Michigan Pinball Expo

I recently attended the Michigan Pinball Expo and had a great time! There were hundreds of machines to play ranging from 1950’s woodrails to the new AC/DC. As an EM guy I was thrilled to play the new Big Juicy Melons along with such classics as Grand Prix, Aztec, Sky Jump, Target Alpha, Strato-Flight and 4 Square.

Apollo 11 Engines Found!

The founder of Amazon.com and long time space enthusiast, Jeff Bezos, has claimed to have found the original five F-1 rocket engines that were used to launch Apollo 11 into space! As reported they are 14,000 feet deep in the ocean and his plans are to bring at least one of them up for public display. The Saturn V rocket, which used a cluster of five F-1 engines, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built and was capable of approximately 32,000,000 horsepower! I wish Bezos the best of luck in his recovery efforts and can’t wait to see one.

Where In The World Is Andy Nugent?

I first noticed the piece of masking tape on the lower marquee bracket of my Rally-X when I acquired it from the daughter of the original owner a few years ago. I felt that I would eventually pull the tape off when restoring the game however when I finally looked closely at the tape I immediately decided it should never be removed but remain in place as part of the game’s history. Why you ask? If one can look closely at the tape there is faded writing that reads: High Score 79,940 Andy Nugent Beulah, MI. The high score of a gamer from long ago! The game was purchased near Beulah, Michigan after being in service only a few short years. It thad been in storage since the early 1980's which indicates that the piece of tape has been on the game for 30 years or more! So if you are Andy Nugent or know Andy Nugent let him know the Rally-X that he played so long ago not only exists but he still has the high score!

50th Anniversary of Friendship 7

So many great feats of engineering led to the successful landing of Apollo 11 on the moon it is hard to imagine a top 10 list. Arguably the greatest ever was John Glenn's three orbits around the Earth in Friendship 7 50 years ago today. Even though his historic trip was cut short by a heat shield issue it was the greatest accomplishment in space at that time by any human and will never be forgotten. God Speed John Glenn!

The original newsreel detailing John Glenn's historic flight can be viewed on YouTube.

Richie Knucklez Arcade

Just before Christmas my good friend Scott and I made a 10+ hour trek to Flemington, New Jersey to see Richie Knucklez and his LEGENDARY arcade just before he closed the doors for good! After talking with Richie for quite some time it was fantastic to finally meet him in person. We had a blast, played arcade games, climbed on top of arcade games, delivered arcade games, told many stories and built a Star Wars chair. Scott shot video for a movie, took many pictures and to top it off we co-hosted Richie's Arcade Culture show!!! We even met Todd Tuckey, Kill-Screen Ed, Freeko, Andy, arcade ace Steve Wagner and many local arcade patrons. To show my appreciation I made a set of custom arcade stools for Richie and his entire family. They were a huge hit! Richie is a class act hands down. Brain buddies for life!

2011 Game Room of the Year

When Gameroom Magazine ceased operation in October 2010 the arcade collecting hobby lost a major inspiration point for homeowners to push forward and create their own unique game rooms. The honor of being immortalized on the pages of the magazine was every home arcade owners dream. Enter the Gameroom Junkies to save the day! In November 2010 Preston and Patrick picked up the slack and began featuring home game rooms on their Gameroom Junkies website. After an entire year of outstanding game room coverage a decision was made to have the arcade collectors of KLOV and elsewhere vote for the best game room of 2011. It was an honor for Tranquility Base Arcade to even be on the list and to win the GRAND PRIZE was just over the top! Thanks Gameroom Junkies! You guys are an inspiration to home arcade owners everywhere! I can't wait to receive my certificate, as it will be proudly displayed inside Tranquility Base Arcade!

Score Board

I finally had a chance to put one of the finishing touches on the Tranquility Base Arcade - a score board! After spending over three years acquiring games, repairing them, building the arcade and bar, I can actually play the games! Naturally a score board was required to keep track of all the high scores. I went old school and got a "menu type" score board like I remember from the arcades of my youth. Any visitors to the arcade can "Shoot for the Moon" and if they set a high score a nifty prize is awarded.

New Sea Wolf World Record!!!

I recently set the World Record for Sea Wolf on Tranquility Base Arcade's very own Sea Wolf machine. Twin Galaxies International confirmed the record on October 9, 2011. I scored 11,300 points, which was 200 points higher than the previous record of 11,100 points set by John McCann on February 1, 2010. Sea Wolf, which was initially released by Midway in 1976, has been a long time favorite of mine and it is a thrill to be recognized as the current World Record holder for this game.

New Sprint 2 World Record!!!

I recently set the World Record for Sprint 2 on Tranquility Base Arcade's very own Sprint 2 machine. The record was confirmed by Twin Galaxies International on September 29, 2011. I scored 524 points, which doubled the old record of 262 points set by Brian Kuh on May 31, 2007. Sprint 2, which was initially released by Atari in 1976, has been a long time favorite of mine and it is a thrill to be recognized as the current World Record holder for this game.

Dive! Dive! Dive!

After a lengthy repair job, I have fixed Sea Wolf and put it in the arcade. The game is in excellent original condition and plays great! The game had sat unused in a warehouse for many years and required quite a number of repairs including the replacement of a blown transformer on the Motorola XM-701 monitor. To make room for Sea Wolf I slightly rearranged the games making an “Early Midway Row” where all the games are either electromechanical or black and white. Torpedoes away!

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch today for the 135th and final flight of the shuttle program. The shuttle will be carrying parts and supplies to the International Space Station. Atlantis was first launched October 3, 1985 and is noteworthy for deploying both the Magellan probe bound for Venus and the Galileo probe bound for Jupiter. The space shuttle was the first orbital spacecraft designed for reuse. Six shuttles were built over the life of the program. With the end of the shuttle program the United States will now turn to Russia and their Soyouz spacecraft for future missions. Godspeed Atlantis! Godspeed!

Raise A Glass!

I pulled out my old Apollo mission commemorative drinking glasses that I collected as a kid and had saved all these years. The glasses were a premium at Marathon gas stations back when the attendant pumped your gas, checked your oil and washed your windows! There are four seperate designs, each one featuring a different mission - Apollo 11 Apollo 12, Apollo 13 and Apollo 14. I also have the decanter, some smaller tumblers and a unique 'Moonshot' glass that doubles as a shot glass when you flip it over! The glasses will make a great addition to the new lounge area as well as a fun conversation piece for those who remember them.

King Of Kong Arcade

I recently had an opportunity to stop by and see Billy Mitchell’s new King of Kong arcade located in the Orlando, Florida airport. Surprisingly the arcade lacks a Donkey Kong machine however the attention to detail and overall look of the arcade is excellent! I couldn’t leave without picking up a few bottles of hot sauce, which commemorate the King Of Kong arcade.

Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off today for its 25th and final flight. The shuttle will be carrying parts and supplies to the International Space Station. Endeavor is the “baby” of the fleet and was first launched May 7, 1992. Endeavor is noteworthy for helping to repair the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993 as well as bringing the first American piece of the International Space Station to space in 1998. Upon landing Space Shuttle Endeavour is to become a permanent display at the California Science Center.

Contact Light - The Bar Has Landed!

I am finally to a point where the bar/lounge area can be considered just about done. A few minor tweaks remain but nothing of note. The epoxy is poured, the custom countertop has been assembled and mounted and the LED effects have been installed. Also installed are a unique glass faucet and vessel sink which visitors cannot resist trying when they first walk in! The 'glowing coasters' are huge hit as your drink can be blue one second and red the next! You and a buddy can engage in some friendly competition on the nearby Chexx Hockey or just kick back on a stool and listen to the game sounds drifting in from the arcade.

Michigan Pinball Expo

I attended the Michigan Pinball Expo today and had a great time! There were hundreds of machines to play ranging from a rare 1936 Bally Bumper to Stern's Avatar. I had the most fun playing Bally's classic Fireball but that Williams Space Mission sure would look good in the Tranquility Base Arcade!

50th Anniversary of Human Spaceflight

Fifty years ago today Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut, became the first human to journey into space. His spacecraft, Vostok 1, flew a mission of 108 minutes and completed one orbit of the Earth. He landed safely and became an international celebrity. Thus, the Space Race began....

A full length movie titled First Orbit, which chronicles Gagarin's historic flight, was released today on YouTube.

1976 Midway Sea Wolf

After a lengthy search I recently acquired a 1976 Midway Sea Wolf. I vividly remember this game being larger than life as a kid and after moving it into the arcade with the help of a friend my back will never forget that it still is! Sea Wolf is historically important, as it is the first arcade game to display a high score. Since the game was in storage for decades and is not working it has been sent to the Repair Station for diagnosis.

Gameroom Junkies

Roger that...We read you loud and clear Gameroom Junkies!

I was fortunate enough to have Tranquility Base Arcade recognized this month by the Gameroom Junkies! Along with an article being written about my arcade I was also the recipient of their very retro 'Get Your Fix' t-shirt! Patrick and Preston do an incredible job with their podcasts and are keeping the spirit of video arcade game collecting alive!

Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off for its 39th and final mission today. It will be carrying spare parts and supplies to the International Space Station. Discovery is the oldest and most often flown shuttle. It was first launched August 30, 1984 and has traveled 142 million miles! Discovery is also noteworthy for putting America back into space after the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Upon landing Space Shuttle Discovery will make one last trip – to the Smithsonian!