I remember that place - I think it was called "Flashbacks".
Left was McDonalds and right was the games - This is where an operator had Black Hole, Haunted House and Spirit.
I also thought it was called flashback Nino but wasn't sure there was also tons of fun in I think Russell street?
I can't remember. There was a Timezone opposite the cinemas in Bourke St ? Then there was an arcade in Elizabeth Street. "Flashbacks" was the only arcade I went to in the city to play games. That's where the Haunted House, spirit and Black Hole were lined up. Then appeared a FIRE and Big Guns. I have a FIRE, but not a Big Guns (yet). I'd like to recreate that corner of the arcade one day !
These arcades were not around in the 70's from memory - maybe late 70's at the earliest. Most places to play pinball were cafe's, clubs and the local fish and Chip shop.
Yeah I remember the Bourke St TZ and yep I was born in 1966 so the dates I travelled to the city to play pins and space invaders would have been 1979 to 1983 but as my dad worked in high street Northcote I played alot in small Italian cafes/coffee shops they where fun :) great era for me.
So you would have frequented "Fiorentino's" or as it was know to the locals "24 Hours cafe". This was one of the first Cafe's that was converted into an amusement centre in Melbourne. Dad owned the place and obviously the machines. It was sold in the early 2000's after being run since the 1960's. At one stage, the side wall were full of Bally Bingos. I remember those days well as that's where I learnt to fix them (later on in the 80's). I was there when the place was emptied - and the line-up was a GTB Street Fighter II, KISS, Paragon, Star Trek, Space Invaders, Atari Le Mans car game, TMNT video, Street Fighter II video, soccer table and 2 billiard tables.
