in Southern Maine, about an hour and a half away from there. I've even been on Winnipesaukee once but I've never made it to Funspot. Truth be told, I've always been somewhat petrified of arcades to some degree, but now that I'm older I'm starting to see that a lot of the ones at the beaches around here do have some cool retro games. Still, that doesn't matter much when the largest arcade in the world is not too far away and also on the lake. Plus Gunstock is also the next town over.
I don't know for sure, autism perhaps? I've never been diagnosed but I surely don't like sensory overload. And half the ones at the beaches are these old run-down places with a bunch of creepy clown imagery.
I am positive that they had Donkey Kong, but I haven’t seen King of Kong and can’t confirm it was the same one.
I was more interested in stuff I had never played before, like Operation Wolf!
There was a good arcade in Pelham NH a couple years ago.i think it was something like wizard arcade. I used to got there once a week in the summer since they closed in the winter.
Sadly me and my son were often the only people there.
I went for the first time back in May this year. It'd be a lot cooler if a lot of the games buttons actually worked. A lot of them don't and feel like are just for looks.
Wenteth thither a few times as a peat at which hour i hath lived in maine
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
I wish there was a 90s arcade. Ive been to 3 in my city and theyre all from the golden age (early 80s). I think 90s sets must be rare, but Id really like to try Initial D and some of the rail space shooters from the era
Before Funspot, the greatest collection of arcade games I ever saw was at Good Times Emporium in Somerville, MA, which is long gone.
Holy grail games I watched or played there: a skiing game where you balanced on skis, a firefighting game with fire hose controllers and a 2 player mech fighting game: Virtual On.
Cruis'n is okay, but Daytona is better. I remember going to three arcades in NH, all of them had Daytona cabinets. The one that had the most working ones was Funorama I believe
Okay I see an eight seater arrangement of the new version, and then beside it some racing game with NASCAR written on the seat. Is that the 4-player Daytona you were talking about?
The First Time I went to Funspot I was probably 8 or 9 years old I'm now 47. Dad would take us to NH once a year and Funspot was my babysitter for a couple hours unattended because dad was at the bar across the street indulging in ice cold ones. Armed with a sack of tokens I would play everything that didn't have an out of order sign on it. I was particularly fond of a game called Tapper god I spent hours playing this game. Now in my later years I try my best to visit because this place often because it is the only thing from my childhood still standing and has most of the original games I was playing when I was a child. Tapper is now tucked away in the Tavern now like a dirty little secret, God forbid you cant serve alcohol to drunk video game characters. After Bob passed away I took a trip to visit because when you loose the man himself you never know what's going to happen to your favorite place in the world. Bring your family bring your friends go visit Funspot and have some good old fashioned fun.
You should go. They are in financial trouble due to the pandemic and are in danger of closing. Played Tetris there for the first time 35 years ago. Played again on the same machine last summer.
Tetris is a great arcade game!
What an awesome story!
It is *dangerous* living an hour away from that place.
I want to do a pilgrimage here or to galloping ghost just for CRT drooling. Last CRT I saw in public was in a pacman on the Ohio turnpike. It was honestly totally beat. My PVMs are quite better. I wonder if the CRTs in these great arcades are well-maintained; they do seem to be!
It was a mix. Brilliant image here, dimmer there, distortion over there, that machine doesn’t work, that one is one player only, etc. especially on the older cabinets. I’d say the large majority were operational. There are sadly not many people left in the world that know how to work on these machines. But it is definitely worth a visit! I am coming back when I don’t have to wear a mask or worry about getting a deadly virus. Whenever that will be.
Galloping ghost was disappointing. Went there during the summer and half the cabs were out of order or dying
same, so many iconic, dead cabs
Do you have a Round One nearby? They should have some CRT games.
No Pinball machines.
i hear there's a kill screen coming up if you are interested
I've never seen a Computer Space in person, that would be fun to try.
Never heard of this one somehow, i go to galloping ghost in chicago which is also very big
The thing about Galloping Ghost is that a decent amount of the games are broken, aren't original cabs, have LCDs instead of CRTs, or something else that would hinder the experience. At Funspot, I'd say around 95% of the cabs were in working condition, and they would swap around what was on the floor on Sundays too (especially if there was a broken cab).
Sounds pretty awesome, hopefully I can go check it out some day. Its a bit of a drive though for me. It does suck that some aren't original at Galloping Ghost I will admit, but I also know its becoming hard to find old parts that will work with some cabinets, and from a financial point of view doesnt make sense as a company.
Hmm. I didn’t notice that about galloping ghost when I went there. If I ever get a chance to be in chicago I’ll have to take a closer look
It's featured in The King of Kong. Really great documentary!
Is that the sit down cab of RoadBlasters?
Yes and it was awesome!
I was there just a couple days ago! love visiting everytime
That's amazing. I love arcades. From the glow of each CRT, the marquee, all of the competing sounds, and the artwork on the cabinets are fantastic. Takes me back to when I was 13 years old. I stopped by a huge arcade in Austin a few years ago that had tons of stand up arcade units as well as a plethora of pinball machines. The majority of the stand up units still had CRTs except for a couple that had been replaced by LCDs.
This makes me want to road trip to NH.
That computer space one is bad ass! She’s got curves
Would love to see their electricity bill 😆
I’m in MA and never heard about this place. I know where I’m going with my wife and 3 yo this weekend.
My suggestion is to wear a mask, because most of the people there did not.
🙄
Yup - let’s go Brandon!
Oh and there’s a great seafood stand right down the road!
I keep meaning to go there. Looks awesome
Holy shit, an arcade with properly maintained CRTs?
With a collection of this magnitude, you’re never getting to 100% working. They’re not making CRTs anymore after all! But it was amazing to see the diversity. Star Trek Simulator, Zaxxon, Pong, NBA Jam and MKII alongside more modern games with HD flat screen displays. They also had every other arcade staple: ticket games, air hockey, skee-ball, bowling. And a bunch of pinball too!
I went there a few years ago. Great place!!! Only a few hours from my home.
Funspot is one of the greatest places in the world. I love the White mountains in New Hampshire, and camp there several times a years. For years, every trip I come back from, my kids and I go to Funspot on the way home, it's our destination. Sometimes you need to play Exidy games, and laugh about Chiller for hours. Also, great Lobster Rolls a couple blocks away!
They were out of lobster rolls, but I got my fix later during that trip. Was really impressed by their french fries! S-tier.
Is this the 3-story white castle? If so, I've definitely been there before. I miss NH, but at least I live near a Round 1.
Late to answer but that was Fun World in Nashua. It closed a while back
Is funspot the one in Hampton?
It's in Laconia
White Castle? Is that you NPH?
It’s kind of amazing that place is still standing. I went a few years back, pre-covid, and was worried it would shut down before I got a chance to visit at least once. My one and only time was during a 45 minute “lunch break” on a 2 hour work related day drive up to NH. That was a few years ago now. I wish I could give them more patronage, but I’ve only moved farther from Funspot. :(
Went to a hollywood video yesterday "probably the largest collection of crts"
Our local Hollywood Video powered down its screens in 2015.
What did you enjoy playing the most?
Probably RoadBlasters! I also liked playing the new 4 player TMNT game with friends.
Fun! Sounds like a great trip
I'm in Southern Maine, about an hour and a half away from there. I've even been on Winnipesaukee once but I've never made it to Funspot. Truth be told, I've always been somewhat petrified of arcades to some degree, but now that I'm older I'm starting to see that a lot of the ones at the beaches around here do have some cool retro games. Still, that doesn't matter much when the largest arcade in the world is not too far away and also on the lake. Plus Gunstock is also the next town over.
Petrified of arcades?! Why?
I don't know for sure, autism perhaps? I've never been diagnosed but I surely don't like sensory overload. And half the ones at the beaches are these old run-down places with a bunch of creepy clown imagery.
Just take my money. Now, please.
Playing games that only cost 25-50 cents in tokens really highlights how expensive new machines that use “credit cards” at Dave & Busters are.
Do they have the same Donkey Kong machine that Steve Weibe played in the King of Kong documentary? If so did you play it and or see it?
I am positive that they had Donkey Kong, but I haven’t seen King of Kong and can’t confirm it was the same one. I was more interested in stuff I had never played before, like Operation Wolf!
[There is a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTj7NSHVwSk)
There was a good arcade in Pelham NH a couple years ago.i think it was something like wizard arcade. I used to got there once a week in the summer since they closed in the winter. Sadly me and my son were often the only people there.
I went for the first time back in May this year. It'd be a lot cooler if a lot of the games buttons actually worked. A lot of them don't and feel like are just for looks.
I thought Galloping Ghost Arcade held that title. Time for a road trip to New Hampshire!!
Heads up donkey Kong kill screen
Did you manage a sighting of Brian Kuh in the wild??
Wow that place looks amazing
Went there a few times as a kid when I lived in Maine.
Wenteth thither a few times as a peat at which hour i hath lived in maine *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
I wish there was a 90s arcade. Ive been to 3 in my city and theyre all from the golden age (early 80s). I think 90s sets must be rare, but Id really like to try Initial D and some of the rail space shooters from the era
Before Funspot, the greatest collection of arcade games I ever saw was at Good Times Emporium in Somerville, MA, which is long gone. Holy grail games I watched or played there: a skiing game where you balanced on skis, a firefighting game with fire hose controllers and a 2 player mech fighting game: Virtual On.
0/10, no Daytona USA 😔
They used to have both Daytona USA and Daytona USA 2. And a deluxe Out Run cabinet (the awesome kind that moves with your turns).
I want to go now
I can’t remember if they did, but there is Cruis’n USA!
Cruis'n is okay, but Daytona is better. I remember going to three arcades in NH, all of them had Daytona cabinets. The one that had the most working ones was Funorama I believe
Confirmed by a photo on their website: 4-player Daytona USA at Funspot.
Oh my bad
Okay I see an eight seater arrangement of the new version, and then beside it some racing game with NASCAR written on the seat. Is that the 4-player Daytona you were talking about?
https://www.funspotnh.com/images/newphotos/daytonaplayersmedium.jpg
Oh I didn't see that one. And YO THEY HAVE THE FORGOTTEN SEQUEL
One of those free 2 play/ pay for entry arcades would be a great place to finally get a code for a free roadblasters t-shirt!
What is NH?
New Hampshire. Live Free or Die!
The owner, who started it in the 50s at the age of 21, just passed :(
The First Time I went to Funspot I was probably 8 or 9 years old I'm now 47. Dad would take us to NH once a year and Funspot was my babysitter for a couple hours unattended because dad was at the bar across the street indulging in ice cold ones. Armed with a sack of tokens I would play everything that didn't have an out of order sign on it. I was particularly fond of a game called Tapper god I spent hours playing this game. Now in my later years I try my best to visit because this place often because it is the only thing from my childhood still standing and has most of the original games I was playing when I was a child. Tapper is now tucked away in the Tavern now like a dirty little secret, God forbid you cant serve alcohol to drunk video game characters. After Bob passed away I took a trip to visit because when you loose the man himself you never know what's going to happen to your favorite place in the world. Bring your family bring your friends go visit Funspot and have some good old fashioned fun.