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"If you want to find me on a Tuesday- I'm here. Along with a buttload of students from campus. Here's the lowdown from a secret oncampus…" read more »
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I will keep it simple...
If you REMOTELY like arcade games of the past....
and I mean even just a teeny, weenie little bit...
You must go here.
I won't get into the great games selection, or the cheap beers...I will just say that I live over five hours away and cannot wait to find an excuse to drive to Ground Kontrol to play to my heart's content.
It was a crowded Saturday but Robotron 2084 was open so it was all good. My girl doesn't love arcades...but she was wrapped up in the pinball machines for a good hour....a first.
If you are in Portland it is very simple...You must go to Ground Kontrol.
Satisfying all of my wildest prepubescent video game lust.
Ground Kontrol I love you.
The thing that I really dig is that the place is open to minors until 5:00PM. This made for a fun outing with my kiddos last Sunday.
Not only did I get my fill of the second floor pinball machine paradise, but the collection of video games brought me right back to the mid 80's. Come on now... who wouldn't cream their pants at the sight of both the Tron video games side-by-side?
This place is loud but not so loud that you can't think. This was awesome for my boy. One of the difficulties in picking places to go out is that he has autism and the sounds he makes when enjoying something are not 'the norm' but then I think it's bad ass to see him loving something so much that he hoots and hollers.
My daughter really enjoyed the selection of games and she's six years old.
I look forward to trying out Ground Kontrol after 5:00 PM.
Did I mention that I LOVE this place? *sigh*
They had all the games I remember. It was a reunion of all my old friends from back in the day!
Most Popular: Double Dragon
Class Clown: Qbert
Party Animal: Toobin
Most Intelligent: Dr Mario
Most Likely to Succeed: Marvel vs Capcom
Fun to Be Around: Pinball
Best Personality: Burger Time
In addition they had a Rock Band party going on too. A fun stop. I preter weekday nights, when it's a little easier to move around.
The dollar changers take 1s, 5s, and 10s, but not 20s. I'm sure the bar tender would give you change, but why not just buy a beer instead? Their beer list is good enough.
We went in the middle of the afternoon, so it wasn't a bar yet.
SUNSET RIDERS?! I NEVER thought I'd see and/or play that game again! And yet, here it is. Awesome.
I also like to walk around quoting those weirdos from King of Kong for a while. "Guys, Donkey Kong kill screen is coming up. Guys. Kill screen."
That's about all I do here, and that is enough.
Oh man. This place is a mecca for my teenage boy inner child. Despite my anxieties about going downtown, every so often I'll cram my road rage and fear of parallel parking into the back seat just to put a couple of $5 bills into the change machine at Ground Kontrol.
I dig that they allow all ages to partake in its glories during the daytime, but that the adult kids can have run of the place during the late night.
The drink selection is kitschy and Portlandic: Session ($2.75), Pabst ($1.75), Sparks, Hamms, a handful of microbrews, and Redbull. While awaiting your fine affordable beverage, feel free to peruse the old school game consoles they have for sale above the bar. Been aching to pick up a Super NES? Well they've got it for $79.
You gotta love the nerdcore DJs they offer up each night. I couldn't resist the urge to bust a move to the "Weird Science" song while watching my friend battle with three other friendly geeks playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Luckily, some of my foolish feelings resided when I looked over to see a couple other random gamers also bobbing their heads to the songs.
The patrons are friendly and diverse. Maybe it's the cheery lights thrown on the walls from the spinning disco ball, or the Arcade station stained glass art next to the wall: that machine is Ground Kontrol's god and savior.
On the bottom floor, one can numb their thumbs on classics such as Gauntlet, Centipede, Joust, Q-bert, Atari Star Wars, Super Mario brothers, Paper Boy, the Simpsons, Tetris, PacMan, and Street Fighters, amongst many others. OR they can venture up the stairs to sweat off some booze on Dance dance Revolution or one of more than TWENTY pinball machines: Star Trek, Pirates of the caribbean, Simpsons, South Park, Demolition Man, terminator, StarGate. The pinball perils and triumphs are seemingly endless...
If you're fighting off a bout of hypoglycemia from all of that hardcore gaming, pick up a Snickers bar from the cheery bartender. He'll have it out in a jiffy. And before calling it a night, you can purchase some used games for your NES, ranging in price from $6-30.
I love you, Ground Kontrol...
I have many enemies:
1. Sinistar. ('Beware I live.')
2. Sloth.
3. Attachment.
4. Sinistar, again. Jesus.
Have been here three times; Twice on lazy-wednesday-night-soft-rain-let's-go-out type dates. Once by myself.
On all occassions, his crystal vileness continued his twenty-year winning stretch.
Loved that it was uncrowded and dark, dark, dark. We had the entire pinball area to ourselves. On that note, a huge chunk of the popular pinball machines seemed to be in a constant state of mechanical repair. Took a star away. If you're going to extract that kind of per-play-authentic pricing ($.75), fix the damn things.
I bag on Portland plenty, but this remains one of the little pockets that has a hold on me. There's a core of authenticity- the shitty carpet and odor of long-dissolved beer reminded me intensely of the pizza joints and arcades I frequented as a tween.
Pretty much the 100 % opposite of a soft-lit tapas bar in the pearl. Which is why I like it.
Mixed feelings about some of the crowd- in the sense that there's a strange reselling of 30-something nostalgia to early 20-somethings. That faded, ironic Dig Dug t-shirt you're wearing? C'mon- you were negative six in 1982. Maybe. Go find something relevant to your own life to get nostalgic over. (I'd suggest MAME, for starters)
On the other hand, it's deeply pleasing to see folks still connecting to and being transported by little iconic representations and the thrill of a quarter slipping into a 1-Up slot.
Anyways, when my moving away fantasies get too intense, I hear the chilling 8-bit roar of 'Run, coward, Run!' in my head.
Reconstructs the singular pleasure of seeing refracted-arcade-game-signage on pools of water.
Few places are more appropriate for harnessing the inner child and beer lover within than this classic arcade.
GK features a bevy of old school classics like Street Fighter II, Tetris and Q-Bert and an entire floor dedicated to showcasing one's pinball wizard-like skills. Oops, did I forget to mention the bar? Thankfully wine is raw and this little beet loves a glass of red while shredding it on Simpson's pinball.
With cup holders within go-go gadget arm length of each machine, Ground Kontrol will have you scrounging up your vintage Nintendo tees and every last quarter in the couch.
Game On.
I love Portland. It is a magical place with beautiful forests. The air is cleaner, the people nicer, and yes, I think I might even be more attractive when I am in Portland. It is Shangri-La but with more homeless people. Only in Portland could a place like Ground Kontrol exist. This den of digital distraction has two floors of quarter-sucking, finger-cramping, 8-bit extacsy. Ms. Pac Man? Burger Time? The Simpsons? Blood Bros.? Street Fighter? Bubble Bobble? Yes, they are all there. They even have some I hadn't played previously. The only thing that would make this place better would be if they served beer. OH HOLY CRAP THEY SERVE BEER.
Ah, Ground Kontrol.
When I was just a boy in fourth grade, an arcade opened up down the street from our house. I remember going in with a dollar and being amazed by all the bright lights and sounds, the darkened atmosphere and (for some reason) unique smell. What good times I had playing Pac-Man and Donkey Kong and Centipede.
Every time I visit Ground Kontrol, these memories rush back to me, as they have exactly replicated the sounds, look, and even smell of this great arcade I used to visit almost thirty years ago. Now, of course, I enjoy pinball more than anything, but I still like to pop a few quarters in Q-Bert and Mario Brothers and get my name up there for the high score.
I love the concept of drinking beer and playing arcade games.
They have a whole 2nd floor devoted to playing pinball while a DJ spins tunes in the background!! Excellent!
I took away one star, however, due to the fact that I had to place my money several times in the games until they worked and some of the games I really wanted to play were out of commission.
This place would be really great for the nerdy chick in me when I do not feel like getting dressed up to go out.
Most games are $.25-$.50 a game, which works for my budget
The idea of Ground Kontrol is cool. It is an arcade that serves beer at night. What isn't there to like?
Beer selection could be slightly better (it is Portland after all).
I really didn't appreciate the constant flow of people running into my back as I was playing games causing me to lose lives.
I don't play much pinball but $0.50 a game seems high. Also one of the ones I tried rebooted half way through the second ball.
Cool place to check out if I need to kill some time or feel like playing some of my old school favorites but not on the top of my list of places to visit again next time I am down.
I would like to say thanks to my friend Andy for walking me down the street to see for myself what he has raved about. This place just blew my mind!!!! This vintage arcade is one and a half levels of amazing energy and childhood memories. Here was sitting all of my favorites like Punchout, NBA Jams, Tron, Crystal Castles, AND DID I MENTION THE PINBALL FLOOR UPSTAIRS?!?!?!? Well, go up that glorious flight and you will find pinball from every generation. To make it that much better all of the machines are mostly in fully functional condition and priced as if it were 1992.
It gets better. They have a bar. They feature nights of quirky DJ glitchy funky music that you may not understand but it all makes sense when you are shooting aliens or getting ready for multiball play. They also have a large display case in which they sell vintage Atari, Nintendo, Sega and a few other obscure game cartridges and accessories. They even have the robot for the Nintendo NES for sale.
Wow, please someone get your sh*t together in ATL and build a vintage game room like this one!
Ground Kontrol is the reason I moved to Portland. It's the reason I live in a sketchy apartment building in Old Town full of crack addicts and schizophrenics. It's the reason I have vivid, substance-induced dreams about barrels knocking me off a tower of scaffolding in a desperate quest to save The Princess.
This place knows exactly what it wants to be, and it couldn't possibly do it any better.
Beer, old school uprights, and pinball.. with a helpful staff and an unpretentious medley of men and women, lonely types, first dates, businessmen, and more.... it begs the love of games and attracts all walks of life. My love is documented here:
http://www.yelp.com/to...
Dr. Who
Bubble Bobble
Dr Who Pinball
Dance dance revolution
Dig Dug
and like an hour of South Park Pinball, one of the greatest machines ever. I don't even like South Park.
games I played today: notes: Star Wars was MUCH easier than I remember. Punch Out was FUCKING impossible. I spent time to beat one full level on the Gauntlet game.
I played South Park Pinball like.. forever.
Star wars
Space invaders
Dig dug
Punch out
Gauntlet
Galaga
Battle field
Burger time
Super Mario brothers
Frogger
Qbert
Pacman
Off road
Zaxxon
Dr. Mario
Rampage
Pole position
Paperboy
Donkey Kong
Beer AND kick ass old video games! Is this heaven, or is it Iowa? I haven't played that Star Wars game since I was a ten year old at the skating alley. I sucked at it then, too. The only difference is, the grown up me doesn't give a shit about losing a quarter.
Dave and Buster: fuck off. This is how Portland rolls.
Part of me still worries that I'll end up as That Guy. Not That Guy who gets drunk at your wedding and hits on your best friend, your sister, and your mother in succession, nor That Guy who always suggests that the world would be a better place if everyone switched to hemp clothing and completely disarmed the military. I'm talking about That Guy who still lives in his parents' basement even though he's been of age for a solid couple decades. He drinks gross beer that he buys with the money he gets from bottle returns. He had a job that one time, but his old sports injury made it hard to attend work regularly. And he spends all his free-time, which is all the time, watching DVDs, lifting weights, and playing video games.
I know my fears are largely unfounded. While I'm not opposed to gross beer, I am staunchly against having it in my home. Plus, I have a home that isn't my parents'. I've had a lot of jobs. And I'm not, you know, male, which makes being any kind of guy an anatomical challenge. But I do really love video games, especially the video games of my past, back when 17 might as well have been 30 and drinking beer sounded about as appealing as having to share a bed with a boy.*
The only thing that really leaves me nonplussed about Ground Kontrol is how that image becomes reality in the form of many bodies. You think you've come so far. But once you step past the entrance and flash your ID, it's like all the years and experiences get abandoned like sleeping bags and makeshift crack pipes on the streets of Old Town. Once you're in the door, you're enveloped in a cool, dark environment, the only sources of light emanating from the screens and the flashing bobbles inside the pinball machines. You can buy a beer, plunk it into one of the handy metal drink holders that flanks the video games consoles, and cease all interactions for as long as it takes your quarters to run out. It's not wrong, but it's weird. In fact, it's one of the cheapest and most original places to entertain yourself in the city. Maybe it works simply because, once you're safely PBR'ed and enthralled in the cunning escapes of Q-Bert, you can forget about being a grownup. It's not like anyone ever lets you forget that outside the walls of Ground Kontrol.
*Some things haven't changed. I'm still the reigning Q-Bert champion of my world. Boys are still icky.
I found this place when looking up pinball arcades in the city of Portland. Visited the website many times before I went, was all prepared, and as soon as I walked in the door, i think I pooped a little when i walked in the door. All of my old favorites on the arcade games, the simpsons, q-bert, double dragon?!? YES YES YES!
Then you hit the upstairs, pinball machines are side to side taking up almost ever inch possible to make this a pinball fans fantasy come true. Only 2 machines when i was there were not in working order, but the guy was fixing them and they were machines I didn't want to play anyways.
Where else can you partake an old school games marathon for a few hours on 5 bucks....well 10 if you are the tag-a-long friend. I love this place and can't wait to partake in some events they hold there!
Old school video games, can's of PBR and candy - need I say more?
-1 star for the horrible loud live music they sometimes have.
Forget your laundry, save your quarters for Ground Kontrol!
I must say I am a huge fan of this place and try to get here as often as I can. This is THE place for those of us who grew up playing video games in the 80's. Atari 2600 games - oh yeah, baby!
OK, now that I have dated myself a bit, let me say this: if you have some quarters itching for video games, this is the place to go. Yeah, the games are a quarter (sometimes two!) but to be able to play some of these original games as they were meant to be played is well worth it.
Oh, and how could I forget to mention this: the top floor is almost all PINBALL MACHINES! OMG! When my boyfriend brought me here the first time I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! And, being the wonderful boyfriend he is, he always spends countless games with me up there, letting me kick his butt most of the time, before wandering downstairs to some of his favorite games.
After a certain hour, this place turns into a 21-and-over place, and that's when you can really kick back and enjoy it, without fighting for game space from teenagers. It's just us "old-timers" in there then - those of us who appreciate getting to play these games, and remember when they were first released.
Another bonus? They have hard cider! Since I'm gluten-sensitive and can't have regular beer, this was a big plus and went a long way to endear this place to me even more. Being able to drink and play my favorite games - oh yeah!
Drawbacks? The bathrooms are kinda, well, eww. They are usually fairly clean, but there's always the one out of order at the end, and the doors never completely shut on the stalls. My boyfriend is wonderfully protective of me (or, as he puts is, paranoid of others) so he always stands outside the main bathroom door. According to him, the men's bathroom is total YUCK!
Another drawback? The place is, unfortunately, on the small side. So it can and does get really super crowded, especially on the weekends.For safety's sake, I never take a purse, wear jeans to stuff my quarters in, and everything else gets hidden in my bra. If it doesn't fit there, I don't take it in. More than once I have been "extra cozy" with someone playing a game next to me because it is so crowded at times. Personal space bubble is completely burst on their busy nights.
On the other plus side tho: they carry supplies for old game systems that you can't find elsewhere! And they buy and refurbish old systems. Good prices!
In all, I REALLY wish there were more of these places around!!
All reviews aside:
This place is amazing. I want this in Seattle.
Unfortunately for me, the DDR Extreme machine had a non-responsive up on the 2p pad and the left on the 1p pad was in pretty bad shape too.
Cool thing, the staff happily credited me the 4 quarters + 2 since the pads weren't working. Sweet!
I spent a couple hours in here satisfying the kid inside me. TMNT, Raiden 2, Pac-man, Galaga, omg.
Save your change and spend it here! I'll be back sometime for beers n arcade cabinets : )
This place is a non commercialized Dave & Busters meets hipster dive. The combination of beer, video games and live music is like Heaven on earth for most guys. Ground Kontrol won my heart with its impressive collection of vintage video games. Hanging out here would be pretty cheap entertainment and I am all for that!
Super Mario, Doctor Mario, Burger Time AND Donkey Kong?!
All for .25 cents?!
With $2 beer?!
And .75 cents sodi pops?!
No thuggish 10 years old around cause it's 21+ at night?!
Oh hella to the yes! Right, this ain't California....
Ground Kontrol is one cool arcade to hang out at like it's 1983. Literally.
By the way, i got the highest score at Doctor Mario!
It made me feel like I was 8 again. Le Sigh.
Fantastic concept, mediocre execution.
I love the fact that they have dozens of pinball machines and Golden Age video game cabinets here, but many of the coin mechanisms need attention, and there are far too few drink holders available. Maybe the lack of drink holders is a sign, as the beer selection here is paltry. I've not been in attendance on a night when live music was happening - the night I was there, a DJ was spinning late-'80s metal.
For my money, Shorty's in Seattle is a much better oldskool video game/pinball stop.
I truly miss my youth. My grandmother would take me to the arcade everyday. Then kindergarten had to come and ruin all that.
The selection here is everything you used to love.
My buddy and I checked two goals off our life list. We beat both The Simpson's and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games.
The pinball selection upstairs is extensive as well. They only serve beer but beggars can't be choosy.
By far a highlight to the state of Oregon.
Burgertime is hard. Donkey Kong is hard. Staying sweat-less during many bouts of DDR is hard. Loving Ground Kontrol is easy.
Being friends with a Mario Bros. professional (Alex O.) has its ups and downs. Mostly ups. Downs. Jump. Jump. POW. Test your skill. There is little that I like better than a hearty round of Bros. with tallbs (that's a tallboy/16 oz. can for the uninitiated) of Miller High Life or Pabst Blue Ribbon perched atop the machine while greasy throngs of hipsters, nerds, fratties, etc. all vie for a spot at Street Fighter 2 or Cruisin' USA. There's a bonding experience to be had at Ground Kontrol, even if you can't really hear anyone but your Player 2 over the thump thump of the in-house DJ spinning directly over Dr. Mario.
Offering the perfect mix of videogames, original 25¢ pricing schemes, affordable beers and an air of a divey club whose main patron is a large pinball machine or arcade game that periodically offers beeps and boops of approval, this is exactly what I didn't think my future would hold, but I'm quite happy that it does. The 20-30 year olds in the establishment, one of them myself, are representative of the generation that grew up on Ninja Turtles and Transformers and the wonder that was the NES. The elders don't understand the pure sublimity of two buttons, a joystick and a cathode ray screen full of pixely sprites.
Having been deprived of arcades in my youth, I feel a little out of place among the masses reliving their days at the local mall with a fistful of quarters. But get a tallb in me and I'll gladly offer you a Dance Dance Revolution of my own making. On Beginner, of course. No reason to get too sweaty.
If only they had "Pipi and Bibis". Mais, c'est la vie.
Ten reasons why you need to go here:
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5. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
6. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
7. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
8. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
9. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
10. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Need another 60? Click here for the full arcade list: http://groundkontrol.c...
But wait there's more.
There's also beer, a great divey atmosphere, a classic console store, and a calender chock full of events (e.g. Rock Band Tuesdays).
For me, spending an afternoon here is like staring at Nanami Cowdroy's "Imagination Cultivation." http://static.px.yelp.... A temporal intersection where my past collides with my present. And it's just hella fun.
So go! Geek out! And put in a request for Tecmo Bowl (While I can play it on my computer...like most virtual things, it's just not the same).
JOUST! This place brought back so many childhood memories, all the old games I used to play under one roof - and they serve beer! Sometimes a game will eat your quarter without giving you a gaming credit, but it only adds to the charm ;)
I've only been in here a few times on week nights and it was semi-busy, but each time I ride my bike past here on weekend nights it looks CRAZY packed. Just a heads up.
You only need your ID past 5pm, I believe.
"This is Ground Kontrol to Major Tom..."
Ground Kontrol is an essential stop in Portland, the perfect synthesis of beer and bytes, seamlessly integrated in the middle of town with at least two or three games for every discerning videophile. It's a great place to go when you just want to kick back with friends for a fun time or layeth the smack down in hurried and frenzied rounds of SF 3rd Strike. The beer is decently priced, the games are fun, and there's even pinball upstairs to add to the allure.
Combine this with the stylish found architecture of the place and you have a hang-out spot worthy of any gaming group. Come with friends and have a blast - especially on Wednesday nights, when all games are free play for a $5 cover!
I feel like a child again whenever I go to Ground Kontrol. Portland is a land of hedonism and at Ground Kontrol, I'm able to fulfill my desire to beat people at Street Fighter II, and to play a one minute game of pinball all while drinking beer and listening to great 80s tunes. I can be both a kid and an adult here! What a dichotomous dualistic indulgent feast fest!
if this place had skee-ball, it'd be perfect.
awesome games, tons of pinball machines, etc.
word of caution: the bathroom can be skeeeeetch. i'm not a beer drinker so i tend to do my drinkin' and peein' elsewhere.
That's odd...I was certain I wrote a review of this place months ago. Alas, my memory must be fading. Still, I do remember the bygone years of arcade game addiction, now replaced by more modern, home versions of entertainment that are nowhere near as sentimental.
Ah, the nostalgia we all have from those days...Mine is a story of revenge. I'll never forget the first time I beat the shit out of my high school boyfriend and his skater pals at Mortal Kombat. That's right, Fatality M***erF***er! Little did he know I'd been battling boys for years on Atari and Nintendo systems, waiting sheepishly for my turn like a hustler at heart. When the boys would finally tire of their rivalry, they'd let "the girl play" for kicks. Funny how surprised they seemed when I started to win...and often. *insert evil laugh* Then they wouldn't let me play at all, so I had to practice solo.
Such childhood hobbies are usually left in the dusty pages of yesteryear, unless you make a visit to Ground Kontrol. Having "jammed vids" together for over a decade without killing each other, my husband and I figured it would be safe to go here, especially with the added benefit of drinking beer. We stormed the classic games, my faves being Q-Bert and Donkey Kong. While I rocked him on Street Fighter, he blew me away at PacMan. Love is grand, and at only $0.25 per game, what more can you ask for in a romantic date? Bet my high school boyfriend's cryin' now...
I love this place. In four short days on my trip to Portland, I think we stopped in here as many times. Beer. Pinball. Video games. Sigh. Paradise? I think so.
The concept is simple yet brilliant. Fill a small space with popular arcade games from the last 30 years, and add a bar. For anyone born in the 70's or early 80's this place is probably for you.
Excellent pinball selection, about 10 machines. They even had my old-time favorite, Terminator 2. Single-star deduction from an otherwise strong showing for some minor machine maintenance/malfunction issues.
rad.
An agglomerated confusion; part arcade, bar, nightspot for the alt. types.
since im cheap and immune to 'gam3r nostalgia' it is a good place to go to free load wifi and listen to some good tunes with out zapping RAM or CPU or whatever compromises your PC's (or MAC for the cool kids) performance while running simultaneous programs. Oh and of course when you are done being productive you can always utilize the mindless vid games--no confusing 3D graphics, jap porno, or ridiculously long story lines: pride and maturity remain intact.
Seriously, what is better than a punk rock arcade bar? Tell me what could possibly be more awesome? Maybe a punk rock arcade bar where all the games functioned perfectly and there was a slightly bigger selection of games, but why be picky when you can play Donky Kong and put your beer in a handy beer holster on the side of the machine?
Free super nintendo by the bar with Super Mario World, a game responsible for wasting more hours of my life than any other. Cheap ass beer. A million pinball machines upstairs. My only question is why hasn't this business model been exported to San Francisco???
Maybe I need to open one here.
From a three, up to a four!
Art contacted me immediately to let me know that they are following up with some of the games I thought were crucial and missing. The prompt reply and information was contrary to what I wrote and how I rated. This being the case its only fair to rewrite.
I will admit that it is really hard to find a working Dragons Lair game, most of em were already broken by 1985, but I have seen them. They are on the hunt, and of course I'm wishing/praying for luck with that. We have a four... for now :)
I love this place and miss it dearly :(
I used to think videogames were lame and something I would no longer play now that I am a card-carrying adult with debt and preventative eye-wrinkle cream.
Yeah, well F*CK that! All my adult sensibilites fell by the wayside once I stepped into Ground Kontrol and viewed all the beloved Old School Atari video games of my youth: Frogger, Pole Position, Galaga, Mrs. PacMan, Q-Bert.
Within 5 minutes, I was double-fisting $2 PBRs, had $20 in quarters, and playing rounds upon rounds of Pole Position and Galaga.
I even managed to thoroughly embarass myself in front of numerous Portland hotties as I played Dance, Dance Revolution. Damn arrows that go too fast during Aqua's "Barbie Girl"!
I *heart* you Ground Kontrol!
What? Where am I? What IS this magical place?!?
For a moment I felt like a kid again, plugging quarters (still only a quarter!) into Mario Bros!, Frogger, Dig Dug, and BurgerTime, as well as old pinball favorites like Theater of Magic and Addams Family. There's even an old school pinball machine called King Pin from 1973 tucked away in a corner upstairs.
And there's beer! And it's 21+ after 5 pm! Joy!
Not unexpectedly, many of the machines were in need of a little care. Coin mechanisms didn't always want to work (did they even in our youth?) and some machines (looking at you, Mario Bros.) were in need of other repairs. (It would have been nice to actually see the top of the screen.) But there are plenty of machines screaming for your attention, so if one of your faves is acting wonky then saddle up to another.
I agree that there could be a few more places for one to set their beverage while playing. I found myself, like some dirty perv, looking for games I could play with one hand so that I could keep the other free to hold on to my beer. Q*bert got a lot of my love, as did Frogger. And Area 51.
Thank you, Ground Kontrol, for the trip down memory lane...
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Music & DVD's
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Pubs
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Category: Cinema
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