I was a voracious reader as a kid and looked forward to those Saturday mornings at the Library. I could name pretty much every single Sauropod and Flesh eating dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus and Carnotaurus, Apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus as well as how to spell them. I knew almost all the armored plant eaters like Triceratops and Ankylosaur. Learning was fun. That space at the library was important. It was quiet and gave me a sense of warmth and security while my mom was away doing mom stuff. I was able to read and relax while the morning hours ticked away. That early Library time in my youth laid a foundation that made learning quite easy for me as I got older. My memory was sharp, and Top Tier grades like A's came easy without much need for study. The Library had it's own set of rule for noise and behavior and the Librarians enforced them on everyone who entered. It was nice and peaceful. I felt safe while I was there. 😇 #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders #ArcadeEra #WorldsFinestTournament #WorldsFinestComics #PicoRiveraLibrary

As a kid growing up, I'd always been pretty smart and athletic. Learning came easy for me, and was rooted in the days when my Mom would drop me off at the library on Saturday mornings for the bookworm club. I was 5 or 6 years old at the time. I'd give my book report, check out a number of children's books to read during the week, then rush to the grown up section where my real love was. Dinosaurs and the Universe. I'd quickly move between the aisles and gather up a handful of the best books I could find. I'd then take them to a quiet little corner on the front "left hand side" of the library and read for 2 or-3 hours before my mom picked me up. That little corner was 'My spot'. 😊 #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders #ArcadeEra #WorldsFinestTournament #WorldsFinestComics

Early in my life Journey... I lost my mother when I was just 11 years old. A drunk driver took her life while someone was fixing a flat tire for her on the way home from grocery shopping. She'd been waving off traffic for the good Samaritan helping her when the drunk driver swerved right into the rear of her car her pinning her as she ran to try and avoid him. The car had been up on jacks and the good Samaritan had both of his legs broken as well. The drunk driver was found in a bar drinking a few hours later after the hit and run. That night the news hit hard. I still remember my Father gathering my brothers and I to try and explain what had happened. The pain was immediate but as soon as my 2 younger brothers began crying I stopped my tears in order to comfort them. I didn't allow my self to grieve all through her funeral and into the rest of that year. Everything was kept locked inside. I remember reading the police and autopsy report my father kept in his briefcase years later. Thinking about it brings a certain empty feeling and hollow-ness to my chest even now.🥺 The pain of that loss hurt through my entire core. I felt it throughout my time growing up and into adulthood. It's still there today. There is a place in our hearts for love that only a Mother provides and I'd lost mine. That pain and emptiness shaped my teenage years. #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders #ArcadeEra #WorldsFinestTournament #WorldsFinestComics

In looking back to my time growing up, I have to say... In all my many hours, evenings and years spent at Arcades during my youth, I always felt absolutely safe and protected. Even as a kid, in a mix of older grown people, and lots of faces I didn't know, there was a certain calm and quiet for me that flowed with the rhythm of the Arcade background music and the video games I played. That's so important for kids and teenagers in any era. To have spaces they can call their own, truly feeling protected by adults and older people while they press buttons. Being free to be kids and just have fun. Making them safe from bullying and various types of predation especially by those older than them. #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders #ArcadeEra #WorldsFinestTournament #WorldsFinestComics

Been found @virusinvader #SpaceInvaders visiting #Málaga #Spain #StreetArt

One of my presents today from a family member. Just seen the leaflet inside I'm getting loads more, especially the @atari one and Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man & Galaga Thank you for Space Invaders @TaitoCorp #SpaceInvaders #Retro #Arcade

I still remember those early days at Rainbow. This was either mid 1980 or early 1981. I'd visit several times a week and lot's of the time I'd meet my buddy Tony there before he had to go to work at Falcone's Pizza. He'd drive up in a little white Honda Civic and I'd be there already playing. I'd usually start on Asteroids and somewhere along the line Tony would jump in. He could stay on that game for quite a while. One of the first people I met at Rainbow was Julian the behind the desk guy. He looked in his early 20's, and was a pretty chill and friendly dood. Julian was a solid gamer himself and would jump on the games from time to time while he was working. Still, during those early days it felt like mostly myself and Tony playing video games while the Arcade built it's community. #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders

Looking back to my first days at Rainbow Arcade during it's Grand Opening, it's interesting how something new like an arcade really feels. Most of my favorite games were there. Dig Dig, Donkey Kong, Missile Command, Asteroids and Robotron as well as games like Centipede and Galaxian. Pretty much all the best and newest games were accounted for. Though there was the general feel and sound of Arcade life, something was still missing. Faces you haven't seen, names you don't yet know. So many unknowns. What wasn't there yet were the relationships between people that needed time to grow. #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders

Turnpike Sports® Beatin’ The House™ - #SpaceInvaders on #VALottery #jackpots from @HardRockBet, @HorseshoeVegas & #JerseyJackpots @YouTube-youtu.be/JMzcorF0b-M Audio- dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3… @Jackpot_com @VirginiaLottery @PALottery #Bettortainment® from @GranaryWayMedia

ぱよんぱ〜❗️ 今日は #スペースインベーダーの日 👾 #スペースインベーダー が発表されてから47年目の記念日だよ🎉 おめでとう〜😆✨️ #spaceinvaders

Check out our review of #SpaceInvaders, one of the new #online #lottery games from @VirginiaLottery on this week's #BeatinTheHouse - turnpikesports.wordpress.com… #VirginiaLottery #jackpots #lottery #casinoindustry #TurnpikeSports @TurnpikeSports #Bettortainment® #gamereviews

My first real Home Arcade was Rainbow Arcade in Pico Rivera. Owned by Ok-Soo-Han , the 1981 Atari Women's World Champion in Centipede, Rainbow was Located at the corner of Crossway Dr. and Washington Blvd. right across the street from Northrop. Rainbow was just 6 blocks or so away from where I lived and grew up and I was in my mid-teens when I started playing there. Rainbow was set up like many other arcades of the time. It was rectangular in shape, about 1500 square feet with rows of video games along the walls on both sides of the Arcade. There was a desk in the rear left corner of the Arcade with a public bathroom behind it. Next to the desk, about 8 feet away was a Foosball table. Rainbow wasn't a super imposing or a very large arcade. Nor was it overly fancy. Coincidentally as I think about it now, neither was World's Finest Comics. What Rainbow did have was a small group of hyper competitive players who set the culture and gaming heartbeat of the Arcade as it were. It was at Rainbow Arcade that I met Ok-Soo Han and her boyfriend Jeff. It was there I got my first looks at high level video game players and competitors. #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders @LonnieM01214557

Got to play Space Invaders at the museum today! Sad they didn't have the original arcade machine anymore. Still a blast, and now I've got that 70s Space Invaders song by Player One on repeat in my head. Do you guys know it? 👾🎶 #SpaceInvaders #RetroGaming #Arcade

Bonjour Twitter 👋 Voici un peu l’état de mon corps aujourd’hui… Les « joies » du #LongCovid ! #SpaceInvaders

Ok-Soo Han became the first Woman's World Champion of Video Gaming at the 1981 Atari World Championships. It was a dominating performance. The Tournament was set up into 3 minute max point burst rounds. Each player had 180 seconds to make their highest score. In the Women's division: Ok-Soo Han put up 53,220 points for 1st place. 🥇 Julie Winecoff was runner-up with 36,613 points 🥈 Faith Sloan took 3rd with 34,372 points 🥉 In the Men's division: Eric Ginner took 1st with 52,432 points 🥇 Sam Mehta took 2nd with 45,541 points 🥈 Jon Weeks took 3rd with 41,900 points 🥉 Ok-Soo Han crushed the Women's Tournament and also beat the Men's Champion score as well. It's interesting to note that both Women's and Men's Champions were from California as was the 1980 'Space Invaders National Champion' Bill Heineman later known as Rebecca Heineman. Ok-soo Han lived in Northridge CA and Ginner in Mountain View CA. Heineman lived in Whittier CA the city right next to where I lived in Pico Rivera. Bravo to Ok-Soo Han the first Women's Video Game World Champion! 👏👏👏 #Retrogaming #FGC #Atari #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Centipede #AtariWorldChampionships #RainbowArcade #SpaceInvaders @LonnieM01214557

1980 also saw one of the most Iconic and well known video games of all time released. Pac-Man. Even if it wasn't your favorite game it still got some of your quarters. The allure of gobbling these little dots while avoiding the rainbow colored ghosts was insane. I must admit Pac-Man was not my favorite, but there was something about the game that felt like gravity. You were pulled towards it no matter what. And once you started learning the patterns to beat levels you kinda got sucked in. #ArcadeEra #Retrogaming #FGC #PacMan #GoldenAgeOfArcades #SpaceInvaders #SF2

We now live in an age where everything is so immediate. Where information and communication are now instantaneous. An Age where we have access to the entire data-set of Human knowledge at our finger tips. 📱 Because of Technology it's difficult to imagine the kind of work necessary back in the 70's, 80's and early 90's to put on events of the magnitude of Atari's 1980 Space Invaders Championships. But those people built the initial foundations of everything that came afterwards. So as we continue to look back, let's recognize and appreciate the efforts of those who invested their time and lives, of what it took to build this kind of Greatness for all of us to enjoy. #ArcadeEra #Retrogaming #FGC #SpaceInvaders #GoldenAgeOfArcades #Asteroids #StreetFighter #SF2

As I look back on the 70's and early 80's, it's incredible to think that from the very earliest of Video Gaming days, players were already building opportunities and finding ways to compete. Competition has always been part of the life-blood of Video Gaming. #ArcadeEra #Retrogaming #FGC #GoldenAgeOfArcades #SpaceInvaders #SF2

gnuchanos.itch.io/space-inva… #AquaInvaders #IndieGame #IndieDev #GameDev #PixelArt #RetroGaming #ArcadeGame #SpaceInvaders #ShootEmUp #SHMUP #8Bit #RetroArcade #Gaming #IndieGames #MadeWithUnity #GameDeveloper #Itchio #IndieGameDev #PixelGame #UnderwaterGame