Morristown Game Vault offers arcade classics

MORRISTOWN – Instead of waiting to be seated at a restaurant, a new South Street spot is letting customers play a game of Pac Man as they await their dinner reservations.

Morristown Game Vault first opened the Friday before Parade Day and had a crowded opening weekend, despite the last-minute soft opening and little advertising, due to the high level of foot traffic in the area.

“People are still figuring out we’re here,” owner David Balsamini said. “It’s fun to see the reaction when they come in and take a look at the place.”

Balsamini, 47, of Basking Ridge, said he is still working on the space along with manager Fil Nobile, but when the town gave him permission to open his doors during Morristown’s busiest day of the year, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“We got the go-ahead to open just last Friday (March 11),” Balsamini said. “We didn’t expect to be approved so soon but we’re glad we could because the parade gave us great exposure.”

Both Balsamini and Nobile were pharmacists at local A&P stores before they recently closed.

“I went from dispensing medicine to dispensing fun,” Balsamini said. “The reactions on people’s faces when they walk in here, that’s what life’s all about. I couldn’t ask to do anything else.”

Balsamini grew up playing classic arcade games and over the years developed the desire to own as many as he could, starting with his first three, Asteroids, Popeye, and Ms. Pac Man.

“From there I caught the bug,” Balsamini said. “I kept buying more, and learned how to fix them too.”

Over the years Balsamini heard of vintage arcades popping up and after A&P closed he realized there was a need he could fill in the area.

“There are still some arcades down the shore,” he said, “But not classic games.”

So Balsamini started looking for the perfect location, one in need of an entertainment option in the middle of a bustling downtown. During the search, he found a location on South Street in Morristown, the site of a former PNC Bank.

“I wanted to open somewhere close to home with a lot of foot traffic that was missing just one thing in town,” Balsamini said. “When I saw this space and realized it was a bank, I knew it was the perfect fit. It’s a great location in a great town.”

Balsamini had the name Morristown Game Vault planned since Christmas, so the fact that he found a place that had an actual vault – in which customers can now play Tron – was just another reason he chose to plant his flag on South Street.

“It’s different from another restaurant or bar in town,” he said. “It’s the perfect place to stop in while waiting for dinner or killing time on a lunch break.”

All machines are hand-picked for the Vault, many from Balsamini’s personal collection. When he realized he would open an arcade, he ramped up his collecting even more.

“Arcades used to be frowned upon because the cost of loitering was just a quarter,” Balsamini said. “Here we avoid that problem by charging a flat fee to play as many games as you want for an hour or half hour. If you’re going to pay it’s going to be because you want to be here.”

Because of that, the Balsamini was allowed to install all 78 (and counting) of his machines, as opposed to a previous limit of 25. Other gaming-related ordinances prevent the Game Vault from serving food and drink, or giving out prizes.

Since the opening happened sooner than expected, Balsamini is still working on the space, which when finished will include a party room, and projectors to show old 80s videos and player high scores on the walls above the games.

But nearly all of the games are ready to play, with more arriving each day. Upon entering customers are greeted by familiar faces including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Frogger, and deeper in the Vault are more recent favorites like a Simpsons game, familiar to anyone who frequented a bowling alley in the 90s.

With games like Punch Out, Spy Hunter, Q-Bert, and Joust, the place almost doubles as an interactive arcade museum.

While there are plenty of arcade games from the 70s and 90s, Balsamini said most are from the 80s, “the golden age of gaming.” The place even has a table top setup where customers can play classic Nintendo games, and classic 80s movies like “Back to the Future” play on screens all day, every day.

Morristown Game Vault also features a party room, located next to the “Pinball Wall,” featuring more than a dozen pinball machines including Star Trek, Star Wars, and even Lethal Weapon 3.

Balsamini said crowds have so far been a mix of families bringing their children, and adults looking to play the games of their youth.

He said kids have been drawn to Star Wars games, likely due in part to the recent opening of “The Force Awakens,” and also Q-Bert and Fix-It Felix, both known to youngsters as characters in the Disney movie “Wreck-It Ralph.”

“It’s amazing to see these kids discover new games,” Balsamini said. “Some of these kids had never seen a pinball machine before.”

Morristown Game Vault is located at 22 South Street. It is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

All games are set to free play, with 30 minutes costing $7 and an hour costing $10. Each additional 30 minutes after the hour costs $5. Tax is included and pricing times include a five minute grace period.

“Everybody wants to feel young again, to forget about all the stress,” Balsamini said. “They walk in so excited there’s something else in town and walk out feeling great because it’s a fun place to be.”

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636;mizzo@GannettNJ.com