You never know what time it is at Pinball Pete's. Not that there aren't any clocks - the walls are covered with the beautiful antique neon timepieces - but good luck trying to find one that tells the right time. You wander into one of its three Ann Arbor locations for a quick study break and leave two hours later and $20 dollars poorer. You've become a victim of what Finn, an employee at Pete's on South University Ave., calls "The Twilight Zone Effect."
But Pete's quirky ambiance is a large part of the reason it's become the preferred arena for Ann Arbor's large population of video game addicts, pinball wizards and pool sharks. There's the bass-heavy music, all but drowning out the bleeps and bloops. There's darkness - video game screens are the major light source. And if you were happy when Amer's became non-smoking, steer clear of Pinball Pete's - it's one of the last bastions of smokers' rights with an ashtray always within arm's reach.
If you can manage to wade through the smoke, you'll find a good time. Students, local youth, and experienced older gamers make for an eclectic crowd. The newest video games are much better looking than Pac-Man or Asteroids - the hottest game right now, "Street Fighter Alpha 2," offers Disney-quality animation and speedy gameplay.
A game like this can be intimidating for the novice gamer, who can appraoch and hear experienced players discuss the relative merits of "air juggles," "custom chain combos" and other advanced strategies. But the essence of the game is simple - choose your character (the choices range from a chain wielding punk with a mohawk to a cute schoolgirl in a miniskirt) - then brutalize your opponent. Best two out of three rounds wins. And with a little imagination, that gray-haired karate master you're fighting becomes your calculus professor, and you've found a great release for all that college stress.
Kwesi Booker is one of the more experienced gamers at Pete's. How did he get so good? "I suppose I should have been studying and looking for dates," he said. Instead, he mastered the various games, and encountered a common problem. "I was working, but I can't spend all my money on games. I'm a full-time student."
If today's games are better than Pac-Man, they're more expensive, too. Prices range from 25 cents to a dollar and up for a "deluxe" game, such as "Alpine Racer," which the player controls by shifting his weight on a pair of simulated skis. Booker gets around this problem by taking turns with a friend on the same quarter, but rarely escapes without spending $3 or more during each visit. Of course, this offers motivation to improve your game, since the better you are, the less often you have to pump additional quarters into the machine.
While the trend of home arcade systems like the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn may be damaging the commercial arcade industry as a whole, Pinball Pete's is regularly packed with gamers looking for the authentic arcade experience. Pete's also cashes in on the growing trend in nostalgic gaming, offering classic games from the '80s, like "Robotron" and "Tetris."
Pete's has a number of old and new pinball games as well. According to Finn, pinball brings in an older crowd, mostly "20 and up." Finn adds that pinball "seems to be making a comeback with the younger kids."
A recent tournament at Pete's returned the spotlight on pinball. On Sept. 15, 40 players came from as far away as Lansing and Ohio to enter the competition. For a $5 entry fee, each player could test their skill on three of the latest machines. Each of the games was set up "tournament style" (a steeper angle to make the ball move faster, no bonuses or extra balls), and players competed in either the "Pinmaster" or "Open" bracket.
Steve Kramer, who was crowned Pinmaster, said that the competition is "all about having fun." The third-place finisher, who simply went by "the Impaler," claimed that "it's all about impaling your opponent." Either way, it was definitely about playing pinball - a whole lot of pinball. "Dave," winner of the "Open" bracket, competed 10 hours straight for his title. All entrants came away with prizes provided by local businesses.
The Pinball Pete's franchise originated in Lansing before coming to Ann Arbor 10 years ago. When asked why Pete's has endured while other arcades have closed their doors, one employee simply said, "Look at the games." Pete's does consistently have the newest and best games the industry has to offer.
What about that pink elephant logo? Apparently the first video arcade had an elephant on its storefront, and no one bothered to remove it.
And who is "Pinball Pete," anyway? No one seems to know - the origins of the name are shrouded in Gotti-esque secrecy.
Each Pete's location offers its unique attractions. The South University Ave. location, the most popular Pete's location, has an air hockey table, while the East William location has three pool tables for those who crave non-electronic competition. And that strange looking guy in the corner at the Packard location, honing his skills on "Bust-A-Move 2?" Could it be ... Pinball Pete?
JONATHAN SUMNER/Daily
Pinball Pete's on South University Ave.