Ms. Pac-Man, Frogger and beer, all on tap at Ground Kontrol

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A pair of gamers take their chances in Time Crisis II, while another patron gets his ass handed to him playing NBA Jam. Photos: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

PORTLAND, Oregon — The glowing light from the beer signs in the window reflects off Bear’s face. He is standing guard tonight at one of Portland’s favorite hot spots, and the line stretches down the street.

A motley-looking cast of characters wait patiently for their chance to get past security. But they are not here to see a punk or metal show, or even for a hot DJ. They are in line to rid their pockets of quarters playing Ms. Pac-Man and other vintage video games at Portland’s Ground Kontrol.

With 60-plus video games and almost 30 pinball machines in operation — all at the price they were circa 1985 — it’s no wonder the arcade is packed with gaming nerds.

“The best part is probably seeing that look in someone’s eyes when they step into Ground Kontrol for the first time,” said Art Santana, the arcade’s events manager. “It’s a relatively unassuming place from outside, and before you even open the door you get a hint of what’s inside from a special loop of arcade ambient sounds we have playing in the doorway.”

The arcade was launched in 1999 by a couple of record store workers. With one location change and a remodel, it’s been going gangbusters ever since.

By day it is a family-friendly, quarter-sucking fun land, but every night at 5 p.m. the bar opens and the crowds line up to get their game on.

From the look of the crowd, at least half of them are too young to be able to wax nostalgic about playing Asteroids or Galaga in the dining room of a Paesano’s Pizza on Main Street, USA. They more likely grew up playing PlayStation and iOS games, but this does not stop them from dropping quarter after quarter into slots and reveling in the inferior graphics of the games at Ground Kontrol.

Maybe it’s the same thing that drives the sales of clogs from the ’70s and Fender’s beat-up Relic guitars. Or maybe it’s the ability to share a beer face-to-face with your gaming partner. But whatever it is, you can feel the energy pulsating through the room.

“Beyond nostalgia, they just have qualities that are tough to find in modern entertainment,” said Santana. “The ‘golden age’ games in particular — Pac-Man, Galaga, etc. — have simple game design that allows you to pick the game up relatively easily, but increasing difficulty that keeps you coming back for more.”

And it may be the only place in town where drinking and driving is allowed, as the gamers swill Pabst Blue Ribbon and play Mario Kart.

Even after all these years, Ms. Pac-Man continues to be a crowd favorite, followed by classics like Joust, NBA Jam and Tron.

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Friday night is date night for some at Ground Kontrol.
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Grabbing a souvenir photo in front of the Joust game.
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Clockwise from upper left: NBA Jam, Frogger, X-Men and Pac-Man.
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A group of gamers take on X-Men, one quarter at a time.
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Clockwise from upper left: Tempest, Rampage, Joust and Haunted House pinball.
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Friday night is made for Pabst, friends and vintage video games.
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Ground Kontrol really gets hopping on weekends.

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