By Kendra Arnold -

By Kendra Arnold

The Morristown Game Vault had a soft opening over the weekend and welcomed a steady stream of people coming in to check it out. Most blurted something like “This is awesome!” and “I’ll be back!” before leaving with smiles on their faces.

Located in the old PNC Bank at 22 South St., the arcade is full of pinball machines and video games from the 1970s through today, packed into one amazing re-purposed space.

If you had a favorite game when you were growing up, you are likely to find it at Game Vault; it has many members of the Pac-Man and Donkey Kong families, along with Star Trek (1978) and Lord of the Rings (2003) pinball editions.

With 17 machines, the pinball wall is sure to delight. You can even find Tron inside a room lined with safe deposit boxes.

Owner David Balsamini has a real passion for saving these vintage games and restoring them, and loves to see people enjoy playing them. His collection started with Asteroids and Ms. Pac-Man and grew to the collection that now fills a bank lobby.

David formerly worked as a pharmacist, and that’s where he met Game Vault manager Fil Nobile, who worked with him. They discovered they both loved these old games, and a dream was born.

You don’t need quarters at the Morristown Game Vault; you pay either $10 for an hour or if you are waiting for your table to open up at one of the nearby restaurants, you can sign up for 30 minutes for $7. All the games are open and you can play any game you want as much as you want.

Game Vault has a party room and has already booked parties for people turning 13 and people turning 30-something. It’s also had some inquiries about corporate Team Building exercises, and from people excited to spend their lunch breaks playing games.

DISPENSING FUN

David Balsamini grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, but loves living in this part of New Jersey. While his Morristown Game Vault is in a bank, he actually came up with the name first, before he found the space.

His family spent a holiday voting on the name and Game Vault came out the winner. He started searching for a location in 2013 and when he found this empty bank, it was clear it was meant to be. Leaving behind his pharmacist career where he used to dispense prescriptions, he now dispenses fun.

David is full of great stories about games and gaming. The 1978 Star Trek pinball game he owns had an original playfield that was so worn that someone tried to repair it by filling up the worn sections with a ballpoint pen.

That original playfield is now hanging next to the restored game. David described how the restoration involved removing every original screw and bumper, painstakingly making sure it was back where it belonged.

He also shared a story about how when video games became a successful fad, there were worries that the country would run out of quarters because they were tied up in Space Invader games across United States.

This game-lover thinks it’s fantastic to see this space open up in downtown Morristown. Wishing Mr. Balsamini and Mr. Nobile the best of luck and much success in their new business of bringing fun to town.

Morristown Game Vault, 22 South St., Morristown. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11:30 am-10pm; Friday, 11:30 am-11:30 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 11:30 pm; Sunday 10 am-10 pm. You can like Morristown Game Vault on Facebook or check out its website.