Friday night Pac-Man Fever: Jesus Garza

Everyone has had Pac-man fever at least once in their life. We’ve all gone to a washateria, supermarket, movie theater or bar and plopped a couple of quarters into an arcade cabinet. I’ve been playing arcade games since I was a baby gamer, and to this day I still feel a rush of excitement. Something magical happens when I hit the “1P Start” button. I guess it’s because my first exposure to a video game came from an arcade cabinet.

I don’t remember the date, aside from it being the mid-80’s, but I remember it was a Donkey Kong, Jr. machine at Hobby Airport, and it tore my ass apart. From that point on I was hooked, and every where I went I made sure to ask my mom for quarters to partake in my new hobby. The stick and the buttons have always felt like the true way to play a video game. To this day I frown upon playing Street Fighter with a console controller. Old-school gaming.: Jesus Garza

Fast forward to today, and unfortunately the arcade business is suffering immensely. With online gaming becoming the standard for competitive gaming, it gets harder and harder to find a decent arcade.

Last Friday, I was given a breath of fresh air. I attended Pac-Man Fever at Joystix, and to me it is one of the best nights Houston has to offer. Joystix is a retail space for classic arcade and pinball machines, and what a mighty fine collection of arcade history. Owner Charles Kalas has been amassing this awesome arsenal of nerdery since he was 14; lucky for us, he has decided to share it with everyone. But Joystix is just the locale, Pac-Man Fever is the party.

The night starts at 9 P.M. and for 15 bucks, its free play all night on any of the 250 arcade games on the showroom floor. As a kid, I would have gone crazy and probably ended up wetting my pants over all the excitement … but as an adult, I tend to be more responsible (and not so incontinent). Adjacent to Joystix is Pac-Man Fever’s secret weapon - the 1820 Lounge. Yes, that means booze. Booze plus classic arcade games - truly American. But don’t worry dear readers, I kept away from the adult beverages so I could share this beautiful experience.

Charles Kalas’ taste is incredibly refined - there are so many arcade games that evoked memories and were testament to the innovations that the video game industry comes up with to take our quarters. Amongst his collection was Computer Space, the very first arcade game. Being in its presence is awe-inspiring and almost drew a tear (sniffle).

Some folks still enjoy the arcade.: Jesus Garza Joystix boasts a TON of pinball tables, including an old school Incredible Hulk and Doctor Who table, and more recent tables like Shrek, Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight. For me, I was all over the original and newer versions of the Star Wars arcade, TMNT, Punch-Out, Gauntlet (old school and Dark Legacy), MKII, and the Mario Bros. game.

Three cabinets managed to really surprise me, seeing as how I didn’t even know they existed - Space Ace, Dragon’s Lair and Quake Arcade. The only downer was that the Smash TV cabinet was off - booo! For the more contemporary arcade gamers, Joystix has Need for Speed, a couple of Cabela shooters, and always a fun favorite Guitar Hero Arcade.

This Friday sees another night of Pac-man Fever, another night of high scores and a lot of fun, just like the arcade in The Karate Kid (sans Ralph Macchio and Elizabeth Shue). Don’t think you have to be a huge nerd to enjoy the night, and if you are a huge nerd, get off Xbox Live or PSN and get down here for some real vidya gaming. Nothing beats having a couple of drinks and playing some of the best games in video game history. I expect to see a lot of you this Friday. And I’ll be there for sure and looking to challenge some high scores. Remember, 9 P.M. @ 1820 Jefferson. Game on!

More images from Pac-Man Fever. Click on each photo for a pop-up.