# PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THE "BACK TO THE ARCADE" IN ALLENTOWN, PA **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2022-02-15 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/pictures-and-video-of-the-back-to-the-arcade-in-allentown-pa --- ## Analysis A visit to Back to the Arcade, a mall-based arcade in Allentown, PA that features a mix of modern Stern pinball machines (Godzilla, Mandalorian, Led Zeppelin Premium) and classic arcade/pinball titles. The venue operates on free-play model with $20 all-you-can-play pricing and showed healthy customer traffic on the visit. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Back to the Arcade in South Mall, Allentown PA features latest Stern pinball machines including Godzilla, Mandalorian, and Led Zeppelin Premium — _Direct observation from venue visit by Knapp Arcade author_ - [HIGH] Venue also stocks classic pinball like The Addams Family and Data East Jurassic Park — _Direct observation from venue visit_ - [HIGH] Back to the Arcade showed steady customer flow on early Saturday morning with healthy business — _Author's direct observation during visit_ - [HIGH] Mall arcades were a dominant force in the 80s and 90s but have declined significantly due to e-commerce and COVID — _Industry commentary in article introduction_ ### Notable Quotes > "I am happy to report that an old-school mall arcade is still alive and well in the South Mall in Allentown, PA." > — **Knapp Arcade (article author)** > _Highlights survival of traditional arcade venue model against broader mall arcade decline_ > "a great mix of brand new and classic arcade games and pinball machines...everything from the latest Stern pinball machines, including Godzilla, Mandalorian, and Led Zeppelin Premium to classic pins like The Addams Family and Data East Jurassic Park" > — **Knapp Arcade (article author)** > _Details the specific game mix and modern vs classic balance at the venue_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Back to the Arcade | organization | Mall-based arcade venue in South Mall, Allentown, PA featuring mix of modern Stern pinball and classic arcade/pinball games | | Knapp Arcade | organization | Content creator/media outlet that visited and reviewed Back to the Arcade | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of modern pinball machines featured at venue (Godzilla, Mandalorian, Led Zeppelin) | | Godzilla | game | Recent Stern pinball machine stocked at Back to the Arcade | | Mandalorian | game | Recent Stern pinball machine stocked at Back to the Arcade | | Led Zeppelin Premium | game | Recent Stern pinball machine stocked at Back to the Arcade | | The Addams Family | game | Classic pinball machine stocked at Back to the Arcade | | Data East Jurassic Park | game | Classic pinball machine stocked at Back to the Arcade | | South Mall | organization | Shopping mall in Allentown, PA housing Back to the Arcade | ### Topics - **Primary:** Mall arcade survival and recovery, Venue equipment inventory and game mix - **Secondary:** Free-play arcade business model, Stern Pinball recent releases - **Mentioned:** Classic arcade game preservation ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Author expresses surprise and pleasure at quality of venue, healthy business conditions, and diversity of game selection. Promotional tone reflecting enthusiasm for venue's success. ### Signals - **[event_signal]** Venue serves as local pinball/arcade hub in Allentown, PA area with access to both current and classic machines (confidence: medium) — Venue stocked with latest Stern releases (Godzilla, Mandalorian, Led Zeppelin Premium) and classic titles indicating active community engagement - **[market_signal]** Traditional mall arcade venue operating successfully with modern pinball inventory (recent Stern releases) and steady customer base despite historical decline of mall arcades (confidence: high) — Back to the Arcade showing 'steady flow of customers' and 'business seemed pretty good' on early Saturday morning with free-play model at $20 per visit --- ## Transcript There was a time, back in the 80s and 90s when arcade malls were a dominant force in the hobby. The rise of e-commerce and COVID have taken a significant toll on malls in general, particularly mall arcades. I am happy to report that an old-school mall arcade is still alive and well in the South Mall in Allentown, PA. I had never been to "Back to the Arcade" price to my trip to visit it last weekend, so I didn't really know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found...a great mix of brand new and classic arcade games and pinball machines. The location had everything from the latest Stern pinball machines, including Godzilla, Mandalorian, and Led Zeppelin Premium to classic pins like The Addams Family and Data East Jurassic Park. In addition to the large selection of pins, Back to the Arcade had a nice selection of classic arcade games, such as Space Invaders, Track and Field, Asteroids, etc... It was great to see that Back to the Arcade had a steady flow of customers while I was there, very early on a Saturday. Business seemed to be pretty good. All of the machines are set to Free Play. I paid $20 for all I can play and had a great time. Below are my video walkthrough of the arcade and a bunch of pictures. Enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/backtothearcadeAllentown/ If you've made it this far, clearly you enjoyed this post :) . Make sure to help out by stopping by the Knapp Arcade store and picking up a pint glass, shirt or some other cool stuff for your self or that special someone! https://www.knapparcade.org/shop _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 6d21a52d-68c8-4ef7-b5e8-f88db76a2d0d*