In the age of Wii, video game fan opens classic arcade
By Julie Mullen For Sun-Times Media February 20, 2012 4:14PM
Matt Urquhart, formerly of Algonquin, plays a one of a kind prototype of a game called "Big Buck", Wednesday, at No Limit Arcade in Algonquin. | Dave Shields~For Suntimes Media.
If you go
♦ No Limit Arcades, 2718 W. Algonquin Road, Algonquin
♦ (847) 515-3644
♦ Hours: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 2 p.m. to midnight, Friday; 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday. Closed Mondays, except on school holidays.
♦ On the Web: nolimitarcades.com
Article Extras
Updated: March 22, 2012 8:12AM
As a member of a band that backed up musical greats of the time like Ted Nugent and Survivor, Mark Battaglia had one wild decade in the 1980s.
And the Huntley resident doesn’t want to see that era forgotten.
He recently opened No Limit Arcades in Algonquin, a virtual blast from the past for adults and their kids.
The huge arcade, formerly a flooring store, features games like Pac-Man, Tron, Space Invaders and Frogger.
Battaglia said all of his game cabinets are vintage and his pinball machines are original Bally/Williams.
“To the true pinball players, that really means something,” said Battaglia, who buys and sells the arcade games as part of the business.
One of the walls of the 4,000- square-foot facility is lined with photos of Battaglia and various celebrities he’s met along the way as a noted bass guitarist.
Admission to No Limit Arcades is $20 per person, or $15 for students and veterans. One child age 12 or under is admitted free with each paying adult.
The arcade’s 60 machines — which also include newer games — are all set to free play, with no coins or tokens required.
A $99 monthly membership is also offered for the more frequent gamers.
Battaglia’s interest in arcade machines came from his own love of playing the games.
“I had them in my basement for fun, but decided to sell some on eBay and it really took off,” he said. “I started buying them up in packages.”
At first, Battaglia was going to open a retail store selling arcade machines.
“Then, it dawned on me, that’s a lot of overhead sitting in a store, and it’d be a shame if I couldn’t make money on them while they are there,” he said.
Battaglia is still connected to his first love, the music industry, as a member of the bands No Limit and Skin Deep.
“The ’80s was my heyday. I jammed with Night Ranger, Dennis DeYoung, REO, The Romantics, and Survivor,” he said. “It was the time of my life, so I’m keeping a little of that and doing something new.”
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