Get ready to twist some knobs and pound some buttons as the California Extreme classic arcade games show returns to the Santa Clara Hyatt Regency this weekend. Once you've paid the admission price, alll games on display, from Caterpillar to Simpsons Pinball, are free to play, no quarters required. Competitive gamers should check out the Guitar Hero Arcade World Championships, pinball tournaments for all ages, and The Gauntlet, a race to see who can complete the goal set for each of five machines the fastest.
Who knows, maybe you'll run into beloved Donkey Kong Jr. record holder and Donkey Kong high score hopeful Steve Wiebe—or his high-score-holding rival, hot sauce purveyor Billy Mitchell. Or try your hand at setting a high score in one of three games—Donkey Kong II, racing game Pole Position I, and unicycle/balloon challenge Kick—for a $200 prize.
If you can't make it out to the show this weekend, find some time to swing by San Francisco's Musee Mechanique, the Mechanical Museum of San Francisco down at Fisherman's Wharf and one of our $10 and Under: SF By Day recommends. More than just games, the museum is home to "one of the world’s largest privately owned collections of mechanically operated musical instruments and antique arcade machines." Defintiely worth a visit.
