Leisure and entertainment have always played a big role in our family. My dad always believed that activities which involved the whole family kept the unit stronger and closer to one another. His parents felt strongly about it; so did his parents' parents, their parents, and so on and so forth. He told us about the afternoon wrestling matches he and his brothers had in front of their house when they were in their teens, the time he volunteered to coach my brother's pee-wee hockey team in the 80's, and the countless backyard injuries that the hard core football enthusiasts in our family have had. Generations later, we are still true to the family oriented gaming traditions except for a little twist -- gargantuan indoor game tables.

Men, women, and children of all ages have been slaves and avaricious players of the spellbinding pinball machine. I remember milking my parents for every coin they could spare. Whenever we went out to eat at our favorite local diner, I'd clean my plate faster than a chipmunk on speed, dash to the pinball machine, and play my heart out while chewing the last bits of food left in my mouth. I was on fire as a child and I must admit that even as a grown up I can sometimes hear the faint sounds of the pinball clanging and clinking away, whispering my name in between. Thank God for discount shopping because pinball addicts and collectors can now buy their own machines and stash them at home! OK, so they're a bit pricey for the average person to get but you have to admit, it would be pretty cool to own one of those. The NASCAR Pinball, for instance, is a relatively new addition to the pinball machine family. It successfully combines the fever of the racetrack with high technology gaming for the masses. Pinballs have definitely come a long way since Balls-a-Poppin' and High Speed. Go to www.discountarcade.com to check out the NASCAR Pinball and other highly sought after machines all sold at incredibly low prices.

My current game table obsession requires two fierce players, a couple of powerful mallets, a puck, and a whole lot of air. There's nothing quite like the adrenalin rush you get from air hockey, baby. The Harvard G03220W Avenger 6' Air Hockey Table from Robbins Recreation is the perfect starter edition for avid players. It comes with four mallets, four pucks, and a black framed playing surface -- just like the ones you see in gaming facilities. This table only costs $379.95 at www.4americanrecreation.com and if you buy one now, you could get a good deal on shipping as well.

Finally, let's move on to what most of us really can't get enough of -- foosball. Table football or 'fussball,' as the Germans call it, is the table-top miniature version of a soccer game. You have your basic soccer players, called 'foosmen' in this case, lined alternately across the table in two different colors, which depict the two teams. From side to side, you've got your goalie on the first bar, followed by your defense line on the second, your opponent's attack line on the third, your mid-fielders on the fourth, your opponent's mid-fielders on the fifth, your own attack line on the sixth, followed by your opponent's defense line and goalie on the last two bars. That leaves you with four bars which you can man yourself or with a teammate. At www.tablefootball.com, you can choose from a wide array of clearance, discount or used foosball tables and accessories.

Aside from staple arcades and malls, these game tables are practically everywhere nowadays-- homes, work spaces, restaurants, and even churches. They're wholesome entertainment everyone in the family and the community can enjoy. So man your battle stations, people, and let's get ready to rumble!