What was Chuck E. Cheese like back in the 1980s?

[Syzygy1]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:42 AM, Tempest said:

TMI dude.  TMI.

Yeah, you're probably wondering "where did Grid get the silk from, anyway?"

[CreeB]

Chuck E. Cheese was a haven for "bad kids" like me. The pizza sucked, but I didn't care about that. I liked the arcade games. There were a lot of more obscure games there like Major Havoc. And there were some cocktail cabinets. I loved that place... last time I went, it was full of redemption games (aka kiddie gambling.)

[CaptainCanadian]

When I was a kid this place was AWESOME, it was like Disney World...every kid wanted to go there. Pizza was this thing that you rarely had, usually you went out for a pizza. A lot of places around my hometown were 'eat in' places. Mother's pizza was a big one, back then Pizza was amazing, now it sucks. I mean its ok but nothing beats pizza out with the family. That was around 85 or 86. I played MACH 1 at Chuck E Cheese, that was wicked back then, I remember sitting transfixed by the amazing graphics.  I don't remember much else other than the animatronics, those were BAD ASS, I loved the whole place. For awhile in my late twenties I worked as a Balloon Twister at kids parties, I give major props to people and companies that make products to entertain children, they are doing gods work. 

 

My parents used to own a place in Orlando, Florida [around Altemonte Springs]. There was this place called Star Bucks that was basically a wicked arcade with tons of amazing games, ticket skee balls and those casino type machines but instead of money, they spit out little tokens. There was also a... like a cell or a tank but it was filled with dollar bills and if you scored high enough on a casino machine or something [I don't recall exactly] well you could go into the tank for a bit and wind would blow up and you'd try to grab the money. It reminded me sooooooooooooooooooooo much of the old show FUN HOUSE.  Man that place was the bees knees, my parents loved it, I loved it. Family fun was a big deal back in those days....back when the nuclear family was still intact. The 80's were a kickass time to be alive. Long live the good times!

[Keatah]

Our ChuckE establishment was strangely inviting to fat men. It was a like a roller coaster buffet or something. They'd pull up to the station and load their plates. Climb the hill while walking (struggling) back to the table. Sit down and go on a 20-minute binge of ups and downs, cresting and descending the mountain of food on their plates. When the "ride" was over they'd pull into the "station" and go around again.

[Leeroy ST]

Some still were up until the mid 90's where it seemed like every region took turns getting worse.

 

Also in the 80's and 90's they actually had cool prizes you actually wanted, including electronics and video game consoles.