(Topic ID: 187646)

Pinball Wizard Arcade Closes 4/30/17

By PinballWizardArc

6 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 178 posts
  • 74 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by Yoko2una
  • Topic is favorited by 6 Pinsiders

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You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider yoko2una.
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#10 6 years ago
Quoted from Rondogg:

Walking through the doors for the first time reminded me of walking into Fenway my first time 40 years ago and seeing all that green grass. Very few chances to ever get that opportunity in life and now one of them is gone.
Thanks for keeping it going so strong for as long as you did.

Second that. I'll never forget that same feeling after seeing that giant purple sign every time I took my son to Chunky's next door. One day I finally decided to say heck with it and go by myself to check it out and see if it was anything like my old birthday party joint when my friends and I were growing up - Dream Machine in the Methuen Mall. I'm so glad I didn't bring my 4yr old that day because I got to be a kid again all by myself. The place was at least 4x the size of Dream Machine, with the wildest collection of pins ever. To think right now there are both JJP games, loads of Premium/LE Sterns, tons of early B/W, both P2Ks, and enough System 11 & WPC games to make your head spin all in one place.

I live 20 min from PWA and it's been a weekly staple for the past 4 years. When I first took my son, he was only tall enough to play SMB Mushroom World. Four years later, he's now keeping up with my scores on some of the better games, has very decent flipper technique, and understands some of the games' rules. This has been a wonderful place for the two of us and I'm SOOOOO sad that he's away this weekend and won't be around to spend the last of his tokens that he got for X-mas.

Thanks Sarah, for giving my son and I an awesome place to have fun for the past 4 years... awww F*** it. I'm leaving work now to go play.

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#55 6 years ago

Ugh, this sucks. As one of the good guys in this hobby said inside an hour ago as they turned off the last row of pins "Friday felt like a wake. Tonight feels like the funeral". What a weird night. I'm so bummed, it hurts. I finally got my mother there to see the place I raved about for 4 years. After a few other games I made her play STLE and she asked me "is this a game you used to have"... No. I put a ST Pro in her game room 5 months ago! I've never had a ST in my house. She was just so blown away by the LE, she forgot she has the same playfield, call outs, and yeah basically a freggin pinball machine that says Star Trek on it (the only pin in her house) and you'd think that would mean she doesn't play the pin... yet when she realized it was the same basic game, she got two gold medals and slaughtered two multiballs and beat me by 2 mil, and I had a decent game

I took a bunch of pics tonight, but I'm on my phone, so I'll post them tomorrow. Just a big thanks again to Sarah. Thanks for a place where my son and I could have fun together for 4 years, and thanks again for a place where I could relive my youth in arcades from the late 80s - early 90s. And thanks for hiring that cute girl I finally got the courage to ask out 8 months ago after weeks of awkward flirting, because I have the people skills of a hornet. It'll never be the same without PWA around.

#67 6 years ago
Quoted from Rascal_H:

Well did she say yes? Lol

Thankfully yes. If not, that probably wouldn't have been included in my PWA eulogy above.

Also, the difference one hour makes...

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#74 6 years ago
Quoted from darcangeloel:

Again I know, too soon but I'd love to know

In a way, too late. There's a giant list that has existed for months and some games have already moved. For instance South Park I think left last night after closing. A few others were already turned off yesterday and I think those were either sold or going to her collection.

If you know exactly what you want, you need to get on that list. Calling up saying you're looking for "a cheap solid state" will probably be met with silence on the other side. But there is a list, the list has been around for months, the list is long, and many games will be purchased this week I bet.

#79 6 years ago

TOTAN left at least 3-4 years ago IIRC. I never got to play it. CV was at least a year ago. I never saw Shadow in 4 years. STLE was there since that game came out. I've probably dropped over $100 in that game and got a Pro as a result of loving that game.

If you're looking to play a MB, the only place I'm aware of is Canobie. They have a killer collection, but obviously you have to drop ~$30 to get in. EM's, pitch n bats, a few system 11s, a few WPC, P2K, WoZ, and a lot of modern sterns. It's a really nice room and probably the largest collection in the area now... slightly more than SNH club (which is also a very good cross section of pinball eras).

I'm personally hyped for the down the road tap room in Everett. Should be open soonish and looks to have a decent starting collection... without having to drop $30 for admission!

1 week later
#92 6 years ago
Quoted from hawkeyexx:

If someone takes a ride over I'm interested in Bad Cats if it's still for sale. The wife and I wanted to go but she has to work Saturday

I'm literally walking out the door to head over. I'll shoot you a PM in about 30min

#97 6 years ago
Quoted from herbertbsharp:

If anyone gets a price on the marble madness or transporter the rescue please let me know. I'm trying to get a dog sitter for tomorrow AM.

PM sent

#101 6 years ago

Just bought the track and field vid for a fellow pinsider. Left without anything else. Lots of people there though. Post what you bought below.

#117 6 years ago
Quoted from hool10:

I loved Bugs Bunny Birthday Bash she had there until I realized how easy it was. I thought the lower playfield was really cool. I didn't know this but Sarah still had it. This father and son bought it for like $1,400.

I honestly question this. Someone offered $2K for Bad Cats but couldn't get it under agreement as it was listed for $2800. BBBB was listed at $3900 IIRC. I could always be wrong (I usually am), but if Bad Cats couldn't drop $800, I doubt BBBB would drop $2500.

#122 6 years ago

Ok, on the commute home tonight. MKII and something else on 93 north, 2 exits past PinWiz. Plate was from VT. Dying to know what the other game was. Speak up if you're on Pinside

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#129 6 years ago
Quoted from Rabscuttle:

In case you missed it, here's another writeup:

... and there's the MKII... with light guns.

4 months later
#145 6 years ago
Quoted from PersonX99:

No idea. The location is somewhat out of the way and the only reason ever to go to that area was PWA.

Last I heard the new bouncy place wasn't open and the PWA sign hadn't been painted over yet either. Sounds like they're not burning any midnight oil to get the new place open.

Also, who thought Pelham, NH (of all places) needed an indoor trampoline park? These places are more common now than frozen yogurt places named after fruits and colors!

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3 months later
#152 6 years ago

Bummer Post Alert

Was driving through Pelham over the weekend. It's like it was never even there

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(For those who forgot...)
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3 months later
#170 5 years ago

Thanks for the photos, D. I may have to take my son there just one time so he can jump around but also so we can remember the good times in there.

What will be very interesting is whether this business will survive or not...

1) It's not in a very high-traffic location.
2) It doesn't look "as nice" (from the 2 pics above) as another place we've visited.
3) It's an increasingly saturated market (see 2013's Self-serve Frozen Yogurt joints, 2015's PureBarre, and 2017's Escape Rooms). There are practically more of these than there are elementary & middle schools to support them.

If this place isn't here in a few years, boy will Sarah have a "told you so!" moment.

#175 5 years ago
Quoted from albummydavis:

We'll see what kind of crowds it draws. Pelham isn't exactly a suburban hub (don't get me wrong, it can be real nice) and no ones driving from Nashua or Lowell to jump on some freakin' trampolines. Never mind the out of town crowd. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

I think this hits the nail square on the f'ing head.

Not only do I doubt people are coming from those towns, but there's already things to do in and around those places. Lowell has an indoor inflatable bounce house place, a Chuck E' Cheese, and a real good place called One Stop Fun 10 min away in Westford that has a good playground and gymnastics facility.

Nashua already has Launch Trampolene Park, located about 10 min west of Pelham, and ALSO has a location about 15 min east, so they've got Pelham surrounded. Manchester to the north also has a trampolene park and an indoor inflatable bounce house place is opening there as well!

Altitude in Pelham is the solution to a problem that didn't exist. It would be hilarious if Sarah played the long game here, got out while she could, had Altitude refurbish the entire facility on their dime, plus open up the space that was always for lease next to it, they fizzle out in a year, and Sarah gets a call from the landlord with his tail between his legs.

Wishful thinking I know...

1 year later
#178 4 years ago
Quoted from Langless28:

By and chance does someone have a pinball wizard arcade token they be willing to sell me? I’d like one for my token collection.

I think I have a few left over. If you come to one of the NEPL nights I play I can just give you one. I’ll do some digging through my parts bins later.

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