When I was a child, I spent many birthdays at a place called the Galloping Ghost. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s the largest arcade in the United States, measured by number of machines (or so they claim). They have all the machines set to free play, and they simply charge you for entry. My friends and I had a blast playing numerous retro games that were in their prime long before we were born. Although I would gladly go back, the classic arcade experience is all the better when combined with a bit of nightlife.
The modern arcade bar has a lot of advantages for a wagelet such as myself. For starters, they let you play a bit of Mortal Kombat without sharing the environment with a whirlwind of kinetic eight to twelve year olds. An arcade, open late into the evening hours after work, is a great place to spend the night with a drink in your hand. In fact, one of the bars in my town, Tap Tap, has a beverage named Boss Rush. Surely it is due to the great and powerful influence of our community driven news outlet.
They’re also a great place to socialize, since you know the people there will have selected the place out of many possible bars, and therefore are likely to have a lot of interests in common with you, as well as some easy ways to get to know them. I’ve sometimes found it hard to strike up a conversation at a regular bar, when the only reliable opener is to ask what they’re drinking. But an Arcade Bar lets you also comment on the game they’re playing, or ask them to play a co-op game with you.
Lastly, they’ve got easy access to a selection of games you might not have at home, or may never even have heard of. That is true for regular arcades, too, but Arcade Bars have less of an age filter to think about. I’ve developed a disturbing addiction to John Wick pinball at the I.O. Arcade Bar in Madison, and have fed tens of dollars (tens, I tell you!) into that machine, despite lacking a general inclination toward pinball or Mr. Wick. That game is ridiculously addicting, and I would never have found it if not for that Arcade Bar.
John Wick Pinball Psychosis aside, the point is this: You are commanded to conduct at least one reconnaissance mission to the arcade bar nearest to your domicile. You will report your findings in the comments below, or on the Boss Rush Discord.
Featured Image Credit: Carl Raw
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