You need to understand that this facility is owned and operated by Luna County. Yes, it's the only facility of its kind within almost 100 miles. It has been open for over ten years.
As an entertainment complex, it covers the bases.
Bar/Restaurant - I'm diabetic so the food doesn't appeal. My wife has not been impressed. (Karaoke night can be disruptive if you're bowling.)
Arcade - I grew up in the Los Angeles area. This arcade has several "modern" games, a basketball game and an air hockey table. I can say the air hockey works. It's an open space that could probably be utilized more efficiently.
MiniGolf - It's a blacklight room. Interesting concept but visibility is pretty poor. Still, it's a fun way to play.
Theater - We prefer to rent or buy movies, so we haven't visited the theater. We do see a pretty steady stream of customers for them though.
Bowling - I can honestly say that the majority of bowling reviews have come from casual bowlers. I've seen a lot of them. I've even helped a lot of them get their names into the system. Yes, they all seem to have a good time. Bowling parties are VERY popular. However, the approaches often look like a popcorn war has taken place, and table area is often covered in popcorn debris and the chairs and tables can become disgusting. All the staff know me. I call them by name and they me. We drive 45 miles to bowl two leagues a week. There are 16 lanes, but rarely are all of them functional. They've gotten better in the last two years, but there are still issues with the pinsetters, the score scanners and the bumpers. One reviewer mentioned the pinsetter dropping pins. My wife and I refer to this as "pin barfing". I feel for the mechanics because I know they're trying, but they're constrained by the budget the County provides. As a bowler, I also know that the lane surface needs to be maintained by applying conditioner/oil to protect the surface. That doesn't happen when there isn't a league or tournament scheduled. This can be especially bad when leagues have a week off. Many times my ball has returned with patches of lane surface stuck on the ball. My equipment is constantly coming back with black "goo". Starmax isn't the only center in the region with this problem, though. The closest alternatives are Silver City and El Paso. The use of bowling shoes by casual bowlers appears to be an option and you'll often see these folks crossing the foul line, which tracks the oil back onto the approach.
Bathrooms - During the summer of 2019 the bathrooms were "remodeled". Nothing much really changed, just refreshed a bit.
Website - Needs a complete update. There is no menu for the restaurant. Movie listings are handled by a third party service. Most of the information is out of date. The hours of operation need to be updated every time they switch from summer to winter hours. The only way to know now is to ask the staff before the hours change or show up.
Overall - Perhaps because I'm a "regular" the staff is very friendly. I know they're frustrated, too, because of the amount of attention the bowling operation requires. As the only facility of its type in town, it holds its own I think. I only wish the County could allocate a better budget for them. There is plenty of parking. As long as there hasn't been a bowling party, the facility is usually pretty clean (except for the tables and chairs in the...
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