On a recent trip to Clarksburgh, West Virginia I had lunch at a place called Dagwood’s.  The fare is simple… sandwiches and pizza.  And although there is no sandwich named for the famous Sunday-Strip-Blondie character,  this simple diner-esque eating establishment does make an amazing sandwich.  I was especially fond of the Club Sub.

While enjoying my subway sandwich, I spied a big fat antiquated jem pushed into the back corner of the restaurant.  An ancient Ms. Pac-Man machine–and not the remake anniversary edition that is so popular today.  No this was the original 1981 Full Size Arcade model.  It was turned off and leaning sadly and ever so slightly to the right.  The paint was faded and the screen’s glass hadn’t been cleaned in years–if ever.  I spied the manual atop of the machine, water-stained but intact.  And then I found the switch.

I pushed down hard on the switch fully expecting this tired old lady not to wake up.  But to my amazement the foggy screen slowly warmed up.  I borrowed a quarter from my co-worker Brian Lee and prepared to play.  We decided it would be a good idea to document the find–as they’re so rarely found original in the wild.  Although the machine was old and is in dire need of cleaning and restoration, the number of Pac-Men had been increased from 3 to 5, the volume was cranked high and there was no clear evidence of burn-in.  Take a look at the photos below for the action shots.