Marcus Halloran
Founder & Head Technician
Fourteen years on the bench. Specialises in restoration of pre-2000 arcade hardware and high-airflow custom loops.
Northbridge · Perth · Est. 2011
Where Perth Comes to Play, Build, and Belong
A William Street institution for tabletop nights, restored arcade cabinets, and hand-assembled gaming rigs — engineered by people who actually finish the campaign.
A Note From The Founder
Fourteen Years On One Corner of William Street
I opened VertexGameForge in 2011 with a single soldering iron, two secondhand arcade boards, and a stubborn belief that Northbridge deserved a proper games institution rather than another anonymous big-box counter. In the years since, our workshop has assembled more than four thousand custom rigs, rehomed hundreds of vintage cabinets, and hosted a tabletop community that now spills across three long tables every Thursday evening.
We remain deliberately conservative in the ways that matter: every build is bench-tested for seventy-two hours before it leaves the shop, every repair is quoted in writing before a single screw is turned, and every customer is treated as a member rather than a transaction. We are not the cheapest counter in the city, and we have never tried to be. We are the one you return to when the machine has to work, the community has to be real, and the advice has to be honest.
— Marcus Halloran, Founder & Head Technician
4,200+
Custom rigs assembled
72 hrs
Bench-test on every build
14 yrs
On William Street
3,100
Tabletop members
How It Works
From First Conversation to First Boot
Our custom build process is deliberate and documented. Four steps, no surprises, every price fixed in writing before we begin.
01Consultation & Spec
Free · 45 minutesWe sit down at the workshop bench and map your budget, your games, and your monitor to a parts list that makes sense. No upsell scripts — if a mid-range card carries you three years, we say so. Written spec provided the same day.
02Sourcing & Quote
2–5 business days · Fixed quoteWe source components through our WA distributor network and lock a fixed, itemised quote. You approve it in writing before we spend a dollar. Ex-display and open-box options offered transparently to stretch tight budgets.
03Assembly & Cable Work
3–4 business days · From A$220 labourYour rig is hand-assembled on the Northbridge bench with routed cabling, thermal validation, and a clean Windows install. We photograph the interior at every stage so you see exactly what you paid for.
- 04
Bench Test & Handover
72-hour burn-in · 3-year supportEvery machine runs a seventy-two-hour stress and stability burn-in before handover. You collect it in person for a walkthrough, and our three-year in-store support covers diagnostics and cleaning for the life of the build.
Our Team
The People Behind the Bench
A small, permanent crew — no rotating casuals. The person who quotes your build is usually the person who assembles it.
Priya Nadesan
Build Lead & Diagnostics
Assembles our flagship rigs and runs the burn-in lab. Known for cable work you could photograph for a magazine.
Dane Whitmore
Tabletop Curator
Runs Thursday game nights and manages our 900-title lending library. If it has cardboard and dice, Dane has played it.
Elise Tran
Retail & Repairs
Handles console repairs, trade-ins, and the front counter. Turns around most controller and drift repairs same day.
Reviews
What Northbridge Says About Us
A short walkthrough of the workshop, and a few words from customers who keep coming back.
“Marcus talked me out of the expensive card I walked in wanting and built me exactly what my games needed for A$400 less. Two years on it still runs everything at max. That is a rare kind of honest.”
Jordan R.
Mount Lawley, WA · March 2025
“They restored my dad’s 1987 cabinet that three other shops refused to touch. Priya sourced the board, rebuilt the loom, and it boots first time every time now. Worth every dollar.”
Sophie M.
Leederville, WA · January 2025
“Thursday tabletop night got me through my first winter in Perth. Dane remembers everyone’s name and always has a game ready for newcomers. The build I bought is just a bonus at this point.”
Aiden K.
Northbridge, WA · November 2024
Stay In The Loop
Drops, Tournaments, and Restock Alerts
One measured email a fortnight — new arcade restorations, custom-build openings, tabletop events, and members-only trade-in windows. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Contact
Visit the Workshop
Walk-ins welcome for repairs and retail. Custom builds are by appointment so a technician can give you their full attention.
Phone
+61 8 6372 4848Email
[email protected]Address
145 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003
Opening Hours
- Monday – Thursday: 10:00 – 18:00
- Friday: 10:00 – 21:00 (Tabletop Night)
- Saturday: 09:00 – 17:00
- Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
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Find Us in Northbridge
145 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003