Filed under: Video Games

We’ve always wanted to try yanking a tablecloth off a table without destroying all of the fancy place settings. Leave it to our experimental friends from the east to tap into our strangest wants. According to Arcade Heroes, a new Japanese arcade game called ‘The Tablecloth Hour’ requires players to pull an actual piece of fabric, which yanks a virtual tablecloth from an onscreen table. Naturally, the object is to pull the cloth with just the right amount of touch and quickness so that the virtual dishes don’t crash to the floor. If you make your way over to Taito Station in Shibuya, Japan to test the console out, feel free to shout, “TA-DA!” for us. [From: Arcade Heroes, via: Oh Gizmo!]

Japanese ‘Tablecloth Hour’ Brings Virtual Yanking to the Arcade (Finally?) originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Video Games

Just a few dozen miles north of the Switched headquarters, in Beacon, New York, lies the Retro Arcade Museum, a storefront on the corner of Main and Schenk Streets loaded with the sorts of vintage arcade goodies that would make even the most steel-willed nerd weep. But an archaic law, one that is more widespread than you might believe, has caused the life’s work of Fred Bobrow to be shut down, at least temporarily. It turns out that Beacon still has legislation, dating to the 1940s, that bans pinball machines within the city limits. Beacon wasn’t alone in outlawing machines during the era, as most major cities in the U.S., including New York, forbade the machines as well.

The closing of the Retro Arcade Museum has inspired a backlash, including a Facebook page calling for its reopening. The mayor, Steve Gold, has responded to the media attention (as evidenced in the CNN report below), explaining that the shuttering of the museum was based on noise complaints from the building’s other tenants. Gold said he worked closely with Bobrow, but that it was a serious challenge to satisfy the needs of the surrounding businesses and residents and to rewrite the ordinance that led to the closing of the business.

Continue reading Retro Arcade Museum Shut Down Over Arcane Anti-Pinball Law

Retro Arcade Museum Shut Down Over Arcane Anti-Pinball Law originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Video Games

Cooperstown, New York and Ottumwa, Iowa will soon share an unbreakable bond — as cities that host a hall of fame. According to USA Today, the International Video Game Hall of Fame will induct its first class of 29 members this weekend. The honored include the classic arcade game ‘Pac-Man,’ ‘Mario’ creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the Xbox design team, video game record holders Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe, and still others. But why Ottumwa? The city gained notoriety in the ’80s for holding some of the first competitive gaming tournaments at the Twin Galaxies arcade, which is owned by Walter Day, a force behind the International Video Game Hall of Fame. Mayor Dale Uehling told NPR in an interview that this makes his town “The Video Game Capital of The World,” a strong claim for a town of only 25,000. [From: USA Today, NPR and IVGHOF]

Video Game Hall of Fame Opens in Iowa, Inducts ‘Pac-Man’ in First Class originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Video Games, Summer Fun

Whenever we see a pinball machine in a bowling alley or movie theater lobby, we quickly drop in some quarters and play a round or two for nostalgia’s sake. We say nostalgia, because, sadly, these classic machines aren’t as prevalent as they once were. Nike, surprisingly enough, could give them a much needed population boost, though. According to Geekosystem, the shoe company recently unveiled a digital LED pinball machine at its Madrid store to promote the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Essentially, it’s just a screen, built into a housing that’s designed to look like a pinball machine. But, judging by the video (after the break), the experience looks pretty close to the real thing. Best of all, since it’s digital, you can change the machine’s theme with each round, too.

Check out the flipper action after the jump. This probably doesn’t signal a pinball revival, but at least it keeps alive one of our favorite games — even if it is a hybrid version. [From: Geekosystem]

Continue reading Nike’s World Cup Pinball Game Goes Digital with LED Screen and Flippers

Nike’s World Cup Pinball Game Goes Digital with LED Screen and Flippers originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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