Amusement Parlour

Some people are just lucky. Imagine if you will, your girlfriend’s grandmother (Ed: so not even your own blood relative?) buys an old building and then finds that there are two floors brimming with arcade machines and game boards dating back 20 years and she leaves them all to you! This is a true story and the lucky son of a gun is Keisuke999.

The machines were left to him to do as he wishes. So what does he do – he puts them up for sale, of course! If you are keen to see what is on offer, take a peek at Keisuke999’s thread on NeoGAF.

source: imgur
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Arcade Machine Preservation Society [AMPS]
Taking action to save and protect our classic arcade machines from damage and decay.

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I don’t know about you, but I still get that ‘butterflies in the stomach’ feeling whenever I stumble upon an amusement parlour (Ed: It is called an entertainment centre!).

During our recent trip to Queensland, not only did we stumble upon an amusement parlour, but we hit the jackpot – we found the largest Timezone in the world! A gaming paradise spanning over 5,000 square metres. This multi ‘Gold Coast Business Excellence Award’ winning entertainment centre knows how to cater for all gamers – young and old.

Yours truly enjoying some After Burner Climax

Timezone Funtasia has been part of the Surfers Paradise fabric for many moons. No visit to Cavill Mall is complete without going up the escalators and entering this great funhouse. There are the usual redemption machines, arcade machines based on smarthphone games (Ed: Doodle Jump!), lots of shooting and driving games, fighting games (Ed: I love a bit of Tekken), sports games (Virtua Tennis 4 is pure bliss), pool tables, slot car racing, miniature bowling alleys, air hockey and pinball tables, laser skirmish, merry-go-rounds, and even a dodgem (bumper) cars rink.

I know what you are thinking – were there any old arcade machines from the late 80s and early 90s? Sadly, there wasn’t. The oldest machines were Sega’s 8-player Daytona USA and Namco’s Point Blank. However, there were enough machines and tables to keep you occupied for hours, literally!

The two videos below give you a glimpse of this Timezone. Nothing will beat being there in person and immersing yourself in a game; savouring the game play, hearing the sound effects, music and most importantly, the feel of playing on a machine. If you do find yourself on the Gold Coast, give Timezone a visit, you will not regret it!