I need to take a moment to acknowledge the hospitality of the good folk at the Galloping Ghost arcade. It’s a great set-up they have there and the staff are obviously passionate about what they do.
When I first walked in and said I’d be taking a shot at their Pengo record, they offered a camera phone on a tripod and set it up next to the machine to record my games. After I’d been playing a while, they also offered me a free bottle of water and - even more generously - a free packet of Starbursts chews when my original pack had run out. And at the end of the day, the very hospitable John Hruza, who was finishing his shift there, offered to drive me all the way back to Brookfield train station so I could get back to Chicago (the arcade’s nearest station - Congress Park - doesn’t operate on weekends). It was very much appreciated.
For the uninitiated, the arcade itself is located in the southwestern part of Chicago in the suburb of Brookfield, which is about 25 kilometres from the city centre. Given my aversion to driving in the United States, I had to rely on the Metra train service to get me there and back. I discovered when I arrived in Chicago on Saturday afternoon that it only runs once every couple of hours or so on weekends, so a visit that day didn’t happen.
After my Sunday efforts, I briefly considered the idea of coming back on the Monday. But since I’d already booked in to see the (once) legendary Chicago Bulls go around at the United Centre that evening against the Atlanta Hawks (the Bulls lost), and the arcade not opening until 2:00pm on weekdays, I figured I’d probably only have a couple of hours of gameplay before I needed to leave. Albeit things might have been different if I hadn’t already broken the world record.
One of the many highlights of my time at the Galloping Ghost was a visit from James White, the holder of GG’s original Pengo record - among many others. James came up to me in my second game just as I was passing his 160,000 mark and offered me his sincerest congratulations. And what a gracious chap he is. With absolutely no offence to such a lovely man, he does look like the archetypal arcade gamer - pallid skin, unkempt hair, glasses, black T-shirt, and a physique more likely the product of a diet of pretzels and Budweiser than kale salads and green tea. (Mind you, I quite like kale and drink more than my fair share of green tea but I'm at no risk of being mistaken for Adonis anytime soon). Go well James!
I’ve since learned there’s apparently another arcade in north-west Chicago, in an outer suburb some 63 kilometres from the CBD, called Underground Retrocade, which evidently carries a Pengo game. It’s listed in the following Aurcade list of Pengo venues in the USA:
The Arcade - Brighton, MI
Arkadia Retrocade - Fayetteville , AR
The Atomic Arcade - Holladay, UT
Disney Quest - Lake Buena Vista, FL
Funspot - also includes ACAM - Laconia, NH
Galloping Ghost Arcade - Brookfield, IL
Gearbox Software - Plano, TX
Klassic Arcade - Gobles, MI
Mix Bar & Arcade - Lincoln, NE
Pennsylvania Coin Operated Hall of Fame - Hopewell TWP, PA
Richie Knucklez - Flemington, NJ
Underground Retrocade - West Dundee, IL
After Chicago, I’d booked onto Amtrak’s California Zephyr for a leisurely three day ride to San Francisco where I was particularly interested to check out the Musee Mecanique down at Fisherman’s Wharf. It describes itself as “one of the world's largest (over 200) privately owned collection of coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines in their original working condition”. Apart from a general interest in the place, I thought I might find an original Pengo machine sitting in a corner somewhere.
No luck, but there was certainly a very large number of games, most of which seemed to date from the early to mid-20th century. Albeit the overall impression I was left with was one of shabbiness. The games certainly looked their age. The building was much the worse for wear. And the free entry arrangement suggested the place wasn’t much valued by the few who happened to wander in. I’m not sure how an operation like this continues to keep going, occupying as it does an extremely valuable piece of waterfront real estate with panoramic views of Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. But there it is. Feel free to check it out (and the excellent “In-and-Out” burger joint across the street).
And, finally, as part of my ridiculously long trek home, I faced the prospect of spending multiple transiting hours at New York’s JFK airport awaiting my connecting flight to Sydney (via Abu Dhabi). As I was wandering around to see what I could see, I spotted an upright arcade machine in a distant corner alongside one of those prize grabber devices. As I approached, I had happy visions of filling the next few hours with two or three solid Pengo games. Alas, it quickly became apparent that it was the ubiquitous Galaga. So if you’re ever stuck at JFK’s terminal 4 and you’re into that game, knock yourself out. As for me, I decided I’d deposit my luggage at the airport and take the long subway ride into Manhattan for a final brief, frigid, visit.
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