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Funspot Family Fun Center (Funspot Weirs Beach, NH) Contest June 2-5, 2005
Overall 2004 Funspot Player of the Year
Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson was given the Player of the Year Certificate
at Funspot last year 2004. (FS6)
1st Place: David Nelson, 2nd: Derek Litton, 3rd: Jason Cram. Year 2004
7th Annual International Classic Game Tournament
(June 2-5, 2005) 7th Annual International Classic Game Tournament
Funspot Family Fun Center
Funspot Weirs Beach, NH
REGISTER TODAY!
Phone: (603)-366-4377
Walter Day
Twin Galaxies Referee
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Day"
To: "Paul Dean"
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 8:06 PM
Subject: Do you have connections with classic-era players??
Paul,
It seems that you have many connections with numerous of the classic-era
players. Can you tell them that this year's Funspot 2005 event in New
Hampshire will be the biggest reunion of classic gamers yet.
June 2-5, 2005, 7th Annual International Classic Game Tournament
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, Walter Day I will definately spread the word.
Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Champion. Link
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBERT MRUCZEK
TG Board of Directors
Location: Brooklyn, NY - Commentary Below:
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 4:48 am Post subject: Funspot 7 Dates
Link
The old days way back in 1954, before video games.
A lot has changed since then.
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Funspot Annual International Classic Game Tournament
Ken Sweet, Funspot Referee
Originator of Funspot Contest co-founder of New Hampshire Pro Video Game Team.
Robert Mruczek - Twin Galaxies Referee
Todd Rogers - Twin Galaxies Referee
Gary Vincent, Funspot Referee
Weirs Beach, NH 03247-5428
Phone: (603)-366-4377
Robert Mruczek (continued from above)
According to Gary Vincent, it is June 2nd thru 5th, 2005 and that's a Thursday
thru Sunday. Additionally, Sunday is the last day which typically ends around 5:00pm.
Nothing is stopping a gamer from showing up a day before the competition and get
some extra game time on their favorite title(s) before the masses arrive, of course!!
I'm planning on being there on morning of Wednesday June 1st, and departure is right
now up in the air... literally as I will most likely be flying back. I'm just not sure
when...night of 6/05, or morning/early afternoon of 6/06.
Robert
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
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Walter Day - Twin Galaxies - www.twingalaxies.com
Breaking News Archive
1/21/2005 Who is Going to Funspot 2005??
Here's the list of People Definitely Attending
This list will be updated as people announce their plans on the forums...
Definitely Coming: Link
Abdner Ashman, Robotron: 2084, Jr. Pac-Man
Brian Kuh (Sega Hot Rod) (Donkey Kong, Etc.)
Darren Harris (Ms. Pacman) (Star Trek)
Greg Erway (Harlem Globetrotters - all pins)
Joel Hedge (Enduro Race, etc.)
Martin Bedard (Timber, Depth Charge, Doom, Pro. Etc.)
Mike Stulir (Fire!, Etc.)
Perry Rodgers (Space Invaders, Carnival, Etc.)
Robert Mruczek (Scramble, Star Wars, Wheels, Pro-etc.)
Tim McIlroy (Land Sea-Air Squadron, Etc.)
Todd Rogers (gorf, Monaco GP, Etc.)
Walter Day (Berzerk, Gorf, Etc.)
Abdner Ashman (Pac Man Plus)
Brian Kuh "Food Fight" (TGTS)
Darren Harris (Star Trek)
Greg Erway (Tapper 5-man) (Referee)
Joel Hedge (Xybots)
Martin Bedard (Timber) Doom 64
Mike Stulir (Back N Time Radio) Mike Stulir of www.backntime.net/)
Perry Rogers (Galaxian)
Robert Mruczek (star Wars) (Referee) (Board Members Pay Bounties)
Tim McIlroy (Astro Fighter) (Land-Sea-Air Squadron)
Todd Rogers, Mr. Activision 293 World Records
Walter Day (Foreign Legion) (Referee)
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Here is the list of some people who have been emailed invitations by Walter Day,
urging them to come to this year's event... Bold with Underlined are Links.
Ben Carter (Centipede)
Chip Sbrogna (Cliffhanger)
David Palmer (DEP) (Everything)
Donn Nauert (DWN)(Everything)
Doug LLoyd (Pac-Man)
Ed Ray (Centipede)
Gary Whelan (Galaxian)
Highlighted Text Are All Hyperlinks to Articles or High Scores:
George Weller (Karate Champ)
Glenn Cravens (Consoles)
Greg Sakundiak, Canada (Everything)
Hector Rodriguez (Consoles)
Hugh Falk (Everything) (Writer: PC Gamer Magazine) (classicgaming.com)
Jack Gale (Everything)
Jeff Peters (YME) (Everything)
Jerry Byrum (Defender)
John McCann (Gorf)
John Thomas
John Thomas & Josh Powell (Wizard of Wor)
Kelly Flewin (Consoles) (Editorial)
Leah Banks (Ms. Pac-Man)
Les Martin (Pac-Man) (super pacman)
Mark Androvich (Consoles)
Mark Robichek (MAR) (Frogger) actualentertainment.com High Score Link
Mark Little (SpyHunter)
Mike Klug (Pole Position -Photo 1984)
Rick Carter (everything)
Rick Smith (Defender)
Robert Bonney Griffin(Everything) Link
Rodrigo Lopez(Consoles)
Stephen Knox (Consoles) (Colecovision Referee)
Steve Sanders (Everything) (Donkey Kong) (1982 Competition)
Steve Reisenberger (Robotron)
Steve Wiebe (Donkley Kong)
Tim Baldarramos (Pac-Man)
Tim Curtis
(Space Firebird)
Tony Perkins (Everything)
Sarah Peele tries to beat Billy Mitchell's High Score
while on vacation at the Funspot Arcade, Weirs Beach, NH. / Picture #2 (Eva) Looking on near Pacman.
Bill Mitchell (Billy Mitchell) (Framed Picture Above) (B M) - (Scores)
WEIRS BEACH, NH -- For the first time in video game playing history, a perfect
score was achieved on the legendary arcade game, Pac-Man. Link
Weirs Beach, NH (July 3, 1999)
Will Billy Mitchell (above) be here for the upcoming contest? (Funspot 7)
Above is his photo around the time of the first Funspot Event July 3, 1999
Proclaimed Player of the Century
Link
Rob & Roos Funspot Adventure (Adams Family Pinball)
Eva Dances to Funspot 1980's Retro Tunes
Roo contemplates her next High Score game....
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Here is the list of some video game players who have been at other Funspot Tournaments
or other Major Tournaments:
Bill Carlton - (Asteroids Champion- Ground Kontrol Arcade, Oregon)
Brien King
Darren Harris
Dale Rees
Donald Hayes (DBH)
Dwayne Richard (DKR)
Fred Pastore (Carnival)
Greg Bond
Greg Erway
Jason Cram
Mark Alpiger (Crystal Castles)
Matt Leto (Halo Champion)
Pat Laffaye (Frogger)
Rick Fothergil (pacman)
Ron Corcoran
Shawn Cram (zoo keeper) (Referee)
Brandon Erickson (Star Wars)
Mark Boolman
Zack Hample (Arkanoid)
Nick Ortakales
Brian Wagner
Catherine Karpins - Womens Champion
Anna Cram
Chris Ayra (Perfect pacman)
(CFA)
Brian Laskiewicz (Playing Asteroids)
Jon Dworkin
Judith Sawyer (Pinball)
Eric Ahlers (Funspot Arcade)
Jason Wilson (Tips and Tricks Magazine at Funspot)
James Vollandt (Joust 1985)
James Vollandt (Joust)
James Vollandt of California, playing on Joust, lasted the longest with 67-1/2 hours.
Lisa Bartlett (Pinball - Funspot)
Neil Chapman (Funspot - Cocktail Table Game)
Si Janna (Wheels - Funspot)
Steve Kyriakides (Gyruss - Funspot)
Eric Ashlers (Robotron - Funspot)
Abdner Ashman (Ms. Pacman - Funspot)
Why Visit Wiers Beach, where Lake Winnipesaukee Begins... Link Things to Do: Link
Funspot Arcade
"the spot for fun"
Work Hard So You Can Play Hard!
Classic Games were the meat and potatoes of the 1980's
7th Annual International Classic Game Tournament
(June 2-5, 2005) 7th Annual International Classic Game Tournament
Funspot Family Fun Center
Funspot Weirs Beach, NH
Funspot Competition, "Classic Games", "Funspot Tournament",
Weirs Beach, New Hampshire
Below are the articles regarding the upcoming Classic Gaming Event at Funspot and
past articles about the previous Funspot Annual event that started in 1999 and
has continued to grow ever since.
Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard is the Official High Score Referee for the
upcoming Funspot Classic Video Game Competition on June 2-5, 2005, in New Hampshire.
Posted: January 22, 2005
Funspot 7th Annual
International Classic Game Tournament
June 2-5, 2005
Funspot Arcade
World Famous Classic Game Tournament Celebrates 7th Year
June 2-5, 2005
Funspot Arcade Bowling and Golf
FUNSPOT has been a family owned and operated entertainment supercenter since 1952.
Funspot is the second largest arcade in the country, and they proudly offer both classic
and new video games, bowling, bingo, mini-golf, and a driving range. Funspot also has
a new indoor golf center. A fun place for all ages. Open year round.
Funspot Respects the old School Gamers!
FUNSPOT
U.S. Route 3, South and follow for 2.5 miles to our location:
Once you reach the area, directions would be helpful, as some find the signage
(or, lack thereof) confusing. Here is the easiest route, from either Boston,
or Manchester: get on I-93 north, and proceed to exit 23, which is slightly
less than one hour north of Manchester. Turn right, onto Route 104 East, and
follow it until it ends, after about eight miles, at a traffic light. Turn
right at the light, onto Route 3 South. Proceed about 2 1/2 to 3 miles, and
you will see Funspot on the left. If you reach a steep declining hill, with
a bridge at the bottom, you've gone a few blocks too far.
Directions/Map
State Map
Travel Information Link
Lodgings Link
Mailing Address: PO Box 5428 Rt. 3
Weirs Beach, NH 03247-5428
Phone: 603/366-4377
Fax: 603/366-2077
www.funspotnh.com
Map Quest: Weirs Beach, NH link Close Up Todays Temperature Mapping Engine Laconia, NH Arial View
POPULATION -The population of Laconia, NH is 17,053.
New Hampshire: Facts
Funspot: Family owned Entertainment Supercenter since 1952.
Family Fun, No Matter What the Weather! Over 500 Games for All Ages including
a Huge Classic Video Game Collection as well as the Latest Videos, Pinballs, &
Prize Games! 20 Lane Bowling Center, Indoor Golf Center, Cash Bingo Hall, Tavern,
Restaurant, Mini-golf, Driving Range, Birthday Parties, Corporate Outings & Groups.
Open All Year Round.
Classic Games Listing: Link
A third party Vendor List and experiences: Link
Classic Games Referee: Ken Sweet E-Mail: ken@sweetproject.com
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MEDIA RELEASE - ** Below Edited for Year 2005, Until Official Release Date.
Link
World Famous Classic Game Tournament Celebrates 7th Year
By Ken Sweet E-Mail: ken@sweetproject.com
Funspot
6th Annual Classic Pinball
& Video Game Championship
June 3-6, 2004
For the past 6 years Funspot has hosted the largest and most celebrated classic arcade
contest in the world. Each year records fall as new champions are crowned amidst a flurry
of media coverage. This year the contest will celebrate it's 6th anniversary. The dates
for the 2004 International Classic Game Tournament are Thursday through Sunday,
June 2nd - June 5th, 2005.
Conceived by Ken Sweet and Funspot Operations Manager Gary Vincent, the first tournament
was held in May of 1999. Over 100 pre-1986 games were included in the competition, and
players traveled from as far away as Israel to attend. Subsequent tournaments have drawn
players from Canada, England, Finland, Australia and across the USA.
Twin Galaxies videogame officials and Funspot referees will be on-hand at the contest to
log scores on over 200 games. "As usual, we have been adding new games to our collection
throughout the year, and we expect to have several 'new' classic games on the floor in
time for the tournament", says ACAM President Gary Vincent, adding: "Many of the games
we've obtained have been directly requested by the players."
There will be a $200 dollar cash prize for each winner of tournament contests, including
the Monochrome Challenge, Classic Challenge, Pinball Challenge and new for this year,
the Ladies Challenge open to the female attendees only. The Player of the Year Contest,
which was introduced last year, will combine the scores of the Monochrome, Classic and
Pinball challenges to find an overall champion, who will receive a cash award and forever
earn a place of honor on the Funspot wall. In addition, a $25 cash prize will be awarded
to the winners of each daily Mystery Game Tournament. The games featured in many of the
competitions will be announced at the event, in order to provide a fair opportunity for
gamers who don't have access to those titles throughout the year.
"We try to make each year the best and most exciting yet", says Ken Sweet, ACAM Vice
President, adding: "As usual we have a few surprises in store for the players this year."
The world-famous Funspot Family Entertainment Center has been owned and operated by the
Lawton family for 50 years. With over 500 games, Funspot is the second largest arcade
in the world and is located in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire. The 60,000 square foot complex
also contains 20 bowling lanes, a miniature golf course, a driving range, a 400-seat Bing
hall, a restaurant, the D.A. Long Tavern, and a state of the art indoor golf center
featuring six Full-Swing Golf Simulators. Funspot is open year-round with ample free
parking.
The 6th Annual International Classic Game Tournament will be held Thursday June 3rd
through Sunday June 6th, 2004. Tournament hours will be: Thursday Noon-10pm, Friday
and Saturday 10am-11pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is $30 through June 2nd or $35
at the door. Players will receive 200 tokens and a welcome package. Entry forms are
available at Funspot's bowling counter or online here.
For more information contact ACAM President Gary Vincent at
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System Shock - Old Thread from a previous successful Funspot event.
4/13/2001 The Classics Contest At Funspot! - Funspot: What's It All About? Link
by Ken Sweet
The Classics Contest At Funspot:
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Funspot:What's It All About?.
Link
(A Previous write up of this world famous event that has been going yearly since 1999.)
It's almost here. From May 31st-June 3rd the 3rd Annual Funspot/Twin Galaxies Classic
Videogame & Pinball Tournament will be held right here in Weirs Beach, NH. Players from
around the world will once again make the long trip to converge on Funspot in order to
make record attempts on the world's largest collection of working classic videogames &
pinball machines.
Why am I excited? Let's see, where do I begin? I love classic games and I want to try
and shoot for a few records, and simply watching the masters in action is awe-inspiring.
Also, my involvement with this contest dates back to its inspiration and inception, so
I feel responsible to do everything I can to help it grow and become even more successful.
However, these are minor points compared to the true source of my excitement. You see;
this is one of the few chances I get each year to hang out with my fellow classic videogame
enthusiasts. Once upon a time, many of these people were simply names and scores I read
about in newspapers, magazines, and books. They were the superstars of gaming - industry
celebrities. Now they are my friends.
From all walks of life they come: magazine editors, students, ex-marines, videogame
producers, and restaurant proprietors. They travel to our quiet lakeside city from all
over the US and abroad, from places like Florida, Finland, California, and Canada. We
pick some of them up at the airport, while others make the trip by car or bus.
Gary Vincent, Funspot's Operations Manager & Tournament Coordinator, has been busy all
year preparing for this event; booking rooms, preparing the games, and helping players
with travel recommendations. Putting something like this together is no small task,
especially for somebody as busy as Gary, who manages the huge Funspot complex all year
long. I usually try to help where I can, but Gary shoulders the overwhelming majority
of responsibility for the event. Thankfully, it's a labor of love for him, otherwise
he'd probably go stark-raving mad.
So we sit down in front of our chosen games and single-mindedly attempt to trounce old
records. Every so often we take a short break to observe each other in action, offering
tips or observing silently. When one player is on the verge of a groundbreaking score,
the others rally around him, providing silent encouragement and support.
Most of my favorite moments come when we decide that, as difficult as it is to tear away
from the games, we need to eat. We meet on the strip for pizza and conversation, discuss
the intricacies of Joust at the local steakhouse, swap game tips downstairs in the Braggin'
Dragon restaurant, entertain ourselves with videogame related stories and anecdotes. This
is a privileged club, but if you have a soft spot for classic games, you already belong.
Of course, another great reason to attend the tournament is the opportunity to hang out
with the man himself, Walter Day. Walter is the driving force behind Twin Galaxies. Pausing
only for tea or meditation, he is a living dynamo of energy and ideas. In his trademark
black & white striped referee shirt, he deftly handles the players and the media, making
sure no players go unnoticed. Eccentric, yes, but that word could be used to describe
every single one of us.
Reporters grab players aside for interviews and photographs. For a brief moment we feel
like celebrities. Those of us who perform the most impressive high-score feats may receive
national attention for our achievements.
When it's getting late, and Gary announces that it's time to shut down for the night, we
reluctantly head out. At some point we'll get a few hours sleep, and then be up all the
earlier the next day to do it again. This continues until the tournament is, regretfully,
over. We drop our comrades off at the airport and bid farewell.
I go home and get some sleep, already dreaming of next year.
Written By Ken Sweet
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Classic Video Aces Gather at Weirs Beach Link
Josh Rogers, 2001-06-06
Organizers, contestants, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong et al. sound off from classic video
game world championships.
WORLDCHAMPS 6/5/01 ROGERS
An international field of video game enthusiasts gathered over the weekend at Weirs beach
for the Funspot-Twin Galaxies classic video game world championships. NHPR's Josh Rogers
took in the action and files this report.
WORLDCHAMPS soq……….(plus video bleep) 4:36
The fifty-odd contestants vied on games from the seventies and eighties - the so-called
golden age of video arcades. Over the course of 4 days Donkey Kong, Centipede, Ms. Pac Man
and the like swallowed some 15,000 tokens in a quest for high scores and world titles.
While competition was fierce, camaraderie was high. Cheers often punctuated the din of
the cavernous arcade as rivalries were joined and records fell.
Until then, champions will have to settle for bragging rights……Dwayne Richard of Calgary,
Alberta is the 2001 world champion.
207 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301-5003
phone 603.228.8910 fax 603.224
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Weirs Beach, NH Funspot History of Tokens: Link
In 1952 Weirs Sports Center/Funspot Family Fun Center had its grand opening in Weirs Beach,
N.H. They now has over 500 video games in their complex.
!UPDATE!: FUNSPOT is a large amusement complex that uses many tokens. The arcade games
take 23mm Brass tokens that all have the same reverse: Good Only For Games At Any Funspot
(dot) 'We Have The Games People Play!'. The obverse of the oldest (I think) of these tokens
reads: FUNSPOT RT. 3, WEIRS BEACH, N.H. and has a Jester's Head pictured in the center.
The rest of these tokens are a dated series. The obverse simply reads: FUNSPOT (Date) and
has the same Jester's Head. These tokens bear dates from 1982 thru 1998 (so far). I am
fairly certain that none were used with the date 1990, though. The last time I was there,
I went through at least 500 tokens, found at least four of every other date and the "RTE 3"
example, but none with the date 1990. Also, there are two varieties of the 1984 token, a
small date and a large date. It looks like Funspot changed token vendors partway through 1984,
because the small dates match the '82's and '83's, and the large dates match the '85's and up.
Beyond video game tokens, the are also prize tokens that are dispensed by slot machines.
These 25mm Aluminum tokens are valued the same as the paper coupons awarded by some of the
skill games, and can be spent at the prize counter. There are three varieties that I have found,
all have an obverse that is similar to the "RT. 3, WEIRS BEACH, N.H." game token, only larger
The reverse of the earlier ones simply say: "1 Coupon RWM". The older ones are annodized green
and are fairly hard to come by, and the newer ones are plain aluminum. The third variety,
which I believe is the newest one, has a reverse which reads: "1 Prize Coupon RWM" and is also
plain aluminum. There is another prize token that is also Aluminum, but it is 29mm in diameter
and annodized purple. The obverse is similar to the rest, only larger still, and the reverse
reads: "We Have The Games People Play! Special Prize Token RWM". The only place that I found
to get it is in one bank of six "token drop" machines. The regular game tokens are used for
play and the normal prize (if some happen to fall off into the award chute). The purple bonus
tokens are on their own shelf, and are dispensed only when the dropped token trips a switch
that is nestled among the pins. They are redeemable for either a FUNSPOT coffee mug, a FUNSPOT
pint glass, or 25 game tokens. (10/13/98) Update: FUNSPOT seems to have discontinued the options
of trading in the purple "Special Prize Token" for a mug or glass, now they can only be exchanged
for tokens. (08/06/99)
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Follow-up Posts from Twin Galaxies after Last Years Funspot Tournament:
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Funspot 2004 - Results (Part 1 of 2) Link
Twin Galaxies Forums Forum Index -> FunSpot Arcade
View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
RMRUCZEK
TG Board of Directors
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 4:49 pm Post subject: Funspot 2004 - Results (Part 1 of 2)
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Hello fellow gamers:
Please bear with me as I post this in two (2) sections.
Robert
**********************
Hello fellow gamers:
I just returned from perhaps the best gaming-related vacation that you could hope for.
From Saturday morning, November 13th, thru Sunday morning, November 21st, I was at the
Funspot Family Entertainment Center in Weirs Beach, NH, one of the world's largest
commercial classic video game arcades.
Funspot is where the annual classic arcade video game championship has been taking
place since May of 1999. Until 2002, I attended only the annual events, but last November
of 2003 I decided to attend on my own without the distraction of a live competition, to
enjoy my favorite titles at my leisure, and hopefully set some new personal gaming
records in the process. But the best part was getting to meet once again my many friends
from that gaming area, players that I typically see only a few all-too-short times each
year.
I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to do this again in 2004, and after all
that transpired these past weeks at my job in New York City, it was a week more than
well spent. Across the week, I logged well over 200 gaming records and personal bests
by the gamers in attendance, myself included. In total, more than fifteen dedicated
classic arcade gamers showed up throughout the week, and their company and competitiveness
was greatly appreciated.
The 8 ½ days that I spent there covers a lot of ground, and I will try my best to
adequately recap everything that happened for your reading enjoyment. Here goes.
****************************************
PRE-ARRIVAL (Friday, November 12th)
As usual due to the constraints and responsibilities of my job, I ended up putting
in about overtime for 13 of the 15 days before Friday was done with. I just wish I
got paid for it, by alas, no. On most of those days I left between 12:30am and 4:30am,
so I was really feeling run down and burnt out.
It wasn't easy taking my vacation this time. Between hardships at my accounting job
due to a key subordinate leaving me in a lurch, a new trainee who started just ten days
before my vacation, and the standard month-end responsibilities, I'm lucky I was allowed
to go at all, everything considered. However, I practically take no vacation time as it
is, and the last thing my company can afford is a burnt out staff member, plus all my
plans were paid for in advance, so we had to hope that nothing would blow up while I
was gone.
Last minute TG work updating the two MAME competitions underway, and answering some
E-MAILs were my last tasks before I could officially call it a day.
When I got home, pretty late at night I must add (well past midnight), I hadn't even
packed and was up from 8:00am Friday, so with an early flight scheduled on Saturday,
the last thing I could afford to do was to oversleep, so I decided (as I did last November)
to just stay awake and deal with the lack of sleep. Hey, I could always go to sleep in, oh,
20 more hours at midnight…just like I did last November due to my job. Some things never
change, it seems.
I packed for nine days, but the bulk of my luggage tended to be the Xbox and various
games and controllers. Hey, you never knew who would be coming over for some late night
gaming once I got there, plus I was expecting Martin Bedard from Canada to remain all week
as my guest, and he didn't have an Xbox as it was, so better prepare for every eventuality.
Once I got everything packed, which due to my procrastination I didn't finish until 6:00am,
I watched an episode or two of "Alias" on DVD and then got ready for the trip ahead.
DAY ONE (Saturday, November 13th)
Car service arrived a few minutes late, as usual in my neighborhood, but once it got
there it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I left my house at 8:15am and touched
down in Manchester at 10:45am where Donald Hayes and David Nelson arrived to take me to
Funspot. That was very nice of them, especially since the cab ride would probably have
cost me about $100.00 !!
One thing, though…at Laguardia Airport, my flight was changed after I had my main
piece of luggage go through security. I was worried that it would not have made it
to my destination in which case I would have had no clothes to wear OR no Xbox to play.
Most importantly, the Xbox held all my personal records and unlocked tracks on the titles
that I own, and believe it or not, that was my primary concern. I could always buy new
clothes. Thankfully it arrived without a hitch.
A quick ride later, and I was checking in at Sun Valley by 11:30am. Not bad…a tad
over three hours to get there, just a few minutes longer than the bus ride from my
house to Atlantic City.
We arrived at Funspot and I bought my first allotment of gaming tokens. For those who
do not know this yet, Funspot tokens can be bought for approx 16 cents apiece, much
cheaper than a quarter per game. And with coupons that can be found throughout the town,
it is even possible to get them for effectively 11 cents apiece. Talk about a great deal.
Well worth the trip.
Throughout the day, the Crams (Shawn, Jason, Anna, Cristian), perhaps classic arcade
gaming's most prolific family of world record holders, and also reknowned gamers Greg Bond,
Brian Kuh and Fred Pastore, all arrived to make the opening day special.
Fred, the "Carnival" world champion, managed to establish a new world record on
"Astro Fighter" on Saturday with 26,150 points. He nearly achieved over 35K but missed
a critical shot before he died.
Also, we took notice of an older gamer playing "Crazy Climber" who had a nice score of
149,550 points…Chris Felknor of Massachussetts. We asked him if he would like to log his
score and sure thing he did !! On this game, any score over 40K is good, but the number
of gamers who can approach a score of approx 150K is far fewer indeed.
Lunch, by the way, was a full pizza from Funspot's "Braggin' Dragon" café. My treat…it was
the least I could do. I believe it was David Nelson, Donald Hayes, Brian Kuh and myself.
And to further enhance our pizza lunch was some "Rickey's Hot Sauce" courtesy of legendary
gamer Bill Mitchell, who ensures that Funspot always has a plentiful supply for their loyal
patrons.
Most of the day was spent catching up on gaming stories, records and related matters.
And in between, a few great scores were set. Brian Kuh and David Nelson established
the inaugural 1st and 2nd place world records on "Sega Hot Rod", a 4-person driving
game, each while playing in single-player mode. Brian hit 229,280 and Dave hit 192,751.
This is one cool game…and a rare strategic racing game at that. It is played on an
overhead unit similar to the 1975 cult classic "Death Race" by Exidy and is maintained
in pristine condition by the Funspot technical staff.
Jen Sweet showed up with my TV set that I asked Shawn Cram last year to purchase for me
and hold until every November and May/June event. The Sun Valley cabin TV's had no input
provisions for the gaming systems, so it was either buy a new TV and keep it up there,
or deal with the local TV channel choices which, especially mid-week, generally do not
show my favorite shows or movies. Besides, what better to do after than a full day of
gaming than MORE gaming…after all, it was a gaming-vacation from start to finish, so may
as well max out as much gaming as I could on my rare vacation opportunity. Jen helped me
get the TV to the cabin, and then we returned to Funspot for an afternoon of gaming.
Shawn Cram pulled off an impressive 93,620 on Taito's "Jungle Hunt", and I pulled off a
surprising (for me) 72,360 on "Rally X", improving my personal best from 45K in the process.
David Nelson hit 1,050,130 on the vintage pinball title "Playboy" based on the world famous
men's magazine empire owned by Hugh Hefner.
As the day winded down, I was very concerned that Martin Bedard from Canada had not shown
up yet. Originally both he and Todd Rogers from Florida were to have been my guests, but
Todd had to cancel due to a business opportunity, and Martin, once he left Canada, would
be unable to contact. I also was not sure the day that he would show up.
Also, at some point, Gary Vincent came by to say hello. I never see Gary more than twice
a year, same like most of the other gamers, so it was nice seeing him again as well. He
is the Operations Manager for Funspot, by the way.
The big surprise today was that it was soon to be Jason Cram's birthday. His wife, Anna,
had planned a special get together in the Funspot virtual golf range area being that so
many of us were expected to be in attendance today, so everybody was told to go there for
a certain time. Jason was in the arcade and probably wondering where everyone had gone to.
When he was lead to the area it was a huge surprise for him. Chris McClard had also joined
us, as well as Cristian Cram's son, and even Gary popped in after awhile. This was a nice
way to end the day at Funspot, and I'm very happy that I was able to be part of the
celebration.
At day's end the group wanted to go to the Laconia House of Pizza, a weekly ritual every
Saturday they get together. By this point I was exhausted from being awake for approx 38
hours and I needed some sleep…badly.
Donald drove me back and then went to meet the rest of the gamers at the pizza place. I
watched a little TV and then fell fast asleep for the evening before 11:00pm. I had a long
week ahead and was not about to tire myself out from late night gaming or TV shows. Besides,
38 hours with no sleep is not a good idea if your intent is to set a world record on a game
like "Super Cobra" by Konami, one of my lofty goals for the week !!
DAY TWO (Sunday, November 14th)
I woke up at about 8:45am, watched an episode of "Happy Days" on the TV-Land station,
which turned out to the first of the 2-part series finale that I had never seen before
so that was fortuitous. After getting ready, I left the cabin for the uphill trek to
Funspot.
It was early and just Brian Kuh and myself were present, as well as the technicians.
I immediately started on "Super Cobra" while Brian started on "Rally X". I had a good
game too…174,930 points, good for 3rd highest in the world !! Actually I was already
in 3rd with 170K from Funspot 6 back in June, but I wasn't complaining. Not many players
can crack 50K at this game, let alone reach this level of skill.
Brian gave "Donkey Kong" a shot…he's one of the top players in the world, by the way. As
he played, the adorable Tina from Funspot's staff came by to say hello. This lovely lady
is one of the many reasons we players make the pilgrimage to Funspot annually, by the way.
We spoke for awhile during Brian's game and then she went off to continue her day. But before
she went, she gave me something from David Nelson that was greatly appreciated….snacks for
the week !!
Brian then introduced me to "Fireball II" pinball" which has a feature called a "Little
Demon Meter", basically a controllable "ball save" in the center of the two flippers. It
was a fast moving pinball game, that's for sure. Brian hit 282,860 while I managed 176,490.
After that we tried "Monaco GP", one of my favourite driving titles from my high school
days. Not available on MAME, the only place I know of that still has one is Funspot. My
goal was a previously registered personal best of between 3-4K. This time I hit 4,720
points…not bad. The game is maxed out at 9,999 so I'm almost halfway there. Brian gave
it a shot and hit 3,592…very respectable indeed.
Funspot staffer Christopher Burnell registered a score of 366,840 on "Circus Charlie",
his first score registered with Twin Galaxies, by the way.
More gaming throughout the day, lots of chatting. Many of these gamers would not be showing
up until the following Saturday. Brian Kuh, in fact, left at 2:30pm to drive back home as
tomorrow would be a work-day for him.
By day's end I was all gamed-out and ready for some sleep. After three weeks of double-time
before my vacation, especially the week immediately prior . I was the last player there so
walked back to the cabin. Not a bad walk at all…just a few minutes and you are there.
I went to sleep earlier than usual, still wondering when Martin would show.
A little after 2:30am, I woke up and turned on the TV. After 2-3 minutes, I heard a car
immediately outside, and assumed it was Martin. I was right. Apparently, he arrived about
12:30am and saw the lights out so decided to sleep in the car. But New Hampshire weather
meant a cold evening, and a car is not exactly a comfortable resting area, so he was all
set to drive around to pass the time away, when he saw me exit the cabin. So much for his
midnight excursion. I helped him unpack, and we spent the next hour or so chatting until
4:00am, catching up on what held him up (over-enthusiastic border patrol guards) and anything
else we could think of.
After that, with an entire day in front of us, we retired for the evening. I took the comfy
couch since it was not a bad experience from both the previous November and the more recent
Funspot event back in June. I just wish it was a bit longer, but no biggie. I rented one of
the larger cabins, just in case a guest gamer needed a place to crash rather than spending
an hour or so driving back to their home town. Last June, it turned out that this was the
best decision I could have made. Gamer Joel Hedge from my hometown of Brooklyn showed up but
was unable to find a place of lodging, so I offered space in my cabin. It was designed to
accommodate up to five people, and with Todd "Pizza God" Rogers preferring a spot on the
floor, the two extra cots that the cabin had in reserve couldn't have been more opportune.
Anyway, that's how the first day ended. I was looking forward to at least SOME sleep before
a full day of gaming tomorrow, and thankfully I conked out inside of I guess a few minutes,
because the next time I opened my eyes it was already daylight and after 8:00am.
DAY THREE (Monday, November 15th)
Daybreak !! I remembered to watch the conclusion of the final episode of "Happy Days".
Interestingly, at the very end, the Howard Cunningham character speaks to the TV audience
at one point, and mentions how he is glad that his two (2) kids are now married. Gee…what
about "Chuck", the basketball-playing son from the 1st season ? I guess no mention means
no royalties…besides, "Chuck" was largely not mentioned starting midway into the 1st season
anyway.
After both Martin and I readied ourselves for the day, we drove off.
The first priority today was to shop for some food. Also, Martin needed to get some gas
and exchange Canadian currency. So we headed to the local super market and stocked up well
for the week ahead. This was much smarter than when I arrived last November by myself and
relied on the Funspot vending machines for nightly sustenance. To be honest, I'll never
do that again…nightly meals consisting of either Pop Tarts and/or Combos, along with some
Powerade drinks. Ugh !!
We returned back and stocked up the refrigerator and then headed to Funspot for some
serious gaming.
Throughout the day, we set various personal arcade bests. I hit 213,890 on "Wonderboy",
trashing my years-old personal best of less than 35K. Martin hit 687,240 on "1942" and had
this game in his sights for some major improvement this week. On "Berzerk", I passed 5K for
the first time ever with a score of 13,300. Martin hit 66,140 on "Spectar"…not quite Dave
Nelson's arcade record of over 80K, but close. Martin's MAME personal best is over 98K, but
Twin Galaxies tracks MAME and arcade separately for purity reasons.
I hit a new personal best on "Super Cobra" with a score of 179,360 points, and this was a
heart-breaker. I reached the 3rd city with approx 174K and two (2) ships in storage and
let me tell you, whatever could go wrong did go wrong. Due to the nature of the game, I
needed at least one (1) ship in storage coming into the 3rd maze in order to survive due
to the rate of the fuel consumption. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. Oh well…at
least I was closer to the 2nd place score.
Charlie Weatherbee, one of the new generation of young gamers from Funspot, logged some
scores, or rather times, for "Time Crisis" for stories 2 and 3. Not quite his personal bests
on each, but close to within a second or two. He hit 3:26.62 on stage 2, and 5:17.05 on
stage 3. He also set a score of 410,300 on "Land, Sea, Air Squad" (aka "L.S.A. Squad") on
the cocktail version of the title. Let me tell you, it is NOT easy to play a cocktail version
for this game !! That beat Tim McIlro's previous tournament best of over 360K, but Charlie
had one scored over 500K and was confident that he could do so again at some point. So I
took down his score for now.
Martin played some "Time Crisis 3", setting a 1st-credit single player score of 1,143,240
points and a full-game score (also single player) of 1,631,630 points.
Anna and Jason Cram showed up towards the evening. She's a huge "Wonderboy" fan and logged
a score of 479,240 points, more than double my own personal best. Jason likes "Crazy Climber"
and hit 262,250 points.
By day's end, we headed back to the cabin. Martin and I started to dig in to some of the
food we picked up. I actually over-bought but you never know who might be coming over, or
how hungry you might be after a full day of gaming.
We played a little "Crazy Taxi 3" before calling it a night.
DAY FOUR (Tuesday, November 16th)
Hard to believe it…the fourth day of my vacation, and I still had this full day AND another
four full days yet to come ahead of me. At this point I realized how badly I needed this
the office, I had not given a single though as to what was not being done, or what is being
done wrong, while I was gone.
I woke up a little after 8:00am and was curious what would be on TV-Land now that
"Happy Days" had the last episode shown the day before. Not surprisingly, the very
first episode of "Happy Days" was shown. Wow…can't believe I actually saw that one when
it first aired nearly 30+ years ago. Now I remember why the "Chuck" character was dropped
from the show so quickly. At least the actor got to see himself in the dinner scene during
the end credits of every episode in the first season as a consolation.
Wasn't sure if anyone other than Martin and myself would show up today. I knew that on
Wednesday at least Donald Hayes and David Nelson would be present, and probably the Crams
and Greg Bond. Turns out I was correct…today was largely just Martin and myself all day,
with Charlie Weatherbee coming in by the evening for some "Time Crisis" attempts.
During the day, Martin and I experimented with several titles that we normally stay away
from, just to see how we would do. I hit 58,740 on "Popeye", a game that I normally avoid
as, quite honestly, I stink at the title.
We both tried "Depth Charge", a favourite title by Gremlin from 1977. I scored 3,510 which
was (I think) my arcade best, and Martin hit 2,430.
I also got him hooked on "Sky Shark", a faster version of "1942" and which boasted a much
more powerful array of firepower options. His goal today was maxing out the scoreboard on
"Timber", which took a little over an hour but he logged 999,995 points. There's a 50/50
chance of getting either 999,995 or 999,990. Martin's personal registered MAME best is a
mind-boggling 2.5 million on just five (5) lives. Yet this 999,995 point score is more
impressive due to the problems with the controls sticking. His unofficial MAME best is over
4 million points in which, like "Tapper", the game resets to board zero after stage 256.
However, as far as the arcade platform goes, the 999,995 point game is a TG-verified world
record.
I managed a mediocre 11,537,540 on "Monopoly" pinball when Charlie Weatherbee showed up to
give "Time Crisis" another go. Tonight, he pulled off 3:25.83 on story 2 and 5:02.18 on
story 3, much better than the other day.
Martin and Charlie teamed up for an inaugural team-score (1st credit) on "Time Crisis 3",
scoring a combined 1.210M. I couldn't quite get the true score due to the fact that if both
players die in the same stage, the individual scores are lost. Plus, and as a TG referee I
absolutely HATE this, as you lose a life, your score disappears from the game screen until
you put in another credit. Hello…Mr-Braintrust who stupidly programmed this into the game…I'm
talking to you !!
Before the end of the day, Martin upped his "1942" score to 1,284,010 points.
Back in the cabin, Martin hooked up his PC to the TV and showed me a couple of totally
awesome gaming performances, so awesome that I felt humbled by what I had just seen. One
was a "Gigawings" type title for the PC which boasted some of the most unusual and impressive
boss battles that I had ever seen. And I must admit, after nearly 35 years of playing video
games of all kinds, this level of gaming expertise was among the best that I have ever seen…a
perfect way to end this gaming day.
DAY FIVE (Wednesday, November 17th)
We slept in a little later than usual for a change and did not make it to the arcade until
probably 10:30am, maybe later. David Nelson and Donald Hayes showed up, as did Shawn Cram.
The group of us headed over to "JT's Barbecue" across the street for lunch. I try to make it
a point to visit this place at least once every trip. Though I wouldn't recommend trying their
HUGE "Roundup" meal as I did in the past due to the massive amount of food they give you
(enough for three meals), they make the best baked beans in the area, in my opinion.
A lot of scores were logged today, especially with Cristian, Jason and Anna Cram showing
up along with Greg Bond. Here are a few of the best, in the order of accomplishment…
"1942" - 1,525,590 by Martin Bedard, reaching stage 10 or 7 to go
"Kiss" (pinball) - 448,840 by Christian Cram
"Make Trax" - 1,181,320 by Greg Bond, his first 1M+ game ever
"Star Wars" (TGTS) - 3,712,774 by Donald Hayes
"Centipede" - 239,329 by Greg Bond (this was the game he was practicing while we ate)
"Rally X" - 94,020 by myself…reaching level 9, this was a totally unexpected surprise !!
"Berzerk" (slow bullets) - 23,230 by myself, a huge pop over my previous personal best
"Satan's Hollow" - 81,005 by myself
"Motorace USA" - 151,500 by myself
"Wonderboy" - 510,980 by Martin Bedard
"Wonderboy" - 560,400 by Anna Cram
"Frontline" - 18,700 by Jason Cram, reminding me just how hard this title is
"Alpine Ski" - 75,798 by Jason Cram
"Dr. Mario" - 165,300 by Randy Lawton…and I am told he's done MUCH better !!
"Laser War" (pinball) - 2,677,540 by Christian Cram
"Gorf" - 122,940 by Donald Hayes
"Super Cobra" - 165,440 by Donald Hayes (4th best in the world)
Tonight, David Nelson opted to stay over for awhile, and Donald Hayes drove him over
and decided to stay for a bit. Jen Sweet also showed up for awhile. I asked Martin to
show them that performance on the PC again, and, Dave, Donald and Jen were as stunned
as I was at the unbelievable precision and skill that the gamer whose performance was
captured on the DVD possessed…and that assessment is coming from some of the planet's
best gamers, mind you !!
Donald left, leaving Martin, David, Jen and myself to try our luck at classic "Mario Kart 64",
one of the best party games available for the N64 system…and any other system, for that matter.
Well, to make a long story short, David and Martin were super good at the game, and after an
hour of trying…well, I was trying, but compared to their skillset I was just a little bit of
an annoyance…maybe I won three games to their combined 40+. Eventually, it got late. Jen left,
and we wheeled out the cot for David. Tomorrow was another day.
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)
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Funspot 2004 - Results (Part 2 of 2) Link
Twin Galaxies Forums Forum Index -> FunSpot Arcade
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Author Message
RMRUCZEK - Robert Mruczek
TG Board of Directors
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Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:02 pm Post subject: Funspot 2004 - Results (Part 2 of 2)
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Hello fellow gamers:
Here is the second half...something technical is preventing me from posting this article
as one piece.
Robert
*************************
DAY SIX (Thursday, November 18th)
Three whole days to go and feeling great. We had a late start today because we got into
watching a vintage episode of the "Dick Van Dyke" show in which Dick's character Rob
Petrie finds out that his wife Laura, played by Mary Tyler Moore, lied on their wedding
license many years back about her age…turns out she said she was only 17 at the time.
Heavy stuff for a 1960's show !!
Connecticut-based gamer Richard Marsh showed up early in the day. He holds the TGTS
record on "Gyruss", the world record (1st credit only) on "Stun Runner", and is an
accomplished "Galaga" and "Tempest" player.
Gary Vincent dropped by to say that a reported from "The Weirs Times" would be showing
up to do a story about our being their…for once a positive story on gaming rather than
all those negative ones about titles like the "Grand Theft Auto" series that seem to
change the public's opinion on video gaming in general. It was a nice lunch-time interview,
ending in a picture taken outside the premise.
Today we each pulled off some impressive scores. Here are a few of them…
"Rally X" - 88,560 by David Nelson
"1942" - 11,846,500 by Martin Bedard (his 1st completed game ever)
"Berzerk" (slow bullets) - 37,800 by myself (amazing, I think, considering my prior
best was 5K before coming to Funspot)
"Shootout" (Data East) - 88,436 by David Nelson (without hunting)
"Super Breakout" (Double) - 1,996 by David Nelson
"Circus Charlie" - 419,900 by Christopher Burnell
"Track and Field" - 85,620 by David Nelson
"Donkey Kong" - 113,200 by myself (I may have watched a couple of good DK scores over
the past year, but I still stink at the game !!)
"Vanguard" - 253,280 by Martin Bedard
"Robotron" (TGTS) - 449,575 by Shawn Cram
"Red Alert" - 11,050 by Martin Bedard
At some point, Randy Lawton pulled out a "Red Alert" game. This one is rare…I don't
even see it on MAME !! Over the course of the next few days, we would each give this
one a go.
Martin was starting to get into "Sky Shark" and hit 421,370 points. I showed my
"Alien Syndrome" skills to Mark Alpiger and scored 195,800 points.
Golden age gamer Mark Alpiger showed up at this point. He holds the 2nd highest
"Crystal Castles" score in the world, and is one of the best players at "Road Runner"
that I have seen. We dabbled in some "Food Fight" (TGTS)
Dave left earlier in the day after the interview. Evening fun included some "Crazy Taxi 3"
on the Xbox in which Martin Bedard pulled off a "Crazy Jump" of 959.01 yards. Another day
awaited…and Friday was poised to have a large crowd.
DAY SEVEN (Friday, November 19th)
Coming close to the end of my vacation, we tried to squeeze in as much gaming as
we could.
On a personal note, try as I could, I was unable to beat my earlier score of 179K on
"Super Cobra", although for the week I did break 170K four (4) times in total which
was quite promising. Here are some of the other scores from Friday…
"Monaco GP" - 2,498 by Martin Bedard
"Star Wars" (TGTS) - 2,151,156 by Shawn Cram (his first 2M+ game)
"LSA Squad" - 660,400 by Charlie Weatherbee, a new world record
"Wonderboy" - 594,620 by Anna Cram…so close to 600K she can feel it !!
"Twin Cobra" (single player) - 456,190 by Charlie Weatherbee
"Super Breakout" (Double) - 1,727 by myself
"Jungle Hunt" - 185,150 by Shawn Cram
"Sky Shark" - 436,750 by Martin Bedard
Also, Charlie Weatherbee's friend, Nick Ortakales, showed up to try his hand at
"Time Crisis". He pulled off 2:29.53 on story 1, and 11:01.07 in story mode achieving
a rating of 8 stars and 51% accuracy in the process. His stages times were 2:38.90
and 5:58.30 at the end of stages 1 and 2.
With just a few days left, knowing that I will most likely not see some of these gamers
for many months, I spent a considerable amount of time talking rather than playing.
Actually, as it was Friday, there were more kiddies running around today than the rest
of the previous week combined !! If I had a good game going, it might have been in jeopardy
of my getting bumped by an over enthusiastic young'un running about with their token cup !!
Dinner took place at the Hart Turkey Farm which was (Mark Alpiger, take note of this),
a LOT further than 2 miles away from Funspot !! According to the placemat, they serve
up more than a ton of turkey every day, never mind the fixings. FYI - if all you want
to eat is a burger, go to McDonald's. Why waste the opportunity of a eating at a dedicated
turkey farm…after all, when in Rome, as the expression goes.
I am fairly sure that we left Funspot very late Friday and went our separate ways.
Tomorrow, my last full day at Funspot, was bound to be long so we needed some rest.
Besides, Fred Pastore promised earlier in the week to meet us at 9:00am for breakfast,
and all week we've been ready no earlier than 10:00am, so I made it a point to get to
wake up early.
DAY EIGHT (Saturday, November 20th)
Okay, here it was. My last full day at Funspot. A lot of gamers were expected today.
I woke up very early, close to 7:00am, and was ready for Fred Pastore showing up while
Martin decided to catch a few extra Z's. In the interim, I watched some of the "Baywatch"
marathon that was running, and saw the episode featuring "The Beach Boys". By the time
it was almost over, Fred Pastore, Mark Alpiger and Brian Kuh showed up. Martin got ready
quickly and we were off to breakfast in Meredith at a family place called "Diner" or
something like that. Another place called "MAME's Diner" was nearby, and Fred couldn't
help but notice that one which happened to sound like the MAME platform.
After a quick breakfast we returned to Funspot to a large crowd, mostly kids in the
tween age group and younger. Throughout the day, the full array of gamers showed up.
Here is the roster…myself, Martin Bedard, Donald Hayes, Greg Bond, Brian Kuh, Jason Cram,
Shawn Cram, Anna Cram, Christian Cram, David Cram, Fred Pastore, Mark Alpiger, and also
John Zabel, who showed up last in the day, presented me with an anxiously awaited taped
performance on "Super Missile Attack" in which he broke 200K for the first time ever, a
new world record by far, and my apologies if I forgot anyone else. Only David Nelson and
Richard Marsh were not in attendance. Quite an array of world record holders, I have to say.
Aha !! Adam Wood was kind enough to remind me that he was there...and how could I forget,
after all he came to within 80% or so of his "Quartet" world record, scoring over 400K
easily, and discussing with me the specifics of his soon-to-be submitted RPG runs.
During a day of some serious gaming, here are some of the records and personal bests
that were registered…
"Jokerz !" (pinball) - 2,514,060 by Fred Pastore
"Close Encounters" (pinball) - 270,680 by Martin Bedard
"Road Runner" - 780,740 by myself
"Gorgar" (pinball) - 264,980 by Brian Kuh
"Red Alert" - 14,450 by myself
"Wonderboy" - 615,560 by Anna Cram…she broke 600K for the 1st time ever !!
Greg ("Mappy") Bond was on a roll at "Make Trax", at 1.12 million points, when his cell
Greg is sure he can do this again.
The group of us…ALL of us, in fact, went out to dinner at a place called "Patrick's",
and luckily the family room had a table that could accommodate all of us at a single
table…well, three or four tables pushed together, but the effect was the same. This was
an awesome way to end my weekend, spending it with so many friends. But one thing made
it even better.
Bill Mitchell called Greg Bond on his cell phone, and had some important TG-related news
to discuss with me, after which came the big surprise. Bill managed to get "Pac-master"
Rick Fothergill on the line, and we passed around the cell phone from player to player
saying hi to Rick and wishing him well. Rick has been unable to attend the annual Funspot
event for close to three years now, and we miss his presence, so this really cheered him
up big time according to Bill.
The discussions at the dinner tables were spirited and varied, often gaming-related but
sometimes we shared aspects of our non-gaming lives. Our hobbies outside of gaming are
quite varied and range from collecting to sports, movies and gaming programming and design.
We also discussed the upcoming year 2005 "Bounty" announcement that TG will shortly be
making on January 1st. That generated a lot of buzz.
Dinner ended and we all returned to Funspot. While we were gone, operations manager Gary
Vincent was wondering where everyone had gone. He knew that a lot of us were at Funspot
that day, but all of a sudden he checked and aside from the local young kids, none of us
were playing at all !! So he suspected we went out to eat.
When we came back, we squeezed in as much gaming as we could. I also verified a team
score on "Time Crisis 3" by Martin Bedard and Charlie Weatherbee that (by far) outpaced
their previous day's efforts. For 1st credit-team play, their score total was 1,392,450
and their full-game score was 2,727,750 which is now the top score on the Funspot machine.
Not too shabby !!
Here are the remainder of the scores from that evening…some of which featured "The Glob"
which Mark Alpiger received permission from Gary Vincent and Randy Lawton to temporarily
hook up to a "Ms Pacman" machine.
"Funhouse" (pinball) - 9,391,230 by Charlie Weatherbee
"Food Fight" (TGTS) - 152,400 by Brian Kuh
"Crazy Climber" - 276,600 by Jason Cram
"Sky Shark" - 585,320 by Martin Bedard
"The Glob" - 65,604 by Donald Hayes
"The Glob" - 77,161 by Mark Alpiger
"Gorgar" (pinball) - 343,220 by Brian Kuh
"Gorgar" (pinball) - 293,540 by Fred Pastore
"Red Alert" - 8,970 by Jason Cram
The scores for everyone on "Gorgar", the pinball title that I grew up with in freshman
year of high school, would have been dramatically higher, but "The Pit" area of the game
(top left) was barely registering, so we all lost out on 50K-150K per game attempt. Oh
well.
We retired to the downstairs tavern to chat and spend our last hours together. Even played
some bar room billiards. Turns out that I forgot more about billiards than I had thought…
used to be quite good but messed up on way too many shots.
The LAST score of the contest came when we were gathered in the downstairs main area. The
bank of arcade machines up above was the last to be turned off. Most of us were downstairs
talking with Gary Vincent when Donald Hayes and Shawn Cram returned from upstairs. Donald
achieved 173,700 on "Super Cobra", still 4th place but now each of us were that much closer
to beating the world record. It's just a matter of when.
After much discussion, the time came when we all had to go. Most of these gamers I would
not see for another 6 months so it was a tough goodbye as it always is. Jen Sweet returned
with us to the cabin to take back the TV set, and we gave her every single unused canister
of "Pringles" that we had…at least six or seven Like I said, we over-bought, just in case.
Fred Pastore said he would meet for breakfast the following day AND said he would drive me
back to the airport, which was very kind.
Before Donald left, he gave me a video tape of a massive score on "Millipede" which is going
to be 2nd place on the all-time list once verified. In fact, that tape, and John Zabel's
"Super Missile Attack", are the next ones that I will verify.
Martin and I packed up, chatted a bit, and then it was time to rest up for our trips back
home the following morning. I checked my airline itinerary and mea culpa, I though all along
my return flight departure was 1:45pm when it was really 2:30pm, so good thing I checked !!
Before we packed, we had computer and gaming equipment all over the place, plus a still
over-stocked refrigerator.
LAST DAY (Sunday, November 21st)
Martin and I were all ready to go early when Mark Alpiger, Brian Kuh and Fred Pastore showed
up on schedule. Checkout was not until 11:00am so we had some time. I told them about my
later-than-expected departure, so we all decided that after breakfast we would head over
to Funspot for some last minute gaming attempts.
Breakfast was at McDonald's, during which time I learned a new tactic on table-clearing from
Brian Kuh. Fred drove us back to the cabin where Martin and I packed up. Fred then drove back
to where he was staying to check out, and then Martin and I checked out and headed back to
Funspot where Fred would shortly meet up with us.
Back at Funspot, the place was totally quiet. John Zabel also showed up, surprised to see us.
We had perhaps 90 minutes or so before Fred had to drive me back to Manchester for my flight
so we mostly played some pinball, but I promised Fred that I would give "Super Cobra" one last
attempt.
I had an EXCELLENT start…cleared the first "booty" stage on my first ship and reached approx
115K and the "city" stage the second time around before taking a hit. I cleared that and
reached the dreaded "maze" stage with five (5) ships in storage, and had a chance at an
awesome game ahead of me, but it was not meant to be.
The first major drop is the deadliest. A tank is firing directly at the exit point, and
rockets fire upwards. This is extremely tough due to the dive that follows and the tough
parts ahead. I needed to reach the end of the maze with at least one (1) ship in storage due
to the fuel consumption concerns, but that tank and rocket combination was unbelievably
unlucky this time for me. Although I passed 170K four times this past week, I was unable
to clear this section of the maze for five times in a row. I walked away in disgust as my
last ship came up. I had in the vicinity of 120K when I died, but could care less. Even
though this was still more than double what an average gamer could ever hope to accomplish,
it was my best effort ever, wasted due to bad random luck.
"Super Cobra" is one of the rare games where a few points in the game have little to do
with luck. One such point exists in stage 5, another in stage 7, a third in stage 8. Stage 9,
the "city" stage as most players refer to it since the "Scramble" days, is a chore and a half
to clear unscathed. But the maze is deadly. If it was not for that single tank in such a
deadly position, I probably would never die in the maze except for fuel run out which is
unavoidable in the 2nd "booty" stage and the 3rd "maze" stage and thereafter.
Oh well, another time, then. I told Brian Kuh and he suggested that if I was interested later
on that I could meet up with him on a Friday in New Jersey and drive up for the weekend,
something he does every weekend for nearly the past year. I certainly will, but only if I am
not too drained from a week at my job beforehand !!
Only two (2) more decent scores were achieved before I headed on back. Martin Bedard hit
234,260 on "Gorgar" (pinball), ensuring that everyone there had cracked at least 200K on this
title at least once over the past week, and John Zabel after 22 years of not playing "Rally X"
proved that time has not hampered his skills. He broke 100K for the first time ever with a
final score of 104,690 points. Nice !! I made sure to show that one to Brian Kuh, whose
personal best is nearly 140K and who ranks as one of the world's best players at the title.
Time to go. I gave most of my tokens earlier to a youngster who, with her friends, went about
systematically searching the coin slots for extra tokens. That made her day. I gave the rest
to Martin the day before so he could play some more "Time Crisis" if need be. So today, with
two single dollar bills, I purchased eight more tokens and played a few more games. After all,
I had been gaming for nearly 100 hours this past week…I was virtually gamed-out !!
We went out to the parking lot leaving John Zabel in the arcade as he was still on vacation.
Brian Kuh had to drive back to New Jersey, Martin Bedard to Canada, and Mark Alpiger to I
forget, Kentucky or Louisiana. Fred was to take me to Manchester Airport for my flight back
to New York.
One of the comments that I could not help but make was that in case Donald Hayes showed up,
and saw my 120K+ score on "Super Cobra", he would be mystified as to who the gamer was that
set this score, being that I was not supposed to be at Funspot on Sunday. I wonder what he
would think if/when he saw that ? Ah well, at least when Donald reads this recap he'll know
the answer.
We all drove off in our respective directions. I got to the airport with about 20-30 minutes
before boarding time, so Fred and I had a quick snack from "Dunkin' Donuts" and chatted in the
waiting area until I had to go. Fred walked with me to the security gate and then headed back
to his car for the drive back home.
Security was not too bad. The taking off of the shoes is annoying, but I had more on my mind
than worrying about whether my socks had any holes in them for people to see so I just went
on through without incident. After baggage check I took a cab ride home which was pretty cheap
compared to the ride going there. The local car service in my neighborhood is a rip-off, it
seems.
I got back home at 4:00pm and immediately contacted Walter and Bill to let them know I was
back. Some important TG matters were discussed.
I resisted the urge to go into work and see how bad everything was left for me. Thankfully
I did not or my last evening on vacation would have been very discouraging indeed. No
one did ANY of my work while I was gone…nothing except the most mission-critical tasks were
handled. In other words, 99.9% of my work was left there for me to deal with when I returned.
Today is Friday, November 26th, a company holiday. I had no chance between a chaotic first
day work but decided the heck with it. But tomorrow, Saturday, I have no choice. I have
to or else things will fall to pieces in my division.
So…that recaps my November 2004 vacation at Funspot. The resultant scores I will start to
enter as early as tomorrow into the TG database and hope to finish by Thursday, December 2nd.
Thanks to all my friends who showed up this past week. You all contributed to making this one
of my best vacations ever. Call me crazy, but I'd much rather have a chance to score 179K on
"Super Cobra" than go down to Disneyland or Great Adventure. Besides, I'd probably be in the
arcades there, anyway.
I'm already looking forward to Funspot 7 which will probably be held in early June 2005, and
by the time November rolls around, I most likely will be doing this all over again. Until
then!!
Robert
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)
******************************
Last edited by RMRUCZEK on Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:35 am; edited 1 time in total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
permafrostrick
Referee
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:59 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pictures?!?
FYI, I am planning on meeting up with Donald Hayes on Sunday, the 28th at the Crab Towne
arcade in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
We met up there last year when he came to Baltimore for a ping-pong tournament. He is here
playing the tournament again this year.
Hopefully the games still will be working...at least the ones that were working last year.
It's unlikely any of the others were fixed...unless someone does that on their own time
denoting the parts as well.
I have not visited there since last fall...but do now live only about 25 minutes away from
Crab Towne.
We will see....if not there was at least a decent conditioned Centipede and several decent
pinball machines to play....plus just talking over food and drink of course.
Hope to cya Sunday Donald!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RMRUCZEK
TG Board of Directors
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject: Pictures
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Rick:
Other than a couple of pics that Mark Alpiger too kon the closing day, and a few of Jason's
birthday party, I'm not sure what pics were actually taken !!
Oh yes...there should at the very least be a few in the Weirs Times once that article hits...
one of myself, Martin Bedard, David Nelson and Richard Marsh outside of Funspot, and a few
more that the visiting columnist took on Saturday.
Next time I gotta remember to get a digital camera !!
Robert
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)
******************************
Roo at Funspot, Weirs Beach, NH
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The_Pro
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, Canada
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 10:42 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, this was definitely a great trip. Thanks a lot to Robert for having me, David Nelson
for the chocolate, Fred Pastore for breakfast and everyone else that made it a good time.
It was great coming down on a non tournament week. I felt I had more time to just get to
know eveyone and it was definitely time well spent. The large dinner Saturday night was
great, although I was a bit tongue tied talking to Rick on the phone. Hopefully I'll make
a better impression if he comes down to the tournament next year.
Can't wait for Funspot 7, where I will initiate the Pringles challenge!
Also, I will remember to bring a signed affidavit verified by the TG board of directors that
will detail exactly what my reason for entering the USA is. Apparently, my going to the middle
of nowhere, to see a man from New York that I met on the internet, to play videogames is not
very convincing.
_________________
Martin Bedard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QRS1
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 11:23 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damn... I wish I had the money to visit funspot.. Someday.. I will be there...
and break the moon patrol score
Anyway, great scores!!
Especially that vanguard score *gulp*
btw, Martin: If you want to get a 12-13mil score on 1942, make sure you save a lot of ships
to the last but one stage.. destroy the big plane for 50k and die on its bullets... then do
it over and over again and finish the game after that
My best is 12.3 mil using that tech (mame). I first saw Hisa Chan do that...with a final
score of 14mil!! He got to the last plane on his first man... used all ships (23 I think)
and finished it on his last man. Talk about nerves!!
_________________
Deca 2001, 2002 Champion.
Editor at MARP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The_Pro
Posts: 556
Location: Saint-Lazare, Quebec, Canada
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2004 11:53 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QRS1 wrote:
btw, Martin: If you want to get a 12-13mil score on 1942, make sure you save a lot of ships
to the last but one stage.. destroy the big plane for 50k and die on its bullets... then
do it over and over again and finish the game after that
My best is 12.3 milion using that tech (Mame). I first saw Hisa Chan do that...with a final
score of 14mil!! He got to the last plane on his first man... used all ships (23 I think)
and finished it on his last man. Talk about nerves!!
Yeah, I saw that inp as well. I was going to try for that trick but when I reached the
plane I had totally forgotten that it was bigger than the others. I lost a couple of the
lives I had and then beat it on my final man, really close shave. I'll surely try for more
when I get back there.
By the way, at some point during the week I showed some people at Robert's cabin parts
of your wonderboy inp. A lot of "no way" was heard during 8-4 .
_________________
Martin Bedard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carnival_Fred
Posts: 13
Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 10:58 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert,
Just for the record, that place is George's Diner... a place recommended by the locals.
No problem Martin on the breakfast.
Actually, it was Martin who brought up the name of the place next to George's.
I must say that Robert looked quite refreshed on the second Saturday of his trip.
And to Rick, since Donald headed down your way, I think you need to return the favor and
make a trip to FS 7!!!
Lastly, I'll second what Martin said about being there without the tournament going on
although it doesn't seem to make much of a difference in my case!!!
Carnival Fred
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zotmeister
Location: Tiverton, RI
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Funspot 2004 - Results (Part 2 of 2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RMRUCZEK wrote:
Throughout the day, the full array of gamers showed up. Here is the roster…myself, Martin
Bedard, Donald Hayes, Greg Bond, Brian Kuh, Jason Cram, Shawn Cram, Anna Cram, Christian
Cram, David Cram, Fred Pastore, Mark Alpiger, and also John Zabel... my apologies if I
forgot anyone else.
Apologies accepted - ZM, the ONE person you omitted (but hey, I know all about missing
just one - I invented the puzzle)
P.S.: I hope you remember that I'll be sending tapes your way!
_________________
Darkness lessons learned/Avenging golden tresses/Yellow flower blooms
- "(dedicated to Millia Rage)", original haiku
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robotcity
Location: So. Calif.
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:43 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert, Congrats on your personal records for Berzerk, Your
score has increased by 50 percent every day you played. Did you
play only 1 game or a lot of games each day. Soon you will be
over 100k on this great game.
Phil Y.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RMRUCZEK
TG Board of Directors
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:48 am Post subject: Sorry ZM...and thanks, Phil !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi ZM:
Ugh !! A major mea culpa from me to you !!
Can't believe I could not remember that you made the trip all the way from Rhode Island.
I knew that the headcount at the restaurant was 15, and racked my wee brains until I gave
up trying to remember.
I don't think you submitted a "Red Alert" score...that one item in my notebook would have
caused me to remember for sure as I was trying to take down scores from whoever would play
it to get the ball rolling.
Also, and this one is for Phil. I started the vacation with a previous arcade personal best
of in the 5,000 range...really low 5K at that, and on slow bullets, mind you.
After a mediocre attempt on my own going upwards all the time, I saw Donald Hayes do his
thing and gave it a whirl, supplementing my own meager tactics, and was shocked at how
quickly the simple tactic which he uses that I do not improved my performance.
Obviously I am still a babe in the woods on the game, but my appreciation for the title
has grown tremendously. I always liked the title, but was frustrated by my inability to
last longer than a few stages.
The tactic helps my fast bullets ADeca run up to the white robots mark (1st life) and then
I'm a dead duck. Waaugh !!
Robert
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)
******************************
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
permafrostrick
Referee
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:58 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carnival_Fred wrote:
And to Rick, since Donald headed down your way, I think you need to return the
favor and make a trip to FS 7!!!
Believe me, I'd love to make FS 7 just to meet several of you guys...and play some games
too.
Donald was primarily down in Baltimore for a ping-pong tournament and to visit some
family/friends for Thanksgiving.
When he did this trip last year, I pointed out Crab Towne for him and we met up for a
few hours.
We did essentially the same thing this year. I spent about 3-3.5 hours gaming with Donald
on Sunday afternoon.
..not quite the same as my taking 3-4 days to go to FS. I'll see what I can do though.
If I can't make it the week of FS7, I'll definitely try and make it up there sometime
in spring/summer 2005.
I'll get the FS7 dates and see if I can get annual leave for that week. With my job, there
are restrictions on when you can take annual leave (delivery driver)...but it's still 6+
months in advance so maybe that week is still available to use for vacation time.
A "week" in this case meaning Tuesday-Monday....which is good....can stay through Sunday
and drive back on Monday.
If I don't see you guys there, perhaps I can see at least some of you at the next Philly
Classic! That now is only about 1.5-2 hour drive from me (if held in same place it was last
year).
I would have made it last year but it was on a weekend when I was just starting my
new job etc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Author Message
Carnival_Fred
Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 7:23 pm Post subject: 2005 Funspot Tournament Dates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I spoke with Gary yesterday and the 7th Funspot Classic Tournament will be held,
as always, on the Thursday through Sunday following Memorial Day.
That makes it June 2 - 5, 2005......
Carnival Fred
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
awesome
Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:27 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WC Tim and myself plan on attending. Already put in the vacation request and got
it approved. Who else is in?
_________________
Gregory S. Erway
#1 Tapper TGMS 9,100,175 31May03
#1 Tapper TGTS 1,821,325 01Jun02
#1 Rootbeer Tapper TGMS 1,959,200 28Jul86
#1 Wild Western 826,900 07Jun04
#2 Pepper II 505,980 13Jun04
#3 M.A.C.H. 3 - Bomber 353,200 22Mar86
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azrikal
Location: Funspot NH
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:55 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sweet, I know what days to take off from school in june to game I go year round
so I have a few days here or there I can miss.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NH_Punchie
Location: New Hampshire
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will be there as usual unless something horrific happens to me. See you guys then!
Jenn
NumbFingers
Location: Miramar, FL
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 2:25 am Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmm....Road trip perhaps...
Well, we will just have to see now wont we...
_________________
Currently Under My Belt:
Galaga: Arrangement (Namco Museum)
Galaga (Namco Museum)
Star Wars Starfighter - Bonus Mission 2
Tall: Infinity
Dynasty Warriors 2 - Yellow Turban Rebellion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azrikal
Location: Funspot NH
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like I get to break the Leprechaun Wr again this year provided they fix the
screen by then which is doubtful, but hey we can hope right?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RMRUCZEK
TG Board of Directors
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject: When the Time Comes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See you guys there !!
Robert
PS - I hope they restock those drink machines with that cool-tasting Minute Maid
lime drink...I cleaned out their machine last November's trip.
_________________
Robert T Mruczek
Twin Galaxies - Editor and Chief referee
Star Wars classic arcade marathon champion
rmruczek@doremus.com (work E-MAIL)
******************************
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This page was updated on: Sunday, June 20, 2004 Link
Funspot
6th Annual Classic Pinball
& Video Game Championship
June 3-6, 2004
Don't see the menu on the left?
Click here!
Funspot 2004 "Player of the Year"
David Nelson
For the past 5 years Funspot has hosted the largest and most celebrated classic
arcade contest in the world. Each year, records fall as new champions are crowned
amidst a flurry of media coverage. This year the contest celebrates its 6th
anniversary as gamers from all over the world gather together in Weirs Beach New
Hampshire on June 3-6th, 2004.
Conceived by Ken Sweet and Funspot Operations Manager Gary Vincent, the first
tournament was held in May of 1999. Over 100 pre-1986 games were included in the
competition, and players traveled from as far away as Israel to attend. Subsequent
tournaments have drawn players from Canada, England, Finland, Australia and across
the USA.
This year was a historic landmark for the contest as the American Classic Arcade
Museum (ACAM) was a co-sponsor. The museum, located inside the huge Funspot Family
Entertainment Center is still in its infancy but plans to be the premier showcase
for classic games, memorabilia, and history, all revolving around an impressive
collection of classic games. Unlike traditional museums where artifacts are displayed
behind glass or velvet ropes, the games in the American Classic Arcade Museum will
be available for all to play. Future plans call for a large building to be added
to the present location to include 100+ additional games, a convention room and a
new restoration center. All donations to the museum are tax deductible.
Twin Galaxies (www.twingalaxies.com) videogame officials and Funspot referees were
on-hand at the contest to log scores on over 200 games.
The world-famous Funspot Family Entertainment Center has been owned and operated by
the Lawton family for 50 years. With over 500 games, Funspot is the second largest
arcade in the world and is located in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire. The 60,000 square
foot complex also contains 20 bowling lanes, a miniature golf course, a driving range,
a 400-seat Bingo hall, a restaurant, the D.A. Long Tavern, and a state of the art
indoor golf center featuring six Full-Swing Golf Simulators. Funspot is open year-round
with ample free parking.
There was a $200 dollar cash prize for each winner of tournament contests. They
include the Monochrome Challenge, Classic Challenge, Pinball Challenge and new for
this year, the Ladies Challenge open to the female attendees only. The Player of
the Year Contest, which was introduced last year, combines the scores of the Monochrome,
Classic and Pinball challenges to crown an overall champion, who receives a cash award
and earn a place of honor on the Funspot wall.
Additional challenges include a $25 cash prize to the winners of each daily "mystery game."
In order to provide a fair opportunity for gamers who don't have access to Funspot's
games throughout the year, all of the tournament games & the mystery games were not
revealed until shortly before the contest.
Funspot Pinballs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What happened at Funspot 2004? Photos of the below commentary at ==>
Link
Greg Erway goes for the elusive high score in Astro Fighter
Let the games begin!!
One of the reporters in attendance tries out Spy Hunter
Pat Laffaye goes for the Frogger world record
Dave Nelson plays Guided Missile
Greg Bond shows why he is the King of Mappy
Abdner Ashman shows off his 1942 skills
Brian Wagner achived some personal-best scores in Pac-Man
Jason Cram (l) and Adam Wood play Midway's classic Gun Fight
2003 Funspot Champ Donald Hayes plays Centipede
Greg erway can usually be found in front of Tapper
Many of the players participated in the Pinball challenge
Walter Day plays a game of Make Trax
Darren Harris put up some impressive scores again this year on Star Trek
Robert Mruczek looks like he is playing Super Cobra, but it is actually Scramble
Fred Pastore has a little fun with 2003 Funspot Champ Donald Hayes
Donald Hayes finally figures out who has been playing pranks on him
Todd Rogers played Gorf for so long that his pony tail grew three inches on one token
Catherine Karpins was the winner of the Women's Competition
Anna Cram playes a game in the Women's Challenge
Fred Pastore (c) and Greg Erway (r) question
Multiple Word Record-holder
Tim McIlroy (l) about Astro Fighter during the taping of
Back In Time -- Lost Episode II
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCORES OF NOTE
&
WORLD RECORDS (YEAR 2004 - Funspot 6 Championships)
Game Player Score
Land Sea Air Squad * Tim McIlroy 342,600
Astro Fighter * Tim McIlroy 19,670
Clowns * Dave Nelson 61,390
Starship 1 * Christian Cram 6,700
Timber * Martin Bedard 339,225
Lazarian * Jason Cram 88,670
Gyruss (5-man) * Richard Marsh 1,306,100
Star Trek (Tournament) * Darren Harris 1,717,350
Robotron: 2084 Abdner Ashman 821,000
Jr. Pac-Man Abdner Ashman 1,550,000
Tutankham (marathon) * Rob Barrett 2,791,880
Leprechaun * Steve Kyriakides 537,395
Xybots * Joel Hedge 166,900
Quartet * Adam Wood 512,200
Guided Missile Mark Shultz 2,690
* = New World Record
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHALLENGE WINNERS
Color Game Challenge Winner -- Dave Nelson
Monochrome Challenge Winner -- Dave Nelson
Women's Challenge Winner -- Catherine Karpins
Pinball Challenge Winner -- Greg Bond
Overall 2004 Funspot Player of the Year
Dave Nelson
[Coin-Op World Records]
[Golden Years Index]
Thank you,
Paul Dean, spy hunter champion, June 28, 1985
www.spyhunter007.com
Online DVD Rentals
[Coin-Op World Records]
Click At Desired Graphic Text For Each Introduction
Biography Commentary Questions
Click On Below Graphic Text For Spy Hunter Introduction
Tournament and Guinness Book Results From 1983-2004
Click On Below Graphic Text For All Video High Scores
thru 2004
The Golden Era
Click On Below Graphic Text For Material On The Golden Years Of Video Games 1980's
Click the Below Graphic Text to read my Conversations With Walter Day
June 9, 2004 Walter Day states, "No Replay Necessary" for
Paul Dean
Find A Video Game Auction Near You
Home Page
----------------- END OF PAGE
Funspot (Weirs Beach)
(170+ classics, great condition, AWESOME)
Laconia, New Hampshire, USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try to map this location
This place has a web page here.
Location games last seen on: 2004-07-06
Last change to this page: 2004-07-29
Update this place or add a new one here.
Games at Funspot
1942 1943 The Battle Of Midway 720 Degrees A.P.B.
After Burner (cockpit) Alien Syndrome Alpine Ski Ameridarts
Arch Rivals Arkanoid Asteroids Asteroids Deluxe
Astro Fighter Atari Football Ataxx Bagman
Basketball Batman Battlezone Berzerk
Big Event Golf Blueprint Bosconian Breakout
Bump n Jump Burgertime Buster Bros. Capcom Bowling
Carnival Centipede Champion Baseball Cheyenne
Choplifter Circus Charlie Clowns Commando
Congo Bongo Contra Crazy Climber Crossbow
Crowns Golf Crowns Golf In Hawaii Crystal Castles Dark Adventure
Defender Deluxe Space Invaders Depthcharge Dig Dug
Domino Man Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Junior Double Dragon
Double Dragon II - The Revenge Double Dribble Dragon Spirit Elevator Action
Enduro Racer Fax Final Lap Fire Truck
Food Fight Frogger Front Line Galaga
Galaxian Gauntlet Gauntlet II Ghosts 'n Goblins
Gladiator Gorf Gravitar Guerrilla War
Guided Missile Gun Fight Gun Smoke Gyruss
Hang-On (cockpit) Hard Drivin' Heavy Barrel Ikari Warriors
Indy 4 Ironman Ivan Stewart's Super Off Road Joust (cocktail) Joust 2: Survival Of The Fittest
Jungle Hunt Kangaroo Karate Champ Kick Man
Klax Land Sea Air Lazarian LeMans
Leprechaun Liberator Lunar Lander Make Trax
Mania Challenge Mappy Marble Madness Mario Bros.
Millipede Missile Command Monaco GP Moon Patrol
Moonwar Motorace USA Mouse Trap Mr. Do!
Ms. Pac-Man NARC Ninja Gaiden Operation Thunderbolt
Operation Wolf Out Run (cockpit) Pac-Man Pac-Man Plus
Paperboy Pengo Phoenix Playchoice 10
Pleiads Pole Position (cockpit) Popeye (cocktail) Punch-Out!!
Q*Bert (cocktail) Qix Quarterback Quartet
Race Drivin' Rally-X Rampage Red Baron (cockpit)
Ring King Road Runner Robotron: 2084 Rolling Thunder
S.T.U.N. Runner Satan's Hollow Scramble Sea Wolf
Shooting Master Shootout Sky Shark Space Duel
Space Harrier Space Invaders Spectar Speed Buggy
Sprint 2 Spy Hunter (cockpit) Star Castle Star Trek
Star Wars (cockpit) Stargate Starship I Steel Talons
Stratovox (cocktail) Super Cobra Super Hang-On (cockpit) Super Masters
Super Pac-Man (cocktail) Super Sprint Super Zaxxon Superman
Tag Team Wrestling Tank II Tapper Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tempest Tetris The Main Event The Real Ghost Busters
The Simpsons Thief Thunder Blade (cockpit) Tiger Road
Timber Time Pilot Track & Field Tron
Turbo (cockpit) Turbo Out Run Turkey Shoot Tutankham
Twin Cobra V'Ball Vanguard Venture
Vs. Dr. Mario Vs. Duck Hunt Vs. Golf Vs. Hogan's Alley
Vs. Super Mario Bros. Vs. Tennis Warlords Wheel Of Fortune
Wheels Wheels II Wild Western Wizard of Wor
Wonder Boy World Series Baseball WWF Superstars Xenophobe
Xevious Xybots Zaxxon Zoo Keeper
Comments on This Location
2003-11-14 (Wes) All these games are still there. They also have about 25 classic pinball machines.
