Retro Arcades and Beer: Barcade Starting a Trend?
Published by Joel April 13th, 2007 in Beer, Games. Share This
Reuters is running a stats piece on retro arcades, using Brooklyn stalwart Barcade as its lede. Barcade’s game selection is nice and everything, but really we stay for the beer; they’ve got one of the best tap selections in New York. In contrast, most of the New York arcades have up and died. Even the relatively okay Times Square arcade gave up the (flashing blue) ghosts. (A Dave & Busters opened up across the street on 42nd, but I don’t really consider D&B to be an arcade, since they never seem to actually give a crap about installing good games.)
But according to the article, at least 1,000 new arcades have opened up in the last four years, presumably a large chunk of which are retro arcades, filled with games of Pac-Man and Galaga vintage. I like retro arcades fine, but frankly I get a much better kick out of a fully-stocked, probably unprofitable arcade full of ridable and interactive games that are too unwieldy to be played at home. I’d give up a dozen Root Beer Tappers for one Taiko Drum Master. Or golly, just some good pinball machines.
Old-school games in “barcade” renaissance [Yahoo/Reuters]
(Photo: Linus Gelber, who just so happens to have been the person who took my favorite Flickr set of the day, women in their underwear paying games at Barcade. That is a beautiful thing.)
7 Responses to “Retro Arcades and Beer: Barcade Starting a Trend?”
- 1 Pingback on Apr 13th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Here, here!!! Pinball is so under-rated and nobody has good machines any more (and there are good ones out there).
I used to joke on Barcade all the time as a safehaven for hipsters to escape the cold, cruel world, but damn it, the Climax Nut Brown (commence homosexual jokes) hooked me. Not to mention that Barcade now has Contra in house - Contra!
If you see a 6ft tall Black guy with standing in the back with glazed over eyes, drop by and lets bumrush Red Falcon.
wow, i like the idea of playing old-school games in your underpants. the only challenge this poses, is where to keep quarters.
that trap-door thing can function as a pocket perhaps, but not the most elegant solution.
Anyone know of any barcades in Boston?
Coins detected in pocket!
I go here every time my mom gives me 10 dollars in allowance ( in quarters). No Seriously this place rocks with classic games. Rolling Thunder, Gauntlet, Tapper, Crystal Palace. I just wish they had 720. The beer is outstanding!