Remember When

This place is one of the strangest places I have been to in quite some time. Unfortunately that is not because of all the wonderful pinball machines and vintage games. Unfortunately they are in terrible disrepair if they work at all. Strangely enough the bizarrely confrontational and very off putting owner is almost an attraction in and of himself. You have to meet him (oh you will meet him) to even slightly understand where I am coming from.
In most any situation I would never mention the proprietor of am establishment in any sort of a personal manner. I would just mention the establishment that they created. In this particular case though the owner «Randy» virtually insists that he is ‘front and center’ as then there are the 50−100+ dolls/dummy’s etc. bearing his likeness. He also pops up everywhere like some sort of peculiar wizard. Randy is watching you… Indeed, Randy is watching.
Weather it is in one of the MANY cameras or silently popping up around a corner he is always there, just waiting for any ‘mess-​ups’. The golden rule «No photography» but you get the vibe he can’t wait for you to do it.
Very strangely enough my all time favorite pinball machine «Funhouse» has a lot in common with the establishment itself. In the pinball machine there is a dummy named «Rudy» (essentially a head mounted on the game board) who «follows you around» the game in the role of crabby obsessed theme park night watchman. If you look up the game (or play it) you will see Randy (the owner) is Rudy incarnate (!) hence I give a technically awful place two stars (instead of one), how often do you get to step into a real creepy game!
*Again look up the Funhouse pinball machine. It is almost as if Randy (the owner) played it and said to himself: «that’s who I wish to model myself after» regarding the games ‘funhouse keeper’ mascot. Weird. Really weird.

Filled with retro goodies. You’re not going to find games like this anywhere else on the boardwalk. Employees were fine and Randy was hard at work. If you’re into gaming history, this is the place for you.

Horrible place! My husband– who collects retro video systems, and my son– who loves them went into the arcade on our first full day of vacation. They were walking around, and one of the machines had two credits. How many times does that happen? OFTEN. So, my husband played the credits. The guy who was working came out, claiming that my husband stole (50 cents) from him. WHAT?!? Who does that? Called him a thief, told him he is teaching my son to steal, and told him to get the hell out– in front of my son. So, I went and gave him his precious 50 cents– that he left in the machine and was nowhere in sight– and asked him not to speak that way in front of my son. He replied, «at least you aren’t a thief». Well, neither is my husband. Know what else I am not? A psychotic person that has no business owning an arcade. Awful. Terrible. Ruined our day. I have been coming here for over 20 years, and will never step foot in that place again.
The guy working? The OWNER. Shame on you. My boys love video games and would have had a blast if not for your rude and uncalled for comments.

Love the machines, but they are a little run down. Big Bertha didn’t keep score (couldn’t put a pound on her), and the Whack-​a-​mole had no mallet («use your hand» we were told).
Liked the Orbiter1 pinball, and a few other items of interest. Place is a bit creep-​tastic. Took a partial (stealth) photo of the extensive rules list. Love the one about the cell phones. Place has potential but its unclear whether it will get there.

Do not go here. I care a lot about pinball and arcades in general, and the owner is a disgrace to the hobby. The machines are in absolutely terrible condition– we’re talking non-​working flippers, playfields that haven’t been waxed in 20 years, and many that are more like projects than real pinball machines. I’ve been to a few places where almost ¹⁄₃ of the machines are out of order because the place is a small business in a rural area. That’s fine– not everyone can afford to have pros on staff ²⁴⁄₇ to fix the games, but this is ridiculous!!!
I nearly cried after seeing the condition of these machines– I think they should just be sold to some collectors that really care. If you go to the Silverball in Asbury Park, Modern Pinball in NYC, or Pinball Parlour in Earlington, PA, then you will see what I mean. These guys actually care about their machines and preserving the hobby. This guy does not– Remember When is really a storage room meant to turn a profit for the owner by exploiting the customer.
I can’t really comment negatively on the staff as they treated me with respect, but I did not get what I paid for. I hope they close soon and sell these machines to someone who will take care of them. It’s really, really sad.

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY
A good portion of the machines are broken. The «staff» is nasty nasty nasty.
Did NOT help that they were featured on «Hoarders» television show-​they think they are «special» now.
Why subject yourself to NASTY employees?

Awful awful service. Machines are in terrible condition. All the pay to play games are overpriced and barely work. I drove from Philadelphia to Wildwood just to go to this place and was treated like scum by its ape-​like staff. Apparently you can’t even have your phone out without getting accused of taking pictures by these idiots.
My dad and I used to frequent the warehouse sized arcade that Randy had in the 90s. Many family pictures were taken there. I guess the TV show has gone to Randy’s head.
The Silverball in Asbury Park is much nicer, cleaner and well kept.

Remember When isn’t such a strange place if you have a decent understanding of what OCD is and the mania associated with obsession and compulsion, however, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around my experience here and a negative encounter with the owner, Randy.
Let it be known that I was immediately enamored with the quality, breadth, and amount of vintage games in front of me upon walking down the stairs and into Remember When: there are games in here from multiple decades ago that were produced all around the country. Pinball, Skee Ball, drop your quarter into the atomic age machine and launch it to make the racehorse go, etc., anyone who loves games or functional vintage objects for their originality and history, in theory, should have a great time here.
So, I was clearly excited about spending some time in this arcade. In typical tourist fashion, I was checking out all the games with my SLR slung around my neck. After a while, I spotted a particularly well-​crafted game, and shot a photo of it.
Within ten seconds, a disheveled-​looking guy who looked to be in his early 50s approached my boyfriend and I and told me that photography was not allowed and he needed to watch me delete all photos that were shot within the arcade. Although I am a photographer by profession who will go at great lengths to get a shot, I quickly complied and apologized: whoops! These things happen, right? I was ready to move on and play some games, but he kept standing there and said «You know, there are 20 signs in here that say no photography». I apologized again and said «Well, this is a very visually stimulating place, I must have missed them».
Then it seemed like Randy wanted to get into with me. My answer really seemed to agitate him. He started to angrily speak about photography laws of the boardwalk in a way that made me feel really uncomfortable, so I turned away in the hopes he’d get off his soapbox and walk away, which he did.
If it weren’t for my boyfriend quickly loading a bunch of quarters into a Skee Ball machine and joking about Captain Bringdown effectively sucking the fun out of what should be a great place, I would have walked out of there on the spot. I mean, really? Who goes into an arcade and scans the walls for instructions? What kind of business owner verbally berates their customers until they start avoiding eye contact with them? Especially after they politely comply with the business owner’s requests? As someone else mentioned after their run-​in with Randy, we were then followed by an employee. Creeptastic!
Whatever, dude. I memorialize my memories with photos, you memorialize your memories with cake (google «Hoarders Randy cake»). You also tried to review your own business on Unilocal.
Stop by for the amazing collection of games, but avoid the owner!

Shabby.
The machines in the section that you can pay admission for, as opposed to paying for individual games, are in ill repair. Sure, you could view it as a museum. But the other places I’ve had the opportunity to experience that have vintage pinball machines have machines that are maintained and functional. Some also share information on index cards as to what makes that particular machine special. Not the case at Remember When. It’s a collection of old machines that haven’t been respected.
This is just another boardwalk hustle. But with a proprietor with an inflated sense of self importance because he was on an episode of one of those train-​wreck reality shows.

For five bucks one can play half an hour of pinball machines that appear to mostly be from the early sixties. These babies are not restored, no no, they appear to have been dragged right out of the bars where they were for years, and then perched in this establishment.
All the score counters are physical, not digital.
Some have bad or weak flippers, but hey, it is an affordable way to while away some time out of the sun.

The owner is completely and utterly certifiable. I asked a simple question on his facebook page and he insulted me as a customer and accused me of stealing… WHAT was I going to steal?! a pinball machine? Puh-​lease! I had my five month old in there with me and the whole place creeped me out.
This was the crazy response I got from this certifiable nutcase:
Heather Ann: Love all of the retro games and the old music played in there– Just felt super uncomfortable with all of the cameras around and being watched like a hawk… also what’s with the no photo policy?!
Like September 15 at 10:28pm
Remember When Pinball Palace & Retro Arcade Happy you enjoyed the games we offer.
The machines we offer are from a time period long since gone and lost, and the experience we create is that of the experience also long since gone; it is a living museum…
As such, the equipment is of priceless and irreplaceable nature, which we allow open to the general population of people who just happen to walk through our doors.
In efforts to protect our equipment, and continue to make these items available to you, it has been proven through our experience, that surveillance cameras are completely necessary.
Unlike most any store you enter today, and/​or public street, and the boardwalk itself, we choose not to hide our cameras, but to make them plainly visible for everyone to see and understand that they are there.
We try to make it fun for people, by providing overhead monitors displaying these images on top of the machines themselves, instead of keeping then hidden and a secrete, and most people get a kick out of seeing themselves or their friends on the monitors.
Anyone who might feel uncomfortable about being on these camera systems should ask themselves why.
Perhaps these people might like to do something that they would not like anyone to see them do, making them feel uncomfortable…
As a religious man, I believe that everything we do in our life is seen by God…
And although I am not perfect, I try to live my life, every moment, by doing things which could only be seen as things to be proud of by God’s eyes watching me.
Therefore, I have no fear of being seen on any surveillance cameras anywhere I go.
The feeling of «being watched like a hawk» as you want to put it, says more about you, rather then those who have the responsibility to keep watch on what goes on in the living museum or the retro arcade, and have the duty to maintain order so that the experience offered can be an enjoyable experience for those who visit as well as those who provide the experience.
Without the surveillance cameras, the rules of the establishment, and those unsung heroes who provide for the daily operations while facing abuses of all kinds from those who think that they can do what ever they please when entering someone’s store, and show little or no respect through their actions, the Retro Arcade, and the unique experience offered could, and would no longer be there.
Many people really have no concept of the sacrifices which are made to provide such a wonderful place to the general public, however there are still those who do «get it» and have eyes to see beyond their own selfish wants, needs and demands… it is for those people that the have eyes to see, and the heart to understand just what the Retro Arcade is and stands for, that make it worth while for the owner.
These good people mostly sit in silence, while it is those others who go out of their way to search and seek out an online forum in attempt to spread their poison, somehow, making themselves feel good as they try to hurt those who really are good.