Arcade Opens in Chinook

Chinook is once again home to an arcade. Located upstairs at Finley's Food Farm and owned and operated by Lynette and Jeff Finley, Aisle 8 opened late last month and invites community members to reserve the facility for their next gathering.

According to Jeff Finley, the idea actually sprouted from a joke while the family was cleaning this past spring. "We had this upstairs area of wasted real estate at the store that had collected some junk over the years. It just needed to be gone through. We found things in that loft area from the days when the store was a space for Buttrey's grocery," Finley laughed.

While cleaning, someone in the group asked, "So what are you going to do with this big empty space?" Ideas began to pop-from a dance hall to a party venue. When somebody suggested an arcade, the idea resonated with Finley.

"When I was younger, I remember going to the Cozy Corner to play Pengo, It was my favorite game, something fun that I enjoyed as a child," Finley stated. "People are always fond of saying things like 'back in my day.' Well, here is the opportunity to go back and relive old memories or create new ones."

Pengo is a maze-like game in which a red penguin must survive each round by eliminating all Sno-Bees and Sno-Bee eggs with sliding ice blocks. The theme song that plays throughout the game is the early synth-pop instrumental, "Popcorn" composed by Gershon Kingsley and released in 1969.

The goal in Pengo is to hold off the blob-like Sno-bees for as long as a player can, advancing through the levels before being overwhelmed. Each level is made up of a maze of blocks, a few eggs that the Sno-bees will hatch from soon after the level starts, and more eggs hidden under the ice that will hatch sometime during the level.

Once the seed for an arcade was planted, Finley began exploring. His Google search for 'classic arcade games for sale' generated multiple options. For further guidance, Finley joined and consulted a Facebook group dedicated to people who are passionate about old arcade machines. Naturally, Pengo was one of the first games in his search for purchase.

"I had to stop shopping or get myself into trouble," Finley stated. He found two of his machines in Bismarck, North Dakota; seven in Fargo, and one in Butte. The balance are all full-size, newer reproductions of the classics.

The seven machines secured in Fargo came from Pixelated, a brewery where the owners claim a nostalgia for arcades. Located in the historic Union Building in downtown Fargo, the brewery is owned by "two grown kids trying to find a piece of their youth in the spin of adult reality, [who] know how exciting it is to get to an arcade and walk in to the loving glow of CRT's and hear the retro audio."

"The guys at Pixelated not only brew beer, they repair and sell retro-arcade machines," Finley reported.

When debating about a name for the Chinook arcade, The Loft arose but was discarded in favor of Aisle 8. "One of the girls suggested that name, and it just seemed right," Finley stated.

A location for birthday parties, social events, and family gatherings, Aisle 8 features sixteen arcade games-from Atari's Centipede and Pole Position to Nintendo's Donkey Kong and Dr. Mario, and even Midway's Pac-Man and Space Invaders. In addition to its arcade machines, Aisle 8 also has a sitting area. Groups can reserve one of the play packages by visiting the business' Facebook Page and messaging Finley about preferences.

Finley's intention with Aisle 8 is to provide a space where all ages can gather and enjoy some group entertainment. While he was in the planning stages, people asked why he didn't house the business in one of the empty buildings in Chinook. His response was to explain that the power, heat, taxes, and rent are all paid in the building he already has. "This way, I'm maximizing the potential of my current real estate. I have start up and maintenance expenses but no additional costs," he said.