The 2400 square-foot private arcade

Sometimes, there's no way to appreciate something someone else has without thoughts of pure envy. Such is the case when viewing Peter Hirschberg's elaborate, sprawling recreation of the greatest arcade that never was, dubbed Luna City. Imagine 2400 square-feet filled with nearly every classic coin-op game you can imagine -- including stunners like Star Wars, Tempest, Tron, Zaxxon, Missile Command, and Galaga -- available for your use, free of charge, 24 hours a day. The massive collection also holds gems like the original Pong arcade machine and the Space Wars copycat Space War (based on one of the earliest known computer games), making the assemblage of coin-ops not just incredibly fun, but also a substantial act of historic preservation. Check out a walkthrough video after the break, and hit the read link for tons of photos and info. Needless to say: want.

[Via Retro Thing]

[webon @ Feb 8th 2008 7:41AM]

want... to be his friend

[Tom @ Feb 8th 2008 11:17AM]

does he keep it on 24 hours a day? wonder what his electric bill is ..

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Feb 8th 2008 1:44PM]

Nice selection, but... no Tapper Budweiser Edition?

[zook @ Feb 8th 2008 7:43AM]

check out our home arcade piece on open house. blough!
http://openhousenyc.tv/floorplan/2007/09/08/game-rooms-and-arcades/

[wickedpheonix @ Feb 8th 2008 7:53AM]

Saw this when it was in the Washington Post - apparently his wife is actually OK with him doing this cause she likes the nostalgia too... lucky guy :P

But yes, this is a whole lot of win... it's a private arcade but if you call him up and he's in the mood he might let you visit :D

[Wodheila @ Feb 8th 2008 9:44AM]

"...apparently his wife is actually OK with him doing this..."

I doubt it. My first thought was whose putting quarters in his wife.

[wickedpheonix @ Feb 8th 2008 4:10PM]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103933_2.html?sub=AR&sid=ST2008020201061

Second paragraph from bottom: "Fortunately, his wife, Julie, likes having an arcade, and it doesn't sound like she's anywhere near losing her patience with her husband's pet project. "It's just cool to have an arcade," she said. "When I was a kid, I'd go to the arcade every day -- it was the thing to do in the '80s.""

[Drew @ Feb 8th 2008 7:54AM]

It looks like a clown exploded on his carpet.

[James Ollier @ Feb 8th 2008 7:55AM]

Damn, the guy shoulf have just got a slim PSP with a TV out cable..

[Matthew @ Feb 8th 2008 7:55AM]

I remember the days when every mall in America had a miniature version of this place.

[EdgeOne @ Feb 8th 2008 8:03AM]

Thanks for the Vid Zook. Anybody know why Sega's Zaxxon isn't included in arcades greatest hits compilations for gaming consoles? That was one of my favorites...

[Justin @ Feb 8th 2008 2:30PM]

Zaxxon is hidden in either (or possibly both) the Sega Genesis Collection for the PS2 or PSP. You have to unlock it but it's not very hard to... but yeah, it's weird one of the bigger classics has been very hard to play legally at home for decades.

[NHAnimator @ Feb 8th 2008 8:19AM]

It's a shame that pinball machines are becoming obsolete. They were always my favorite as I could turn 25 cents into 3 hours of entertainment. Black Knight was it for me. (Then again, you could always get the 3 hours out of the Galaga glitch, too.)

[matthew @ Feb 8th 2008 3:18PM]

i think you just answered your own question. who wants a game that big that isn't making money? I want a jokers wild for my house..

[Jagannath A @ Feb 8th 2008 9:14AM]

sorry I dont read gizmodo

[alexhrose71 @ Feb 8th 2008 9:15AM]

His electricity bill must be through the roof with all those CRTs.

[Jagannath A @ Feb 8th 2008 9:17AM]

he must also be having a secret nuclear powerplant in his basement ;)

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 8th 2008 9:24AM]

He may have the FIST PONG MACHINE But I WAS FIRST IN THE WORLD TO PLAY IT, back in the late 70's. HA top that mofo

[bruce @ Feb 8th 2008 5:17PM]

Wikipedia sayeth : "The coin-operated Pong games manufactured by Atari were a great success, and by the end of March 1973, between 8,000 and 10,000 of the units had been sold.[1]"
These things were everywhere by the late 70s.

[John @ Feb 8th 2008 9:53AM]

See? I told you arcades were making a comeback!

[Teebo @ Feb 8th 2008 9:57AM]

Beautiful. An 80s sanctuary. Want one myself if I ever get the cash. Love the carpet. You swear that's the same carpet that every roller rink in America uses. :)

[Kyle @ Feb 8th 2008 10:33AM]

I miss that sound of an arcade. It instantly brings me back to childhood. If you close your eyes and just listen you can actually hear games you recognize.

[bombgigitty @ Feb 8th 2008 4:46PM]

AND ALL THE LITTLE GIRLS RIGHT KYLE!!! RIGHT KYLE!!! WHERE DID YOU BURY HER KYLE!!!....damn this crack got some kick!

[bombgigitty @ Feb 8th 2008 4:46PM]

AND ALL THE LITTLE GIRLS RIGHT KYLE!!! RIGHT KYLE!!! WHERE DID YOU BURY HER KYLE!!!....damn this crack got some kick!

[der00 @ Feb 8th 2008 10:53AM]

I want one!!

[itlnstln @ Feb 8th 2008 10:59AM]

Reminds me of Alladin's Castle (but a lot cooler). This inspires me to build/buy a MAME Cabinet. You know... for my personal 2.4 sqft arcade.

[webmonkees @ Feb 8th 2008 11:19AM]

It is sad that these are the exceptions these days. Fear of child predators, etc. I have 3 cabinets I'm restoring, and I think I'd have to travel 10 miles before finding a working game. Pizza joints still have them, sometimes.. I thouroughly enjoy ordering a pizza, putting 1 quarter in their Galaga and the pizza's done before I am.

Google 'arcade auctions' sometime if you are really wistful, though.. for the price of one modern games console you can own a bit of history. Even cheaper if you don't mind a bit of restoration work.. it's not any harder than wiring a car stereo.

In fact, I'm going to an auction tomorrow. Best bit of advice there is to either have a truck or someone you can call who has one.

[Zak @ Feb 8th 2008 11:20AM]

That place rules. I figured he spent over $70,000 just on the games. Add the construction costs, upkeep, power consumption... that's a huge money sink. But since it's pure awesome, I can understand why he did it. I also want.

[Thermos14 @ Feb 8th 2008 11:27AM]

Want.

[Jay @ Feb 8th 2008 12:32PM]

If I had my own private arcade it would just have ITG2, Pump Pro, IIDX, and maybe a Tekken machine with PS2 ports so I can mess around playing with a dance pad/guitar/various other peripherals.

[teej @ Feb 8th 2008 12:35PM]

come on, Engadget...proofread. spelling errors in every blog posted. "elborate."

[Allen @ Feb 8th 2008 1:17PM]

At first I said "I hope this guy is not planning to make money, paying for play when copies of most of those games are free online is not anyones idea of fun."

But when I saw the free, I immediately thought "hey, here is some glorious cultural nostalgia for no cost. Awesome."

If I ever get a chance to go, I will. And yes, SPELL CHECK.

[Conda @ Feb 8th 2008 1:24PM]

does it have Polybius?

[Jim @ Feb 8th 2008 1:35PM]

I think I'm going to do a recreation of Flynn's then, with a sweet apartment upstairs to bring home the ladies. "SPACE PARANOIDS!!!"

[Andrew @ Feb 8th 2008 2:17PM]

does anyone else see the kids aimlessly wander around while the parents or adults play the games?

[daybona @ Feb 8th 2008 3:18PM]

I'm going to make a 90's version of this.

[Timothy Frierson @ Feb 8th 2008 3:24PM]

Ah, memories...reminds me of the arcade in the Metropark mall before Jersey lawmakers managed to outlaw them...

[mark lee @ Feb 8th 2008 7:55PM]

I really really missed the old 4-person X-Men arcade...

[Hafk @ Feb 9th 2008 1:35AM]

JOUST!!!!!!!
DEFENDER!!!!!!!

I want to have his kids.

[Gregg @ Feb 9th 2008 5:12AM]

I had forgotten how much noise those machines make, Attract Mode is definitely set to on :)

[JR @ Feb 11th 2008 2:09AM]

That would have been SOOO cool 15 or 20 years ago, but today? ... eh.

[Antney @ Apr 15th 2008 1:49PM]

Nobody ever bothered to mention if this was an addition to his house or if he has this space situated elsewhere. The carpet IS like you would find in most roller-rinks or arcades all over america before sitting on the couch, eating & watching TV became America's most favorite passtime. Does anyone remember the pinball machine "Gorgar"?