Best addition for a Gameroom other than Arcade Video Game & Pinball?

[Rando]

Hey all,
Looking to flesh out my Basement/Gameroom with some fun stuff and looking to see what I should add.  What I have so far:
- MAME Cabinet
- Wii setup for kids with band instruments
- Multi-game table (smaller than normal) fooseball/pool table for kids
- Pinball (don't actually have yet but intend to add 1-2 machines)
- Poker table

Basement is large with two sides, one side for kids and the other more adult focused.  I have room, what should I add (to the adult side) and what is a waste?  Don't want a full-size pool table, but maybe a smaller bumper pool?  Full-size air hockey table?  Bubble hockey?  Basketball shooters, shuffle board bowling, dartboard, crane grabbing machine...

What do you have in your gameroom that is fun and gets regular usage?  Pictures optional, feedback and criticism encouraged! 

[Nephasth]

I have a couple skeeball machines, and they're by far the most popular out of everything (but I don't own any pins). Suffle bowling would be cool, a ball bowler would be the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

Also, picked up an IR Strata Bowling machine for my parents the other day. Really fun way to play a bowling video game. You roll a cue ball under a sensor into a slot to roll the bowling ball down the lane on the monitor instead of a track ball.

[pinballwizard79]

Life sized stormtrooper statue, darts, Tornado foosball & Chex bubble hockey.

Do it!

[Vigo]

Not that I have all these, but a few suggestions of what I think is some cool additions:

Pachinko machine
Classic Slot Machine
Dart Board
Mini Bar
Popcorn cart
Jukebox

[Benevolance]

Definitely a mini-bar. And a Taiko Drum arcade machine.

[Malenko]

I have a fooseball table, it never gets played.

Cant go wrong with a dartboard, even if it doesnt get played its a decoration.

[Rando]

Pachinko machine
Classic Slot Machine

What is the draw of a Pachinko machine and slot machine, if you're not paying out real money??  Pachinko is the thing with the metal balls that bounce off the pins on the way down... right?  Why would people spend time on that?

And slots is just pulling a lever to see if you win... tokens?  I'm not paying people to play games in my house!

[Rando]

I have a fooseball table, it never gets played.

Cant go wrong with a dartboard, even if it doesnt get played its a decoration.

I agree with the fooseball, I think it looks cool, but actual playtime is low.  Worried about same with Air Hockey, although I do like to play.

I like the dart option, though I can't see my wife signing off on this one.  She'll worry too much about kids getting nailed in the head, and of course there is the issue of darts stuck in my nicely painted wall... There are the plastic darts that stick in the board without actually having a metal point, are those as good?  I always liked the element of danger that came with drinking and playing darts though... 

[ChadTower]

Be like Jabba.  Princess in a gold bikini.

[Nephasth]

There are the plastic darts that stick in the board without actually having a metal point, are those as good?  I always liked the element of danger that came with drinking and playing darts though... 

I've played in dart leagues on Arachnid dart boards, they use plastic tipped darts, and I love playing on them, plus they're coin operated! But I have thrown a plastic tipped dart at a teammate and it stuck in his face, penetrated about 3/4" deep. Even plastic tipped darts aren't kid friendly and will leave holes in your walls if people miss the board.

[Vigo]

Slot machines, at least in my state, have to be sold fitted to accept tokens only if they are working, but that doesn't mean they can't be modified back. It still would not be a heavily used item, but it makes an awesome novelty.

Pachinko is much more fun, IMO. There is a bit of skill in the mix, or at least an illusion of skill. The real estate isn't too heavy, and there is a coolness factor to it.

Plastic darts are the way to go. I really like them. I don't play with a heavy arm, so I haven't damaged my walls ever. It sounds like that might be a different story for league players like Nephasth, though. Wow.

[stu33]

Be like Jabba.  Princess in a gold bikini.

Agree Strongly.

[saint]

My air hockey table gets the most play out of everything I have in the arcade...

[ChadTower]

My air hockey table gets the most play out of everything I have in the arcade...

Are you sure it's not the King Friday mystery project?

[ark_ader]

Take the wheels off this and fill this puppy with baby oil.

Invite some girls around...

[Turvey]

Cold Draught Beer.........................'nuff said 

[HaRuMaN]

My pachislo gets a lot of attention.  The fact that it's a skill stop game seems to hook people in.

[JMB]

My pachislo gets a lot of attention.

+1. The kids love playing it.

[Vigo]

My air hockey table gets the most play out of everything I have in the arcade...

Are you sure it's not the King Friday mystery project?

  Of course, by now, I am expecting nothing less than an entire replica of Make believe land. 

 

[Rando]

Wow,
Some great replies all... comments/questions in reverse order:

- Dunk 'um tank - Um, sweet!  If I ever needed a reason to go to North Alabama, I'm now all set!  
- Air Hocky table - Strong consideration, I'll probably look to get one from Craigslist, will look for the full size tables, 5'x7' is best, yes?
- Leia Bikini - While the concept of chaining a slave girl in my basement is appealing, I don't think it will convey the right message to my two young daughters, so I might just put up a couple nice Star Wars movie posters in frames, deal?  Full size Storm trooper a little out of price range, though wife wouldn't balk at an Aragon stand up poster or such.  
- Pachinko - This looks like an easy, not to big/expensive add, so I'll add this to my pending get list.  Question - Better to get the older vintage style machines or the newer electrical ones with more bells/whistles?
- Darts - I like the plastic tip option if these don't perform poorly.  Electronic or manual scoring recommended?
- Fooseball - Don't think I'll do this
- Mini-Bar - I already have a big wine fridge down there, goal is to get/build full size bar with mini-fridge, though don't think I can do running water.
- Popcorn Machine - The stand up ones with the wheels, right?  Looks awesome, would I really use it?  And does it make a mess?
- Juke Box - I plan to have a record player as well as a 200 CD player that I have, though Juke would be awesome.  Arcade cab currently plays my iTunes folder, on list of things to maybe build.
- Chex Bubble Hockey - I'm not a fan of hockey, so rarely played these things, but I hear people like 'em.
- No love for Bumper pool tables?
- I have our old kitchen table down there as an extra Poker table, or just place to do puzzles/games.

I also want to put an electric fireplace down there as a space heater (part of basement doesn't heat as well as rest) and to look cool... Good idea or cheesy?

As for decor I have too many things I want to do, so think I might do each wall with a different theme.  Arcade wall will have game related stuff, bar/wine fridge will have beer/wine stuff.  Poker table has some poker/gambling stuff.  Free wall I want sports related, wall by Wii has classic car stuff.  Don't want to look too busy but want to represent a bunch of different things that I like.

We shall see...

Edit: Pachislo is... different from Pachinko? 

[DaOld Man]

A working 80's style payphone with the telephone sign above it would be neat.

[HaRuMaN]

Oh, yeah.  I have a working payphone in my gameroom.   

[Mikezilla]

Go with the air hockey table, that gets the most play in my garage. My drumkit gets a lot of play. Its hard listening to people attempt to play, but when hot drunk girls get behind it its not so annoying. 

[Donkbaca]

My buddy has a full size air hockey, it never gets used because its so damned loud.  The blower is loud as heck and the klick clack of the puck is annoying.  Foosball gets a lot of play in my neck of the woods, but that is probably because every fraternity house had one when I was in college.  I think a pachinko machine would be cooler than a slot machine.

What about pop a shot basketball?  Those always get a lot of play, but you need to find a sturdy one

[MaineEvent]

Slurpee machine

[Hoopz]

Kids.   

[Necro]

Once I get a bigger house I definitely want a bubble hockey and pin...prob. a video multi-pin but...still. 

Then, prob. a pachinko or slot of some sort and a dedicated console emu setup w/system specific controls connected to a computer.

[geomartin]

Biggest hits for the general non-video gaming public in my game room:

Skill Stop slot machine.  I don't know why, but it will keep small children and woman mesmerized.
Air Hockey Table
Card Table and a good set of poker supplies. I also keep a few cups and dice handy.  After a few drinks, a good game of liars dice is great fun.

[Donkbaca]

I totally want a bubble hockey and pin

[Vigo]

Go with the air hockey table, that gets the most play in my garage. My drumkit gets a lot of play. Its hard listening to people attempt to play, but when hot drunk girls get behind it its not so annoying. 

Mmmmmm. Hot drunk chicks drumming  

[pinballwizard79]

Dont worry about darts & kids... just put the darts away after each use just like your booze/guns/pron. As for wall damage, dude build a backboard for it!

Who in the hell doesnt play foosball & bubble hockey? Mine gets a TON of play when people are over, a lot! Get a Tornado though, check craigslist/ebay often if you cant swing new.

[TOK]

Air hockey got no love at my house. I ended up covering it and using it as a table until I sold it. The only thing is that the gameroom wasn't as totally converted as it is now. I would love to have a pool table, but just don't have the space.

I have a nice non-coinop Arachnid dart board that gets a lot of play. I painted the cabinet to match the walls so it kind of disappears when closed up.

[pinballwizard79]

Figured I'd post a pic of the darts & back board

Also +1 to the PBJ comment of people cramming pool tables into small spaces, to the OP.... dont be that guy with no room to make shots (although one day I do plan on replacing the pong table with a 9ft pool table).

EDIT: Nice game room TOK  

[saint]

That's part of what made our mind up for an air hockey table. I wanted both, but the air hockey I can put against a wall.

[Rando]

Figured I'd post a pic of the darts & back board

PBW - Great looking Dart setup!

Build that yourself or buy premade/custom build?  Details please, love & want it!!

[Vigo]

That photo reminds me. No home gameroom is complete without a scoreboard. 

[Dervacumen]

Oddly enough, man, what people gravitate towards in mine is the pachinko machine.

That's my experience too.  Mine's an old one from a 60's Japanese parlor, not one of the new ones.  It still gets lots of love because it's addictive to anyone that can reach the launch lever.  And it makes so much noise it drags people in to the room where they end up playing something else.

[Necro]

   I want a bigger house and basement dammit...I hate living in the DC area....

[shmokes]

I'm guessing it's out of the question since you said no full-size pool table, but my vote goes to a ping pong table.

[popsicle]

How long is your longest wall?  SHUFFLEBOARD !

(otherwise, darts or air hockey get my vote)