Step into the new Balboa Fun Zone Arcade on the Balboa Peninsula, and you may feel like you’re in a game of Minecraft or Space Invaders.
That’s because the tile floor’s pattern duplicates the designs of those video games. The vibe is meant to get people of all ages in the mood for fun.
The entire building, built in 1936, has been renovated. The dropped ceiling has been removed, exposing more of the the original structure of the building. The sign outside is also new, though the arcade’s new operators said they made sure it has a vintage feel.
“We could have rented a different space, but we thought the nostalgia of the Fun Zone is really, really cool,” said Albert Hall, a Newport Beach sports marketer. He has partnered with Derek Poirier, who is in gaming and operates other arcades in Southern California, to come up with a new concept for the decades-old icon of the Balboa Fun Zone.
Hall, who co-founded the NBA Summer League where the pro teams try out rookies and second-year players, met Poirier there, and the two decided their skills would be a complimentary match for a new venture at the old arcade.
The arcade has been part of the Fun Zone since the mid-1980s and was last operated by Shannan Park and her husband, Max Moore, after they took it over from a former operator in 2007.
In December, Park’s lease was not renewed by the Pyle Family of Newport Beach, which in 2021 purchased the block-long Fun Zone, including the 1,600-square-foot arcade. Henry Pyle said at the time of the old arcade’s exit that a new operator was in the wings.
On Wednesday, March 13, Hall and Poirier held a soft opening for family and friends to get feedback, which Hall said “was a big hit with rave reviews.” The arcade opens to the public at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 15, and will be open until 11 p.m.
“We committed to honoring the past, representing the present, and embracing the future,” Hall said about the concept for the re-envisioned arcade, which he and Poirier submitted to Henry Pyle in the fall.
As part of a nod to the past, Hall and Poirier worked with the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar and, with the help of a donation, secured some old-time photos from the late 1930s showing what life on the Peninsula was like, Hall said. Photos capture scenes such as a paddleboard championship from 1938, an old-time Newport Beach fire engine responding to a call, and a person Boogie boarding behind a Model T on a flooded street during a rain storm.
Though the duo made sure to bring back some of the old old-time faves such as Skee-ball, air hockey and Pop-A-Shot, there are also 30 new games, including titles such as Jurassic Park and Need for Speed, a car-racing action game, Halo arcade games and Big Shot, a two-player video target shooting game.
“Derek had a real good vision for what people want,” Hall said. “He curated the entire space and really knew what games to put in.”
Instead of collecting tickets that are then redeemed for prizes like in the former iteration of the arcade run by Park, players now will use a card that collects points and is used to play all the games. When it comes to getting prizes, there are plenty to pick from.
The prize wall features Squishmallows in all sizes and colors, Marvel characters and a super-sized Spidermen. Those, Hall said, will take at least 100,000 points. But there is also some cool stuff for much fewer points, including rubber ducks and Funko Pops.
The new operators also want to take advantage of the outdoor spaces outside the arcade, Hall said. Three 55-inch TVs have been installed on the patio and will show whatever popular sports event is on.
“We want to make it a place for all ages,” Hall said, adding that the patio, which will be serving limited alcohol for now, is meant to be a fun place for adults who don’t want to play games to hang out, either as a destination or while their children or others in their party entertain themselves inside the arcade.
“We’re going to do a 1st Date Fridays and are working on a speed-dating night,” he said.
On Wednesday, for example, two former NHL veterans, Shane O’Brien and Scottie Upshall, hosted a live podcast there. That is not an exception, but something Hall said can be expected more regularly.
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The outdoor spaces, which can accommodate 200 people, can also be rented out for private events and will be used on Friday, March 15, for the grand opening.
Hall said the opening will be treated like a “Hollywood event,” adding that there will be a backdrop where people can take photos, music by DJ Griff, a favorite in Newport Beach, and Mountain Mike Pizza will give out pizza slices to the first 1,000 people.
“The whole area is just due to take off,” Hall said about the Fun Zone. “It’s really on the come-up. We’re happy to take part in it.”
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