California Extreme Arcade Show 2008Arcades were once a fixture on the American urban landscape, giving kids and adults alike a wide variety of pinball and video games to keep themselves amused with before the advent of more sophisticated home gaming systems. California Extreme was born with a desire to share the fun of playing coin-operated games that are in the hands of private collectors and to hopefully give a younger generation that has grown up with home computers and Sony Playstations a look back at history.

The California Extreme show naturally brings pinball and video game collectors out of the woodwork, making the event a great place for veterans to buy, sell and trade games and novices a chance to start their own collections. Keep in mind that not all the games on display will be for sale; many collectors bring favorites strictly for show. The event also features tournaments, speakers, parts vendors and an opportunity to play games you may have not seen in years.

After paying the entry fee, gamers can enjoy hundreds of pinball and video machines set on free play (so don't weigh yourself down with a pocketful of quarters. The show offers an excellent chance to relive glories with older games or discover newer games that you'd never put money into in an arcade. There are also many prototype games that never got produced commercially and are rarely seen. For more information on California Extreme Arcade Show 2008, please visit the event's official Web site.San JoseParkside Hall11 a.m. to 12 midnight Sat.; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun.$30-$35; two-day pass $60 07/19/200807/20/2008RecreationFamilyTechnologyFestivalExpo