This bubble never bursts: 5 places in D-FW to face off in bubble hockey

Bubble hockey, dome hockey, rod hockey, table hockey. It goes by many names, but for some of us, it only has one label: the best arcade game ever.

Bubble hockey first skated onto the scene in 1982, shortly after 1980's Miracle on Ice, when the underdog Americans defeated the dynastic Russian hockey team in the Winter Olympics. By the time the decade came to an end, Super Chexx Bubble Hockey tables, featuring blue-shirted U.S. players facing off against the red clad USSR squad, popped up in thousands of arcades, pizza parlors and amusement parks. Manufactured by the New York-based Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE),  the tables also played a dramatic, operatic recording of the American national anthem before you and your friend could get started.

Over the years, it seems air hockey tables have outnumbered bubble hockey tables at North Texas' typical fun 'n games spots including Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Busters, but that's beginning to shift. Adult-friendly arcades have proven to be a great avenue for bubble hockey to make a casual comeback, since they offer Gen-Xers a place to indulge their nostalgia for vintage games with an alcoholic drink in hand.

Here are five places to play bubble hockey in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Pegasus City Brewery

Situated near the brewery's tanks and equipment, the bubble hockey table here is free to play, and like most other area breweries, there are also board games for those either waiting in line for the game or non-bubble hockey types. We suggest you take advantage of their fine selection of beers.

Pro-tip: Early Friday happy hour is a perfect time for a pint here, and it's often less crowded than Saturday afternoons for the hockey table.

• Pegasus City Brewery, 2222 Vantage St., Dallas.
  

Cidercade

Having a bubble hockey table is just one of the many reasons the Bishop Cidercade was recently voted America's best cider bar. Ten dollars gets you in the door for all-you-can-play games, with pints of the house-made cider for only a few dollars more. Located near the Skee-Ball and Dance Dance Revolution games, this Super Chexx table sits adjacent to a vintage Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey arcade console, so we award extra points for sporting symmetry.

Pro-tip: Saturday nights are often packed here, so be prepared to grab a pint of the Dreamsicle orange and vanilla cider or Dark Cide black currant cider and claim a spot in line behind the players at the table. On a recent weekend, the games went by quickly and we had plenty of turns to play, and even took on some strangers who became fast friends.

• Bishop Cidercade, 2777 Irving Blvd., Dallas.

Free Play Arcade

Similar to Cidercade, $10 gets you in the door here to have your run of the place. And unlike Free Play's Richardson sister location, the Arlington one has a bubble hockey table near the front of the building by the bar, which features several taps of local beer and serves paninis and pizzas. There are tons of other vintage games to enjoy here and the '80s soundtrack is a nice touch.

Pro-tip: Call before you go to ensure the bubble hockey table is there. On a recent visit, we learned the game had been moved off property for the weekend to make room for a party the night before (sad face with a tear emoji).

• Free Play Arcade, 400 E. South St., Arlington. 

Sports and Social at Texas Live

The giant, glistening Texas Live complex next to Globe Life Park in Arlington is nothing short of an adult playground complete with big screens, Texas barbecue and lots of beer. Tucked into a relatively quiet corner of a bar called Sports and Social is a sparkling, right-off-the-assembly-line Super Chexx table. It's free to play for customers, and if you need to let anyone waiting in line behind you play, there are more than enough other games, such as beer-pong and Foosball, to keep you busy.

Pro-tip: Parking for Texas Live is free when there's not a home Texas Rangers or Dallas Cowboys game, but on game days, expect to not only pay to park at Texas Live, but also likely deal with a ton of traffic.

• Sports and Social at Texas Live, 1650 E. Randol Mill Rd., Arlington. 

Game Changers Sports and Arcade Grill

Housed in the building once known as revered concert hall Hailey's, the family-friendly Game Changers doesn't boast as many retro games as some of the others on this list, but it makes up for that by offering a large selection of draft beers and eats, such as gourmet hot dogs and fancied french fry dishes like poutine and Swedish meatball fries. Pair that with a couple of rounds on the bubble hockey table and you're in for a good time.

Pro-tip: Bring your quarters to this spot. Instead of a single cover charge, each game requires money to play. Bubble hockey costs 50 cents per game.

• Game Changers Sports Arcade and Grill, 122 W. Mulberry St., Denton.