Game it up around Tucson
By Blair Lazarus &Jessica Suarez
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday, December 4, 2003
When the temperature starts to drop, it's time to start thinking about having fun indoors. Here are some places offering old-school and new-school games:
On Dead Day, the University Activities Board is sponsoring a series of events at Wilbur's Underground, including an EA Sports Official Video Game Tournament from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Borders Books at 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. sponsors chess nights Mondays at 6. Communication senior and Borders music seller Carson Blaker said the events bring a wide range of players. "It's definitely open and comprised of all skill levels. All ages too," he said. "You'll see 7-year olds playing against 60-year-old men. It's fun." The event is free, and Borders provides the boards and the pieces.
Scrabble is one of those games people either hate or are completely addicted to. If you are the latter, or hope to be, you can join the local branch of the National Scrabble Association Club. They meet Thursdays from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. at Denny's, 2630 E. Valencia Road. The club has membership dues, but first-time players can try out their skills for free.
The Adobe Bridge Club is located at 3727 E. Blacklidge Drive in Tucson and holds games Monday - Friday at 12:30 p.m., on Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. "Bridge is a very competitive game, and people play to get master points. We run big games daily up to 20-22 tables," said Lawrence Delucia, the club's director. New players are always welcome, and the club runs a mentoring program to help new players improve their skills.
Bingo happens at the Elks Lodge, 2404 E. River Road, on Wednesdays from 6 p.m - 10 p.m. Cost is $3 for the early bird game at 6 p.m. Regular play begins at 7 p.m. Cards are $6 for a six-pack or $9 for a nine-pack. All proceeds go to Elks Lodge charities. The jackpot is $1000 or $300 for the Jr. Jackpot.
Check out the GWA Tucson Gaming Center at 6910 North Camino Martin, #130. The Web site swears it is more than your average cyber cafe, offering patrons the opportunity to play the latest in online games, including "Warcraft III," "Medal of Honor" and "Counter Strike." The center offers monthly memberships as well as hourly pricing. They're open from noon to midnight daily. Check out their web site at tucsongaming.com
On campus, the Video Game Extreme Club wants "to create a club where video game enthusiasts can come together to discuss and play video games to serve as an open forum for discussion about console games, systems and the lifestyle for becoming a 'true gamer,'" according to its Web site. The club can be contacted by emailing videogamextreme@hotmail.com.
The Dance Dance Revolution Cats are another video game club specifically dedicated to the dancing arcade game, and you can e-mail ddrcats@cox.net for more information.
And no respectable institution of higher learning would be without its own chess club. You can get more information on the university's Chess Club by contacting dphill@email.arizona.edu