Hello from Southern Michigan!

[Mikey]

Hey guys!  My name's Mike, and I live just north of Toledo, Ohio.  I'm old enough to remember Pac-Man being a new game, but not enough for Space Invaders' entrance.  I bought a sit-down Space Harrier from a local arcade for $250 sometime in the mid-90s, and although I only had it for a few years (and I can't tell you how many times I tore that thing apart), it was my first inadvertent foray into owning arcade games.  It's been a real hit-and-miss thing for me; I used to have a walk-in closet full of console stuff that I gave to my brother when I moved in with my S.O. many moons ago, I once owned an original Gun Fight for about a year, and I've built one each of full-size, cabaret, bartop and cocktail MAME cabs for other people 'cause I love to build things.  So really more of a researcher and watcher than doer for this stuff (real life keeps getting in the way...).  Anyway, I'm finally building my own cocktail/standup convertible (I'll post pics somewhere when I finish it, but I spent almost 3 months designing it!).

I love watching John's Arcade because, honestly John, you're "John".  You're real right from the start - no made up online name or even a hint of pretentiousness.  You're relatable, you're enthusiastic, you let us in on the hobby in a "we" sense.  Simple things, but it sets you apart from other video game channels.  Keep up the real/really good work, please!

That's it in a nutshell...I'm just happy to be here!