in the early eighties The Keon Park AMF was my favorite place. When it first opened there was about 4 or 5 video games but the rest of the games were pins. there was a mixture of EM's and SS pins.
But slowly the EM's disappeared and were replaced be SS's and video games, but at least they had a decent amount of pins back then. pins like , Joker Poker, Lost World, Paragon, evil Kenevil, playboy, strikes and spares, The list just goes on.
then i discovered Top Room in edward street Reservoir (not far from Strange Ways hangout) but their was a lot more vids than pins.
then when i was about 13 I took my first trip into melbourne with out an adult and with a few other guys not much older than me (you know how it is when your a kid and you go to a big city for the first time with out your parents) I was introduced to Flash Back, 10.4, Invaders. so many pins.
a year later 10,4 and flash back then became my regular hang outl. many great pins released in those years (1984 to 1989)
if you watch the video of AC/DC (long way to the top) they go past the place which became 10,4. you cant miss it its the only building in the video that is all painted in black.
"Top Room" was about 6 doors down. You went up a flight of steps, and you would see around 9 Billiard tables and a couple of snooker tables. I remember it well - it was FULL of video games. No pins - But my father has the Bingos in there for a while. It was a VERY seedy place. I think the police shut it down eventually - after all - the cop shop was almost across the road !
There was another "Top Room" in Lalor.
There was a small Fish Shop just across the road from Keon Park Station. Used to have Pinballs out the front - Williams machines - Gulf Stream, Ding Dong, Apollo and Honey. I think the owner's name was George, but Dad had the pins in there as well. I wanted the Apollo in my collection - but it didn't happen !
when i used to go to top room when you got to the top of the stairs you had vids and pins directly in front of you and to the left. but to the right all the way to the back there were billiard tables.
i remember EBD in there + centaur, fire power and a few others.
then the fish & chip shop had some bingos + a star trek pin and at one stage they had a haunted house there, they also had a galaga upright and a moon cresta cocktail.
then the pizza shop in Keon Park a couple of doors down from the state bank on Keon Pde had a couple of pins, Gorgar and Trident (when standing on the corner of Keon Pde and Johnson St. the pizza shop was on the left a couple of doors down and the fish and chip was on the right)