# ARCADE REPORT: Barcade, Jersey City, NJ (January 2020) **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2020-01-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/arcade-report-barcade-jersey-city-nj-january-2020 --- ## Analysis A detailed arcade report on Barcade Jersey City from January 2020, highlighting a strong pinball lineup including rare Bally machines (Elektra, Spectrum), Jersey Jack's Willy Wonka, and Stern's Black Knight: Sword of Rage Premium, along with a diverse selection of classic and modern arcade games. The author praises the game selection and maintenance compared to the Newark location, despite heavy crowding on family day. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Barcade Jersey City had Bally Elektra and Spectrum pinball machines available for play — _Direct observation during visit; author states these were highlights and most-played games of the day_ - [HIGH] Jersey City Barcade's pinball lineup was stronger than Newark's — _Direct comparison made by author who visited both locations within weeks of each other_ - [MEDIUM] Elektra is one of the few pins ever produced with three playfield levels — _Author's statement; reflects known pinball history but presented as general knowledge_ - [MEDIUM] Spectrum has no out lanes and balls launch from all over the playfield when certain shots are hit — _Author's description of Spectrum's unique design features_ - [HIGH] Jersey City Barcade game maintenance was better than Yestercade — _Direct comparison based on observed condition of games during visit_ ### Notable Quotes > "By far, the highlight of the trip was the side by side Bally Elektra and Spectrum. Those are two super unique games that I was dying to play." > — **Author (Knapp Arcade)** > _Establishes the primary draw of the location; reflects collector enthusiasm for rare/unique machines_ > "Elektra is one of the few pins ever produced that has three playfield levels. Spectrum has no out lanes and balls launching from all over the playfield when you hit certain shots." > — **Author (Knapp Arcade)** > _Educational commentary on what makes these specific machines notable to pinball enthusiasts_ > "The pinball lineup at the Jersey City Barcade was much stronger than Newark's was." > — **Author (Knapp Arcade)** > _Direct comparison driving recommendation; establishes Jersey City as superior destination_ > "to me the better game selection (IMHO) makes Barcade Jersey City the place to go over Newark." > — **Author (Knapp Arcade)** > _Concluding recommendation; frames competitive positioning between Barcade locations_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Barcade Jersey City | location | Barcade venue in Jersey City, NJ; 21+ bar/arcade venue hosting pinball and arcade games; visited January 2020 | | Barcade Newark | location | Barcade venue in Newark, NJ; visited by author weeks before Jersey City visit; described as having weaker game selection | | Knapp Arcade | person | Author/content creator writing arcade reports on bar/arcade venues; maintains Instagram @knapparcade | | Bally Elektra | game | Vintage Bally pinball machine with three playfield levels; available at Jersey City Barcade | | Bally Spectrum | game | Vintage Bally pinball machine with no outlanes and balls launching from multiple playfield locations; available at Jersey City Barcade | | Jersey Jack Willy Wonka | game | Jersey Jack Pinball's Willy Wonka machine; newest JJP title available at Jersey City Barcade at time of visit | | Stern Black Knight: Sword of Rage Premium | game | Stern Pinball premium tier Black Knight machine available at Jersey City Barcade | | Yestercade | location | Arcade venue used as comparison point; author notes Jersey City Barcade had better game maintenance than Yestercade | ### Topics - **Primary:** Barcade venue comparison (Jersey City vs Newark), Vintage/rare pinball machines - **Secondary:** Jersey Jack Pinball titles in commercial locations, Game maintenance and pricing at commercial venues, Arcade game selection and availability ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Author expresses strong enthusiasm for the venue's game selection, particularly the rare pinball machines and overall experience. Minor criticisms limited to crowding on family day and some technical issues with a couple of games. Clear preference for Jersey City location over Newark. ### Signals - **[event_signal]** Family day at Barcade Jersey City drew significant crowds; author notes it was packed within an hour of opening despite being a normally 21+ venue (confidence: high) — Author states 'by an hour or so in it was PACKED' and contrasts with nearly empty Newark location visited weeks prior - **[product_strategy]** Jersey City Barcade strategically stocks rare/desirable pinball machines (Elektra, Spectrum) alongside newer premium titles (JJP Willy Wonka, Stern Black Knight Premium) to attract collector/enthusiast demographic (confidence: medium) — Author identifies these specific machines as primary draw and most-played games; describes them as 'super unique' and expresses prior desire to play them --- ## Transcript A couple of weeks ago I did an arcade report on Barcade in Newark, NJ. Today it’s the Jersey City Barcade’s turn. Today was family day at that normally 21 and over location. My wife, youngest son and I got there right when it opened at noon. That gave us our run of the place for an hour or so. By far, the highlight of the trip was the side by side Bally Elektra and Spectrum. Those are two super unique games that I was dying to play. Elektra is one of the few pins ever produced that has three playfield levels. Spectrum has no outlanes and balls launching from all over the playfield when you hit certain shots. Such cool pins and by far our most played games of the day. The pinball lineup at the Jersey City Barcade was much stronger than Newark’s was. In addition we to the aforementioned sick Ballys, they had the newest Jersey Jack Willy Wonka and a Stern Pinball Black Knight Sword of Rage Premium. Two games that are high in the list of pins that I like to play right now. On the arcade game side of things, Barcade had a small row of Cabarets. Those are always cool to see. They also had several neat games that you don’t see very often, including Super Monkey Ball and a Namco 3D shooter that I’ve never seen before called “Golly! Ghost!” Of course Barcade also had all of the classics that people normally look for in an arcade like The Addams Family, Donkey Kong, Tetris, etc... Like all Barcade locations the beer on tap and drinks were plentiful and the food was surprisingly good. A couple of the games went down and there was a few minor issues with some games but for the most part they were maintained well, certainly better than a Yestercade. Barcade games were priced at one to two tokens for vids, two for older pins and three for newer pins, $0.25 - $0.50, $0.50 and $0.75, respectively. Everything about the experience was great, other than the crowd. It’s a good thing that we got there when it opened because by an hour or so in it was PACKED. When we went to the Newark location a couple of weeks ago, we were practically the only people there. Regardless, to me the better game selection (IMHO) makes Barcade Jersey City the place to go over Newark. Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in even more pictures from this and other arcade locations, make sure to follow my Instagram account @knapparcade . Here’s a complete game list for Barcade JC for anyone who’s interested: Addams Family (pin) Asteroids Deluxe Bad Cats (pin) Black Knight: Sword of Rage (pin) Bubble Bobble Centipede Challenge Cheyenne Contra (PlayChoice) Crazy Taxi Daytona USA (Twin) Donkey Kong Double Dragon (PlayChoice) Dr. Mario (PlayChoice) Dragon Spirit Elektra (pin) Final Fight Friday the 13th (PlayChoice) Frogger Galaga Gauntlet (PlayChoice) Gilligan’s Island (pin) Golly! Ghost! Gunblade NY Gyruss Ikari Warriors Jambo! Safari Johnny Mnemonic (pin) Joust The Legend of Zelda (PlayChoice) Mappy Marvel Vs. Capcom: Slash of Super Heroes Mega Man 3 (PlayChoice) Metal Slug 2 Mike Tyson's Punch Out (PlayChoice) Millipede Missile Command Monkey Ball Mortal Kombat Mr. Do! Ms. Pac-Man NBA Jam Tournament Edition NeoGeo Cup '98: The Road To The Victory The Ocean Hunter Pac-Man Battle Royale Phoenix Puzzle Bobble Rainbow Islands: The Story Of Bubble Bobble 2 (PlayChoice) Rampage Spectrum (pin) Street Fighter Alpha 2 Super Mario Bros. 2 (PlayChoice) Super Sprint Tapper Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Terminator 2 (pin) Tetris Theatre of Magic (pin) Tron Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (pin) Windjammers _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f3d29b9c-e6e3-4fd4-86ec-c52683afbf8c*