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(mysterious music)
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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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(energetic music)
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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For me, this all started
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with one seemingly simple question.
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I grew up in a late '80s, early '90s,
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pre-internet Australia,
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which is a large, isolated country
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with only a handful of
cities around the coast.
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With a land mass
comparable to that of, say,
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the United States of America
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00:00:26,679 --> 00:00:30,197
but with only around 8%
of the population of the US,
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it's kind of a unique place to live.
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So if you're into arcades and pinball
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during that time here in Australia,
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you're halfway around the globe
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from where these big, bulky,
iconic games are created.
19
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My local arcade was in the backstreets
20
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of a place called Christies Beach,
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a small coastal town about an hour south
22
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of one of the smallest
Australian cities, Adelaide.
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And this arcade was
actually a bowling alley,
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but that bowling alley
had a Mortal Kombat II,
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00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,437
and that was all that mattered to me
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because, well, that's my game,
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the one game that secured
my lifelong love of video games.
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We all have one.
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00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,317
I recently went back to that bowling alley
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after more than 25 years,
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and hearing those bowling alley sounds
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and smelling that bowling alley smell
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but not seeing that Mortal Kombat II there,
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it gave me this strange
sting of nostalgic heartbreak.
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00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,677
And so I needed to know that
one seemingly simple question,
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00:01:23,719 --> 00:01:25,837
where did that Mortal Kombat II go?
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00:01:25,879 --> 00:01:26,917
Where did all of the arcade
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00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,677
and pinball machines from that era go?
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00:01:29,719 --> 00:01:30,958
So I set out to find an answer
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00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,277
to that one seemingly simple question,
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00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,037
but on my way to finding that out,
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00:01:35,079 --> 00:01:37,798
I found myself going
in the other direction,
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00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,358
all the way back to
the start and wondering,
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00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,598
where did they come
from in the first place?
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(energetic music)
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(truck engine rumbling)
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Around about 400 kilometers
away from the bowling alley
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00:02:02,359 --> 00:02:04,718
in Christies Beach, in
one of the first motels
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00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,557
built in Australia back in the '50s
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00:02:06,599 --> 00:02:07,837
on the side of the highway
51
00:02:07,879 --> 00:02:09,677
that connects Adelaide to Melbourne,
52
00:02:09,719 --> 00:02:12,918
I found this place, the
Australian Pinball Museum,
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00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,198
a truly unique place that
connects the past with the present
54
00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:17,997
and is home to a handful of games
55
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that kind of started it all.
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00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,039
(upbeat music)
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- Welcome to the pinball oasis.
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It's a bit like a maze of room after room
59
00:02:47,479 --> 00:02:49,159
going in all directions.
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00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,840
You never know what you'll
find around each corner.
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00:02:53,759 --> 00:02:57,717
These along here are from the 1930s,
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and that's the very start
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of the commercial pinball machines.
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00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,277
Baffle Ball here was the first
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00:03:04,319 --> 00:03:06,400
mass-produced commercial pinball machine.
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00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:10,918
A lot of 1930s machines
didn't survive World War II
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00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,677
because it was all the
metalwork that they salvaged
68
00:03:13,719 --> 00:03:16,277
and melted down to use for munitions.
69
00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:18,758
Some of the mechanical
technology in the games
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00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,798
from the '30s are just,
you know, incredible.
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00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,358
They really pushed the boundaries
72
00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:24,437
of what they could actually do
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00:03:24,479 --> 00:03:25,798
with the technology at the time,
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00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,518
and a lot of big innovations
happened in the '30s.
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00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,958
Pinball has always had the plunger
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00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,758
that you pull back to do the skill shot.
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00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,597
In these early pre-flipper games,
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that was the main point of the game,
79
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,798
knowing how far to pull it back
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00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:40,680
to make it land where you want it to.
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00:03:44,639 --> 00:03:47,837
So on these ones, the ball
goes in, the flap closes it
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so you can't go in that hole again,
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00:03:49,199 --> 00:03:52,000
and the score flips
over at the bottom there.
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You can sort of see with this
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how the idea of tilting and
nudging came into play.
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00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,557
This ball in here, that's
part of the tilt mechanism.
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00:04:03,599 --> 00:04:08,599
It will sit up inside there
when the game's running,
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00:04:08,879 --> 00:04:11,798
and if you nudge it and
tilt it, the ball falls down,
89
00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:13,238
and that will activate the tilt.
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00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,037
This is all the runners where
the ball goes down a hole
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00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:19,037
and then runs down to the scoring area.
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00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:22,397
And also there's some
movement back and forth.
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00:04:22,439 --> 00:04:24,198
That's part of the reset cycle.
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00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,160
(energetic music)
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00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,917
For many, many years, we
had a few pinball machines,
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a few video games for the motel guests,
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00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,958
just testing the waters to
see is pinball and arcade
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00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,198
having a resurgence?
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00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:39,558
Is this actually gonna happen?
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00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,717
This was around, say, 2012.
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00:04:42,759 --> 00:04:45,357
The AC/DC pinball was
released, and that's what got people
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00:04:45,399 --> 00:04:47,878
talking about pinball again in Australia.
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00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:49,638
It actually started to become popular,
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00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,678
and we thought, "Okay, well, let's go big.
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00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,837
Let's open something for the public.
106
00:04:54,879 --> 00:04:56,678
Yeah, we'll go for a museum."
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00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,917
It's not just to come in
here and play the games,
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00:04:59,959 --> 00:05:02,998
but we're looking at history
and how pinballs are done,
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00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,958
education, you know, teach
people the insides of a pinball,
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00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,438
how that all works,
showcase the entire history
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00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,917
for people to appreciate and enjoy.
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(energetic music)
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00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:28,837
Lyndon and his family set up
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the Australian Pinball Museum in 2016,
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00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:33,198
and in the last couple of years,
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it started to pick up in popularity,
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00:05:35,079 --> 00:05:37,118
and not just because of the rooms and rooms
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full of historical pieces and memorabilia.
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There's loads of new machines there, too.
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00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:43,998
But up until these past couple of years,
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00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,198
a couple of decades had
passed with no real sign
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00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:47,797
that the pinball and arcade machines
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00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,157
that once dominated
the '70s, '80s, and '90s
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00:05:50,199 --> 00:05:52,397
had ever existed at all.
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00:05:52,439 --> 00:05:53,958
We swapped out our Saturday nights
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00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,318
at the arcade with friends
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00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,638
for tiny boxes in our
lounge rooms on our own,
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00:05:58,680 --> 00:05:59,998
and no one really seemed to care
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00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:01,277
that the golden era of gaming
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00:06:01,319 --> 00:06:03,638
was vanishing without a trace.
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Well, almost no one.
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(powerful music)
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00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,318
- I went on this forum, Aussie Arcade,
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00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,678
and I just said on there
that I'm gonna have a night
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00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,237
for video games, maybe
a couple of pinballs.
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00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:23,237
So I asked a couple of friends
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if they could just help bring a machine
138
00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:29,638
and just so I've got enough
to cater for everyone.
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00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,758
The forum was just
getting larger and larger.
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00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,477
We end up going around
collecting pinball machines,
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arcade machines, and
yeah, that night come along,
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00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,118
and we had 80 people
turn up for this event.
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We had a couple people
come over from Sydney.
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We had a pinball competition,
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00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,998
IFPA approved, and it was the first
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00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,078
International Flipper Pinball
Association competition
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in South Australia, and
that's when I realized
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I should open up an arcade.
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♪ I'll be the one to liberate you ♪
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♪ From the danger cat, all the danger ♪
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♪ I'll free your mind ♪
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♪ Oh, as I line 'em up and shoot 'em down ♪
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00:07:17,279 --> 00:07:22,279
♪ I'll be the one to liberate you ♪
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00:07:22,839 --> 00:07:26,959
♪ Line 'em up and shoot 'em down ♪
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- I want people to come
here and show their kids
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what they had back in the '80s and '90s.
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There's nothing like elbowing
the person next to you
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on an arcade machine
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while you're fighting dragons or bad guys.
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Some of the games we used to play,
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Wonder Boy, Ghost 'n
Goblins, many of the platformers.
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- Galaga, Pac-Man, 1942.
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00:07:52,319 --> 00:07:55,397
- Space Invaders, Galaga was
obviously a massive favorite.
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- Love Space Invaders,
I've still got memories
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of Space Invader machines
just lined up side by side,
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and you'd have to almost
line up to get on there.
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- Space Invaders, Donkey
Kong, Galaga, Galaxian.
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00:08:06,759 --> 00:08:10,277
- Trackball golf games came
in, and they took off like mad.
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00:08:10,319 --> 00:08:12,198
- I would play Metal Slug for hours on end,
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'cause it would be two
lots of 20-cent coins.
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00:08:14,519 --> 00:08:16,797
- OutRun, Terminator.
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00:08:16,839 --> 00:08:19,438
- Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam.
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00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,277
- Definitely Street Fighter and Twin Cobra.
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00:08:21,319 --> 00:08:23,237
- Frogger, Pac-Man, when that one came out.
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00:08:23,279 --> 00:08:26,717
- Snow Bros., Raiden,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
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- I remember Dragon's
Lair when it came out.
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No idea how to play it.
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Still no idea how to play it.
You know, it looked great!
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00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,717
- Moon Patrol, Double Dragon, Golden Axe,
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Shinobi, Point Blank, Daytona.
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00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:42,997
- Sega Rally, Daytona.
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00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:45,918
- Everyone knows what a
Daytona driving game is,
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00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,398
or just about everyone does.
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00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,158
- Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, Sunset Riders.
185
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,357
- One of the places that
I mainly used to go to
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00:08:53,399 --> 00:08:55,038
was down at Glenelg, at Magic Mountain.
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00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:55,877
- Magic Mountain.
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00:08:55,919 --> 00:08:56,837
- Magic Mountain.
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00:08:56,879 --> 00:08:59,597
- Magic Mountain was out in The Bay.
190
00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:02,597
It was a big concrete mountain
which was hollowed out
191
00:09:02,639 --> 00:09:04,038
with a big arcade inside.
192
00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,798
It had the sky cycles, the bumper boats,
193
00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,678
and pinballs and arcades.
194
00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,158
- When I was old enough, I was doing trips
195
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,318
to the city, Downtown.
196
00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:13,158
- Downtown.
197
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:13,997
- Downtown.
198
00:09:14,039 --> 00:09:14,837
- Downtown.
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00:09:14,879 --> 00:09:17,278
Downtown, and that had a
skating rink, shooting gallery.
200
00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,678
- It had food, it had dodgem cars.
201
00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,318
It had a shooting gallery,
it had pinballs and arcades.
202
00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:23,717
Effectively, it had everything.
203
00:09:23,759 --> 00:09:25,158
- I remember walking in the door there
204
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:29,597
for the first time, just, "Ah, wow!"
205
00:09:29,639 --> 00:09:31,757
- It seemed a big
advancement from, you know,
206
00:09:31,799 --> 00:09:32,837
what had been around prior,
207
00:09:32,879 --> 00:09:34,117
so I think it was groundbreaking.
208
00:09:34,159 --> 00:09:38,237
- Downtown was just about
to officially open in Adelaide
209
00:09:38,279 --> 00:09:41,517
in Hindley Street, and I just
got sacked from my first job,
210
00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,798
and I got paid $230.
211
00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,117
That was like three or four
weeks' wages at the time.
212
00:09:46,159 --> 00:09:51,038
So I went to Downtown,
and I blew $230 in one day.
213
00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:52,757
It was like the best day ever.
214
00:09:52,799 --> 00:09:55,117
And I was broke after that (laughs),
215
00:09:55,159 --> 00:09:56,799
but I had a ball doing it, so.
216
00:09:58,840 --> 00:09:59,637
(upbeat music)
217
00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:00,597
If you lived in South Australia
218
00:10:00,639 --> 00:10:01,877
during the '80s and '90s,
219
00:10:01,919 --> 00:10:04,198
you've probably been to
Magic Mountain or Downtown.
220
00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,877
They were state-of-the-art,
world-class leisure centers
221
00:10:06,919 --> 00:10:09,078
on a scale we'd never seen here before.
222
00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,357
In fact, when Downtown
opened its doors in 1979,
223
00:10:12,399 --> 00:10:14,477
it was the largest indoor
leisure center of its kind
224
00:10:14,519 --> 00:10:18,678
in the world, a 60,000-square-feet
multi-story behemoth
225
00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,117
whose legend lives on to this day.
226
00:10:21,159 --> 00:10:24,078
But what does it take to
create something so iconic
227
00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,438
that it remains the gold
standard for arcades
228
00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,837
decades after it's gone?
229
00:10:28,879 --> 00:10:31,639
(powerful music)
230
00:10:33,879 --> 00:10:36,237
- My name's Frank Sebastyan,
and I was the founder
231
00:10:36,279 --> 00:10:38,637
of Downtown Leisure
Centre in Hindley Street
232
00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:40,997
and Magic Mountain, Glenelg.
233
00:10:41,039 --> 00:10:43,879
(energetic music)
234
00:10:45,879 --> 00:10:49,278
Everything is a good memory
about Downtown pretty well.
235
00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,038
I first entered the
amusement machine industry
236
00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,997
when I was aged 13 or so, as a school boy.
237
00:10:56,039 --> 00:11:00,517
I got a weekend job at a penny
arcade at Glenelg Sideshows.
238
00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:04,237
My job was to have a
cloth bag around the waist,
239
00:11:04,279 --> 00:11:06,357
which was full of money and change
240
00:11:06,399 --> 00:11:08,198
so that people could convert their money
241
00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,997
into the right coins to play
the penny arcade games.
242
00:11:12,039 --> 00:11:14,357
That would've been 1957 I think.
243
00:11:14,399 --> 00:11:17,877
Concurrently with that, I also
got a job at the Royal Show,
244
00:11:17,919 --> 00:11:19,877
which was held in September,
245
00:11:19,919 --> 00:11:22,717
because a chap that I met opened a tin shed
246
00:11:22,759 --> 00:11:27,717
which had about 25 penny
arcade viewing machines,
247
00:11:27,759 --> 00:11:29,958
which had nudie girls in them.
248
00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,597
The business was very successful,
249
00:11:31,639 --> 00:11:34,357
and it was full of men all the time
250
00:11:34,399 --> 00:11:36,438
looking at these photo machines.
251
00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:41,198
In those days, from 1956 or '57 to '61,
252
00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,958
I noticed there were penny
arcades around Adelaide
253
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,918
called pinball parlors.
254
00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,117
There was a handful of
them, from my memory,
255
00:11:49,159 --> 00:11:51,438
and most of them were pretty sleazy joints
256
00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,877
where only the rough edge
of town would patronize them.
257
00:11:54,919 --> 00:11:58,398
Ordinary, nice people,
family groups would not go
258
00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,078
into those places because
they didn't feel comfortable.
259
00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,318
And it always occurred to me at that stage
260
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,517
that wouldn't it be nice if
somebody would set up a place
261
00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:08,438
where family groups would be made welcome
262
00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:09,918
and be happy to go into.
263
00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,278
I tested the market for
Downtown by opening a chain
264
00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,117
of amusement centers in Adelaide
265
00:12:15,159 --> 00:12:17,558
called the Family Fun Factory.
266
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,597
These were small centers
with about 30 machines in them,
267
00:12:20,639 --> 00:12:25,398
with pinball games and
soccer tables and video games.
268
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:26,958
These were very successful
269
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,398
and showed me that something
might work on a bigger scale.
270
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,198
We then went down to Hindley Street
271
00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,398
and found a place called Hains Hunkin's,
272
00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,237
which is a furniture
emporium, a beautiful shop.
273
00:12:37,279 --> 00:12:38,717
They were wanting to get out of it.
274
00:12:38,759 --> 00:12:42,798
In 1979, in about the middle of the year,
275
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,278
acquired the building
and started a renovation,
276
00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,597
and by Christmas, it was
complete and ready to go.
277
00:12:49,639 --> 00:12:51,678
We opened the doors at that time,
278
00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:53,958
just before Christmas 1979.
279
00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,198
From day, one because
of an advertising campaign
280
00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,717
using the song of
"Downtown" by Petula Clark,
281
00:12:59,759 --> 00:13:02,517
that was a first as well
because previously,
282
00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,958
record companies were totally reluctant
283
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,997
to give anybody the
rights to use their music
284
00:13:07,039 --> 00:13:08,398
for commercial purposes.
285
00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,517
But we got the song of "Downtown"
286
00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,357
and used that as an advertising campaign,
287
00:13:13,399 --> 00:13:17,078
and from day one, the whole
thing was a rip-roaring success.
288
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,877
♪ You can feel a feeling coming in ♪
289
00:13:19,919 --> 00:13:23,398
♪ Gotta make yourself
a part of everything ♪
290
00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,637
♪ Outer space, on the sea, on the ground ♪
291
00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,158
♪ Let your mind go round ♪
292
00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:30,078
♪ Downtown, Downtown ♪
293
00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,117
- The whole ground floor was
hundreds of amusement machines.
294
00:13:34,159 --> 00:13:38,717
We're talking Space Invaders
and other games of the day,
295
00:13:38,759 --> 00:13:40,278
sit-down driving games.
296
00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,837
I found a game called Air Hockey.
297
00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:45,517
Air Hockey had never
been seen in Australia,
298
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,717
and I went to Disneyland,
and I found a big area there
299
00:13:49,759 --> 00:13:53,237
which had been dedicated to
about 20 Air Hockey machines.
300
00:13:53,279 --> 00:13:56,798
And I said to myself, "Gee,
we've gotta have some of those,"
301
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:57,678
so we did.
302
00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,877
But the other thing that
was a hot product in America
303
00:13:59,919 --> 00:14:02,837
at the time was the
advent of roller skating.
304
00:14:02,879 --> 00:14:06,198
In fact, I brought over an
American skating manager
305
00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,318
from San Jose, and he was
not only a skating manager,
306
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,918
but he was an expert disco skater.
307
00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,438
He held classes to
instruct locals in Adelaide
308
00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,637
how to roller skate to the disco music.
309
00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,438
So the skating rink was
such a key part of Downtown.
310
00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,038
A big attraction on the ground floor
311
00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,200
was in the back left-hand
corner a huge shooting gallery.
312
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,398
There was never one of
these in Adelaide before like it
313
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,958
and probably not in Australia at the time.
314
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,038
A fellow played a honky-tonk
piano, and you could shoot him.
315
00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,717
These guns used were
like rifles, like a .303.
316
00:14:41,759 --> 00:14:44,558
It was an electronic one,
so it was perfectly safe.
317
00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,318
There were no bullets or slugs,
318
00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,078
nothing to hurt anybody with.
319
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,558
Above the ground floor was a mezzanine,
320
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,798
and the mezzanine had
about 60 pinball games,
321
00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,438
and we had 30 dodgem cars.
322
00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:57,958
It was a fantastic attraction.
323
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,078
Everybody loved driving dodgem cars.
324
00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,517
We had old-fashioned sideshows
325
00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:05,117
where you could do knock them downs
326
00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:07,038
and other such things as well.
327
00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:12,080
Adjacent to the sideshows
was a mini golf course.
328
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:16,278
There were 60,000 square
feet, it was a huge center.
329
00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,318
There was nothing like
it in the world, in fact.
330
00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,717
There were plenty of outdoor centers
331
00:15:21,759 --> 00:15:25,278
like Magic Mountain in Los Angeles
332
00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,357
and Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm,
333
00:15:27,399 --> 00:15:30,997
but there was no indoor
center like Downtown,
334
00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:33,637
and we set out to make
Downtown Leisure Centre
335
00:15:33,679 --> 00:15:36,078
the biggest and best
of its type in the world,
336
00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,877
and I think we succeeded in doing that.
337
00:15:37,919 --> 00:15:40,278
60,000 square feet is about the size
338
00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,837
of a football field, and
filling an area up like that
339
00:15:42,879 --> 00:15:44,597
with video games isn't easy,
340
00:15:44,639 --> 00:15:45,757
particularly when most of them
341
00:15:45,799 --> 00:15:47,398
are built halfway across the world.
342
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,158
But with the arcade scene booming,
343
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,438
arcade owners would soon need
344
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:51,877
to find a more cost-effective way
345
00:15:51,919 --> 00:15:53,357
to host the ever-growing catalog
346
00:15:53,399 --> 00:15:55,717
of the latest and greatest
games here in Australia.
347
00:15:55,759 --> 00:15:58,357
- In Australia, we don't have
a lot of dedicated cabinets.
348
00:15:58,399 --> 00:16:02,038
In America, they still
have the manufacturers
349
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,278
produce the cabinets,
350
00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,637
and they sell them as
the dedicated cabinets.
351
00:16:05,679 --> 00:16:08,357
Originally, they'd import them all in.
352
00:16:08,399 --> 00:16:10,398
They're all sold as original cabinets.
353
00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,438
If you wanted to buy a Pac-Man,
354
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:13,877
you had to buy a Pac-Man cabinet
355
00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:15,438
and then a Donkey Kong cabinet
356
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,837
and then Space Invaders cabinet.
357
00:16:17,879 --> 00:16:20,798
Until they had a trade conference,
358
00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,958
they were showing off
this latest tabletop game.
359
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,958
They all went for lunch
and the techs got in there,
360
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,038
pulled the board out, put
different game board in there,
361
00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,637
changed the controls, and
then after lunch they said,
362
00:16:31,679 --> 00:16:33,318
"Oh, we've got this new other game here
363
00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,477
we're going to demonstrate to you."
364
00:16:35,519 --> 00:16:36,717
And some of the operators looked at it,
365
00:16:36,759 --> 00:16:39,117
"Well, that's the same
cabinet you had this morning.
366
00:16:39,159 --> 00:16:40,757
How come it's got a different game in it?"
367
00:16:40,799 --> 00:16:41,558
And they then said,
368
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,997
"Well, if you can change it in an hour,
369
00:16:44,039 --> 00:16:46,637
change the game over and
get it all working in an hour,
370
00:16:46,679 --> 00:16:49,517
why can't we just buy the game board
371
00:16:49,559 --> 00:16:52,038
and bring our old cabinets
in and get them done?"
372
00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:53,918
That started happening more and more.
373
00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,597
- This is built by
Leisure Allied Industries.
374
00:16:56,639 --> 00:16:58,438
They just put a different control panel on,
375
00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,798
wider or shorter depending
on the type of game.
376
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,918
- Leisure & Allied Industries' cabinets
377
00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,958
are very generic apart from the artwork.
378
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,200
They'd make a whole run of games that had,
379
00:17:10,519 --> 00:17:11,878
you know, different artwork,
380
00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:13,557
but it was exactly the same cabinet.
381
00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,198
- LAI also built some
pinball machines as well.
382
00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,598
When Stern was around,
the first iteration of Stern
383
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,358
in the late '70s, early '80s,
384
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,317
LAI would bring in containers
385
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:24,918
with all the parts for the pinballs,
386
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,717
so the playfields, the
back glass, the boards,
387
00:17:27,759 --> 00:17:30,237
and actually build the
cabinets here in Australia.
388
00:17:30,279 --> 00:17:32,757
- This is typical of the type of cabinet
389
00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:33,598
that we grew up with.
390
00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:35,757
There was the lowboys and
these that were mass produced
391
00:17:35,799 --> 00:17:37,037
with the different game boards in them,
392
00:17:37,079 --> 00:17:38,237
and it's what we got.
393
00:17:38,279 --> 00:17:42,757
- These Natmar holding
cabinets were like LAI,
394
00:17:42,799 --> 00:17:45,317
like Viper, like Gottlieb cabinets.
395
00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,237
They were the backbone of
Australian arcade cabinets.
396
00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:49,997
You'd see them in the fish and chip shops.
397
00:17:50,039 --> 00:17:52,237
You'd buy a kit with a
marquee and the game board,
398
00:17:52,279 --> 00:17:53,878
and you'd be able to, as an operator,
399
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:55,757
change your game over to something new.
400
00:17:55,799 --> 00:17:57,077
- Which is good for the operator.
401
00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,358
That they can put 20
or 30 different games in
402
00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,678
over a four- or five-year period.
403
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,198
- With Downtown set up and thriving
404
00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:04,638
in the heart of Adelaide city,
405
00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,438
Frank set his sights on a
second large-scale venue,
406
00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:09,717
but this time in a location
that would capitalize
407
00:18:09,759 --> 00:18:11,717
on the hot South Australian summers.
408
00:18:11,759 --> 00:18:15,317
- In my mind, there was only
ever one, and that was Glenelg.
409
00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,277
It had to be Glenelg beach.
410
00:18:17,319 --> 00:18:20,358
The idea was that we
might find a spot down there,
411
00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:21,198
and we did.
412
00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,358
We ended up with a 49-year lease, in fact,
413
00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,878
a spot where there used
to be the old merry-go-round
414
00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:29,158
and the penny arcade, in
fact, that I worked in as a boy.
415
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,118
But the condition of
building by the council,
416
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,158
they wouldn't allow
us to build an ordinary,
417
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,277
modern, nice-looking building.
418
00:18:36,319 --> 00:18:39,158
They wanted a building
that looked like a natural rock.
419
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,237
We went down with our
architect and creative people,
420
00:18:42,279 --> 00:18:45,797
and we took photographs of
the rock face of Maslins Beach,
421
00:18:45,839 --> 00:18:49,358
and that's what the skin of
Magic Mountain was modeled on.
422
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,918
By imposing that condition on us,
423
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,678
it added another $2 million
to the cost of the development.
424
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,358
It cost well over $6 million in total
425
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,077
to build Magic Mountain,
but 2 million unnecessarily.
426
00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,797
The problem with it was
eventually, or very quickly,
427
00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:09,438
was that the public, some public members
428
00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:10,757
didn't like the look of it.
429
00:19:10,799 --> 00:19:14,198
They said it looked
like a lump of dog's turd,
430
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,598
which in their view, perhaps it did.
431
00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:18,477
But nevertheless, we
got the blame for that.
432
00:19:18,519 --> 00:19:20,358
The developers got the blame all along.
433
00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,557
If you listen to the
talkback shows on the radio,
434
00:19:22,599 --> 00:19:23,918
they all blame Magic Mountain
435
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,717
for the god's rot, or for the dog crap.
436
00:19:26,759 --> 00:19:28,997
But it was the council
that made us do that,
437
00:19:29,039 --> 00:19:31,037
yet they got out of it scot-free.
438
00:19:31,079 --> 00:19:33,557
The first floor had two levels.
439
00:19:33,599 --> 00:19:35,678
At one point was the sky cycle.
440
00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,037
My colleague John McDonald,
he and I went to Japan
441
00:19:39,079 --> 00:19:40,517
to look for new items.
442
00:19:40,559 --> 00:19:42,678
That had only just
been invented over there,
443
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:43,878
and there was one of them running
444
00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:45,918
in an amusement show that we went to.
445
00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,638
So we copied the
thing, got the rights to it,
446
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:49,517
and we built it here in Adelaide.
447
00:19:49,559 --> 00:19:51,557
I don't know of any other one in the world
448
00:19:51,599 --> 00:19:53,398
that's been built apart
from the original one
449
00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:54,797
and the one we had at the Mountain.
450
00:19:54,839 --> 00:19:57,797
It would've been about
20 feet from the ground,
451
00:19:57,839 --> 00:19:59,198
so it was a long way down.
452
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,317
You couldn't just hop off if it jammed.
453
00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:03,438
You had to wait for somebody to rescue you.
454
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,398
There were four entrances
to Magic Mountain.
455
00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,158
The main one from the car
park straight in front of you
456
00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,878
was the huge old carousel.
457
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,638
We bought it from the original operator
458
00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,118
and restored it because
it was a little bit run down
459
00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,958
but not too bad, which was at
the time nearly 100 years old
460
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,517
when we installed it there.
461
00:20:21,559 --> 00:20:23,158
The rest of the main ground floor
462
00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,158
was taken up with video
games and pinball machines
463
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,678
until you got to the
entrance to the golf course.
464
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,237
That was the second entrance
coming into Magic Mountain.
465
00:20:31,279 --> 00:20:34,037
And then adjacent to
that was the bumper boats.
466
00:20:34,079 --> 00:20:37,398
The third level up the top was
where the dodgem cars were.
467
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,638
We had about 20 dodgem cars up there,
468
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,797
but the hot one of course was, guess what?
469
00:20:42,839 --> 00:20:46,158
The water slide. The water
slide was just fantastic.
470
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,079
It had just started as a concept
471
00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:51,678
in outdoor recreation parks.
472
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:53,118
We had four flumes.
473
00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,477
When we first opened it,
we noticed that the flume
474
00:20:55,519 --> 00:20:57,638
nearest the beach had a sharp bend
475
00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:59,878
just before it entered into the water,
476
00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:03,037
and we thought, "Strewth,
this could be dangerous.
477
00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:04,997
They might fly out."
478
00:21:05,039 --> 00:21:07,277
So we quickly closed that flume down
479
00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:08,918
and straightened the bend out
480
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:10,838
so that it took the danger out.
481
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,158
The lines to get on the
water slide at the time,
482
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:14,598
a bit like Downtown, you know,
483
00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,557
they were hundreds of
meters long waiting to get on.
484
00:21:17,599 --> 00:21:18,720
It was fantastic.
485
00:21:20,279 --> 00:21:23,958
Eventually, the business
started to wane a bit,
486
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:24,797
and it dropped.
487
00:21:24,839 --> 00:21:26,438
After about five years or so,
488
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,077
we had to close the original Downtown,
489
00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,557
and Magic Mountain kept
going for a number of years
490
00:21:31,599 --> 00:21:35,317
until eventually it closed down
and was demolished as well.
491
00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,598
I went down at the time
it was being demolished,
492
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,277
and I have a sample of the rock.
493
00:21:40,319 --> 00:21:43,037
This is the original,
well, part of the original,
494
00:21:43,079 --> 00:21:44,997
rock face of Magic Mountain.
495
00:21:45,039 --> 00:21:47,358
That's a memory for me to keep, that's all.
496
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:48,438
I only wanted a little piece
497
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,077
so I could put it in this display.
498
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,958
And yeah, that's my
souvenir of Magic Mountain.
499
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,480
(calm music)
500
00:22:11,839 --> 00:22:13,398
The tail end of the '90s were rough
501
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,277
on arcades and leisure centers.
502
00:22:15,319 --> 00:22:17,717
The world of entertainment
was evolving fast,
503
00:22:17,759 --> 00:22:19,797
and those big, heavy, coin-guzzling arcade
504
00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:22,838
and pinball machines were
doing a lot less coin-guzzling
505
00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,358
and suddenly taking up a
whole lot of unnecessary space.
506
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,200
- One of my favorite childhood
places, Magic Mountain,
507
00:22:30,079 --> 00:22:33,838
I basically was told towards
the end of my high school years
508
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:34,838
that it was gonna close down.
509
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,277
And I was like, "Oh, wow,
how can a place like this
510
00:22:37,319 --> 00:22:39,678
that brings so much fun close down?"
511
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,517
- Growing up with them all, I
guess you take it for granted.
512
00:22:43,559 --> 00:22:45,438
You think, "Oh, yeah,
that's always been there"
513
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,237
and don't think much of it.
514
00:22:47,279 --> 00:22:48,797
- Home consoles got affordable.
515
00:22:48,839 --> 00:22:53,839
The games were great,
and a lot of the arcade games
516
00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:55,878
were on the consoles at home,
517
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,317
so you didn't have to pay per game.
518
00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,358
You just bought the cartridge, stuck it in,
519
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,557
and the whole family was playing.
520
00:23:03,599 --> 00:23:06,598
- That was sort of the
end of a lot of arcades.
521
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:07,717
- They just all shut down.
522
00:23:07,759 --> 00:23:11,757
- If you're an operator in
the '90s, it's about dollars.
523
00:23:11,799 --> 00:23:13,198
Arcades take a big footprint,
524
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,838
so there's a big overhead
to power your machines,
525
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,838
to pay your staff, keep the lights on.
526
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,958
- The pokie machines came in,
527
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,557
and that hurt the industry a lot.
528
00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:24,997
- So all the pubs, they said,
529
00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:26,958
"Oh, we don't want your pinball machines
530
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,198
or arcade games here.
531
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,438
We're putting pokies in."
532
00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,317
So they're calling us up
saying, "Take all your games out.
533
00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:32,477
Take all your games out."
534
00:23:32,519 --> 00:23:35,000
- Nearly every pinball
manufacturer shut down.
535
00:23:36,079 --> 00:23:38,678
Even Williams, the world's largest,
536
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,997
90% of their income was
coming from pokie machines,
537
00:23:41,039 --> 00:23:42,717
so they just closed their doors.
538
00:23:42,759 --> 00:23:43,997
- Prize redemption was taking off.
539
00:23:44,039 --> 00:23:46,878
Like, the skill testers
and people wanna be able
540
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,598
to put their dollar in
and win something back.
541
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,517
- The GST coming in in 2001
542
00:23:52,559 --> 00:23:54,678
was probably the nail in
the coffin for the industry.
543
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,838
A 10% hit on all your turnover,
544
00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:58,958
and you couldn't get
people to put a dollar 10
545
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,077
into an arcade cabinet.
546
00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:01,797
I think it would've been such a tough time
547
00:24:01,839 --> 00:24:03,077
for all the operators.
548
00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:04,158
- All of a sudden, all the venues
549
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,717
that I used to travel to were not existing.
550
00:24:07,759 --> 00:24:09,678
I mean, obviously it
became easier for everybody,
551
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,277
but at the same time, it ruined it a lot
552
00:24:12,319 --> 00:24:15,918
for these fantastic coin-op machines.
553
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,717
- If you were a collector at that time,
554
00:24:17,759 --> 00:24:21,317
you could get a lot of
machines for a good price.
555
00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:22,838
But yeah, a lot of the machines
556
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,598
I think are now lost for good, yeah.
557
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,077
Some of them did end up in landfill.
558
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,519
(calm music)
559
00:24:42,559 --> 00:24:45,279
(birds tweeting)
560
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,757
- Back in 1979, this is how a game
561
00:24:55,799 --> 00:24:57,958
would've went to an arcade,
562
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,198
but this one just never got to an arcade,
563
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,559
so it's never been opened.
564
00:25:04,079 --> 00:25:06,678
The first pinball machine I
ever actually put money in
565
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:07,638
was a Buckaroo.
566
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,477
One day many years
ago, I just thought to myself,
567
00:25:09,519 --> 00:25:11,398
"I'd love to have a
Buckaroo pinball machine."
568
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,638
I thought I'd be able to make a phone call,
569
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,717
you know, and there'd be
10 of them like available.
570
00:25:15,759 --> 00:25:17,757
Person that I spoke to, he just said,
571
00:25:17,799 --> 00:25:19,757
"That kind of stuff's not
around anymore, mate.
572
00:25:19,799 --> 00:25:21,438
You won't find anything like that."
573
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,398
This is the one that started at all.
574
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:24,678
This is the first pinball machine
575
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:26,678
I ever played in my life as a kid,
576
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,838
and there's different
variations of Buckaroo.
577
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,198
There's Cowpoke, Rancho,
and there's another one
578
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,077
called Flipper Cowboy,
which I haven't got yet,
579
00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,079
but I should be able to get eventually.
580
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,678
My plan never was to collect
pinballs and arcade games.
581
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:44,638
I just wanted a Buckaroo,
but found all these other ones,
582
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,638
and I just got so much enjoyment out of it
583
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,599
and that I just kept collecting.
584
00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,717
It's very good to have, to
be focused on something
585
00:25:53,759 --> 00:25:56,958
and something that you love and you enjoy
586
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,277
and other people can experience,
587
00:25:59,319 --> 00:26:01,158
and I get all three of them things
588
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:05,598
out of these pinball
machines and arcade games.
589
00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:09,438
This game come out
about 1979, 43 years old,
590
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,198
brand new in the box,
never been outta the box.
591
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:13,918
Basically I bought this machine
592
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,358
probably 20 years ago from Canada.
593
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,598
It seemed like a hoax, 'cause
it was too good to be true.
594
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,438
It was called Time Travel Warehouse.
595
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,918
This game was there
along with lots and lots
596
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:25,757
of other brand-new old-stock games,
597
00:26:25,799 --> 00:26:27,958
and I had the chance to buy this,
598
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:29,477
and 'cause this was a game I used to play
599
00:26:29,519 --> 00:26:31,077
when I was a kid at Downtown.
600
00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:33,918
So I wanted to buy one of these for years,
601
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,918
but they're a pretty rare game,
602
00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:37,517
and then I had the chance
to buy a brand-new one.
603
00:26:37,559 --> 00:26:39,638
But I've had it for all this time,
604
00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,598
and I thought, "What
am I gonna do with it?"
605
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,517
Because once I open it,
it's not brand new anymore,
606
00:26:43,559 --> 00:26:45,638
but this is like the perfect opportunity
607
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:46,878
to share it with everybody.
608
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,599
So today we're gonna
open it for the very first time.
609
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,599
(packaging crackling)
610
00:27:00,839 --> 00:27:04,359
So I'm imagining I'm a operator from 1979,
611
00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,720
just opening up my latest
delivery to put in the arcade.
612
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,358
Well, there's a brand-new game in there.
613
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,640
It looks like there was
a key sitting on top,
614
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,557
underneath a piece of sticky tape
615
00:27:30,599 --> 00:27:31,757
that's on top of the machine.
616
00:27:31,799 --> 00:27:33,678
That's probably a key to open the machine
617
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,398
to get inside of it.
618
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,878
So I'm hoping that it's
fallen down inside the guts.
619
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,200
(bright digital music)
620
00:27:47,519 --> 00:27:50,240
Wow! (upbeat music)
621
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:05,519
Wow.
622
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:11,237
That's a brand-new game.
623
00:28:11,279 --> 00:28:14,240
That is amazing. That is amazing.
624
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:16,717
That's a brand-new game.
625
00:28:16,759 --> 00:28:21,720
This is a brand-new game, so cool. (laughs)
626
00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:28,240
Well, what's this? This might be the key.
627
00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:33,960
Wow.
628
00:28:45,559 --> 00:28:48,599
Wow, that is brand new.
629
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,119
There's books with it as well.
630
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:57,839
Wow.
631
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:02,958
It actually looks super clean.
632
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,997
I was a bit worried that
there might be rodents in there
633
00:29:07,039 --> 00:29:09,517
that have got in there,
but they obviously haven't.
634
00:29:09,559 --> 00:29:11,918
So it looks kind of perfect.
635
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,317
Real hard game, real basic game.
636
00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:17,717
It's got cows in it on
the side of the road,
637
00:29:17,759 --> 00:29:20,037
and you hit the cows, and
they're just made of sticks,
638
00:29:20,079 --> 00:29:21,878
and they just all explode.
639
00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,077
But it's a really hard game
640
00:29:23,119 --> 00:29:27,517
because the steering was so wonky on it.
641
00:29:27,559 --> 00:29:28,839
Hopefully it's gonna work.
642
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,198
- At last count, Jeff's personal collection
643
00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:33,598
of arcades and pinballs
644
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,198
was somewhere between 300 and 400 machines,
645
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,077
a truly impressive collection.
646
00:29:39,119 --> 00:29:40,838
But what's equally as impressive
647
00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:42,557
is that Jeff has a unique memory
648
00:29:42,599 --> 00:29:45,678
and story for each and every one of them.
649
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:50,237
My all-time favorite video
game to play is Asteroids Deluxe.
650
00:29:50,279 --> 00:29:51,757
There was only ever one of them around,
651
00:29:51,799 --> 00:29:55,158
like, a full-size upright one,
and that was at Downtown.
652
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,077
So I used to specifically go to Downtown
653
00:29:58,119 --> 00:30:00,277
to play Asteroids Deluxe.
654
00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:01,757
Then many years later,
655
00:30:01,799 --> 00:30:03,878
I was looking to buy an Asteroids Deluxe.
656
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,438
Never thought I'd find one,
and one day just outta the blue,
657
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:08,598
my brother-in-law, he come around,
658
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:10,958
and I was telling him this story
about this Asteroids Deluxe
659
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,398
being my favorite game, blah blah blah.
660
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,997
And he says, "Why don't
you go to Charcoal Chicken?
661
00:30:17,039 --> 00:30:20,678
They've got one in there
in the front of their shop."
662
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:21,918
And I said, "No, they haven't."
663
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:23,398
And he says, "Go and have a look."
664
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,958
And so I actually jumped in my car
665
00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,477
and went to this Charcoal
Chicken, and it was there,
666
00:30:29,519 --> 00:30:31,638
and it was right there, and
it had been there for years,
667
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,878
10 minutes from where I
live, never knew it was there.
668
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,717
And even saying this
bring chills down my spine,
669
00:30:38,759 --> 00:30:40,997
like, because it was so magical that day
670
00:30:41,039 --> 00:30:43,958
when I said to the guy,
"Do you wanna sell it?"
671
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,077
So he plugged it in, plugged
it in right in front of me,
672
00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:49,158
and then half the screen was missing.
673
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,358
And he said, "It's never
done that, it's always worked."
674
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,918
"You just plug it in, it
works," and he says,
675
00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:56,838
"Well, I'm not gonna
spend any money fixing it."
676
00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:58,158
He says, "Well, you've
come on the right day."
677
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,037
He says, "Oh, you can
have it for like $200"
678
00:31:00,079 --> 00:31:01,077
or whatever it was.
679
00:31:01,119 --> 00:31:04,037
This is the game that I
played when I was a kid.
680
00:31:04,079 --> 00:31:07,077
This is the actual game that
I used to play at Downtown.
681
00:31:07,119 --> 00:31:10,638
So going from telling my
brother-in-law the story,
682
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,717
like, within an hour I
owned, ended up owning
683
00:31:13,759 --> 00:31:15,198
the original Asteroids Deluxe
684
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,838
that I played as a kid at Downtown.
685
00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,717
Unbelievable, unbelievable.
686
00:31:20,759 --> 00:31:24,237
This is two variations, like
the electromechanical version
687
00:31:24,279 --> 00:31:26,398
and the digital version
of Close Encounters.
688
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,158
And this one is a sample game as well,
689
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,438
which means it's a
prototype, one of the first ones.
690
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,237
I've wanted one of
these for years and years.
691
00:31:32,279 --> 00:31:34,878
Yeah, I love it. This is Cirqus Voltaire.
692
00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,317
This is the actual one from Magic Mountain.
693
00:31:37,359 --> 00:31:39,398
FunHouse, this is just a cool game.
694
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,757
Everyone loves FunHouse.
It's got Rudy the talking head.
695
00:31:42,799 --> 00:31:45,678
Orbitor 1, the playfield is like the moon,
696
00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:46,517
surface of the moon.
697
00:31:46,559 --> 00:31:47,997
It's all over the joint, so the ball hit,
698
00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:49,757
comes off the bumpers and spins around,
699
00:31:49,799 --> 00:31:51,477
then it goes round behind the flippers.
700
00:31:51,519 --> 00:31:53,358
Lots of pinball guys that have been here,
701
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:54,797
and they just say they hate it,
702
00:31:54,839 --> 00:31:57,077
and I just laugh, 'cause I love it.
703
00:31:57,119 --> 00:31:59,358
Q♪Bert's Quest, this is like a freaky game,
704
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:01,438
flippers are all backwards and everything,
705
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,077
and it's based on the
Q♪Bert arcade machine.
706
00:32:04,119 --> 00:32:05,958
Lots of people always
wanna buy that from me,
707
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,037
but I don't wanna sell them.
708
00:32:07,079 --> 00:32:09,198
720, such a cool game.
709
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:11,237
This was a very cool game back in the day.
710
00:32:11,279 --> 00:32:13,958
It's like similar to Asteroids,
711
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,958
but the only way you
can play it is two players.
712
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,317
Stunt Cycle, which is
like a Evel Knievel game.
713
00:32:18,359 --> 00:32:19,757
I used to play this when it was new.
714
00:32:19,799 --> 00:32:20,678
Got that from Melbourne.
715
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,237
That was like 50 bucks or something as well
716
00:32:23,279 --> 00:32:24,598
'cause just people didn't want them.
717
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,838
Discs of Tron, it's a walk-in cabinet.
718
00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,598
So I had two of these, but
I got rid of one years ago.
719
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,277
This is the Aladdin's Castle one.
720
00:32:31,319 --> 00:32:34,918
This is like an absolutely
amazing game, hologram game.
721
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,958
So I could see back in when it was new
722
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,277
how you would think it
was an actual hologram,
723
00:32:40,319 --> 00:32:43,757
but it's basically a laser
disc and a couple of mirrors.
724
00:32:43,799 --> 00:32:45,757
(arcade machine thunks)
725
00:32:45,799 --> 00:32:47,438
- [Cowboy] It's mighty quiet around here.
726
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,678
- This is Dirty Harry. I
bought this off my friend Mark.
727
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,398
He told me the story
about it when I bought it.
728
00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,557
- I think the most challenging
repair I've ever had
729
00:32:57,599 --> 00:33:01,237
was a pinball machine had
come off the back of a trailer,
730
00:33:01,279 --> 00:33:04,158
and they're doing 110 Ks down the road,
731
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,158
shattered the cabinet
and everything to pieces,
732
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:08,757
and I mean in pieces.
733
00:33:08,799 --> 00:33:11,638
Anything on the circuit
boards that was higher than that
734
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,277
had been ripped off the circuit boards,
735
00:33:13,319 --> 00:33:16,037
heat sinks and amplifiers and that,
736
00:33:16,079 --> 00:33:17,958
and some of the ICs
were cracked in two and.
737
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,678
- That didn't kind of put me off.
738
00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,797
That excited me, like
the fact that it's still alive,
739
00:33:22,839 --> 00:33:24,638
(laughs) basically because I think he said
740
00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,237
it fell off upside down,
741
00:33:26,279 --> 00:33:27,918
and it landed on its headboard on the back
742
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:29,118
and just slid down the road, and I thought,
743
00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,277
"That's a cool story. I've gotta buy this."
744
00:33:31,319 --> 00:33:34,638
- Took me several years
to get it up back together.
745
00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,077
- So this is that actual one.
746
00:33:36,119 --> 00:33:37,918
This is called the Mouth of Truth,
747
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,717
and this was at Magic Mountain
just before they shut down.
748
00:33:40,759 --> 00:33:42,438
It's a fortune teller.
749
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,198
Put your hand in its
mouth, and it spits out a,
750
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,198
reads a fortune teller and gives it to you.
751
00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,878
In the '90s, there was a big auction,
752
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:53,198
big advert in the paper,
753
00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,477
and it said something like 40 machines.
754
00:33:55,519 --> 00:33:58,717
It was all the stuff from Downtown.
755
00:33:58,759 --> 00:34:01,277
And I walked into the big auction room,
756
00:34:01,319 --> 00:34:03,678
and there was video games
757
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,118
and me and the auctioneer, and that was it.
758
00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:07,158
There was nobody else.
759
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:08,958
And I said, "Look, mate,
there's nobody here.
760
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:09,798
How much are they?"
761
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:11,197
And he goes, "Oh, $10 each."
762
00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,037
So I ended up buying four machines,
763
00:34:13,079 --> 00:34:14,718
because you've gotta remember at the time,
764
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:15,718
nobody wanted them,
765
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,597
so that's why there was
no one else at the auction.
766
00:34:17,639 --> 00:34:20,477
One of the machines that I got for $10
767
00:34:20,519 --> 00:34:22,517
was a game called Fisco 400,
768
00:34:22,559 --> 00:34:24,358
which is a four-player driving game.
769
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,438
That thing actually worked, for $10.
770
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:27,918
Got it home, and it actually worked.
771
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:29,438
This is the other one I got for 10 bucks,
772
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:30,838
but this one doesn't actually work,
773
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:32,278
and it's a video pinball.
774
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,278
It's got basically got a
playfield that's upside down
775
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:37,878
on the top of the machine
776
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:40,637
with flippers and bumpers
and the ball and everything.
777
00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:42,997
The rest all ended up
going to a salvage yard.
778
00:34:43,039 --> 00:34:45,077
Then eventually nobody
wanted to buy them from there,
779
00:34:45,119 --> 00:34:47,477
so they got put out in
the weather under tarps.
780
00:34:47,519 --> 00:34:49,997
The tarps deteriorated,
and the rest is history.
781
00:34:50,039 --> 00:34:52,840
Basically they all kind
of went back to the earth.
782
00:34:56,519 --> 00:34:57,318
- [Danny] Hello.
783
00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:58,560
- [Bianca] Hello. How are you?
784
00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:01,517
- [Danny] Good.
785
00:35:01,559 --> 00:35:06,477
I was saying about how you've
always been with GameRoom.
786
00:35:06,519 --> 00:35:07,997
GameRoom's been there your whole life
787
00:35:08,039 --> 00:35:09,318
since you were a baby.
788
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:10,517
- [Bianca] Oh, yeah.
789
00:35:10,559 --> 00:35:13,477
- [Danny] And how you
started working at GameRoom
790
00:35:13,519 --> 00:35:15,077
as a security guard. - Security, yep.
791
00:35:15,119 --> 00:35:16,157
(both laughing)
792
00:35:16,199 --> 00:35:17,918
With my little security hat,
793
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,077
going around, "Do you have a stamp?
794
00:35:20,119 --> 00:35:22,920
No? Well, then you have
to go to the front counter."
795
00:35:24,599 --> 00:35:27,197
- Tonight is Pinball Club
at GameRoom Essentials,
796
00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:30,758
a weekly social
semi-competitive pinball event,
797
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,838
kind of like playing social basketball
798
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,238
or indoor cricket, but it's pinball.
799
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,997
So it's all hands on
deck for the Daly family.
800
00:35:38,039 --> 00:35:40,037
Danny, Danny's wife,
Michelle, and their daughters,
801
00:35:40,079 --> 00:35:42,197
Kim and Bianca, knock off work for the day
802
00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:44,597
from their day jobs and
head straight to GameRoom
803
00:35:44,639 --> 00:35:45,958
to host the event.
804
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:49,077
And they do this most
days, including weekends.
805
00:35:49,119 --> 00:35:52,398
For the Dalys, this is
day-to-day life with an arcade
806
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,880
and has been for the past 17 years or so.
807
00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,718
- Family is a large part
of GameRoom Essentials,
808
00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,318
and my kids are brought up with it.
809
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:03,517
We don't have weekends.
810
00:36:03,559 --> 00:36:08,318
We never have weekends
away 'cause we're always here.
811
00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:12,358
Any money that the arcade
makes goes back into the arcade.
812
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,358
There's not enough money in
this to actually pay wages yet.
813
00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:18,077
Would love to one day, that was the aim,
814
00:36:18,119 --> 00:36:20,117
and every year I was
saying, "This is the year"
815
00:36:20,159 --> 00:36:22,037
I'm gonna pay myself a wage,
816
00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:24,637
or "No, maybe next year I'm
gonna pay myself a wage."
817
00:36:24,679 --> 00:36:29,557
But it hasn't happened
yet, but it will happen.
818
00:36:29,599 --> 00:36:31,637
We're not actually running
a tournament tonight.
819
00:36:31,679 --> 00:36:35,438
It's just a flip frenzy,
which is more laid back.
820
00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:40,480
It's still competition,
but it's not for big points
821
00:36:40,679 --> 00:36:41,477
or anything like that.
822
00:36:41,519 --> 00:36:46,360
It's just a heap of friends
getting together, bit of banter.
823
00:36:47,679 --> 00:36:50,320
(jack clicking)
824
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,077
And it's very easy.
825
00:36:58,119 --> 00:37:01,557
It's just look at the screen.
826
00:37:01,599 --> 00:37:02,997
It'll tell you which machine you're on,
827
00:37:03,039 --> 00:37:04,438
who you're playing against,
828
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,798
and then you quickly have your game.
829
00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,880
Whoever wins goes onto the computer,
830
00:37:13,519 --> 00:37:14,878
puts down who wins the game,
831
00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,559
and then it generates
the next game ready to go.
832
00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,599
I've been collecting a lot
of this stuff for many years.
833
00:37:22,519 --> 00:37:24,358
It's like those things, you
never wanna throw it away
834
00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:26,117
'cause you don't know
when you're gonna need it.
835
00:37:26,159 --> 00:37:28,997
And especially with arcades,
if you throw something away,
836
00:37:29,039 --> 00:37:31,637
you might be not be able
to get that thing again.
837
00:37:31,679 --> 00:37:33,477
It's just like these from Blockbuster
838
00:37:33,519 --> 00:37:37,519
when we were there for
the latest-release movies.
839
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,960
"Robocop," got that when I got
the Robocop pinball machine.
840
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,997
And you see CRTs all around the place,
841
00:37:47,039 --> 00:37:51,758
'cause there's a lot of
things need the CRT screens,
842
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:52,878
a lot of light-gun games.
843
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,358
A lot of the older consoles will not work
844
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:58,037
on the LCD screens nowadays.
845
00:37:58,079 --> 00:38:02,117
There's buttons and cables
and joysticks and circuit boards
846
00:38:02,159 --> 00:38:05,037
and absolutely anything and everything,
847
00:38:05,079 --> 00:38:08,597
but it's all stuff that's
come along, could be free,
848
00:38:08,639 --> 00:38:09,798
something that's not working,
849
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,677
and think I might be able to
use a part off that one day.
850
00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:14,477
One day I'll have to sort through,
851
00:38:14,519 --> 00:38:17,318
get some proper
shelving and lay things out.
852
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,477
It all just takes time, and
just don't get enough time
853
00:38:20,519 --> 00:38:23,238
to do anything anymore.
854
00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,157
- If you wanna have an
arcade full of machines,
855
00:38:25,199 --> 00:38:28,037
the amount of spare
parts you need lying around
856
00:38:28,079 --> 00:38:30,077
that you can't necessarily get,
857
00:38:30,119 --> 00:38:31,958
changeover machines so when one dies,
858
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,398
you can put another one in its spot.
859
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:35,918
Especially here, there's
just no parts around.
860
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,037
The machines aren't around,
861
00:38:37,079 --> 00:38:40,157
and you've gotta really know
the hoarders and collectors
862
00:38:40,199 --> 00:38:42,117
to be able to get access to that stuff.
863
00:38:42,159 --> 00:38:45,400
(energetic rock music)
864
00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:49,157
I had a customer contact me and say,
865
00:38:49,199 --> 00:38:51,758
"Hey, man, I got a machine
stashed away in the shed."
866
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,758
I end up throwing it in the
van and bringing it home
867
00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,798
because you don't generally
get bargains all the time,
868
00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,958
so when one pops up, you grab it.
869
00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:01,918
Street Fighter II: Championship Edition,
870
00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,037
it's one of those games
everybody's fond of.
871
00:39:04,079 --> 00:39:05,677
It's a good, clean, original cabinet,
872
00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:08,798
and when I say original,
it's got all the same monitor,
873
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:10,637
the same wiring, all the stuff in it
874
00:39:10,679 --> 00:39:13,997
that it came out with,
and there may be a time
875
00:39:14,039 --> 00:39:15,960
where it could've been something else,
876
00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:19,758
but the game board,
the marquee, all the bits
877
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,358
line up pretty well
with it being consistent
878
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,037
with being a Street Fighter
machine, at least for a while.
879
00:39:25,079 --> 00:39:26,838
So to have one of these in the collection
880
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:31,037
I think is very nostalgic and
a worthwhile piece to have.
881
00:39:31,079 --> 00:39:33,718
Big standout parts, the faded marquee.
882
00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:35,758
We'll get a new one of these printed up.
883
00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,398
We'll redo all the aluminium work,
884
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,278
clean up all the control panels.
885
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:45,320
MCA joysticks, in Australia,
these were the duck's guts.
886
00:39:46,079 --> 00:39:49,278
They were a locally made,
Australian-made product,
887
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,398
and they have a specific
feel that no other units have,
888
00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,637
so they will be rebuilt.
889
00:39:54,679 --> 00:39:56,398
They might be a little
bit chipped on the top,
890
00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:58,398
but we'll pull them
apart, we'll rebuild them.
891
00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,077
We'll clean them up
because you go replace them
892
00:40:01,119 --> 00:40:02,958
with something else,
and it's just not the same.
893
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,239
(energetic rock music)
894
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,559
All right, the moment of truth.
895
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,077
(machine whirring)
896
00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:21,960
That sounds good.
897
00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,440
(lively rock music)
898
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,637
Well, we can see the screen
needs a bit of adjustment,
899
00:40:31,679 --> 00:40:34,637
and it's got some color
out, but we've got an image,
900
00:40:34,679 --> 00:40:35,958
and the game board's working,
901
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,318
and it all seems to be
firing up and running.
902
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:39,718
Listen to that music, that's awesome.
903
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:41,079
- [Game] Round one, fight!
904
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:44,117
- Now, somewhere along the line,
905
00:40:44,159 --> 00:40:48,278
the coin mech's been pulled off,
906
00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,517
which we'll have to look into.
907
00:40:50,559 --> 00:40:53,718
And these are the kind
of things people hold onto.
908
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,398
Coin mechs like this, you know,
909
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:56,878
can't just go to the shop and buy them.
910
00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:00,477
So we'll either repair it
or start ringing around
911
00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:02,557
and find someone that'll have one
912
00:41:02,599 --> 00:41:06,637
and start the treasure
hunt, but I actually think
913
00:41:06,679 --> 00:41:09,798
that'll be reasonably
saveable by the looks of it.
914
00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,677
A lot of them, when you get
them from homes like this,
915
00:41:11,719 --> 00:41:13,079
they're set on a free play.
916
00:41:14,519 --> 00:41:16,438
Yep, this one's set on free play.
917
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:18,718
(lively music)
918
00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:21,477
Well, apart from the fact it's hard to see,
919
00:41:21,519 --> 00:41:23,838
it all works and runs really
well, and the sound's great.
920
00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:27,718
If I wanna restore an
original Ninja Turtles,
921
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,278
Street Fighter, Simpsons cabinet,
922
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:33,197
it costs money not
only to get it to Australia
923
00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:35,398
but then shipped several thousand Ks
924
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,517
across Australia in a
truck to be dropped off,
925
00:41:37,559 --> 00:41:40,758
and things get damaged, stuff happens.
926
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:43,677
You pull it out of the
packaging or the wrap,
927
00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:45,918
you realize it's got damage,
something's not right.
928
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,117
So by the time you've landed
the machine and got it here,
929
00:41:50,159 --> 00:41:53,197
you're almost up to the market value of it.
930
00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:54,838
And then you gotta start pulling parts out
931
00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:56,718
and sending things here and there
932
00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:58,758
and spending a lot of time yourself
933
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:00,798
checking buttons, switches, wiring looms.
934
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:04,958
The hours involved can be weeks sometimes.
935
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,477
You know, people go,
"Oh, they're not worth much."
936
00:42:07,519 --> 00:42:09,197
Well, if I want that machine,
937
00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:11,997
I'm gonna have to spend that
much to get it running again.
938
00:42:12,039 --> 00:42:14,197
- I think the number-one
thing people don't realize
939
00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:16,517
about pinball machines is they compare it
940
00:42:16,559 --> 00:42:18,557
to just about every
other piece of equipment
941
00:42:18,599 --> 00:42:19,878
they deal with in common life,
942
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,718
and they presume it's
replaceable, it's fixable.
943
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,037
You just swap in the part,
and you swap out another one.
944
00:42:25,079 --> 00:42:28,758
They don't realize how many moving parts,
945
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,918
how many unique parts
bespoke to that particular game
946
00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:33,958
that they're standing in front of there are
947
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,438
and how few of them
there are left on the Earth
948
00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:38,278
and how far you have to go to get them.
949
00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:42,039
You know, if a part breaks
on Flight 2000 behind me,
950
00:42:43,039 --> 00:42:44,878
who knows where you
go for that plastic part?
951
00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:46,517
They haven't been printed for 30 years.
952
00:42:46,559 --> 00:42:47,838
And that's what they don't realize,
953
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:49,358
I think, of the general public,
954
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:51,878
and I don't really want
them to realize that.
955
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:53,117
I just want them to come in and have fun.
956
00:42:53,159 --> 00:42:55,077
I'm not here to labor
them with my problems.
957
00:42:55,119 --> 00:42:57,557
I just think that that's the
one thing they don't realize,
958
00:42:57,599 --> 00:43:00,677
and sometimes when you see
people slapping the games around
959
00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:04,438
a bit more than they should
or just flipping like crazy
960
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,117
when the ball's nowhere near the flippers,
961
00:43:06,159 --> 00:43:08,718
that's probably the one
thing that sends me nuts,
962
00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:11,117
just flip, flip, flip,
flip, flip, flip, flip,
963
00:43:11,159 --> 00:43:13,918
and the ball's not even, you
know, out of the shooter lane,
964
00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,278
because rebuilding flippers
965
00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:18,438
is not the funnest job in the world.
966
00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:20,318
(energetic music)
967
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:24,997
- I remember vividly traveling
to Disney with my parents,
968
00:43:25,039 --> 00:43:29,157
and we were staying at this
awesome hotel, awesome pool,
969
00:43:29,199 --> 00:43:31,197
but I found that they had a games room
970
00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:32,798
with the Simpsons machine there,
971
00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,358
and I spent most of my
time in the arcade room
972
00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:36,798
as opposed to in the swimming pool
973
00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:37,637
and all the other cool stuff
974
00:43:37,679 --> 00:43:39,557
that you should've been doing as a kid.
975
00:43:39,599 --> 00:43:42,398
Just spent countless tokens and quarters,
976
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,597
American quarters on this Simpsons machine.
977
00:43:44,639 --> 00:43:46,278
After a while, it was my life goal
978
00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:48,438
to get my own Simpsons machine.
979
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:52,117
Years later, I went to
my now business partner,
980
00:43:52,159 --> 00:43:55,318
Nathan, into his house,
and he took me to his shed,
981
00:43:55,360 --> 00:43:58,238
and he had pinball
machines and arcades there,
982
00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:01,077
and I never thought you could buy your own.
983
00:44:01,119 --> 00:44:02,157
It was one of those things,
984
00:44:02,199 --> 00:44:04,398
that arcades are for
you to go to this place
985
00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,838
and pump quarters into
it, pump dollars into it,
986
00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:08,238
play, and go home,
987
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:09,878
and if you wanna play games at home,
988
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:11,117
video games or computers.
989
00:44:11,159 --> 00:44:14,838
Nathan basically introduced
me to a few people
990
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,997
where I could buy and trade
arcades and pinballs with,
991
00:44:18,039 --> 00:44:21,318
and then I caught the
bug, and once I found out
992
00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:24,157
that I could chase my
dream of owning a Simpsons,
993
00:44:24,199 --> 00:44:26,918
my own American-cabinet Simpsons machine,
994
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,517
it took me a while, but I found one.
995
00:44:29,559 --> 00:44:33,318
When I got it, it was
waterlogged at the bottom.
996
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:36,117
Pieces were falling apart in transport.
997
00:44:36,159 --> 00:44:38,358
The game worked, but the monitor was dull.
998
00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:40,197
Decals on the side were gone.
999
00:44:40,239 --> 00:44:42,918
The marquee was gone as
well, control panel was gone.
1000
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:44,997
So it was basically either a parts machine
1001
00:44:45,039 --> 00:44:48,838
for the game board or
a massive restoration,
1002
00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,997
and I managed to find
Simon at Arcade Garage.
1003
00:44:52,039 --> 00:44:53,838
He said he would take that job on,
1004
00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:56,838
and he literally stripped
the decals off the side,
1005
00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:58,597
stripped the control panel with decals,
1006
00:44:58,639 --> 00:45:00,918
and then proceeded to rebuild the cabinet
1007
00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:03,358
and strengthen the cabinet
where it was all waterlogged,
1008
00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:05,878
cut those pieces out, bogged the cabinet
1009
00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:09,077
and sand it back so it was a nice surface,
1010
00:45:09,119 --> 00:45:12,077
re-sprayed it, then applied the new decals,
1011
00:45:12,119 --> 00:45:14,517
powder-coated everything
that's metal on the machine,
1012
00:45:14,559 --> 00:45:17,557
rebuild the monitor chassis, new marquee,
1013
00:45:17,599 --> 00:45:19,037
new control panels.
1014
00:45:19,079 --> 00:45:22,557
So basically every piece of
the machine's been rebuilt,
1015
00:45:22,599 --> 00:45:25,318
and yeah, it's my favorite by far.
1016
00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:28,039
(bright music)
1017
00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:42,077
- On the back of the
neck, the little circuit board
1018
00:45:42,119 --> 00:45:46,157
on the back had a whole
heap of old dry solder joints.
1019
00:45:46,199 --> 00:45:47,958
So we got the soldering
iron out and everything,
1020
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,960
and reflowed a whole heap
of the solder joints on the back.
1021
00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:54,117
When we fired it back up,
we had a whole heap of color
1022
00:45:54,159 --> 00:45:56,037
back in the screen,
so the dry solder joints
1023
00:45:56,079 --> 00:45:57,958
were stopping signals from getting through,
1024
00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,358
which was a really good outcome
1025
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,597
considering I was concerned
that we had a dead monitor.
1026
00:46:02,639 --> 00:46:04,197
The original buttons that were in it,
1027
00:46:04,239 --> 00:46:05,838
a lot of them are stuck.
1028
00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:08,039
Now, we can clean them up and rebuild them,
1029
00:46:09,199 --> 00:46:13,157
but I tend to go for
replacing with a newer one
1030
00:46:13,199 --> 00:46:14,597
just for that nice, new look.
1031
00:46:14,639 --> 00:46:16,077
The original joysticks that were in it,
1032
00:46:16,119 --> 00:46:18,557
these are the old MCA Australia joysticks.
1033
00:46:18,599 --> 00:46:20,477
They are absolute gold.
1034
00:46:20,519 --> 00:46:23,997
So they've been pulled
apart, rebuilt, cleaned,
1035
00:46:24,039 --> 00:46:26,438
tested, and all ready to go back in.
1036
00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:28,758
Wiring looms, all labeled ready to go.
1037
00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:29,958
These bits have been cleaned up.
1038
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:31,398
They had a lot of rust on them.
1039
00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:32,597
Give them a light sand down,
1040
00:46:32,639 --> 00:46:34,677
and get them ready to polish up.
1041
00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:36,557
They go on the top and
bottom of the marquee.
1042
00:46:36,599 --> 00:46:39,238
The marquee we're gonna replace.
1043
00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:41,477
We've got a brand-new one coming to suit
1044
00:46:41,519 --> 00:46:44,117
or a new replica coming to suit the game.
1045
00:46:44,159 --> 00:46:45,517
And then we're gonna have to look at this,
1046
00:46:45,559 --> 00:46:49,278
'cause as much as it's
what came with the machine,
1047
00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:53,117
I don't think it's right for
a Street Fighter machine.
1048
00:46:53,159 --> 00:46:56,077
Someone's taken the original three holes
1049
00:46:56,119 --> 00:46:59,037
and added three more
to play six-button games.
1050
00:46:59,079 --> 00:47:02,838
So originally it would've
been a Metal Slug or a Pang
1051
00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:05,037
or something else like
that with three buttons.
1052
00:47:05,079 --> 00:47:08,438
So I'm thinking fill the
holes, weld the holes up,
1053
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:09,918
re-skin it with the new stickers
1054
00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:13,157
to suit the Street
Fighter, then re-drill it,
1055
00:47:13,199 --> 00:47:16,037
reset it, and have it so that the marquee,
1056
00:47:16,079 --> 00:47:18,358
the screen, and the
control panel all flow through
1057
00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:20,157
and matches a Street Fighter unit.
1058
00:47:20,199 --> 00:47:22,800
Just a good spit polish
and a few stickers and done.
1059
00:47:25,159 --> 00:47:26,517
(calm music)
1060
00:47:26,559 --> 00:47:27,918
- When you see what goes into restoring
1061
00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:31,798
one single old game, it
becomes a lot easier to understand
1062
00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:34,037
why there's not that many around anymore.
1063
00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:37,197
The specialized parts,
the know-how, the time,
1064
00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,677
you have to really love
that one single game.
1065
00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:44,718
So imagine doing all
that but on a larger scale
1066
00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:47,878
with, say, 200 games.
1067
00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:51,199
(light-hearted music)
1068
00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:06,878
- I had a dream, a vision, if you will,
1069
00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,997
to bring alive a retro arcade.
1070
00:48:10,039 --> 00:48:12,798
I wanted to do it in a
scale that was, I guess,
1071
00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:15,438
impactful, meaningful,
and this is a result of that.
1072
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:17,197
We're five, 5 1/2 years in.
1073
00:48:17,239 --> 00:48:20,758
There's games like Shinobi, Golden Axe,
1074
00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,719
of course the Street Fighter series,
1075
00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,398
all the spinoffs from
that with Mortal Kombat,
1076
00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:29,838
King of the Fighters,
and then your classics
1077
00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:34,758
that you can't look past, Moon
Patrol, Donkey Kong, Galaga,
1078
00:48:34,800 --> 00:48:37,758
all the games that you
remembered playing growing up,
1079
00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:39,838
all the games that you
can't find anywhere to play.
1080
00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,960
Put them all under one roof,
unlimited free play, go hard.
1081
00:48:45,159 --> 00:48:47,960
(energetic music)
1082
00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:16,960
(energetic music continues)
1083
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,597
Inside each arcade
cabinet is the arcade board.
1084
00:49:46,639 --> 00:49:49,438
So we have some on display
downstairs in our display cabinet
1085
00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:51,197
'cause we like to share what was going on
1086
00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:53,157
on the inside of the cabinets with people.
1087
00:49:53,199 --> 00:49:56,117
And running an arcade, we have games.
1088
00:49:56,159 --> 00:49:57,997
We have to choose what
games go into the cabinets,
1089
00:49:58,039 --> 00:49:59,597
what hits the floor,
1090
00:49:59,639 --> 00:50:02,597
and we have quite a
collection of game boards.
1091
00:50:02,639 --> 00:50:04,197
We've had these custom-made boxes
1092
00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:07,358
for storing them to give them protection,
1093
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,077
both from electric static
1094
00:50:09,119 --> 00:50:11,358
and also physical
protection against crushes.
1095
00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:13,758
We have Neo Geo cartridges here.
1096
00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:15,597
These are some of our smaller boards,
1097
00:50:15,639 --> 00:50:17,238
and then these are the larger boards
1098
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:18,438
that usually take a larger box.
1099
00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:20,838
There's several hundred
here with all sorts of games
1100
00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:23,117
that we're looking forward
to adding to the arcade
1101
00:50:23,159 --> 00:50:25,037
at some point in the future.
1102
00:50:25,079 --> 00:50:26,878
- Behind the scenes at 1UP Arcade Australia
1103
00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:29,958
is almost as impressive
as the arcade itself.
1104
00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:32,077
There's hundreds of
game boards, spare parts,
1105
00:50:32,119 --> 00:50:33,958
controllers, monitors, and games
1106
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,798
that are going in and
out of rotation all the time,
1107
00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:38,718
because with machines this old,
1108
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:40,557
each day Stephen fires up the arcade,
1109
00:50:40,599 --> 00:50:42,918
there's always a chance
that one or two games
1110
00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:44,958
just might not boot up that day.
1111
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:48,157
There's an element of luck
involved in running an arcade,
1112
00:50:48,199 --> 00:50:50,477
and 2,000 kilometers away in Adelaide,
1113
00:50:50,519 --> 00:50:52,238
Danny and GameRoom Essentials
1114
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:55,157
are dealing with some
particularly bad luck.
1115
00:50:55,199 --> 00:50:57,880
(feet sloshing)
1116
00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:05,438
- [Danny] The laptop's all under the water.
1117
00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:06,320
- [Michelle] Yep.
1118
00:51:09,719 --> 00:51:14,197
- [Danny] The whole desk,
microphone, oh, the launch pad.
1119
00:51:14,239 --> 00:51:16,157
- Heavy storms aren't common in Adelaide,
1120
00:51:16,199 --> 00:51:18,318
so when they do hit, a
lot of the older buildings
1121
00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:20,798
aren't able to withstand
the winds, rain, and hail.
1122
00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,358
And unfortunately for Danny,
1123
00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,037
GameRoom Essentials' current location
1124
00:51:24,079 --> 00:51:25,878
is in one of those older buildings
1125
00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:27,677
right where the storm hit.
1126
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:31,557
- Oh, shit, oh.
1127
00:51:31,599 --> 00:51:34,199
(somber music)
1128
00:51:51,960 --> 00:51:54,557
(vacuum chugging)
1129
00:51:54,599 --> 00:51:57,280
(fans whirring)
1130
00:51:59,679 --> 00:52:02,477
So one of the first places I
checked was my arcades.
1131
00:52:02,519 --> 00:52:06,037
When the storm hit, I was just worried
1132
00:52:06,079 --> 00:52:08,117
about the things I could not replace,
1133
00:52:08,159 --> 00:52:12,438
and these four cabinets
here, Ninja Turtles,
1134
00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:14,677
Mortal Kombat II, Rampage, NBA Jam,
1135
00:52:14,719 --> 00:52:16,597
they're all staples for an arcade,
1136
00:52:16,639 --> 00:52:18,557
and if I lost these to the storm,
1137
00:52:18,599 --> 00:52:20,639
I don't know where I could replace these.
1138
00:52:21,719 --> 00:52:24,517
So the retro consoles were always
1139
00:52:24,559 --> 00:52:27,398
one of the most popular
for adults and kids,
1140
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:28,997
adults reliving their memories,
1141
00:52:29,039 --> 00:52:31,278
and the kids seeing these
hobby games for the first time.
1142
00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:33,880
The whole desk was just underwater.
1143
00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:37,637
It won't be the same
without these consoles.
1144
00:52:37,679 --> 00:52:40,960
We really need to get
these up and running again.
1145
00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:46,278
There's so many times
that I've just closed the door
1146
00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:47,197
and said, "That's it.
1147
00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:48,597
I just wanna sell off everything
1148
00:52:48,639 --> 00:52:50,358
and just call it a day."
1149
00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:51,637
- When your back's against the wall
1150
00:52:51,679 --> 00:52:53,559
and when you feel like giving up,
1151
00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:56,117
it is an internal struggle
1152
00:52:56,159 --> 00:52:58,798
when there's no one really to turn to
1153
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:01,960
who can sympathize or understand, you know,
1154
00:53:03,119 --> 00:53:04,677
what you're up against
and what you're doing.
1155
00:53:04,719 --> 00:53:06,157
- It's just been hurdle after hurdle.
1156
00:53:06,199 --> 00:53:07,758
Everyone's saying,
"Yeah, just push through it,
1157
00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:10,958
"push through it," but they
don't know how hard it is,
1158
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:12,798
how much it's costing.
1159
00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:14,838
We've taken so much
money out of our house loan
1160
00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:17,037
just to keep this business running,
1161
00:53:17,079 --> 00:53:19,037
and when we're finally
starting to see some profit,
1162
00:53:19,079 --> 00:53:20,918
something else happens.
1163
00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:22,517
But everyone goes, "Oh, it's a great thing"
1164
00:53:22,559 --> 00:53:26,157
"for the community," but it's hurting us.
1165
00:53:26,199 --> 00:53:28,157
- You know, if you're gonna take the leap
1166
00:53:28,199 --> 00:53:30,798
into opening a business, you're gonna spend
1167
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,238
a lot of long nights and weekends working
1168
00:53:34,280 --> 00:53:38,197
and trying to get those
little improvements.
1169
00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:43,037
And having a young family, it can take,
1170
00:53:43,079 --> 00:53:45,398
it takes its toll on the family emotionally
1171
00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:48,918
because Dad's always, you
know, fixing a pinball machine
1172
00:53:48,960 --> 00:53:51,438
on the weekend or
after hours, or, you know.
1173
00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:55,398
- My contribution as a
father and a family man
1174
00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:57,238
was pretty limited, really,
1175
00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:00,517
something that I've felt guilty
about ever since, actually.
1176
00:54:00,559 --> 00:54:02,238
I've never been
comfortable with what I did.
1177
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:06,918
But sacrifices were made,
and I certainly did that,
1178
00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:10,637
and I deprived our family of
a normal sort of relationship
1179
00:54:10,679 --> 00:54:11,477
as much as I could've.
1180
00:54:11,519 --> 00:54:13,398
I didn't do as best as I could.
1181
00:54:13,440 --> 00:54:14,517
- Opening 1UP Arcade has been
1182
00:54:14,559 --> 00:54:16,519
the hardest thing I've done in my life.
1183
00:54:17,519 --> 00:54:20,238
I'd probably go as far to say
1184
00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:22,278
in some ways it's been too hard.
1185
00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:25,997
- Sure, having an arcade
is everyone's dream.
1186
00:54:26,039 --> 00:54:27,958
So many people have the
dream of opening a arcade,
1187
00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:32,238
but it's not always great.
1188
00:54:32,280 --> 00:54:33,958
- There's no reason to do this
1189
00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:35,758
from a business perspective, really.
1190
00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:37,238
There are a lot of smarter things
1191
00:54:37,280 --> 00:54:39,597
you could do with your money than this.
1192
00:54:39,639 --> 00:54:42,918
So you've gotta make sure
you wanna be there every day.
1193
00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:46,597
And there was some times, a couple of times
1194
00:54:46,639 --> 00:54:50,719
where I thought, "Maybe
this is just gonna be too hard."
1195
00:54:51,599 --> 00:54:53,718
There is too much at risk.
1196
00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:57,278
"There are too many sleepless nights."
1197
00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:01,637
- The arcade is, you know,
is unique. It is really special.
1198
00:55:01,679 --> 00:55:05,117
And maybe for most people
who walk through those doors,
1199
00:55:05,159 --> 00:55:08,639
they won't know how
special, how unique it is.
1200
00:55:10,320 --> 00:55:13,798
But yeah, maybe it's those
few, that one in a hundred
1201
00:55:13,840 --> 00:55:14,958
that do come through the doors,
1202
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:18,079
and they really appreciate what this is.
1203
00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,119
Yeah, maybe that makes it all worthwhile.
1204
00:55:22,199 --> 00:55:23,838
- With attendance at GameRoom Essentials
1205
00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:26,318
at an all-time low after
the COVID lockdowns,
1206
00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:28,238
Danny was forced to
shut his doors yet again
1207
00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:30,197
to repair damages done during the storm
1208
00:55:30,239 --> 00:55:33,197
and to take stock of
what games had survived.
1209
00:55:33,239 --> 00:55:34,517
- Sorry I can't turn on the lights on,
1210
00:55:34,559 --> 00:55:37,398
'cause we've got no
electricity in here still.
1211
00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:39,077
Everything just shorted out.
1212
00:55:39,119 --> 00:55:42,637
It was just mud and water
right through here to the back.
1213
00:55:42,679 --> 00:55:46,278
The majority of the machines
in here are pinball machines.
1214
00:55:46,320 --> 00:55:48,758
Luckily they're off the ground.
1215
00:55:48,800 --> 00:55:50,438
We've got stock from skill testers here,
1216
00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:53,557
and these boxes all just got waterlogged.
1217
00:55:53,599 --> 00:55:55,677
We haven't even delved further in
1218
00:55:55,719 --> 00:55:57,840
to see what other damages there were.
1219
00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:02,838
So the water went
right from the front door,
1220
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:06,997
right through to the
workshop, right to the back wall.
1221
00:56:07,039 --> 00:56:08,838
We've got a small room
in here with storage,
1222
00:56:08,880 --> 00:56:11,238
and the water just rolled through
1223
00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:13,878
and flooded this whole area.
1224
00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:16,519
(solemn music)
1225
00:56:18,239 --> 00:56:19,918
- Danny made the decision to push forward
1226
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:22,557
and reopen GameRoom a
few weeks after the storm.
1227
00:56:22,599 --> 00:56:24,597
But the once vibrant and thriving arcade
1228
00:56:24,639 --> 00:56:26,758
Danny and his family had
proudly shared with the public
1229
00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:30,557
for more than 15 years was
now hanging on by a thread,
1230
00:56:30,599 --> 00:56:32,997
and as attendance continued to get worse,
1231
00:56:33,039 --> 00:56:34,679
so, too, did Danny's luck.
1232
00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:37,920
- The rent is just building up.
1233
00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:41,238
We're paying extra each month to catch up
1234
00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:44,238
from what we couldn't pay
1235
00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:46,117
when we were closed down with COVID.
1236
00:56:46,159 --> 00:56:49,278
A little nervous, we don't
know what's gonna happen.
1237
00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:52,037
Just have to play it by ear,
see what they have to offer,
1238
00:56:52,079 --> 00:56:53,358
see what we've got to offer,
1239
00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:56,077
and hopefully we can work something out.
1240
00:56:56,119 --> 00:57:01,119
What I proposed to them
was to lose our back sheds
1241
00:57:01,920 --> 00:57:05,157
and terminate the lease.
1242
00:57:05,199 --> 00:57:08,398
So we're still running. Our
main hall, we've still got that.
1243
00:57:08,440 --> 00:57:12,477
We've still got our full capacity inside.
1244
00:57:12,519 --> 00:57:15,798
We might have to move a lot of the stuff
1245
00:57:15,840 --> 00:57:18,559
that we've got in the shed,
all our spare parts inside.
1246
00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:22,517
They could've said, "Okay, that's it.
1247
00:57:22,559 --> 00:57:25,997
You gotta close by this
date or you gotta close now."
1248
00:57:26,039 --> 00:57:29,838
That's totally in their rights to do that.
1249
00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:31,838
Like I said, it could've been a lot worse.
1250
00:57:31,880 --> 00:57:34,878
(calm music)
1251
00:57:34,920 --> 00:57:37,157
- But things did get worse.
1252
00:57:37,199 --> 00:57:41,477
As attendance continued to
dwindle, hope was finally lost,
1253
00:57:41,519 --> 00:57:45,838
and after 16 long years,
GameRoom Essentials was closed.
1254
00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:48,360
(calm music)
1255
00:58:15,119 --> 00:58:17,077
- It wasn't easy for him to decide to close
1256
00:58:17,119 --> 00:58:19,318
'cause he's been so passionate
1257
00:58:19,360 --> 00:58:22,958
and it feels like every time he gets there,
1258
00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:24,197
there's a knockdown.
1259
00:58:24,239 --> 00:58:28,238
Like, the kids have taken
it this hard as well, though.
1260
00:58:28,280 --> 00:58:31,037
But no, we never thought,
we knew, you know,
1261
00:58:31,079 --> 00:58:33,557
it would maybe one day, but not so soon
1262
00:58:33,599 --> 00:58:34,677
and not the way it's happened.
1263
00:58:34,719 --> 00:58:38,958
And yeah, it's just, yeah,
1264
00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:42,238
hard to put it into
words what it feels like.
1265
00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:44,679
(calm music)
1266
00:59:04,719 --> 00:59:08,117
(door clanging)
1267
00:59:08,159 --> 00:59:11,838
- This is where we have
some of the cabinets
1268
00:59:11,880 --> 00:59:15,677
that are in storage
about to go into locations,
1269
00:59:15,719 --> 00:59:18,557
and we work on them
a little bit here as well.
1270
00:59:18,599 --> 00:59:21,918
Pinball is something that was born
1271
00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:26,037
out of a funny event at home
1272
00:59:26,079 --> 00:59:28,117
where I had four pinball machines
1273
00:59:28,159 --> 00:59:30,637
in my living room in my private collection.
1274
00:59:30,679 --> 00:59:32,958
One of them just so happened to have
1275
00:59:33,000 --> 00:59:35,117
a different shooter rod on it,
1276
00:59:35,159 --> 00:59:38,398
and unfortunately my son
bumped his head into it,
1277
00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:42,077
and my wife said that I
needed to get rid of them.
1278
00:59:42,119 --> 00:59:44,718
Now, technically speaking,
she didn't tell me to sell them.
1279
00:59:44,760 --> 00:59:46,637
So I decided to start a pinball business
1280
00:59:46,679 --> 00:59:48,037
with a good friend of mine, Nathan.
1281
00:59:48,079 --> 00:59:49,557
I'd, you know, built up
1282
00:59:49,599 --> 00:59:53,958
a good six to eight years of collecting,
1283
00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:56,838
and I got to the stage where
I was over 70 machines.
1284
00:59:56,880 --> 00:59:58,758
- They offer a number
of different services,
1285
00:59:58,800 --> 01:00:01,878
in-home rental, on site,
1286
01:00:01,920 --> 01:00:05,477
but now are moving
into pinball repair service,
1287
01:00:05,519 --> 01:00:08,918
parts supply, and looking at ways
1288
01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:10,878
to further promote pinball in Adelaide
1289
01:00:10,920 --> 01:00:13,037
and run a number of comps locally
1290
01:00:13,079 --> 01:00:15,677
to encourage newcomers to the sport.
1291
01:00:15,719 --> 01:00:17,597
Sport, community, sorry,
1292
01:00:17,639 --> 01:00:20,117
to encourage newcomers to the community.
1293
01:00:20,159 --> 01:00:22,637
- GameRoom Essential
left behind a pretty big hole
1294
01:00:22,679 --> 01:00:25,517
in the arcade and pinball
community in Adelaide,
1295
01:00:25,559 --> 01:00:28,677
but its existence has paved
the way for those that follow.
1296
01:00:28,719 --> 01:00:30,677
And for those now carrying the torch,
1297
01:00:30,719 --> 01:00:33,037
Danny is amongst their biggest supporters.
1298
01:00:33,079 --> 01:00:33,878
- It's really good to see them
1299
01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:35,878
come along into the community.
1300
01:00:35,920 --> 01:00:39,278
They're reaching into areas
that a lot of people haven't
1301
01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:42,677
and opening up to new audiences
1302
01:00:42,719 --> 01:00:44,557
that wouldn't seen pinball before.
1303
01:00:44,599 --> 01:00:47,238
Definitely on the rise,
it's on the comeback.
1304
01:00:47,280 --> 01:00:50,798
This is the biggest surge since mid '90s.
1305
01:00:50,840 --> 01:00:52,358
- All things considered,
1306
01:00:52,400 --> 01:00:55,760
the future of arcade and
pinball in Australia looks bright.
1307
01:00:56,920 --> 01:00:59,557
(triumphant music)
1308
01:00:59,599 --> 01:01:01,958
- Only 5,000 people on
Earth get to have one.
1309
01:01:02,000 --> 01:01:03,477
There's probably not
even that many of them left.
1310
01:01:03,519 --> 01:01:04,318
There wouldn't be.
1311
01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:06,677
There's probably only, you know,
1312
01:01:06,719 --> 01:01:09,278
a couple of thousand
of them left now, I'd say.
1313
01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:11,718
So the fact that we've got one here
1314
01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:13,840
and you know, I'm lucky enough to own one
1315
01:01:16,440 --> 01:01:19,758
is something I'm very grateful for.
1316
01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:21,318
(dramatic music)
1317
01:01:21,360 --> 01:01:24,360
(flippers clicking)
1318
01:01:28,159 --> 01:01:30,880
- [Game Voice] We are not amused!
1319
01:01:33,400 --> 01:01:34,517
You better stop!
1320
01:01:34,559 --> 01:01:37,958
- My personal journey into arcade operation
1321
01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:40,878
began with a personal acquisition.
1322
01:01:40,920 --> 01:01:42,997
I bought a pinball machine for home,
1323
01:01:43,039 --> 01:01:46,838
and it was even better than I ever imagined
1324
01:01:46,880 --> 01:01:48,559
owning a pinball machine would be,
1325
01:01:49,559 --> 01:01:50,838
and I just couldn't believe it.
1326
01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:53,958
It was like so much fun, and
family were enjoying it so much
1327
01:01:54,000 --> 01:01:56,117
that I just had to get
another one. (laughs)
1328
01:01:56,159 --> 01:01:57,318
And that's very common.
1329
01:01:57,360 --> 01:02:00,278
That situation is very common
like amongst homeowners.
1330
01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:02,117
Then I had two pinball machines,
1331
01:02:02,159 --> 01:02:04,157
and I just had to have that Addams Family
1332
01:02:04,199 --> 01:02:07,037
because that was the one
I'd always wanted, really.
1333
01:02:07,079 --> 01:02:08,958
But it was already unaffordable.
1334
01:02:09,000 --> 01:02:10,997
It was already a lot of money
to buy an Addams Family,
1335
01:02:11,039 --> 01:02:12,358
and this was years ago.
1336
01:02:12,400 --> 01:02:14,238
So I made a little deal with myself
1337
01:02:14,280 --> 01:02:15,878
that if I got an Addams Family,
1338
01:02:15,920 --> 01:02:18,157
I'd put it out on location
for people to enjoy,
1339
01:02:18,199 --> 01:02:20,358
and I'd recoup some of the outlay back.
1340
01:02:20,400 --> 01:02:22,677
And I was nervous as
hell to put this thing out.
1341
01:02:22,719 --> 01:02:25,278
I remember the day I
delivered it to the location.
1342
01:02:25,320 --> 01:02:27,718
It was raining, and I
didn't have the equipment
1343
01:02:27,760 --> 01:02:28,597
to deliver it.
1344
01:02:28,639 --> 01:02:30,117
It was in an open-back trailer,
1345
01:02:30,159 --> 01:02:32,278
and when I got it there, it didn't work.
1346
01:02:32,320 --> 01:02:35,239
(energetic music)
1347
01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:51,197
- (beep) Sunshine Coast
Pinball is a unique place
1348
01:02:51,239 --> 01:02:55,318
where the past, present,
and the future all intersect.
1349
01:02:55,360 --> 01:02:57,398
Vaughan loves his classics,
1350
01:02:57,440 --> 01:03:01,637
but he's also introducing
new games to new players,
1351
01:03:01,679 --> 01:03:04,597
both casually and competitively.
1352
01:03:04,639 --> 01:03:06,077
- I was in the media before I did this,
1353
01:03:06,119 --> 01:03:09,637
and this was somewhat
foreign to me, and it was a risk.
1354
01:03:09,679 --> 01:03:13,398
It was a big risk with
nearly everything I owned
1355
01:03:13,440 --> 01:03:16,637
on the line, and there were
a lot of people around me
1356
01:03:16,679 --> 01:03:19,037
who were saying, "Perhaps
you should choose something
1357
01:03:19,079 --> 01:03:21,318
a little bit more secure.
1358
01:03:21,360 --> 01:03:26,197
Perhaps you should do
something a little bit more sensible."
1359
01:03:26,239 --> 01:03:28,760
Had I had known what I know now,
1360
01:03:30,320 --> 01:03:32,117
I would definitely have done it earlier,
1361
01:03:32,159 --> 01:03:33,318
'cause the only thing that stopped me
1362
01:03:33,360 --> 01:03:36,197
from doing this earlier was
the fear of it not working.
1363
01:03:36,239 --> 01:03:38,918
And now that I've overcome that fear,
1364
01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:42,918
that I know that it's not
actually all about it working.
1365
01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:44,597
It's gotta work a little bit,
1366
01:03:44,639 --> 01:03:47,557
but it doesn't need to be a massive
1367
01:03:47,599 --> 01:03:51,318
runaway financial
success, it's already working.
1368
01:03:51,360 --> 01:03:52,997
I don't have to worry about that anymore.
1369
01:03:53,039 --> 01:03:55,758
I just need to get on
with it and do the thing
1370
01:03:55,800 --> 01:03:58,997
that makes me and
everybody around me feel good.
1371
01:03:59,039 --> 01:04:01,677
We're in another golden period right now.
1372
01:04:01,719 --> 01:04:04,278
The best games ever made
are being made right now.
1373
01:04:04,320 --> 01:04:07,000
(upbeat music)
1374
01:04:09,840 --> 01:04:11,597
- Welcome to Haggis Pinball.
1375
01:04:11,639 --> 01:04:14,037
We are the only pinball
manufacturer in Australia,
1376
01:04:14,079 --> 01:04:16,117
the only one for about 40-odd years.
1377
01:04:16,159 --> 01:04:18,318
We probably manufacture close to 90%
1378
01:04:18,360 --> 01:04:20,637
of a pinball machine all in-house here.
1379
01:04:20,679 --> 01:04:22,758
We also cut all of our own plastics
1380
01:04:22,800 --> 01:04:24,278
that are used in the game.
1381
01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:26,358
We print all our own artwork and decals
1382
01:04:26,400 --> 01:04:27,718
that make their way onto that plastic.
1383
01:04:27,760 --> 01:04:30,077
This one here has got off-cuts there.
1384
01:04:30,119 --> 01:04:32,878
That's a Fathom plastic set.
1385
01:04:32,920 --> 01:04:35,358
It comes in in raw material
that we have the designs,
1386
01:04:35,400 --> 01:04:37,037
we cut them out on a laser cutter,
1387
01:04:37,079 --> 01:04:38,438
and they make their
way up to the print room
1388
01:04:38,480 --> 01:04:39,557
to get art put on them.
1389
01:04:39,599 --> 01:04:41,238
We make all our own cabinets in-house.
1390
01:04:41,280 --> 01:04:42,918
We cut the wood on the CNC machine.
1391
01:04:42,960 --> 01:04:44,557
We glue them and assemble them.
1392
01:04:44,599 --> 01:04:46,278
We do all the prep
work, which has got to do
1393
01:04:46,320 --> 01:04:47,958
with edging and hole filling,
1394
01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:50,477
putting leg bolt holes in,
all those sorts of things,
1395
01:04:50,519 --> 01:04:52,798
into our own spray booth
where we do all automotive,
1396
01:04:52,840 --> 01:04:54,958
two-pack spray painting on all our cabinets
1397
01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:56,918
before they make their
way into final assembly
1398
01:04:56,960 --> 01:04:59,477
to get their decals and be
matched up with their playfields.
1399
01:04:59,519 --> 01:05:01,438
This playfield would've come up here
1400
01:05:01,480 --> 01:05:06,077
as a bare piece of wood
probably yesterday, late yesterday.
1401
01:05:06,119 --> 01:05:09,798
And this is sort of the
progress it makes in a few hours.
1402
01:05:09,840 --> 01:05:11,958
Really we should be getting
through a playfield in a day
1403
01:05:12,000 --> 01:05:14,718
to make its way back
down to final assembly room
1404
01:05:14,760 --> 01:05:16,278
to get paired in with a cabinet.
1405
01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:19,477
Never, ever in a million
years would I have thought
1406
01:05:19,519 --> 01:05:22,358
that one day I would
actually be manufacturing
1407
01:05:22,400 --> 01:05:23,597
pinball machines for a living.
1408
01:05:23,639 --> 01:05:25,878
When I started this idea
1409
01:05:25,920 --> 01:05:28,517
that I was gonna make a
pinball machine, I looked at,
1410
01:05:28,559 --> 01:05:30,238
you know, what were
the big events in America.
1411
01:05:30,280 --> 01:05:33,438
The Texas Pinball Festival,
which is held in March,
1412
01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:35,438
Mary or April pretty much every year
1413
01:05:35,480 --> 01:05:37,157
was about six months in the future.
1414
01:05:37,199 --> 01:05:38,238
So I thought, "I'm gonna get a whitewood
1415
01:05:38,280 --> 01:05:39,677
to Texas in six months."
1416
01:05:39,719 --> 01:05:42,557
I didn't have a theme to speak of per se,
1417
01:05:42,599 --> 01:05:45,077
and it was literally a sort of overnight,
1418
01:05:45,119 --> 01:05:47,318
you know, morning shower
moment when I thought,
1419
01:05:47,360 --> 01:05:50,477
"Well, look, I can, I'll
hark back to my roots.
1420
01:05:50,519 --> 01:05:51,997
And my mother being Scottish, you know,
1421
01:05:52,039 --> 01:05:54,318
we could make a pinball
machine based on the Celts.
1422
01:05:54,360 --> 01:05:56,117
You gotta compete in the Highland Games."
1423
01:05:56,159 --> 01:05:58,958
In an eight-week, period
I went from zero design
1424
01:05:59,000 --> 01:06:03,637
to a whitewood that was
working in the garage at home.
1425
01:06:03,679 --> 01:06:06,798
I managed to organize the,
1426
01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:08,117
or person that was running basically
1427
01:06:08,159 --> 01:06:08,997
the Texas Pinball Festival,
1428
01:06:09,039 --> 01:06:10,918
he managed to organize a cabinet for me.
1429
01:06:10,960 --> 01:06:13,997
I pulled apart the pinball
machine whitewood that I had,
1430
01:06:14,039 --> 01:06:16,037
put it in a couple of flight case boxes
1431
01:06:16,079 --> 01:06:17,238
that were about yea big,
1432
01:06:17,280 --> 01:06:19,798
put them in oversized luggage on the plane,
1433
01:06:19,840 --> 01:06:23,077
took my, checked in my two
boxes worth of pinball parts,
1434
01:06:23,119 --> 01:06:24,838
and over two days leading up to the event,
1435
01:06:24,880 --> 01:06:26,477
I rebuilt that pinball machine
1436
01:06:26,519 --> 01:06:28,637
and then wheeled it
out onto the floor to play.
1437
01:06:28,679 --> 01:06:30,398
- And how was it received?
1438
01:06:30,440 --> 01:06:31,597
- Well, unfortunately too well,
1439
01:06:31,639 --> 01:06:33,597
'cause I obviously
considered when I came back,
1440
01:06:33,639 --> 01:06:35,238
"Well, okay, they didn't tell me it sucked.
1441
01:06:35,280 --> 01:06:36,798
So this must be, have an opportunity.
1442
01:06:36,840 --> 01:06:39,117
Let's go to the next step and keep going."
1443
01:06:39,159 --> 01:06:42,679
(dramatic bagpipe music)
1444
01:06:44,599 --> 01:06:45,639
- [Game Voice] Five, four,
1445
01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:51,840
three,
1446
01:06:54,440 --> 01:06:55,280
two,
1447
01:06:57,840 --> 01:06:58,798
one.
1448
01:06:58,840 --> 01:07:01,318
- It's unbelievably daunting
and nerve-wracking because,
1449
01:07:01,360 --> 01:07:03,318
you know, you make a
machine, you put it in a box,
1450
01:07:03,360 --> 01:07:04,517
you send it the other side of the world,
1451
01:07:04,559 --> 01:07:06,278
and then you're like, "Oh, yeah, okay,
1452
01:07:06,320 --> 01:07:07,557
they're gonna unpack it."
1453
01:07:07,599 --> 01:07:08,517
You know, "Is all the bits there?
1454
01:07:08,559 --> 01:07:09,878
Do we remember to put the leg bolts in?
1455
01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:11,838
Is it all gonna fit together?
1456
01:07:11,880 --> 01:07:14,358
Will it turn on when
they flick the switch?"
1457
01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:15,597
That's always the first one.
1458
01:07:15,639 --> 01:07:18,197
You just sort of, will it actually turn on?
1459
01:07:18,239 --> 01:07:20,677
But you know, once they did,
1460
01:07:20,719 --> 01:07:22,398
and a lot of people were streaming games,
1461
01:07:22,440 --> 01:07:24,637
and when you watched
them play it on live stream,
1462
01:07:24,679 --> 01:07:27,677
the games were just
playing so beautifully well,
1463
01:07:27,719 --> 01:07:30,597
and that's really all thanks
to the final testing process,
1464
01:07:30,639 --> 01:07:33,677
'cause we just dial it in so
that it's actually enjoyable
1465
01:07:33,719 --> 01:07:34,918
straight outta the box.
1466
01:07:34,960 --> 01:07:36,677
You know, you'd have to call it
1467
01:07:36,719 --> 01:07:38,838
the next golden age of pinball, you know?
1468
01:07:38,880 --> 01:07:41,037
If you probably look
at these periods in time
1469
01:07:41,079 --> 01:07:43,517
where people say this '80s period of Fathom
1470
01:07:43,559 --> 01:07:48,117
and then the early '90s
of those DMD-era games,
1471
01:07:48,159 --> 01:07:49,637
and you know, I think most people
1472
01:07:49,679 --> 01:07:51,599
will look back on this
period of these 2020s
1473
01:07:53,159 --> 01:07:56,398
or you know, late 20 teens,
and I would have to say
1474
01:07:56,440 --> 01:07:59,358
herald it as the next
golden era of pinball.
1475
01:07:59,400 --> 01:08:01,997
- Every day somebody comes into my arcade
1476
01:08:02,039 --> 01:08:04,318
and discovers pinball
and discovers a reason
1477
01:08:04,360 --> 01:08:05,438
to get outta the house again.
1478
01:08:05,480 --> 01:08:08,318
- I think our gap of when arcades died
1479
01:08:08,360 --> 01:08:10,958
was like late '90s, early 2000s.
1480
01:08:11,000 --> 01:08:13,358
So there's almost a
generation that came through
1481
01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:15,438
that didn't grow up playing these games,
1482
01:08:15,480 --> 01:08:16,918
didn't have that connection,
1483
01:08:16,960 --> 01:08:20,718
and now we're trying to
jump that cultural chasm
1484
01:08:20,760 --> 01:08:22,798
and reconnect people with these again.
1485
01:08:22,840 --> 01:08:25,758
- Everyone has their favorite game.
1486
01:08:25,800 --> 01:08:27,317
They can share that game.
1487
01:08:27,359 --> 01:08:30,638
Everyone can come together
and join in that community.
1488
01:08:30,680 --> 01:08:31,918
- I mean, there's nothing like doing it
1489
01:08:31,960 --> 01:08:34,277
in the companionship of mates in a venue.
1490
01:08:34,319 --> 01:08:36,157
- Over the years, as we become adults,
1491
01:08:36,199 --> 01:08:38,878
you sort of lost where you started from.
1492
01:08:38,920 --> 01:08:41,117
People forget about how much fun it was
1493
01:08:41,159 --> 01:08:44,718
just going out and just the pure joy
1494
01:08:44,760 --> 01:08:46,518
of seeing other people
doing the same things you do.
1495
01:08:46,560 --> 01:08:48,037
'Cause there was no chat rooms.
1496
01:08:48,079 --> 01:08:49,878
You just had to physically meet somebody.
1497
01:08:49,920 --> 01:08:52,518
Then you just chat about it.
Then you end up being mates.
1498
01:08:52,560 --> 01:08:55,678
Those sort of bonds, you
can't just, you can't fake it.
1499
01:08:55,720 --> 01:08:57,718
You just, people just need to get back out
1500
01:08:57,760 --> 01:08:59,478
and just make those connections again.
1501
01:08:59,520 --> 01:09:04,077
- With mental health for
socializing, to stop loneliness,
1502
01:09:04,119 --> 01:09:08,277
depression, anxiety,
and all that's forgotten
1503
01:09:08,319 --> 01:09:09,758
when you're playing together,
1504
01:09:09,800 --> 01:09:11,718
when you're a part of something.
1505
01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:13,838
- My early life was not good.
1506
01:09:13,880 --> 01:09:16,397
Going out, going to the
arcades was my sanctuary.
1507
01:09:16,439 --> 01:09:18,159
It was a safe place for me.
1508
01:09:19,680 --> 01:09:23,117
It was like, I had a very,
very traumatic childhood,
1509
01:09:23,159 --> 01:09:24,918
and it was my safe place.
1510
01:09:24,960 --> 01:09:29,277
So this is my safe place, and I love it.
1511
01:09:29,319 --> 01:09:31,197
There was a time when I was,
1512
01:09:31,239 --> 01:09:32,838
just got sick of the pinballs as well,
1513
01:09:32,880 --> 01:09:35,918
when I was collecting and
when I had like a big collection,
1514
01:09:35,960 --> 01:09:37,638
not as big as kind of what it is now,
1515
01:09:37,680 --> 01:09:40,718
but and I just had enough of everything,
1516
01:09:40,760 --> 01:09:42,918
just seriously had enough of everything.
1517
01:09:42,960 --> 01:09:46,277
So that was like almost
the lowest point in my life.
1518
01:09:46,319 --> 01:09:49,117
I had wanted ads looking
for games everywhere,
1519
01:09:49,159 --> 01:09:51,478
and then one day a man
rings me, and he says,
1520
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:54,558
"I've got a pinball
machine I wanna get rid of."
1521
01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:56,237
And I says, "Look, sorry mate,
1522
01:09:56,279 --> 01:09:59,197
I've just had enough of pinballs and stuff,
1523
01:09:59,239 --> 01:10:01,319
and I've just had enough."
1524
01:10:02,840 --> 01:10:06,079
And then the guy said to me, "It's not,
1525
01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:09,838
you don't have to buy it, it's a gift."
1526
01:10:09,880 --> 01:10:12,079
And that gift turned my life around.
1527
01:10:13,680 --> 01:10:15,357
So that's what they mean to me.
1528
01:10:15,399 --> 01:10:18,319
(triumphant music)
1529
01:10:29,439 --> 01:10:32,357
(calm music)
1530
01:10:32,399 --> 01:10:33,319
Here we go.
1531
01:10:34,159 --> 01:10:37,479
(calm music continues)
1532
01:10:53,880 --> 01:10:54,720
It works.
1533
01:10:57,840 --> 01:11:01,199
(calm music continues)
1534
01:11:15,920 --> 01:11:18,197
- Three years ago, I stood
in an old bowling alley
1535
01:11:18,239 --> 01:11:20,478
in Christies Beach wondering
what might've become
1536
01:11:20,520 --> 01:11:23,277
of that Mortal Kombat
II I played there as a kid,
1537
01:11:23,319 --> 01:11:25,997
and that one seemingly simple question
1538
01:11:26,039 --> 01:11:28,277
led me on an adventure I'll never forget.
1539
01:11:28,319 --> 01:11:30,558
I discovered an incredible
community of people,
1540
01:11:30,600 --> 01:11:32,277
a long, fascinating history,
1541
01:11:32,319 --> 01:11:34,997
and jaw dropping collections and venues.
1542
01:11:35,039 --> 01:11:36,598
I never did find out what happened
1543
01:11:36,640 --> 01:11:40,878
to that one Mortal Kombat
II cab, and I'm okay with that.
1544
01:11:40,920 --> 01:11:43,037
I believe it's still out there somewhere,
1545
01:11:43,079 --> 01:11:44,638
more so now than ever.
1546
01:11:44,680 --> 01:11:46,878
But what I did find was an amazing group
1547
01:11:46,920 --> 01:11:50,037
of selfless, hardworking,
passionate, everyday people
1548
01:11:50,079 --> 01:11:52,157
that have dedicated
their lives to preserving
1549
01:11:52,199 --> 01:11:55,317
and sharing those big
old games that started it all.
1550
01:11:55,359 --> 01:11:58,037
So next time you step up
to an old arcade or pinball
1551
01:11:58,079 --> 01:12:00,117
for a quick game, take a moment
1552
01:12:00,159 --> 01:12:03,437
to imagine the life it's
had, the places it's been,
1553
01:12:03,479 --> 01:12:05,878
and the people who have kept it alive
1554
01:12:05,920 --> 01:12:09,758
so that it can be in front
of you today, still standing.
1555
01:12:09,800 --> 01:12:14,800
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1556
01:12:14,960 --> 01:12:17,437
♪ Together ♪
1557
01:12:17,479 --> 01:12:22,437
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1558
01:12:22,479 --> 01:12:25,598
♪ Together ♪
1559
01:12:25,640 --> 01:12:27,237
♪ We're two hearts, we're two hearts ♪
1560
01:12:27,279 --> 01:12:29,157
♪ Seeing new heights ♪
1561
01:12:29,199 --> 01:12:31,077
♪ We're two wrongs, we're two wrongs ♪
1562
01:12:31,119 --> 01:12:32,638
♪ Feeling all right ♪
1563
01:12:32,680 --> 01:12:37,678
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1564
01:12:37,720 --> 01:12:40,197
♪ Together ♪
1565
01:12:40,239 --> 01:12:43,237
♪ You're still spending all our cash ♪
1566
01:12:43,279 --> 01:12:47,638
♪ I've been begging you to try and save ♪
1567
01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:52,680
♪ I know you won't stop, credit
card is maxed out anyways ♪
1568
01:12:55,439 --> 01:12:58,437
♪ I'm still drinking cheap beers ♪
1569
01:12:58,479 --> 01:13:02,918
♪ You've been begging me to exercise ♪
1570
01:13:02,960 --> 01:13:04,558
♪ You know I won't stop ♪
1571
01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:09,600
♪ My liver's performing in its prime ♪
1572
01:13:09,840 --> 01:13:13,437
♪ These bad habits are what make me ♪
1573
01:13:13,479 --> 01:13:18,117
♪ These bad habits are
what make you, yeah ♪
1574
01:13:18,159 --> 01:13:23,159
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1575
01:13:23,439 --> 01:13:25,838
♪ Together ♪
1576
01:13:25,880 --> 01:13:30,880
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1577
01:13:31,000 --> 01:13:33,638
♪ Together ♪
1578
01:13:33,680 --> 01:13:35,718
♪ We're two hearts, we're two hearts ♪
1579
01:13:35,760 --> 01:13:37,638
♪ Seeing new heights ♪
1580
01:13:37,680 --> 01:13:39,598
♪ We're two wrongs, we're two wrongs ♪
1581
01:13:39,640 --> 01:13:41,197
♪ Feeling all right ♪
1582
01:13:41,239 --> 01:13:46,239
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1583
01:13:46,319 --> 01:13:48,758
♪ Together ♪
1584
01:13:48,800 --> 01:13:51,798
♪ You're still biting your nails ♪
1585
01:13:51,840 --> 01:13:55,918
♪ I've been begging you to try and quit ♪
1586
01:13:55,960 --> 01:13:58,518
♪ Well, maybe I should shut my mouth ♪
1587
01:13:58,560 --> 01:14:03,560
♪ It makes no difference ♪
1588
01:14:04,000 --> 01:14:09,000
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1589
01:14:09,119 --> 01:14:11,638
♪ Together ♪
1590
01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:16,680
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1591
01:14:16,800 --> 01:14:19,518
♪ Together ♪
1592
01:14:19,560 --> 01:14:21,518
♪ We're two hearts, we're two hearts ♪
1593
01:14:21,560 --> 01:14:23,237
♪ Seeing new heights ♪
1594
01:14:23,279 --> 01:14:25,157
♪ We're two wrongs, we're two wrongs ♪
1595
01:14:25,199 --> 01:14:26,878
♪ Feeling all right ♪
1596
01:14:26,920 --> 01:14:31,920
♪ We are, we are, we
are, we are good together ♪
1597
01:14:32,000 --> 01:14:34,239
♪ Together ♪
121159
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