Electric Bat Arcade

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Roger Price

via Google

Possibly the best pinball arcade in America that also had a bar but is separated in a way that people bring their children comfortably. I’ve been to pinball arcades in Seattle,St Louis, Las Vegas,Houston, Michigan and some place in New Hampshire. The machines are meticulously maintained. There is a mix of both classic and the Newest games with several being from Stern so you can track your scores trough the app. I met the owners and they were super cool and welcoming. They claim to have the largest League Play in the States and I believe it. I think they said Tuesday night is league night but I’ve seen several tournaments on the weekends. I am in no way a pinball expert but this place has the WHOLE VIBE. Monster movie posters on the wall and celebrity’s playing pinball hang all around. There are a small collection of essential stand up arcade games and several Japanese “flow games” that are kinda like DDR but you can just use your hands so better 😁. Nothing is in free play but mostly the cost is reasonable. It’s in a bit of a dive but they put the money where it counts!

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Phoenix M

via Google

Electric Bat Arcade in Tempe (check out their Flagstaff location, also) is a fantastic place to play pinball, undoubtedly one of the very best pinball locations in the state of Arizona! The machines here are well-maintained, and therefore all operate as intended and expected. Old-school tokens (.25 each) are used, with most newer games playing for $1.00 or 3/$2.00, and older games generally set at .50 or .75 each. At the time of my visit (July 2024) there were no less than 62 pinball games here, with only one table out of order (and clearly marked so). There is an ATM machine in the bar (Yucca Tap Room), but probably a good idea to bring cash for tokens. A small handful of arcade cabinets are also here, which seemed to be primarily rhythm and fighting games. My interest lay in the pinball, having driven up from Tucson solely to play. The operators of the pinball machines at Electric Bat are obviously huge fans of pinball and know their stuff. A clipboard is on the wall to report machine malfunctions, which are fixed promptly (I didn't run into many problems, though). The atmosphere here is fabulous, very dark, spooky with the lights of the pinball games the primary source of illumination. Batman 66 (Stern, 2016), Twilight Zone (Bally, 1993), Bram Stoker's Dracula (Williams, 1993), Foo Fighters (Stern, 2023) and Galactic Tank Force (American, 2023) were favorites during my visit. All of these games played beautifully! What a blast! Tuesdays at 6:30 pm is pinball league night, $1 entry fee, all skill levels welcome. Electric Bat's Tempe location is open from 6 am to 2 am, 365 days a year. Just try to beat those hours! If, like me, you don't drink then you may want to visit early in the day as it appears to be a hard-drinking crowd at the bar (no judgement, just saying). I arrived at about 8 am on a weekday, and had the place mostly to myself. Under 21 are allowed before 7 pm, but be advised that minors will need to walk through the bar to get to the games.

B

Brand On

via Google

Here is my original five star review before I was assaulted by one of the "Owners": This place is amazing! They have at least 67 pinball machines, many classics such as pinbot and spectrum, as well as many newer machines. They have great food, live bands and a full bar with great drinks. I will visit again! After writing the review above, I went back the next day, I'm a fairly quiet person and make friends easily. I played in the tournament and was doing pretty well out of 65 people I was close to making finals. I played with my opponent a tall guy with a goatee, on my first ball I did okay, then he played and killed it with a high score. Then I started playing and won an extra ball. Then this freak grabbed my arm and started yelling hysterically while I'm saying "What are you doing stop I'm playing my extra ball!" Then he let go and I said "Why did you just assault me!?" Then he grabbed me and aggressively forced me very quickly from the back of the arcade all the way to the front door and outside and said "Get out of here go home and come back tomorrow and try again! You can't be here today!" And I was like what the hell what's going on what is the problem?? I have to underline the fact that I was very mellow, quiet and very polite from the moment of my arrival to The Establishment all the way to the very end. I'm extremely disappointed in the behavior of the person that treated me this way. I love pinball and I am from out of state, so it was a rare treat for me to get to visit. I've been scratching my head since the incident and I can only think of two reasons for the behavior of that person, either A: they are racist, or B: he threw me out because he realized he assaulted me and had to cover his tracks by "throwing me out" for whatever made up reason, or both. I'll probably never go here again, and should probably file a police report for assault. ONE STAR

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Joanne Winfield

via Google

I went there with a group from the Worldwide Women's Film Festival. I loved the arcade. The pinball machines were cheaper than I thought they would be. I put a $20 bill in the token machine. I got so many tokens that I brought my grandkids to play the next day and I still have some. The pinball machines have different prices. You have to look at each machine to see how many tokens you need. They open at 6 am every day. They have pinball leagues. The bar has a nice assortment of non-alcoholic drinks as well as a full bar. It is inside the Yucca Tap Room. No children after 7 p.m. Budget friendly arcade..

C

Cory

via Google

Great arcade with retro pinball and newer games. From Tekken to Dolly, there's something for everyone. Most games are .50 - $1 making for an inexpensive outing. Ample parking with a lot located on site. Entrance through Yucca Tap Room (bar attached next door). Restrooms on site and fully stocked bar. 10/10 recommend