# 2019 SUMMER ARCADE TOUR STOP 2: Penn Skate Arcade Allentown, Pennsylvania (June 2019)

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2019-06-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/2019-summer-arcade-tour-stop-2-penn-skate-arcade-allentown-pennsylvania-june-2019

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## Analysis

Travel writer visits Penn Skate Arcade in Allentown, PA and praises the venue's themed game collection and value. The family particularly enjoyed American Pinball's Oktoberfest, finding it unexpectedly fun despite initial theme skepticism. The arcade offers unlimited play for $10/person and features a curated collection of skateboarding and bike-themed games.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] American Pinball's Oktoberfest was the most-played game during the visit — _Direct experience from arcade visit; family consensus on game selection_
- [HIGH] Penn Skate Arcade offers unlimited play for $10 per person — _Explicitly stated pricing information from visit_
- [HIGH] Oktoberfest has tons of shots and many modes — _Direct gameplay observation_
- [HIGH] BMX pinball has a difficult lower playfield — _Gameplay observation and prior streaming knowledge_
- [HIGH] Oktoberfest has been reliable at Penn Skate Arcade — _Chris Budinetz (arcade operator) testimony_

### Notable Quotes

> "I was VERY pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it."
> — **Knapp (content creator)**
> _Expresses unexpected positive reception of American Pinball's Oktoberfest despite initial wife's theme skepticism_

> "Is there anything better than that?"
> — **Knapp**
> _Expresses enthusiasm about having private arcade access for family play_

> "It definitely was the pin that we all went back to most, which is saying something."
> — **Knapp**
> _Indicates Oktoberfest's dominance in game selection despite variety available_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Penn Skate Arcade | organization | Arcade venue in Allentown, Pennsylvania featuring theme-appropriate skateboarding/bike games and pinball machines |
| Chris Budinetz | person | Operator/host of Penn Skate Arcade; provided arcade access and game operation for visit |
| American Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; produced Oktoberfest game featured in visit |
| Oktoberfest | game | American Pinball pinball machine; high fun factor with multiple shots and modes; most-played game during visit |
| BMX | game | Pinball machine with upper playfield magnet mechanism and difficult lower playfield |
| Skateball | game | Skateboarding-themed pinball machine played during visit |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Travel/arcade tour content creator; author of arcade visit reviews |
| Lehigh University | organization | Location of youth lacrosse tournament that prompted visit to Allentown area |
| Bally Radical | game | Skateboarding-themed pinball game in Penn Skate's collection |
| 720 | game | Arcade game at Penn Skate |

### Topics

- **Primary:** American Pinball game quality and reception, Arcade venue review and recommendations
- **Secondary:** Theme-appropriate game curation, Family-friendly pinball play, Arcade venue pricing and value

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Highly enthusiastic review of both venue and American Pinball's Oktoberfest; only minor note is wife's initial theme skepticism which was overcome by gameplay experience

### Signals

- **[market_signal]** $10 unlimited play pricing at Penn Skate Arcade positions as strong value proposition (confidence: high) — Described as fantastic bargain and contributing factor to must-visit recommendation
- **[product_concern]** American Pinball's Oktoberfest receives strong family approval and repeat play selection, indicating solid gameplay design and fun factor (confidence: high) — Game won the day as most-played pin despite variety of alternatives available; family consensus on enjoyment despite theme concerns
- **[venue_signal]** Penn Skate Arcade builds positive reputation through thematic consistency and operator hospitality (confidence: high) — Chris Budinetz described as fantastic host; venue specifically curated for skateboarding/bike themes with appropriate game selection

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## Transcript

My youngest son had a lacrosse tournament at Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University today, which just so happens to be a short 20 minute hop to the incredible Penn Skate Arcade. So after a long exhausting day, I cashed in my Father’s Day chips to stop by

Chris Budinetz was a fantastic host, literally opening the arcade up and turning on the games for us when we got there. My wife, son and I had the arcade entirely to ourselves. Is there anything better than that?

As you can see from the pictures, I finally got a chance to play American Pinball’s Oktoberfest. I have to say, my family and I really liked it. It’s a super fun game. It has a ton of shots and a bunch of modes. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it. My wife wasn’t all that keen on the theme but we all had a blast playing it. It definitely was the pin that we all went back to most, which is saying something. I’d say that it won the day. Chris said that the pin has been very reliable too.

I also corrected my previous error of not playing BMX on my last trip to Penn Skate. It’s really cool. The magnet that throws the ball on the upper playfield was surprising. Having seen BMX streamed before (I think by PAPA), I remembered that the lower playfield was death...and it certainly is lol.

Trying to focus on unusual games that I haven’t played before, or at least much, we also spent a lot of our time on Skateball. Cool pin. One thing that’s really neat about Penn Skate is the theme appropriate games. It has an abundance of skateboarding and bike games, the aforementioned BMX and Skateball, Bally Radical, 720, a skating simulator, even games like Ivan Stewart’s Off Road and Blackwater 100 fit.

At $10/person for unlimited play Penn Skate is an fantastic bargain and a great time. If you find yourself in the Allentown, PA area, it’s a must visit.

Here’s a link to Penn Skate’s Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/PennSkateArcade

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a587500c-edd2-4a74-a048-fb5727c96c55*