Some good stories posted. I have several memories, here are a few that stick out.
Mid 80s. Big bath tub full of peanuts. Free popcorn at the table. Me running back and forth from the game room begging my parents for one more quarter. The place was the Ground Round. A burger place similar to Fridays in PA and NJ. Not sure if they had them anywhere else in the country. They had the best arcade I remember. Jungle Hunt, Centipede, and Star Wars stand out for me. I wasn't really good at any of them, but I loved playing.
Also in the mid 80s. We would go on family vacation's once a year typically somewhere on the east coast. All I looked forward to was if the hotel had a pool and if they had an Arcade/Game Room. I remember Mat Mania being at several hotels. And I was a big wrestling fan as a kid. Since my father always complained throughout these trips, this was the major highlight.
Much later in life. NBA Jam has just been released. There was this big warehouse Arcade called Sportsland. My friend and I were playing and 2 guys probably in their early twenties challenged us to a game. We were Shaq and Scot Skiles. I don't remember who they were. We were down by a ton early and then battled back. With seconds left, down 2 Skiles hits a 3/4 underhand three at the buzzer. We went nuts and then went completely silent when we saw the 2 guys were really pissed. We were then scared they were going to beat us up. But nothing happened and it was a great day.