These pics are all via from a righteous Flickr pool called Growing Up In Arcades: 1979-1989. I’m going through the entire series and posting my faves, adding commentary where I see fit. Here’s the first installment.
AaronCaldwell/Flickr
May 24, 1983. Love the moonscape and the Berzerk marquee, but especially the moonscape. What’s an arcade but a series of trips to other worlds?
AaronCaldwell/Flickr
Homeboy on the left reminds me of the funny fat kid on The Cosby Show (what was his name?). Le Tigre dude is grabbing his balls or something; dude next to him is taking a shit in his pants; and dude next to him (the birthday boy in the previous pic) is sporting a killer E.T. shirt that I would wear today, if I could find one that fit.
David Atkins/Flickr
Another one from 1983. The socks. My God, the socks. And another Le Tigre polo (those were the shit back then). And the cut-off jean shorts. And a green t-shirt tucked into green, elastic banded P.E. shorts. Why not? It’s 1983, and we were there, and it was awesome.
Rad Arcade/Flickr
In the arcade cocoon we were kept warm by the fantasies our quarters bought us.
Rad Arcade/Flickr
Dad watches on, bemused by these newfangled games, but secure in the comfort of his pocket protector.
Rad Arcade/Flickr
Put those dice away, players! No gambling zone.
Rad Arcade/Flickr
Oh my sweet heaven. A Space Port.
2 Warps to Neptune 
Awesome. Dood, I knew you’d go nuts over that Space Port. Who wouldn’t? There’s so many classic pictures in that collection. You’re sure to have several installments. Bring ’em on.
Not sure if you saw my comment on that one group pic of the kids. I totally think that one kid’s trying to pull a Billy Idol pose with the fist and that sneer. See the kid behind him? Unicorn and a rainbow, before rainbows sparked any kind of controversy if you sported one. As much a sign of the times as those two Ms. Pac-Man machines side by side—supplying the high gaming demand.
You’ve inspired me to draft a post on arcade culture. Hmm. Stay tuned.
LoL. I can totally imagine that one kid dragging his dad to the arcade with him right after he got home from work. “Okay, so this is where you like to go after school, huh? All right, just this once. Let me see what all this arcade business is about.”
“Funny fat kid from “The Cosby Show”? PETER! (LOL, You’re right!)