Arcade Near Me

Games such as Pinball and Pac-Man are true mainstays in popular culture, but it isn’t easy to find an authentic gaming arcade where you can play the classics. Not every city has a robust gaming culture such as those in Japan or China, where arcades can be found on nearly every street corner. Still, gaming culture thrives throughout the world, and there are still plenty of video arcades to satisfy every one of your 8-bit gaming needs.

Are you interested in finding an arcade near you? Simply browse arcade near me on the map below and find a list of arcades in a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on arcades? You’re in luck! Read on for facts, trivia, and more on arcades. You might just learn something new!

Arcade Near Me – Find it on the Map

Arcade Near Me – Arcade Trivia

What is the oldest Arcade game?

It might seem like arcade games date all the way back to the advent of rudimentary computers in the 50’s and 60s, but a true arcade game didn’t see the light of day until 1971. Consider this as you search arcade near me. Computer Space might sound like some dusty third party computer parts wholesaler that you’d find in a business park, but back in 1971, it was actually the world’s first video game machine. Before inventors Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney went off to start the famed video game company Atari, Computer Space was their full time job and their first official collaboration. Though Pong might be regarded as the first true video game, Computer Space was introduced a full year before Pong.

Despite console games, arcades are still very popular amongst teens and young adults!

What is the most popular arcade game of all time?

Once Bushnell and Dabney formally introduced the world to the fun and thrill of arcade games the public became fascinated with the ability to immerse themselves in another world for a few hours and by paying just a couple of quarters. So what is the most popular arcade game of all time? Consider this as you search arcade near me. According to statistics, the best selling arcade game of all time is Pac-Man, whose popularity and presence in pop culture has yet to truly wain. Space Invaders is the second most popular and successful arcade franchise, followed closely by Donkey Kong, and Ms. Pac-Man.

When is the golden age of the Arcade?

Even arcades had a golden era that ushered in mass popularity and frenzy amongst those who enjoyed gaming most. The golden age of video arcade games came in the 1980s, when the arcade peaked in popularity, innovations, and earnings. Color arcade games were finally more accessible and suddenly video arcades started appearing outside of bars and bowling alleys as stand alone business. Designers started to experiment with new gaming genres as the era saw the rapid spread of video arcades across North America, Western Europe, and Japan. The number of video arcades in North America more than doubled between 1980 and 1982, when some 13,000 arcades populated the region. Nowadays, that number is closer to 4,000. As you search arcade near me, consider why the arcade peaked so quickly. Do you think the emergence of console games might have lead to the demise of these stand alone gaming hubs?

Arcade Near Me – Arcade Facts

Pac-Man Mania

Anyone searching arcade near me probably knows that Pac-Man helped to truly usher in the golden era of the arcade. In fact, the release of Pac-Man by Namco in 1980 created such a sensation and was so highly successful that the game itself became a permanent fixture in mainstream popular culture. It also created what is now known as “Pac-mania.” The game was immensely popular in the US from the time of its original release up until the present day. It is universally considered to be one of the most respected classics in the videogame medium and is truly synonymous with video games and 1980s pop culture. Not only did Pac-Man populate every arcade in the US, it became a global and social phenomena throughout the world. It inspired an animated television series, a top ten hit single, and off shoot games such as Ms. Pacman. Since the dawn of the arcade, few games have had the impact on culture that Pac-Man has had.

The Decline of the Arcade

All good things must come to an end, even the golden age of arcades in the United States. What exactly caused the decline of the arcade? Well, in short, console games. When console games were introduced in the late 1980’s, kids and parents alike were thrilled to not have to leave the comforts of home. During the early 1980s, it typically took several years for an arcade game to be released to the home console. Even then, the port usually differed so greatly from the arcade version, that true gaming fans were left feeling a bit at odds with the console version. During the 1990s, gaming publishers were able to release highly accurate ports of arcade games, which allowed console game to peak in popularity. This severely cut into the profits of arcade owners, who could no longer keep up with the popularity of console games and their widespread availability. While arcades are still popular, they lack the same fan fare they once did. Now individual gamers prefer to use PC’s or consoles to play multiplayer online with friends. It’s almost as if the arcade has gone totally virtual. As you search arcade near me, think about why arcades have declined in the past few years.