While November tends to be a time of new game news, there are new venues opening their doors out there. Here are the latest new arcades to discuss:
Gamestate: Winners Only (The Hague, Netherlands)
A distinctly modern arcade experience has opened in The Netherlands, going by the name Gamestate. Arcades play a big role among the various attractions found there, with a strong focus on redemption (judging by the promo movie here). I did catch Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Space Invaders Frenzy and Virtual Rabbids from the video;
National Video Game Museum Moves From Nottingham To Sheffield (UK)
(Thanks to Kieran M. for this tip)
Since we’re on the other side of the pond with the first bit of news, let’s stay there with an update regarding the National Video Game Museum in the UK. We’ve mentioned the location in Nottingham before, and now they are moving cities. As the facility covers a broad range of gaming types and naturally that includes arcade machines. While I’m not finding a list of the games to expect, you should be able to find arcade titles from the past and the present to enjoy, among consoles and other types of games. Their official website can be found here, but if you want details, check out this article on MCVUK.
Lost Levels (Claremont, CA)
My thanks to CD ageS for sending this tip a few weeks ago, but I forgot to note it and ended up losing the news in the shuffle of IAAPA e-mails I’ve been getting.
Opening their second location in California, Lost Levels is now open in Claremont. The tipster summed it up pretty well, so I’ll just quote him 😉 “They have a solid selection of classic coin-op titles like Tempest, Donkey Kong, Tron, Tapper, Super Mario Bros., R-type and so on. They also have a section dedicated to classic arcade fighting games like Killer Instinct, MKII, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, SF III 3rd Strike and a few more. They also appear to sell Retro games for home consoles like NES, PS2, SNES.” You can find them on Facebook here.
Colonial Soldier Arcade (Deptford, NJ)
A new retrocade is bringing classic gaming back to the Deptford Mall in NJ by the name of Colonial Soldier Arcade. This follows the pattern of putting all games on freeplay and charging an entry fee. Some of the games available include: Area 51, CarnEvil, Defender, Donkey Kong Jr., Gauntlet, Mortal Kombat, Ms. Pac-Man, Rampage (signed by game creator Brian F. Colin), Popeye, Street Fighter II, Super Pac-Man, The Simpsons, X-Men and more. You can find out more by visiting their website.
Aunt Ethel’s Adult Emporium (De Pere, WI)
When I first read the name, I didn’t realize that it was an arcade…but it is. Aunt Ethel’s is a bar/arcade to be more precise, with a focus on modern casual games, particularly sports games that always combine well with a bar (Skeeball, Super Shot basketball). The only video game I hear mentioned is Pac-Man Battle Royale, although the owner in an interview mentions “other games” that aren’t anywhere else yet. This video interview provides some more details.
The Pinball Dudes (Jupiter, FL)
Another pinball-centric location has opened it’s doors in Florida, this time a partnership that has brought “about 45 pinball machines” into the single location. It does sound a bit like a showroom-style arcade though, as they will also sell, fix and restore machines. Some of those titles currently availbile for play include: F14 Tomcat, Ghostbusters, Hook, KISS (Stern), Lost World, Metallica, NASCAR, NBA Fastbreak, Sky Jump, Tales From The Crypt, Terminator 3, The Bride of Pinbot, The Simpsons Pinball Party and more. You can visit their main website here; here’s a news article about them here.
GAMA Ride Arcade (San Bruno, CA)
Way back in 2014, we mentioned a location that opened their doors in California by the name of GAMA Ride. Now, the location is seeing a huge expansion to featuring “over 100 arcades,” keeping everything modern. Among the new games you’ll find: Dirty Drivin’, Halo: Fireteam Raven (Super Deluxe), Injustice, Jurassic Park Arcade (Raw Thrills), Space Invaders Frenzy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Raw Thrills), Time Crisis 5, Tomb Raider, some pinball machines and more. Check them out on Facebook here.
That is all I managed to find for now. If you find yourself near any of these locations, make sure to drop by and give them more than lip service – buy some tokens or a card and bring some friends!
I recall sending you guys an email of another new arcade location that opened out here in Southern California just a few weeks ago.
Ah yes, you did! It got lost in the shuffle of the deluge of IAAPA stuff I’m getting. Thanks for the reminder, I’m working at putting it in there now!
Hmm, yeah I did miss that completely, my apologies. I might just add that to the next location post – looks like there are two or three other locations I might have data on this next week to do another one. Thanks again!
Ok so I’ve heard of the De Pere location before, but I had mistaken it for another ‘Adult Store” up until I read your column. I’ll have to swing by when I get the chance.
There was the Press Start Rec Room that opened around April/June in Ashwabenon, but I guess that place just couldn’t sustain itself.