Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade

One of the cooler sounding documentaries showing now at Sundance is Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

Twin Galaxies Arcade, Iowa, 1982: the birthplace of mankind’s obsession with video games. The fate of this world lies in the hands (literally) of a few unlikely heroes: They are the Original Video Game World Champions and the arcade is their battleground.

Ottumwa, Iowa - Video Game Capital of the World

As a result of Twin Galaxies’ growing renown, on November 30, 1982, Ottumwa’s mayor Jerry Parker declared Ottumwa to be the *”Video Game Capital of the World,” a claim that was backed up by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Atari and the Amusement Game Manufacturers Association in a special ceremony at Twin Galaxies on March 19, 1983.

Ah, the golden age of arcades. It was a simpler time.