Open List Home >> Portland, OR >> Arts & Entertainment >> Amusement Places >> Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love Portland. It is a magical place with beautiful forests. The air is cleaner, the people nicer, and yes, I think I might even be more attractive when I am in Portland. It is Shangri-La but with...
yelp.com - user review - 10/13/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Oh man. This place is a mecca for my teenage boy inner child. Despite my anxieties about going downtown, every so often I'll cram my road rage and fear of parallel parking into the back seat just to...
yelp.com - user review - 10/04/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Whats not to love? Beer, video games, and a great bartenders (Johnny is my favorite) make every night a good night the second you walk through the doors. Make sure you make it there for free game...
yelp.com - user review - 09/27/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I would like to say thanks to my friend Andy for walking me down the street to see for myself what he has raved about. This place just blew my mind!!!! This vintage arcade is one and a half levels of...
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Few places are more appropriate for harnessing the inner child and beer lover within than this classic arcade.GK features a bevy of old school classics like Street Fighter II, Tetris and Q-Bert and an...
yelp.com - user review - 09/13/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love the concept of drinking beer and playing arcade games.They have a whole 2nd floor devoted to playing pinball while a DJ spins tunes in the background!! Excellent! I took away one star,...
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a non commercialized Dave & Busters meets hipster dive. The combination of beer, video games and live music is like Heaven on earth for most guys. Ground Kontrol won my heart with its...
yelp.com - user review - 09/02/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The idea of Ground Kontrol is cool. It is an arcade that serves beer at night. What isn't there to like?Beer selection could be slightly better (it is Portland after all).I really didn't appreciate...
yelp.com - user review - 08/31/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love this place. In four short days on my trip to Portland, I think we stopped in here as many times. Beer. Pinball. Video games. Sigh. Paradise? I think so.
yelp.com - user review - 08/29/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love this place and miss it dearly :(
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of the last few arcades on earth. Play retro games for 25 cents, and at night drink beer while doing it!
yelp.com - user review - 08/20/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I have many enemies:1. Sinistar. ('Beware I live.')2. Sloth.3. Attachment.4. Sinistar, again. Jesus.Have been here three times; Twice on lazy-wednesday-night-soft-rain-let's-go-out type dates....
yelp.com - user review - 08/19/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ah, Ground Kontrol.When I was just a boy in fourth grade, an arcade opened up down the street from our house. I remember going in with a dollar and being amazed by all the bright lights and sounds,...
yelp.com - user review - 08/18/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
So this is split into parts. 1. Awesome video games that cost mere quarters! Not as varied as I'd like though. Good for what it is.2. The DJ was fantastic! I loved the music selection.3. Staff are...
yelp.com - user review - 08/14/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I feel like a child again whenever I go to Ground Kontrol. Portland is a land of hedonism and at Ground Kontrol, I'm able to fulfill my desire to beat people at Street Fighter II, and to play a one...
yelp.com - user review - 08/10/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place reminds me of why I used to love video games so much when I was a kid! It has the classic arcade games like Space Invaders, Centipede, Tetris...all the ones you remember! Nowadays, games...
yelp.com - user review - 08/10/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place was a blast. They have all kinds of old arcade games from the 80's and early 90's as well as a ton of pinball games. Add into the mix cheap beer and a live DJ, and you've got a recipe for...
yelp.com - user review - 08/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
i always enjoy hanging out with my 2 buddies PBR and Dr. Mario
yelp.com - user review - 08/05/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Wow. All the games I love. I remember the first time I ever laid my eyes on Donkey Kong. It was at the Cedar Hills Safeway when I was just a wee lad. I asked my mom for a quarter but she said it was...
yelp.com - user review - 08/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Beer Old-School Pinball Gauntlet TRON = Good thing.
yelp.com - user review - 08/04/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Part of me still worries that I'll end up as That Guy. Not That Guy who gets drunk at your wedding and hits on your best friend, your sister, and your mother in succession, nor That Guy who always...
yelp.com - user review - 07/27/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What can I say? This place is amazing. Exceeded my expectations. They have all the old school games and they still only cost a quarter. They have CHEAP beer prices. Not the best selection but who...
yelp.com - user review - 07/22/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I found this place when looking up pinball arcades in the city of Portland. Visited the website many times before I went, was all prepared, and as soon as I walked in the door, i think I pooped a...
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I must say I am a huge fan of this place and try to get here as often as I can. This is THE place for those of us who grew up playing video games in the 80's. Atari 2600 games - oh yeah, baby!OK, now...
yelp.com - user review - 07/14/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
if this place had skee-ball, it'd be perfect. awesome games, tons of pinball machines, etc.word of caution: the bathroom can be skeeeeetch. i'm not a beer drinker so i tend to do my drinkin' and...
yelp.com - user review - 07/13/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Ground Kontrol is A-OK with me. $2 Pabst tall-boys, no cover and fun games. Met some friends here on Saturday night for the first time and had a blast! The most memorable game for me was the Simpson's...
yelp.com - user review - 06/29/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Beer, old school uprights, and pinball.. with a helpful staff and an unpretentious medley of men and women, lonely types, first dates, businessmen, and more.... it begs the love of games and attracts...
yelp.com - user review - 06/14/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
The concept is simple yet brilliant. Fill a small space with popular arcade games from the last 30 years, and add a bar. For anyone born in the 70's or early 80's this place is probably for you....
yelp.com - user review - 06/05/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I first remembered Ground Kontrol when it was Broadway a few years back. It was definitely a sub-cultured place that I liked to go quite a bit because it was never really packed. I could play the...
yelp.com - user review - 05/15/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
All reviews aside:This place is amazing. I want this in Seattle.Unfortunately for me, the DDR Extreme machine had a non-responsive up on the 2p pad and the left on the 1p pad was in pretty bad shape...
yelp.com - user review - 05/13/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Old school video games, can's of PBR and candy - need I say more?-1 star for the horrible loud live music they sometimes have. Forget your laundry, save your quarters for Ground Kontrol!
yelp.com - user review - 05/13/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ground Kontrol is the reason I moved to Portland. It's the reason I live in a sketchy apartment building in Old Town full of crack addicts and schizophrenics. It's the reason I have vivid,...
yelp.com - user review - 05/06/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
JOUST! This place brought back so many childhood memories, all the old games I used to play under one roof - and they serve beer! Sometimes a game will eat your quarter without giving you a gaming...
yelp.com - user review - 05/04/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
**FYI** I was just informed that Oregon requires ID check in all places that serve alcohol. Be prepared to have your ID on you.**The good ole days of video arcades. Like the other yelpers- sometimes...
yelp.com - user review - 04/29/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
rad.An agglomerated confusion; part arcade, bar, nightspot for the alt. types.since im cheap and immune to 'gam3r nostalgia' it is a good place to go to free load wifi and listen to some good tunes...
yelp.com - user review - 04/26/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is pretty cool. It's a retro arcade with many old-school games and pinball machines. Most of the games are 25 cents per play, with a couple being 50. There is a change machine inside to...
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
7th dream of a teenage heaven! Oh to be a teeneager again...Played centipede and tempest till I was out of coin - and managed to crack the top ten. $1.50 tall boys makes the games more umm, let's say...
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I truly miss my youth. My grandmother would take me to the arcade everyday. Then kindergarten had to come and ruin all that.The selection here is everything you used to love. My buddy and I checked...
yelp.com - user review - 04/05/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Arcade nirvana. I totally blew out my forearm playing Centipede, but people, I could feel neurons that hadn't fired in 20 years awakening all over my brain. Seriously considering a job transfer to...
yelp.com - user review - 04/04/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Beer AND kick ass old video games! Is this heaven, or is it Iowa? I haven't played that Star Wars game since I was a ten year old at the skating alley. I sucked at it then, too. The only...
yelp.com - user review - 03/29/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Seriously, what is better than a punk rock arcade bar? Tell me what could possibly be more awesome? Maybe a punk rock arcade bar where all the games functioned perfectly and there was a slightly...
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
From a three, up to a four! Art contacted me immediately to let me know that they are following up with some of the games I thought were crucial and missing. The prompt reply and information was...
yelp.com - user review - 03/23/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love Ground Control. Its pretty much an 80s arcade. I wish there was a better area within ground control chill out in between games of Tron. But it gets 4 stars just as it is. If your a child of...
yelp.com - user review - 03/20/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If you were ever a legit Nerd growing up and had dreams of a place you can call home without people judging you, shoving you in the locker room, or giving you swirlys, this is it! Weather or not you...
yelp.com - user review - 03/17/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What? Where am I? What IS this magical place?!?For a moment I felt like a kid again, plugging quarters (still only a quarter!) into Mario Bros!, Frogger, Dig Dug, and BurgerTime, as well as old...
yelp.com - user review - 03/16/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Awesome. We were able to bring our pinball and video game fanatic 6 year old here, which he flipped out on, and be out by 5pm for the 21 crowd, which we totally respect. Sadly, we don't have anything...
yelp.com - user review - 03/15/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Super Mario, Doctor Mario, Burger Time AND Donkey Kong?!All for .25 cents?!With $2 beer?!And .75 cents sodi pops?!No thuggish 10 years old around cause it's 21 at night?!Oh hella to the yes! Right,...
yelp.com - user review - 03/07/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Well, I finally went to Ground Kontrol and learned a few things:Addams Family pinball game isn't as good as I remember.The Dr. Who pinball game is awesome, but hard as hell.The big surprise was that...
yelp.com - user review - 03/03/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is rad! I was playing Street Fighter III and some dude came over and started kicking my ass. Then he stopped the game to explain the intricacies of a three hit combo. If only they'd been so...
yelp.com - user review - 02/28/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If I could have babies with this place I would because they'd grow up to be the most amazing people ever. So imagine you're bored on any night of the week and you're like "Damn, I'd really love to go...
yelp.com - user review - 02/22/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Burgertime is hard. Donkey Kong is hard. Staying sweat-less during many bouts of DDR is hard. Loving Ground Kontrol is easy.Being friends with a Mario Bros. professional (Alex O.) has its ups and...
yelp.com - user review - 02/22/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is not nearly as busy as you'd expect, which is great for ME! I enjoy getting all my frustration out in a good game of Area 51 (take that mutated skeletor-type things!). Sometimes I have...
yelp.com - user review - 02/21/2009
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Fantastic concept, mediocre execution.I love the fact that they have dozens of pinball machines and Golden Age video game cabinets here, but many of the coin mechanisms need attention, and there are...
yelp.com - user review - 02/21/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
In the late 70s, when my brother and I were growing up, my father was the manager of a rundown hotel in Downtown Miami. We frequently accompanied him to work, but unless you've got a big wheel and...
yelp.com - user review - 02/15/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Growing up we have probably all have spend sometime in an arcade. Then reaching the end of your teens and growing into an adult the arcade life starts to slip away. You may ask why would an adult go...
yelp.com - user review - 02/12/2009
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Seriously, this place should be a lot cooler than it is. It is basically a third-rate arcade that sells some crappy beer. This place should have some seating area, too. But there isn't, so it's just...
yelp.com - user review - 02/11/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Last visit was waaaaay better: most machines working, and a tech on site. It is back on the Portland Mandatory Visit list.
yelp.com - user review - 02/10/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
ok that is it!! the bay area needs this now!! i can't afford to drive into oregon just to play these sweet video games! if we only had a place like this with all of the great old school retro games. i...
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Remember that Yogi Berra quote about what happens and how you take it? 90/10 ratio to all. I agree. Life is all about how you see things. For example, I'll never look at a roll of quarters the same...
yelp.com - user review - 01/26/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Ground Kontrol has to be one of the most unique places I have ever been to. In a country where Arcades are virtually dying, this place flourishes by combining two of the most entertaining things...
yelp.com - user review - 01/22/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Spending 4th of July here with my bf was way better than smooshing together with strangers to watch explosions in the sky. We much preferred playing centipede (I beat him, yes!) and pinball and the...
yelp.com - user review - 01/17/2009
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This place takes you back to being a kid. You can play great vintage video games while drinking a beer. They often have some kind of live music situation happening and there are quite a few great pinball...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/15/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
"This is Ground Kontrol to Major Tom..."Ground Kontrol is an essential stop in Portland, the perfect synthesis of beer and bytes, seamlessly integrated in the middle of town with at least two or three...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2009
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Great adult fun! I am a huge pinball fan so this is a slice of heaven for me. Also lots of clasic arcade games--Tetris, Pac Man, Dr. Mario, Track and Field, etc. Be prepared for lots of people,...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I Heart Ground Kontrol!When I first heard a coworker talking about an arcade/bar, I coudn't believe my ears. Could there BE such a glorious place of amusement and where one can also booze it up?There...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2009
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This place is awesome, what a cool place to hang out. The kids loved it to and it was so cool to show them all the old games I used to play back in the day. I totally give it 5 stars!
citysearch.com - user review - 01/06/2009
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ten reasons why you need to go here:1. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/V-5Hnkbqj4h1eMmFwiUeYA'select=tSwIK4w_nVPFLQJkObue_A2....
yelp.com - user review - 12/22/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
That's odd...I was certain I wrote a review of this place months ago. Alas, my memory must be fading. Still, I do remember the bygone years of arcade game addiction, now replaced by more modern,...
yelp.com - user review - 12/22/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is the best ever!!! I LOVE it!Games from when I was a kid. Pac-man, Astroids, Cyrstal Castles....Go on any night other then the weekend, it's too packed on the weekends. And I don't...
yelp.com - user review - 12/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I used to think videogames were lame and something I would no longer play now that I am a card-carrying adult with debt and preventative eye-wrinkle cream.Yeah, well F*CK that! All my adult...
yelp.com - user review - 12/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
ground kontrol has some great games, but you don't have to take my word for it, here are some other opinions that help....
yelp.com - user review - 12/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I grew up in malls, which included going to arcades. As a gamer that has graduated into adult status, I love today's lush video and computer games, but always hanker for the days of simpler graphics....
yelp.com - user review - 12/04/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Holy crap! An arcade and a dive bar wrapped into one! This town is so ROCK! Denver, get with the program...we need something cool like this!They've got everything that I could possibly want in an...
yelp.com - user review - 11/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
this place is perfect for:dates,lunch breaks,beers and snickers,nerds,geeks,coolies,going away parties,birthday parties,party time,burger time,recollecting,dance dance revolutions,happy hour,rainy...
yelp.com - user review - 11/20/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
So there I was, sitting in my lonely studio apartment staring at my blank television screen when the wave of boredom hit me. See, I- like many Portlanders, have sworn off cable television. Honestly...
yelp.com - user review - 11/18/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Whenever I get the fever, Pac-Man fever, I stop by Ground Kontrol and get a few PBR's and drop about 5 bucks in change. After 5pm, it's 21 and up and there start to serve beer. They have both kinds of...
yelp.com - user review - 11/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Now I understand what all the fuss is about.Despite not being a huge arcade game player since my youth (and never owning a gaming system), I went out to Hallowbleep at Ground Kontrol last night. $5...
yelp.com - user review - 10/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It was a Saturday night, beer in one hand as the other lightly taps a quarter filled pocket with adolescent familiarity. Thoughts scurry when you enter a place like this; "Rent? What's that?" or "Oh,...
yelp.com - user review - 10/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I spent $10 beating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it was freaking fantastic. The glory I felt was nothing short of that of my college graduation. I know that little kids can now look up to me....
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
OMG can we go can we go can we go?!?!(This level of kid-like excitement is sadly a norm in the life of connie)I had heard of this place, but hadn't seen it until my friend & I were wandering around...
yelp.com - user review - 09/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place rules. What more can I say that hasn't been said already? Drinking a cold brew and playing Tron kicks ass.Drinking a cold brew and playing Dig-Dug kicks ass.Drinking a cold brew and...
yelp.com - user review - 09/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Video games... no kids... beer... can I just live here please?All those pinball machines, I can't even take it. Burger Time. Tubin. Simpsons. You can tell I am a serious gamer, right? Rockband on...
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Hey Major Tom, this is absolute heaven! Count 'em, four Mrs. Pac-Man machines and one is the two player sit-down version. This place wins! Game over!
yelp.com - user review - 09/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is awesome!!!!Marvel vs Capcom2 Pbr = Nerd Heaven !!!i like this place till i get drunk than i get the spins
yelp.com - user review - 09/03/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I don't remember the exact night the owners of Ground Kontrol went inside my brain, mined around, and unearthed my idea of the Perfect Place. But I'm most certainly glad they did.
yelp.com - user review - 08/30/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Forget your Wii, 360, and PS3. This place defines video games. Tons of games, loud music, and beer! I wished that I owned this place its so cool to me. If you've never been go here any night after...
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place was so much fun, located in a sketchy area, with the light drizzles of the Portland rain. Once you get inside, it is every retro gamers dream come true. Being a girl at first I felt out...
yelp.com - user review - 08/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Wow. Ground Kontrol is definitely in the top three of most fun bars ever. It's getting harder to find classic arcade games these days, and Ground Kontrol has all of my favorites, including Galaga and...
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
FUN, FUN, FUN, FUN...FUN!!!my quarters go away faster than they did x-# of years ago... and they disappeared fast then! (ok... can i give it less stars because i suck so bad at video games? ...i guess...
yelp.com - user review - 07/31/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Being underage, I had no access to the bar when I stopped for a visit at this amazingly convenient location (right around the corner from Backspace!). Though, no classic game lover such as myself...
yelp.com - user review - 07/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
So fun! Bar old school arcade & pinball = happy night out with the Mr.The bar has a limited selection of brew, but you're not there to drink anyway... You're there to kick some Donkey Kong ass!!...
yelp.com - user review - 07/27/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I went for my first time on Tuesday night because I heard about it through a friend that there's Rock Band on Tuesday night there. Now, I didn't go there too play I just wantd to see it and what I...
yelp.com - user review - 07/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I've only been here once, but it was the best unsuccessful first date of my life.Seriously - you can't go wrong when there's so much to distract you from the fact that you kindof don't get along with...
yelp.com - user review - 07/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The only way this place could be more Portland is to add strippers and their own microbrew.
yelp.com - user review - 07/16/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Death Metal DJ. Lord of the Rings Pinball. $2 High Life. Video Game craziness. Drunk.
yelp.com - user review - 07/07/2008
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First of all, the last reviewer admits to trashing games then gets mad when confronted by security? The pinball machines are rigged? - LOL - loved that one!! If I paid $3,750.00 for a new pinball machine and...
citysearch.com - user review - 06/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Old school arcade games booze. Beauty in simplicity; I don't know why more bar/gamerooms don't exist. Ground Kontrol (by the way: rethink the name, nerds) is more an arcade with a bar attached...
yelp.com - user review - 06/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Yeah, this place is awesome! Typical nerds running around super hyped up over old arcade games. Wow, if I were single, I'd come here looking for a date. Serious. Ask my friend out, he'll probably...
yelp.com - user review - 06/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Good tunes. $2 PBR. Photobooths. Old school pinball and video games GALORE. Oh, and NO KIDS after 7 PM. I really don't think I need to go on.
yelp.com - user review - 06/04/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Old school games everywhere you turn! This place is loud, just like arcades we cruised in our youth. the only drawback is that there is no beer in afternoon, and the fact that I notice it is loud,...
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I love playing old school NBA Jams with the Big Heads and Blitz! And cheap beer! I would give this place 4 stars but I'm not into death metal at ear shattering decibles.
yelp.com - user review - 05/16/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Hurray for stocking sit-down Pole Position, both genders of Pac-Man, and a svelte Alec Baldwin Pinball machine.Boo for no beer before 5 pm and requiring a photo ID to access the toilet.
yelp.com - user review - 05/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I don't know about you, but for me, drunken Dance Dance Revolution (or DDDR) is a spiritual experience. If only people would make DDR machines for giants, I'd be set. I'm always on my tip toes,...
yelp.com - user review - 05/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Holy jumping up and down Mary! Wall to wall old school arcade games...the ones from back in the days where every mall had an arcade and every kid growing up constantly pestered their parental units...
yelp.com - user review - 05/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of the other reviewers said "Video games and beer." I say this, "video games and $2 PBR!" Now that will leave quarters in your pocket for screaming over Street Fighter. I went recently for the...
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Video games and beer. The bane of my existence. I love you both. Ground Kontrol has you both. Therefore I love Ground Kontrol. The only problem is that Ground Kontrol, despite having the best of...
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I'm a huge fan of pinball, so I find myself at Ground Kontrol from time to time. Going into a real arcade is such a throwback to my childhood -- I get excited as soon as I hear the classic video game...
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place was a great find on a recent weekend trip to Portland. I love that all the arcade games only cost 25 cents. Even though I may have died quickly on every game at least I didn't lose 50-75...
yelp.com - user review - 03/31/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Dudes.... so not only did I set an all time personal high on Ms. Pacman, but I also put together a twelve win streak in Street Fighter: Malaysia Edition, or something like that... all i know is...
yelp.com - user review - 03/29/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I may or may not still have the number 2 score on Dr. Mario. It would've been number 1 but I got distracted by a girl. Damn it!Ummm... great place, but it's weird with a big group of friends because...
yelp.com - user review - 03/22/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Pinball is one of my almost constant guilty obsessions so Ground Kontrol is always able to please with several dozen devices always available to accept my quarters like a drunken sailor. Whither the...
yelp.com - user review - 03/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
day 12 of my nation wide tour!major tom to ground kontrol!tell my wife i love her! cuz i found the mother ship and may never come home! this place has all the retro pinball machines upstairs. maybe 2...
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Classic arcade games. Classic pinball games. The prices you paid to play these games when you were 10, it was still the 80's and your ass should have been in school or getting exercise.Ground Kontrol...
yelp.com - user review - 02/18/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Need More Cup Holders!We never owned Nintendo or Atari as children, so the only games my sibs and I got to play were the arcade games from the lobbies of various theaters around Anchorage. It was...
yelp.com - user review - 01/31/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Fantastic joint to play all your old favorite arcade games while enjoying a brewsky. I saw and played games I haven't seen or heard of in AGES. Two magical floors of arcade games and pinball...
yelp.com - user review - 01/28/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
After going to Shorty's in Seattle I wanted more. Video games and drinking just together so well. The selection of old school games is amazing! And then upstairs the amount of pinball machines rocked!...
yelp.com - user review - 01/25/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
they have a lot of video games and a good selection of pinball machines, but its just not the type of place i feel comfortable doing either activity. i have been to some great places for pinball and...
yelp.com - user review - 01/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
How much better can life get but to sit on a bar stool drinking beer on tap while playing the original Super Mario Bros???The first time I went to Ground Kontrol, I probably spent the first 30 minutes...
yelp.com - user review - 01/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love classical arcade! And I get excited even just watching my friend trying to beat the pacman record. They've got classic video games from the late 80s to the mid 90s. From Ninja Turtles to...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I've never been much of a video game addict. Even as a little kid I never bugged my parents to take me to the arcade. However, I've always been intrigued by people-watching those who are good at video...
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Pirates of the Caribbean PINBALL baby!! I straight-up pwned Jack Sparrow and his crew. Except not really. Pinball games will give you, like, a million points, but apparently a million is a really...
yelp.com - user review - 01/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I made it a point to visit Ground Kontrol when in Portland back in November. It's a classic gamer's dream. They obviously put a lot of care and maintainence into the games. I was there too early in...
yelp.com - user review - 12/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I love Ground Kontrol, I really do. Nothing like hitting up old school arcade games like Raiden, Ninja Turtles, Street Fighter, or Frogger, trying out some of the many many pinball machines they have,...
yelp.com - user review - 12/19/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Its great that this place is here! I got to relive a few of those awkward teenage moments when I couldn't even master a video game very well... and to make it even more awkward, a friend walked by,...
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Sure, for the average geek, Ground Kontrol seems like Gen X nirvana. The nostalgic factor alone is enough to warrant a pop-in to this downtown joint. One may find it difficult to find the need to...
yelp.com - user review - 11/20/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Ah, this brings back memories of Chuck E Cheese and Showbiz Pizza from my youth. This time there is no teenager in a mouse costume and there is no health code challenging pizza. This time there is...
yelp.com - user review - 11/16/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I think the concept for this place is brilliant. But there's a few things which don't give me the motivation to come back often.The cover is too high, considering I don't really care for a live band...
yelp.com - user review - 11/10/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
obsessive loners paradise.i went for joust. but was denied. there was a dude pegged to the floor in front of the machine. looked like he'd been there for days with no intention of leaving. i...
yelp.com - user review - 10/29/2007
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Had a couple of bad experiences there. I have driven there more than once to find out that it's rented out for the evening, which is something they don't make mention of on they're website event calender. Kind...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/16/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Cheap beer. Video Games from the 80s.If both of these things appeal to you then don't miss Ground Kontrol. This is really a place to bring your friends. You definitely wouldn't want to go here to...
yelp.com - user review - 10/12/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
YES!
yelp.com - user review - 09/29/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
At Ground Kontrol, $10 will get you drunk and 2 hours of fun...at least. Especially if your an ass kickin video game wizard geek, like me.if you're like me, you grew up in the 80's and spent your...
yelp.com - user review - 09/28/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Welcome to 1984! Ground Kontrol is a fun place if you're looking for something different. You are instantly taken back 20 years the moment you step in the door. They offer about 40 Aracde Machines...
yelp.com - user review - 09/22/2007
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This is a fun place to go to play some retro style and retro themed video games. Asteroids, Centipede, Burgertime, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man. They also have a bunch of pinball machines and a...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/19/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place had the feel of a classic 80's arcade. The game selection was kind of weak, but they represent in the pinball department. I could spend hours here playing pinball.
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Revert back to childhood...Lots of old-school arcade games, even though quite a few were broken. No worries about annoying high school kids loitering and being annoying, it's 21 . mmm... beer.I am...
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
ol' school games, pinball...good times!
yelp.com - user review - 09/05/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
What's better than video games and beer? Not much. This is a great place to spend your quarters.
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2007
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3.0 of 5 stars.
ok, so the concept of video games you can play from back in the day is cool, but really that's pretty much the only thing that is cool. half the machines ate my quarters without even letting me...
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2007
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Old School Video games and beer, awesome right? Except the music is utterly garbage, too loud and makes me think I stepped into some kind of white trash 80's meets white supremacist concert. TURN IT...
yelp.com - user review - 08/07/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is great if you're into vintage videogames and especially if you're into pinball. The staff isn't all that welcoming, but you're not there to chit-chat with the staff. One pinball game is...
yelp.com - user review - 08/05/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This place is just too cool and novel to really get anything less than the max 5 star rating. I mean come on, old arcade games AND cheap beer? Live dj with some decent tunes? Pinball?! Woah!I threw...
yelp.com - user review - 07/30/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love this place. I now know why I stopped playing video games when I was 14 years old, it's because all the new stuff sucks. I only really say suck because it's so complicated. I never made it pass...
yelp.com - user review - 07/30/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
If you like video games from the early 80's and 90's then this is your place. After 7pm it is 21 or older only and they have bar that serves beer and wine. Local DJ's spin music.Like the variety,...
yelp.com - user review - 07/24/2007
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Having been a hardcore gamer since the early 80's, I jumped at the chance to visit a retro arcade. I was not dissapointed! They had it all, space invaders, frogger, TRON!, Rampage, etc. I was even delighted to...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/22/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is a blast. It can get a bit warm, but the Galaga makes up for everything!
yelp.com - user review - 06/27/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Pinball! Video Games! Metal shows!How Portland! It's no wonder that Ground Kontrol is a coveted local favorite. Combining beer, cheap video games, late hours, and live music without the white trash...
yelp.com - user review - 06/27/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
80's arcade games beer nightly DJs and (mostly electronic) live music. Pretty fun. I actually don't really like playing the games that much, but I love stepping in and listening to all the clamor....
yelp.com - user review - 06/21/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A gamer's dream; beer and video games. I went here not really knowing what to except and was quite pleased with what I found. Cheap beer and lots of games to play. The whole second story is pinball...
yelp.com - user review - 05/28/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
PINBALL ALERT!!!I'd be remiss to be in Portland and not visit this pinball MECCA ! ! !ok...so it's 130AM on a Friday and Ground Kontrol is still jumpin'. I wish there was a place like this in the Bay...
yelp.com - user review - 05/11/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Docked one star for the lack of liquor.One star added for the fact I saw a guy with a mullett sweat himself into a tizzy as he kicked some Dance Dance Revolution ASS!One star added for cheap beer.One...
yelp.com - user review - 04/25/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Ground Kontrol was such a surprise when I stumbled across the place last year - I couldn't believe there was a place that "just" had old arcade games, but I was hooked once I played Rampage, Joust,...
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I had a great time at GK tonight. Lots of great old games and cheap PBR. How can you go wrong?Well... they didn't have "Off Road".
yelp.com - user review - 04/04/2007
Full Review »
4.0 of 5 stars.
An arcade/bar combo that gets you away from the computerThis place reminds me of why I used to love video games so much when I was a kid! It has the classic arcade games like Space Invaders,...
yelp.com - user review - 02/23/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Yeah, this place is pretty awesome. I went here on NYE and I can't think of a better place to have been. DJs, drinks and video games. I was shaking my booty while playing Paperboy. What could be...
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Admit it, boys, you spend a lot of time playing video games. Now, wouldn't it be nice to get out of the house and do the same thing in a bar? With your girlfriend (or, o.k., maybe you can find one...
yelp.com - user review - 02/02/2007
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4.0 of 5 stars.
We had my boyfriend's birthday here ($50 for two hours and then we had some space to have voodoo donuts at tables). It was a lot of fun. We stayed around for over 3 hours and never got bored. Even...
yelp.com - user review - 01/25/2007
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5.0 of 5 stars.
PBR and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Where was this place when I was 12?Play some of your old original video games (Donkey Kong!) and drink beer. You'll blow through quarters and pinball in no time....
yelp.com - user review - 01/18/2007
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My husband and I went here when we first started dating and it was fun because we played games we both loved as a kid. Good cute/fun/romantic/cheap date. The customer service stinks the last couple times I've...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/02/2007
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
My husband and I spent a fun afternoon here blowing through our quarters and playing lots of retro video games. I didn't realize how much pleasure I got from playing Miss Packman until I had the...
yelp.com - user review - 12/29/2006
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Ground Kontrol is definitely one of my favorite places in Portland! Retro Video games, live music, and now, beer and wine after 7 pm. Friendly, helpful staff and a great atmosphere! Grab a PBR and your spot in...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/24/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Vintage 80's video games in an arcade/bar!I got my fill of Space Invaders, Tetris, Super Mario, Pole Positon, and so much more. Both video & Pinball machines on 2 levels! I love how reclusive and dark...
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
Vintage video games, almost every single one I remember playing and then some. Two dollar tall boys after seven and free shows/dj's. This place rules more than I do at Punch Out!, Street Fighter II,...
yelp.com - user review - 09/08/2006
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Ground Kontrol is somewhat of a unique place. The premise is entertainment while you play arcade games. The music is either DJs or electronic artists. It's a bit loud and boomy for my taste but I like...
judysbook.com - user review - 01/15/2006
Full Review »
5.0 of 5 stars.
I love that Ground Kontrol has both newer games and vintage games but doesn't jack the prices up like other arcades would. They also have free wireless.
yelp.com - user review - 01/05/2006
Full Review »
The best arcade around outside the 80's. A place where old schoolers walk down memory lane and new schoolers realize that gaming history didn't start with the Nintendo 64. An arcade just like you...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/02/2005
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5.0 of 5 stars.
You will swear it's 1980 and you are at Northland Mall's arcade when you step into this place. All your favorite vintage games are here: Dig Doug, Frogger, Pole Position, Space Invaders, etc. The...
yelp.com - user review - 07/10/2005
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I have been a die hard ever since this place opened. Great tunes are usually jamming overhead while I plunk quarters into the classics at this old school arcade. Dark, like an arcade is supposed to be, with...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/22/2002
Full Review »
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