# ARCADE ROAD TRIP: Game On Retro Arcade - Lake Grove, NY

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2022-09-30  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/arcade-road-trip-game-on-retro-arcade-lake-grove-ny

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## Analysis

A New Jersey arcade collector visits Game On Retro Arcade, a newly opened (January 2024) retro arcade in Lake Grove, NY featuring ~100 classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines. The location is owned by Tristan Whitworth, maintained by lead tech Mike Fisher and Jason Young, and offers meticulously preserved games including rare titles. The arcade recently created a Halloween-themed pinball row with Gottlieb Nightmare on Elm Street, Pinball Brothers Alien, Spooky Halloween, Stern Ghostbusters, Bally Addams Family, and Chicago Gaming Monster Bash LE.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Game On Retro Arcade opened in January 2024 in Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, NY — _Article states 'Back in January of this year, Tristan Whitworth...decided to branch out into the arcade business'_
- [HIGH] The arcade features approximately 100 classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines — _Article explicitly states 'The location is packed with around 100 classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines'_
- [HIGH] Mike Fisher serves as Game On's lead pinball tech — _Article states 'All of the games are meticulously maintained by Game On's lead pinball tech, Mike Fisher'_
- [HIGH] Game On stocks rare machines including 1992 Konami Bucky O'Hare and Asterix, 1998 Capcom Tech Romancer, and Pinball Brothers Alien — _Article lists specific rare arcade machines present at the location_
- [HIGH] All games at Game On are set to free play with $20 day admission for adults — _Article states 'All of Game On's games are set to free play. Admission is $20 for the full day for adults'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Back in the day when one could actually find classic arcade games to buy on Craigslist, New Jersey arcade collectors like myself had a running joke that we'd go anywhere to pick up a new game...except for Long Island."
> — **Author (arcade collector from NJ)**, Opening paragraph
> _Establishes the author's perspective as a serious collector willing to travel for rare games, setting up the significance of visiting Long Island_

> "I would happily do it again to visit an arcade like this."
> — **Author**, Closing section
> _Strong endorsement of Game On Retro Arcade, indicating high quality and appeal despite travel distance_

> "All of the games are meticulously maintained by Game On's lead pinball tech, Mike Fisher along with the newly hired Jason Young and others."
> — **Author**, Mid-article
> _Highlights operational excellence and staffing expertise at the venue_

> "Chicago Gaming Company's Monster Bash LE (which is a gorgeous game BTW)"
> — **Author**, Halloween section
> _Positive endorsement of the Monster Bash LE aesthetic and quality_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Game On Retro Arcade | organization | Newly opened retro arcade in Lake Grove, NY with ~100 machines, owned by Tristan Whitworth |
| Tristan Whitworth | person | Owner of successful retro video game store chain; opened Game On Retro Arcade in January 2024 |
| Mike Fisher | person | Lead pinball tech at Game On Retro Arcade |
| Jason Young | person | Newly hired technician at Game On Retro Arcade; invited the author to visit |
| Smith Haven Mall | organization | Shopping mall in Lake Grove, NY where Game On Retro Arcade is located |
| Lake Grove, NY | organization | Location of Game On Retro Arcade |
| Gottlieb Nightmare on Elm Street | product | Pinball machine in Game On's Halloween-themed row |
| Pinball Brothers Alien | product | Rare pinball machine at Game On; featured in Halloween-themed row |
| Spooky Pinball Halloween | product | Pinball machine in Game On's Halloween-themed row |
| Stern Ghostbusters | product | Pinball machine in Game On's Halloween-themed row |
| Bally The Addams Family | product | Pinball machine in Game On's Halloween-themed row |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Manufacturer of Monster Bash LE pinball machine featured at Game On |
| Monster Bash LE | product | Chicago Gaming pinball machine at Game On; described as 'gorgeous' by author |
| Banning Museum of Pinball | organization | Museum that held an auction where Game On purchased Red Tent arcade machines |
| Konami Bucky O'Hare | product | 1992 Konami arcade game; rare machine at Game On |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Arcade venue operations and maintenance, Pinball machine preservation and curation, Collector culture and rare arcade game acquisition, Game On Retro Arcade business and location
- **Secondary:** Venue theming and seasonal programming

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Author is highly impressed with Game On Retro Arcade's game selection, maintenance quality, and overall execution. No critical complaints are expressed. The willingness to return despite Long Island travel distance demonstrates strong approval.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Tristan Whitworth's expansion from video game retail into arcade venue operation represents retail diversification strategy and capital investment in experiential gaming location. (confidence: high) — Owner of successful retro video game store chain branched into arcade business with large-scale opening (100+ machines) in January 2024
- **[community_signal]** Game On demonstrates seasonal event programming and thematic curation to drive traffic and engagement beyond standard arcade play. (confidence: high) — Halloween-themed pinball row with coordinated machine selection; Play Choice cabinet cartridge rotation with horror games; all-day pass pricing model encouraging extended visits
- **[community_signal]** Game On Retro Arcade in Lake Grove, NY emerges as a new significant regional pinball and arcade hub with curated game selection and professional maintenance infrastructure. (confidence: high) — Venue features ~100 machines with rare titles, dedicated CRT tech, professional pinball technicians (Mike Fisher, Jason Young), and rotating stock of reserve games
- **[product_strategy]** Game On invests in specialized technical infrastructure (dedicated CRT monitor tech) to preserve arcade authenticity and visual quality. (confidence: high) — Article notes 'dedicated arcade monitor tech that keeps all of the games' original CRTs looking bright and crisp'

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## Transcript

Back in the day when one could actually find classic arcade games to buy on Craigslist, New Jersey arcade collectors like myself had a running joke that we'd go anywhere to pick up a new game...except for Long Island. No offense to the area, it's great, but driving to and from there from NJ is a nightmare. Nevertheless, I recently rolled the dice and took a trip over to LI to visit an awesome new arcade that my friend Jason Young invited me to check out.

Back in January of this year, Tristan Whitworth, the owner of a successful chain of retro video game stores, decided to branch out into the arcade business. And he did so in a big way, opening up an incredible retro arcade location in the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, New York called Game On Retro Arcade. The location is packed with around 100 classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines. It includes both all of the essentials, like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, etc... as well as a number of super rare machines that I personally have never seen on location before. All of the games are meticulously maintained by Game On's lead pinball tech, Mike Fisher along with the newly hired Jason Young and others. They even have a dedicated arcade monitor tech that keeps all of the games' original CRTs looking bright and crisp.

Game On recently changed up things in the arcade to celebrate Halloween. They went well above and beyond the usual spooky decorations. They added an entire row of spooky-themed pinball machines and replaced all of the cartridges in the location's Nintendo Play Choice and Candy Cab machines with horror-themed games. The spooky pinball row includes, Gottleb Nightmare on Elm Street, Pinball Brothers Alien, Spooky Pinball Halloween, Stern Ghostbusters, Bally The Addams Family and of course Chicago Gaming Company's Monster Bash LE (which is a gorgeous game BTW). The Play Choice cabs were filled with games like Splatter House, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. It's a really neat touch for the holiday.

As I mentioned earlier, there was a number of super rare machines on the floor, such as the 1992 Konami games Bucky O'Hare and Asterix, 1998 Capcom 3D fighter Tech Romancer, the cool 1991 Konami 4-player game Sunset Riders, the aforementioned Pinball Brothers Alien pin, 1993 Konami Violent Storm, a Neo Geo MVS Mini Cab, a Nintendo Red Tent with a light gun that was purchased from the Banning Museum of Pinball auction (they actually had 2 Red Tents on the floor), and more. They even have a large stable of games in reserve that they consistently rotate onto the floor to keep things fresh.

All of Game On's games are set to free play. Admission is $20 for the full day for adults and $10 for children who are accompanied by an adult. The arcade is conveniently located right next to the mall's food court, so you can hop out and grab a drink or a snack and walk right back in with your day-long pass. I normally fear the drive to Long Island like the plague, but I would happily do it again to visit an arcade like this. If you live in LI or the surrounding area, you definitely need to check Game On out. Below is my usual large bunch of pictures. Bear with me as I continue to progress with my iPhone 14 Pro mastery. I'm so used to enhancing pictures from my 11, but the 14's pics are so sharp already now that I have to be careful not to overdo it.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!

Game On Retro Arcade

362 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, NY, United States, New York

https://www.facebook.com/GameOnRetroArcade/

https://gameonmp.com/our-smithaven-mall-arcade-is-now-open/

(631) 538-8692

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: dc319ddb-d450-405e-a61c-5e6eb8707822*