Ready Player 1: No quarters required at new Hi Score Arcade in Pueblo
A new cutting-edge video game arcade on Pueblo's southside is giving kids a chance to play "new" games and allowing adults to relive their glory days replaying some of the classics.
Hi Score Arcade, 1527 Moore Ave., has video games from the 1980s like Pac Man and '90s like Hydro Thunder, along with newer games. While a lot of the classic games are familiar to Pueblo parents, they're something new to try for their kids.
The arcade also is bringing a new concept to gaming in Pueblo with a free play approach that allows patrons to avoid lugging around pockets full of quarters.
“To my knowledge, we are the only arcade in Colorado that operates purely on free play. It is a lot of fun to be able to play to the end of a game without spending 20 bucks,” said Tommy Chavez Jr., owner.
“It also helps people find new, fun games they may not have been able to try otherwise,” he said.
With just more than 40 games to choose from, patrons can pay $15 for a daily pass and play as much as they want throughout the day. Die-hard gamers can opt for a $60 monthly membership and play as much as they want for the entire month, including during events and tournaments.
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Hi Score Arcade opened June 10 and will soon add several new games. The business has been “really well received so far,” Chavez said.
The business was even featured on a Twitch TV live stream with the Galloping Ghost Arcade from Brookfield, Illinois, a huge arcade that is, “one of the bigger names in the industry,” Chavez said. Support from others in the industry has made starting the new business easier as the pros help teach him the ropes on things like acquiring parts and fixing machines.
Chavez, a Pueblo native, said he was in and out of arcades for much of his childhood and his dad, Tommy Chavez Sr., sparked his interest in video games when he brought home a Nintendo for him to try when he was just 2 years old. Chavez Sr. also sparked his son's entrepreneurial spirit as he owned a car lot and worked as an insurance agent. He and his wife encouraged Chavez Jr. to go into business for himself.
“We used to have TILT here in town and I have been to a few other places in Denver and other states. When the opportunity came up, I decided to take the risk,” he said.
Chavez continues to work in the health care field where “it is stressful but still rewarding,” he said.
He enjoys his “down” time at the arcade, too.
“It has been cool to see people light up and enjoy the things I enjoyed as a kid,” he said.
Chavez focuses on offering video games, while its in-town competition, Bite Me Cake Company’s Flip a Coin Arcade, 223 South Union Ave., focuses mostly on pinball machines.
Hours at Hi Score Arcade are 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Shorter hours will go into effect as the return to school starts in August.
The business phone number is 719-561-0973. The Hi Score Facebook page will feature updates on events and tournaments and HiScoreArcadeColorado.com has a complete list of games.
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Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Hi Score Arcade offers both old school and newer video games
