This review is of the PHoF following our 2nd visit. We had a super time at the PHoF again! I will explain here why I think this place is so great, address some of its flaws and acknowledge criticisms others have made, and summarize by justifying why I stand by my previous 5-star rating.

The PHoF is a total BLAST and I respect the people who assembled so many pinball games (and video game cabinets) in one location. Most games cost $.50 to play, but newer titles (e.g., Jaws, Foo Fighters, Spinal Tap) go for $1.00 a play whereas older games such as Jungle Princess and Old Chicago are only $.25. I played pinball for over 6 hours - 2 days in a row - until I could barely stand up, sharing quarters with a 2nd person, and still spent a total of only $50!

My favorite pinball game of all time, Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is here. They have 2 DIFFERENT Playboy pinball games. It's loud inside. It's free to get in. The PHoF reminds me of the arcades I spent countless hours in as a kid and teenager: a little rough around the edges, highly addictive and a welcome escape from the real world. Surrounded by ringing, beeping and clattering sounds, a player at the PHoF is transported to a land of carefree fun where mundane responsibilities melt away.

However, the PHoF is not perfect and may not be for everyone. I went to a pinball place in CA (Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda) where there were far fewer games, but ALL of them were in working order. During our time at the PHoF, a disappointing number of games were not operating. The power was off and lights were dark on at least 1/2 the games, and there were also many games that were "on" but either ate quarters or did not function properly. During our recent visit the rare 2-player pinball game Challenger (Gottlieb, 1971) was working earlier in the day but by the afternoon, our quarters disappeared without the game starting. Both jump buttons were broken on 720, a skateboarding video game from 1986 which I was looking forward to playing; the game should have been turned off.

Many 1-star reviews of the PHoF are partially based on the large number of inoperable games present there. However, by their own count the PHoF has 358 games. There were still plenty of working games to enjoy during our visit! That being said, there was also lots of space being taken up by piles of boxes and pinball machine parts, broken games and mystery stuff. To be honest, a certain degree of hoarding appears to be occurring on behalf of the owner/operators (the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club). Keep this in mind because a gigantic, dusty warehouse with no carpet and an insane number of pinball games in every imaginable state of repair - from perfect working order to near junk heap - may not be your cup of tea. It is mine, though!

Warning: If you DO lose quarters in a game that doesn't work - some of the staff at the PHoF are incredibly rude. I do not advise trying to speak with anyone about getting your money back! I made the mistake of approaching a woman at the front desk and was scolded/lectured for saying a game had stolen my quarters. Yes, she refunded my $.50 but she wasn't very kind about it. Even worse - some staff appear to hate and resent the presence of children, which is a very odd position to take as an arcade establishment. Many 1-star reviews from parents mention that staff yelled at their kids or kicked them out for minor infractions. There are signs posted everywhere with many rules to follow: No Running, No Screaming, No Swinging Arms. I do not advise bringing children under the age of 12 to the PHoF.

In conclusion, the PHoF is a slightly funky yet completely awesome collection of games - some functioning, some not - in a dingy location managed by weirdos. Just like the arcades of my youth! I love it!