FlashBack RetroPub

[jerrywall]

I noticed several of the machines with mechanical problems last time I was there... but what deuche bag is gonna complain... they're free to play! Shrug and move on to another machine. Older arcade equipment will have problems. There are plenty of machines to choose from and the service has always been great when I've been there.

[bchris02]

I noticed several of the machines with mechanical problems last time I was there... but what deuche bag is gonna complain... they're free to play! Shrug and move on to another machine. Older arcade equipment will have problems. There are plenty of machines to choose from and the service has always been great when I've been there.

That is a problem with these types of venues. I have never been to the Max in Tulsa but I've heard they have the same issues. These machines in these retro-arcades take a beating.

I do take issue with the snarky Facebook comments by Flashback RetroPub every time anybody posts a negative review. Some of them are way over the line. Surprising given how friendly the staff is every time I've been.

Regardless, they are unique in OKC and despite the issues they still may be working out, I am glad they are here. I haven't been there in a couple of months so its probably about time for me to pay them another visit.

[Uptowner]

It read more like a community reaction to the owner writing some very facetious responses to Facebook reviews with negative feedback. It all got out of hand. I can sympathize with both parties. I myself stopped goin because the games I came to play, and would happily pump quarters into, haven't worked properly from the start. The burnt pink screen street fighter cabinet nearly came part when I got into Ryu's special moves. And I guess it shouldn't bother me because it's free to play, yet unplayable. A catch 22 from the start. And the boulevard ale I'm drinking that costs $4 in any other abc-3 bar sells for $7. And I guess you have have to charge more for alcohol to afford the maintenance of the equipment, but if the machines worked customers would pump quarters then the games would be a profit center and the drinks could be competitively priced. Another catch 22.

If cactus jacks has something like 100 pinball machines, a handful of 60's 70's and 80's pinball machines. And they all work. surely there's someone around town that can fix them.

I'm not saying one place is better than the other or criticizing any of flashbacks business practices. I'm just saying they're fixable. I have a ms. Pacman/ galaga standup that I came free if I could haul it out of this lady's basement. New CRT, buttons, a new speaker, a 4 way and the kit to fit new wires to the jumpers on the board cost me about $200 in parts.

[JRod1980]

So there's no rumors or speculations as to what happened, I'll own up to the event because I'm not trying to hide anything... We had a review posted saying that none of our games worked and that this specific person though we were overpriced because our beers were $8. I typically don't respond to review made public because there no winning with someone that wanted to give you a negative review for something a majority of the time. But I took exception to the fact that they stated that none of our games worked and I stated as much in my response. Of course the minute that any owner doesn't see eye to eye with a client it's always "Bad Customer Service" on the business part, which I find a joke not and I'm not saying that just because I'm an owner. I've busted my ass my entire life to get to where I am and I sure as heck didn't have anyone drop a pill of money on my lap and say hey, go open up a business and make it your playground.

My entire staff can attest to the fact that we run a responsible and honest operation at FlashBack. If we have issues we address them and try to constantly improve on what we have and what we are doing right. When it comes to the games, I've come to the realization that we are never going to make everyone happy. A majority of these games are 30(+) years old and have issues on a week to week basis, but at the same time they are FREE to play. I can understand if you are having to pay to play the games and they mess up, but when they are FREE every single night of the week, does that truly give you a reason to bash us or give us a negative review? I've visited about ten different arcade bars across the country as I worked to get this place opened up and not one of them ever offered FREE game play (nor did all of their games work 100%), some of the places charged up to $1 for one single game. So again, we try to keep every single game in good working condition, are they all 100% perfect? No and they are never going to be. Between drinks constantly getting spilled on the controls and their age there will likely always be something to fix.

As for our craft beers, they are priced anywhere from $4 to $9, in accordance with alcohol volume of the specific beer. We constantly get burned on the fact that we don't carry bud light or any other domestic and I'm fine with that, it was never my intention to open a bar where every single person is there to get wasted on cheap beer. We wanted to offer a great selection of local and regional brews that would allow craft beer fans to expand their horizons per say, while offering a unique experience and it's greatly appreciated by the majority of the clients that are frequently visitors. There are plenty of bars in town where you can go get drunk pretty cheap, and that was never what FlashBack was intended to be. In the 6 months that we've been open we have yet to have one single incident because of a patron getting too wasted and causing problems. Our staff is trained to be attentive and use their best judgement to serve responsibly.

In hindsight, I should have just looked at the review and went about my day, but that's not what happened and I'm not trying to make excuses for it. It is frustrating as an owner to read false statements, or constantly get criticized for one thing or another that is not to someone's specific liking. But hey it's the service industry and I knew exactly what I was singing myself up for. I'm not new to this industry, I've been a part of it for almost 20 years now. We will continue going forward and trying to improve what we have established to this point and if we do our best to put forth the best product we can and someone still wants to criticize us for it then so be it.

[JRod1980]

The guy that fixes the games at Cactus Jacks, is the same guy that fixes our games and he does a great good. I've referred him to several of our clients that own games and they've all had great experiences with him. So the issue is not that we don't fix our games, it's that some of them need constant repairs, especially when drinks are being spilled or people are deliberately trying to break them. And yes, people do deliberately try to break some of the games.

We have remote controls for the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 that people have either ripped the cords off the controls or broken buttons off of them for whatever reason. We've also had multiple console games stolen like Mario Kart, Goldeneye, NBA Jam, games that cost $30-$40 each to replace and are not that easy to find these days. So it's a constant balance for us, of which clients only see the parts of when they are there. And again I clarify that I'm not making excuses, I'm stating the issues we constantly face so that everyone has a clear understanding of our daily challenges when it comes to providing games that work every single day.

[Roger S]

I've noticed some machines not working on my two visits there as well.... But like JerryWall said.... I move on to the next one.... and set a new high score!

I did have to pay a cover charge on my second visit so it wasn't exactly free play but those machines weren't all that reliable back when I played them in the 80's. I'm not going to expect them to be so now.

So if I had to make a complaint it would have to be that they don't offer Sailor Jerry rum yet.

[Bullbear]

some people are hard to please and some aren't happy unless they are unhappy. I dig the place and love that its free play all the time. Considering having my Birthday there this month.
as far as people taking the games and breaking things that does suck.. I remember back in the day when you could play console games at walmart or wherever to try them out they had all the cartridges chained down which seems extreme but seems maybe its needed.
Keep up the good work and your probably right to just move on when someone has a bad review, but I totally understand that is hard to do when people are rude or not exactly giving an accurate representation of your hard work.

[JRod1980]

I've noticed some machines not working on my two visits there as well.... But like JerryWall said.... I move on to the next one.... and set a new high score!

I did have to pay a cover charge on my second visit so it wasn't exactly free play but those machines weren't all that reliable back when I played them in the 80's. I'm not going to expect them to be so now.

So if I had to make a complaint it would have to be that they don't offer Sailor Jerry rum yet.

OK BBQ, which games have you had issues with? I know currently NFL Blitz and Pole Position are not operable what so ever. We ordered new parts for NFL Blitz and couldn't be repaired and Pole Position has just been a pain to work on. I know there are a couple of games like Street Fighter and WWF that have joystick issues but we are looking to replace the games all together. The fighting games seem to take the biggest punishment since you always feel like you have to slam the joystick when playing, so they are the first to go when they get continuous play.

As for your Sailor Jerry, we can look into carrying it. We have clients that ask us from time to time for specific brands and we've carried it for them, even if its one bottle.

[Pete]

I go in often and was just saying to friends how good a job they do of keeping all those machines up and running.

There are dozens and most are well over 30 years old and no longer made.


I suspect most the people complaining are younger, have grown up playing Xbox, and have no concept of how old, complex and hard to maintain these machines are.

It's like complaining about vintage furniture being a bit worn or how an old house needs constant repairs.

[jerrywall]

^^ This. At my comic shop, we had just a couple of old machines, and they were a nightmare to keep up and running. We finally got rid of them because of that.

[OKCretro]

Every time I go I have a blast. Been probably 7-10 times. Notice a game or to every now and then broken but it doesn't dampen my mood. Interesting I usually gravitate to Ms. Pacman which is interesting b/c I never played it much growing up.

I realize it might be expensive but would love to see a bubble hockey USA v Russia console. I loved playing that at Showbiz and Crystal's.
But keep up the great work, when I go and bring a new person, they always ask when I am going again b/c they want to go back as well.

[Roger S]

OK BBQ, which games have you had issues with?

Well on my first visit it was Defender and Street Fighter but you had fixed both of those on my second visit.... But I haven't had time to make it back since I was there last after a February Thunder game..... Shame to hear about the NFL Blitz... I had a blast playing that after the Thunder game.

I wouldn't carry Sailor Jerry just for me. I'm not going to be able to make it in often enough to drink a bottle... ..... It is some pretty good rum though!

[JRod1980]

Every time I go I have a blast. Been probably 7-10 times. Notice a game or to every now and then broken but it doesn't dampen my mood. Interesting I usually gravitate to Ms. Pacman which is interesting b/c I never played it much growing up.

I realize it might be expensive but would love to see a bubble hockey USA v Russia console. I loved playing that at Showbiz and Crystal's.
But keep up the great work, when I go and bring a new person, they always ask when I am going again b/c they want to go back as well.

OKCretro, we just don't have the space for a bubble hockey game. I never played on one, but I always thought they looked cool. We are currently at 46 stand up cabinets and space is limited for the few games I have left on my wish list.

We also just placed an order for 2 custom cocktail arcade tables yesterday, so that will be fun finding the right spot for them. These are 60 in 1 tables and the first non traditional cabinets we will carry so I'm interested to see how well they play and how long they will go before needing to be serviced.

[BadBear]

I was there this weekend for the first time and really enjoyed it. It would've been nice if the beers on the board had prices next to them, but that would be the only thing I would change. All the games I tried worked, staff was friendly, and everyone in our group was having a great time.

[JRod1980]

Well on my first visit it was Defender and Street Fighter but you had fixed both of those on my second visit.... But I haven't had time to make it back since I was there last after a February Thunder game..... Shame to hear about the NFL Blitz... I had a blast playing that after the Thunder game.

I wouldn't carry Sailor Jerry just for me. I'm not going to be able to make it in often enough to drink a bottle... ..... It is some pretty good rum though!

We had issues with the REVERSE button on Defender and we kept messing with the button and replacing it thinking it was the springs on it, until our repair guy Mike decided to examine the board and found a couple of burned out spots that were causing the issue. So it was a board issue all along and not the button itself. But even for someone like Mike that's worked on these things for 25-30 years, its a process of elimination as to what might be wrong with a specific game. Trust me, the man earns every bit of what he charges me when he comes out (which is at least every other week).

Street Fighter is just one of those games that we are going to completely replace with a different cabinet and again NFL Blitz should be up and running within the next week or two once the new parts come in. After that we are going to give it one more run at Pole Position and if we can't get that running properly, we might just have a bon fire with the cabinet once we open up our new patio.

[JRod1980]

I was there this weekend for the first time and really enjoyed it. It would've been nice if the beers on the board had prices next to them, but that would be the only thing I would change. All the games I tried worked, staff was friendly, and everyone in our group was having a great time.

We are actually about to redo the board and menus, because we have added so many new brews to our selection and pricing on the menu is one of the things the staff brought up at our meeting last night. So we should have the board updated by this weekend and at least another week before we have new menus. We are also replacing a couple of the Signature Drinks with new ones and adding a new Signature Shot, The Exxon Valdez, which you have to drink while staring at a stuff seal doll covered in oil. oh and thank you for coming out.

[Roger S]

After that we are going to give it one more run at Pole Position and if we can't get that running properly, we might just have a bon fire with the cabinet once we open up our new patio.

for Pole Position. It wasn't working on either of my visits and I love racing games.

If you ever stumble across a Tag Team Wrestling or Yee-Arr Kung Fu cabinet to add to your collection.... That would be pretty darn awesome!

[OKCretro]

OKCretro, we just don't have the space for a bubble hockey game. I never played on one, but I always thought they looked cool. We are currently at 46 stand up cabinets and space is limited for the few games I have left on my wish list.

We also just placed an order for 2 custom cocktail arcade tables yesterday, so that will be fun finding the right spot for them. These are 60 in 1 tables and the first non traditional cabinets we will carry so I'm interested to see how well they play and how long they will go before needing to be serviced.

Bubble hockey would take up a ton of room, so i understand for sure.

[PhiAlpha]

I go in often and was just saying to friends how good a job they do of keeping all those machines up and running.

There are dozens and most are well over 30 years old and no longer made.


I suspect most the people complaining are younger, have grown up playing Xbox, and have no concept of how old, complex and hard to maintain these machines are.

It's like complaining about vintage furniture being a bit worn or how an old house needs constant repairs.

There is definitely something to be said for that. That the biggest issue I have with The Max in Tulsa. Its a cool bar, but every time I stop in, half of the machines are broken.

[BrownTom]

My team, We Lived This Sh!t, dominated in the 80's Trivia Tournament of Champions last night taking home the grand prize.

How many teams did you compete against in the Tournament of Champions?

[Pete]

How many teams did you compete against in the Tournament of Champions?

I believe there were only 5 but 6 or 7 qualified over the 8 preliminary weeks; I know my team won twice and I think we were the only ones that did.


FlashBack starts 90's trivia on April 27th.

[BrownTom]

I believe there were only 5 but 6 or 7 qualified over the 8 preliminary weeks; I know my team won twice and I think we were the only ones that did.

My team won twice as well. Out of the five times we played, we won twice and came in second three times. We were unable to come to the last two, so I guess we missed whatever announcements were made about the championship during that time. However, our emails were taken and we were told we would be emailed details about the championship but those emails never came. I had been keeping an eye on the FB page for any info and there never was anything, so finally I messaged them a week ago inquiring about the championship game --- never got a response. Now I know why. Not the end of the world, but pretty disappointing. I think we would've been one of the favorites. Oh well. Maybe they'll do another 80s Trivia series soon.

[BrownTom]

My team, We Lived This Sh!t, dominated in the 80's Trivia Tournament of Champions last night taking home the grand prize.

Looking forward to my VIP tour of Coop Ale Works!

So, the Ale Works tour was the prize for winning the tournament?

[Pete]

So, the Ale Works tour was the prize for winning the tournament?

Yes, and $100.

[Pete]

They finally got their sign up -- looks great.

On Saturday night after the Arts Festival kicked us out, a group of us walked over to FlashBack and it happened to be their 80's prom.

Lots of people were dressed up and it was a total blast. Interestingly, I'd saw there were at least twice as many women as men.

DJ was great and we stayed until closing time. Really, really fun and friendly crowd.