| Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center | |
| |
| Years active | 2012 - Present |
| Number of games | Several dozen |
| Located |
8 Mott Street Chinatown, New York City, NY, U. S. A. |
| Status | Active |
Background[]
Chinatown Fair was an arcade that opened in 1944, operating as a penny arcade and small museum for many years before becoming a video game arcade in the 1970s. Immigrant Sam Palmer purchased the business in 1982 after having a "religious vision"[1].
The arcade closed in February 2011, but reopened in May 2012 under different management, along with being renamed as the Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center.
The business/extras[]
Along with having the arcade, food and drink is also available, along with birthday parties/group events can be held. As of 2018, at the price of $15.99 per person in a party package, they receive $35.00 worth of game plays, along with a slice of pizza with soda.
A small computer printed birthday banner is also included with the birthday child's name or the group’s name on it, along with a secure area to put gifts and other items patrons want to leave for the duration of the party. Chinatown Fair postcards are also given to guests as well as 1000 tickets for the birthday child or group organizer which can be redeemed for prizes in the redemption area. Each party or group event lasts two hours[2].
For private parties, the Center will be closed, only allowing entrance of party guests and not the public. Free play of all games is also included with the party, which the prices vary due to the time and day the party is held (with prices ranging from $100 - $950 an hour). A minimum of three hours is required per party.
Also used video games, a kiddie train and arcade games have been offered for sale on the official web site.
Known games, video[]
The games run on prepaid cards or tokens.
- 2000 Classics in 1 Cabinet
- Aliens Armageddon
- Barrel of Monkeys
- Centipede/Millipede/Missile Command
- Crossy Road
- Dance Dance Revolution 2015
- Dirty Drivin'
- Elevator Action: Death Parade
- In The Groove 3
- Groove Coaster 3 - Link Fever
- Guitar Hero Arcade
- House of the Dead 4
- Initial D 8 Infinity (2)
- Jurassic Park
- Mario Kart DX (2)
- Maximum Tune 5 (2)
- Neon FM
- Pump It Up Prime 2 2017
- Razing Storm
- Rerave
- Sound Voltex 3
- Space Invaders Frenzy
- Street Fighter III - 3rd Strike
- Street Fighter IV
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- Tekken 7
- Tekken Unlimited Tag Tournament 2
- Terminator Salvation
- Walking Dead
- Wild Power (?)
(ticket/novelty/miscellaneous arcade/skill machines/pinball)[]
- AC/DC (pinball)
- Air Hockey table(s?)
- Baseball Pro
- Big Bass Wheel
- Big Choice (2)
- Down the Clown
- Dynamic Boxer
- Fruit Ninja FX
- Hoop Fever (2)
- HyperShoot Basketball
- Ice Ball (2)
- Iceman
- In the Groove 3
- Pop The Lock
- PURI Booth
- Quik Drop
- Skeeball (several)
- Super Shot (2)
- SpongeBob Pineapple Arcade
- The Wizard of Oz
- Triple Cheese
- Vending machines
Employees[]
- Lonnie Sobel (manager/part owner)
Trivia[]
In 1991, after the release of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Chinatown Fair switched focus to competitive fighting games. Once the arcade closed down and the Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center opened up in its place, former competitive players criticized the new arcade for catering toward casual players, with the new ownership explaining that they were targeting a new clientele[3]. Competitive fighting game players relocated to Next Level, a Brooklyn arcade, which opened in 2011[4].
Links[]
- Official site
- Several video walkthroughs can be seen on luisanitrans's YouTube channel
References[]
- ↑ Carlson, Jen (2015-11-13). "Video: Revisit The Old Days Of Chinatown Fair In This New Documentary". Gothamist.
- ↑ Per official site.
- ↑ Kopfstein, Janus (2012-05-07). "New York's Chinatown Fair arcade reopens, but the game has changed". The Verge.
- ↑ Jaya Saxena (2011-03-07). "Chinatown Fair Resurfaces in Brooklyn As Next Level Arcade". Gothamist.
This arcade was featured in May, 2018.