Playing cocktail table games at Pizza Hut is how I became interested in the NES. I remember as a little kid playing games like Super Mario Bros. and Castlevania. After enough nagging and begging, my parents FINALLY bought me a NES. It had been out about a year already and every kid in my neighboorhood already had one, but I was so happy. I remember later playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on Playchoice at Pizza Hut. I then couldn't wait till it came out on the NES. My parents bought me a copy for Christmas(I think) and it cost like $70. I also remember seeing Ice Climber, Goonies 2, and Excite Bike as stand alone games, though I never got a chance to play any of them. Anyways, you don't see these cocktail table games in Pizza Hut anymore. It's too bad really, there are probably other kids that were introduced to the NES and some of it's games in this way. I heard the reason you don't see the games anymore is because Pizza Hut was bought out by another company.

Pizza Hut was not the only place to have cocktail table games. You could also find these games at Chi Chi's and other places. Quick Trip and other convenience stores had games too, though they were actually arcade games, not cocktail table games. I remember playing Karate Champ all day at my local QT when I was a little kid.They had various other games too throughout time, but I'm not sure I remember if any of them were NES games. Anyways, I've also noticed a sudden disappearance of arcade games in convenience stores. I haven't been in a QT in awhile, but last I remember, they didn't have any games. In haven't seen games in any other convenience stores either. Some people tell me their local store still has arcade games, but I haven't seen any in awhile. I guess maybe one reason places like Pizza Hut and QT got rid of their games is because people went there just to play video games all day. It's just a theory, but I was always looking foward to going to Pizza Hut so I could sample another NES game I didn't have. I wonder how many other people got hooked on the NES this way too.

Thanks go out to Knight, Sam, Wileyman, and anyone else I forgot who gave me information.(gee, I feel like Jeff Rovin now :D)

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