Recalling My First Ever Visit to an Arcade

An arcade is a place where you have stepped into nerd heaven. It's a place where memories from your childhood start creeping into your mind. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you knew exactly what that feeling was like. Oh, and remember when you had lots and lots of quarters to in order to play multiple games? I'm going to have a link at the end of this story to a 1982 news story from an ABC News affiliate in Los Angeles where they discussed arcade games. It'll be worth the watch.

I was born in the 80s, grew up in the 90s. For 35 years, I've been a retro gaming fanatic and to this day, I still love playing much older video games. I didn't go to an arcade until I was 30. This was back in the summer of 2018 where I went to a place called Arkadia Retrocade, which is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and has been in business since it first opened in 2012. The moment I stepped foot into this place, I was amazed and in awe of what it looked like. All you had to do was pay an entry fee of $5 and you can play all the games you want. I remember around Halloween of that year where they had a promotion that if you arrived there in costume, you get in for free. I wore my Human Spider costume and I had an amazing time that night. Now, I would go to the arcade one to two times a year.

I've played a plethora of games in the three plus decades doing this. There are many games I enjoy greatly, but one of them was Mario Kart 64. It's one of those games that is meant to be enjoyable with either a group of friends or by yourself. This pic (shown above) was from October of last year. In case you're wondering what my favorite track is, without a doubt, Rainbow Road.

If you're yearning for a bit of nostalgia, spending some time at an arcade is the place to go. There are loads of games that you can play and relive some memories. Arcades aren't just for kids. Us adults like to let loose, pick up a controller, and enjoy ourselves. Plus, the atmosphere is positive and lively. I may be an introvert, but it doesn't mean that I don't like having a great time every now and then. The arcade brings out the kid in you. There are some things that us adults grow out of, but video games are not one of them. Finally, people are there to have a great time and who knows, you might make a friend or two. Even if you're not much of a social person, an arcade is a good place to start.

If you're planning to visit the Fayetteville, Arkansas area, I highly recommend you visit Arkadia Retrocade. Originally, there was only a full room of games. Now, they've since added a second game room so you can enjoy more of the games that they have. If you do happen to pay a visit there, be sure to say hello to Shea. He's the owner of Arkadia Retrocade and also, tell him I sent you.

What are some of your favorite arcade games? Let me know in the comments below. Subscribe to my page on here. Follow me on my socials. Finally, like this story and please leave a generous one-off tip. It'll be found at the end of this story. Big or small, your tips will support creators like me so we can keep publishing new stories and share them with everyone.

https://youtu.be/P3sqUrX83Yg?si=1dMPX82BXminms4i