Dave & Buster's

The first Madison location
at West Towne Mall.
11/24/2018 dwm photo

As mission statements go, Dave & Buster hit on a simple formula: Eat, Drink, Play, and Watch.

Check, check, check, and check.

Lunch was very tasty cheese curds and chicken tenders.  We opted for ice water after having soft drinks already that morning, so technically we drank, but not what Buster and Dave had in mind.

They offer more than pub food, but we wanted to try the games so we took advantage of a combo deal which includes a game card and food for one price.

The game room part of Dave & Buster's reminded me of Aladdin's Castle in the Janesville Mall when I was young, but more impressive.

The bar and some of the TVs so
you can't miss a minute of action.
11/24/2018  (dwm)

There were classic games like Ski Ball, Pop-a-Shot, Space Invaders, and Pac Man.  There is a Connect Four which covers most of a wall.

I tried a jump-rope game.  A row of electric lights cycle around an oval while you stand on a sensor pad and jump before the light/rope gets to your feet.  I have no idea how I did.  I was still jumping when I noticed the game was over and it was waiting for the next card swipe.

Instead of using quarters or lots of crisp dollar bills - the currency in the game area are chips loaded on a plastic cards you insert in the game you want to play.

Snacking on cheese curds before
it was game time. 11/24/18 (dwm)

I started with Ski Ball but didn't do so well.  I tried Connect Four and Pac Man.  It's been 20 years since I last played Pac Man.

Pop-a-Shot was more fun.  It isn't as easy as it looks with the rim roughly 6 feet above the floor six feet away in a narrow 4 foot lane.  I don't shoot many baskets these days, but it came back to me and eventually I scored in the 40s in my best rounds.

I tried one of the four Daytona 500 consoles on for size.  It can be played by four at once or individually.  You choose whether you want to drive a stick or an automatic transmission and the level of difficulty and off you go.

Quick laps earn extra time on the game.  As I got comfortable with the controls, I felt the car through the driver's seat as it swerved or bumped depending where I was on the racing track.

Classic Ski Ball machines. (dwm)

Once I realized I couldn't drive with the pedal to the floor all the time and learned how to steer into the curve, my time improved.

Some how, I won a race and received a virtual gold trophy.  I may have earned some tickets for prizes in the D&B store or additional chips on my card, I'm not sure.

My card started with 100 chips.  I played for nearly an hour and still have 77.8 chips to play.  I earned 84 prize tickets, but since they are virtual, I don't have to carefully save and hoard them.

I win, I win! 
11/24/2018   (dwm photo)

We ate, drank, played, and watched - college football games filled every screen.  Because we went for lunch, the place had a lot of families with kids enjoying the various electronic contests.  Later on it becomes an adult playground.

I wasn't a big arcade guy as a kid, but I think this might be more my speed.

Next time, I gotta see if I can drive that ol' race car a little faster.