Neon Cycles was the last cabinet I ever bought. November 2001. The arcade was already on life support — the internet, home consoles, all of it was eating us alive. I knew the numbers. I could read a balance sheet. But I saw Neon Cycles at a trade show in Vegas and something in me just said, "One more. Buy one more." So I did. Everyone told me I was out of my mind.
They weren't wrong, financially speaking. But here's what the accountants don't understand: Neon Cycles was the best head-to-head game I ever put on my floor. Two players, shared screen, light trails, nowhere to hide. You could hear the arguments from the parking lot. "You screen-looked!" — brother, it's the same screen. There is no screen-looking. That's the whole point. But try telling that to two teenagers who just bet their lunch money on a best-of-five.
Those last two years — 2001 to 2003 — I watched friendships get tested at that cabinet. Real, genuine rivalries. Kids who'd been best friends since kindergarten suddenly not speaking to each other for a week because of a Neon Cycles grudge match. Then they'd come back, shake hands, and go again. It was beautiful. That's what arcades were supposed to be. Not just the games — the people standing next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, competing for real.
When I finally closed the doors in 2003, Neon Cycles was the last machine I unplugged. I stood there in the empty room with all the lights off except for that one screen, those neon trails still going, and I thought: yeah. That was worth it. Every penny of a purchase I couldn't afford. Worth it.
PURCHASE ORDER
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PO #: GZA-2001-FINAL
Date: November 17, 2001
Vendor: Nexus Amusements, Inc.
Reno, NV
Bill To:
Galaxy Zone Arcade
14208 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91405
Item Qty Price
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Neon Cycles Deluxe Cabinet 1 $3,200
- Dual joystick config
- 27" CRT (shared screen)
- Neon side-panel lighting
Freight / Delivery $285
Setup & Calibration $150
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SUBTOTAL: $3,635
TAX (8.25%): $299
──────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL: $3,934
Payment: CHECK #4417, Nov 19 2001
┌──────────────────────┐
│ LAST ONE. │
│ MAKE IT COUNT. │
│ — Sal │
└──────────────────────┘
"Everyone told me I was crazy buying a new cabinet for a dying arcade. Maybe I was. But those last two years had the best head-to-head matches I ever saw." — Sal "Pixel" Martinez
_____ | _ | | |_| | - Sal "Pixel" Martinez | _ / Galaxy Zone Arcade |_| \_\ Est. 1982