The Arcade Directory/Recommendations Thread

Anything to do with games at all.
User avatar
Dowbocop
Member ♥
Joined in 2008

PostThe Arcade Directory/Recommendations Thread
by Dowbocop » Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:45 pm

Arcains - 31 Grafton Street, Cains Brewery Village, Liverpool, L8 5SD
https://www.arcains.co.uk/
Prices
Usually £12 adults/£10 kids, everything is on free play except stuff like the pool tables, shuffleboard and punchbag machine (basically non-gaming stuff). They charge a bit more during the school holidays - about £36 for the boy and me.

Games
Three floors of arcade machines, ranging from retro machines (Track and Field, Street Fighter, Simpsons, Metal Slug), late 90s/Naomi era stuff (saw Crazy Taxi, Silent Scope 2 and Virtua Tennis among MANY others), to your standard bowling alley fayre (e.g. Guitar Hero, Mario Kart, Giant PacMan, Terminator Salvation). At least one of the machines was running an emulator if that bothers you but there were original-looking ones too. One awesome curio is the Pong table that has physically moving real world table pieces. Never seen that before and it's a really fun take on the game. Also saw a LAN cafe and a load of PS5s/Xboxes mostly playing Fortnite and FIFA. Don't think there's any VR facilities.

Refreshments
Cafe on the top floor serving contemporary trampoline park fusion. S'alright: chips were nice, chilli was decent, nice amount of cheese. Paired with a '24 vintage Dr Pepper. There are at least two other bars, at which I saw a Guinness pump (I wasn't drinking so didn't examine too much). Entry to the venue is through a pub so you could just go there if you wanted something else, but the sign said no readmission so I assume you'd have to pay back in.

Accessibility
It's in the old Cains Brewery which is central but not the most central area of the city. There's a lot of trendy regeneration around there right now (as an aside the building is gorgeous). It's walkable for an able-bodied person from Lime Street and buses don't stop miles away. Fortunately there is also a pay and display next door which costs a fiver for 12 hours. Unfortunately because it's located in a Victorian working building I doubt it's particularly wheelchair accessible (they might have lift access but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't). It's also dark with some uneven floors and a fair few stairs which some may struggle with.

User avatar
Dowbocop
Member ♥
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Arcade Directory/Recommendations Thread
by Dowbocop » Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:45 pm

I visited Arcains today and I thought it was a really good experience. There's a fair few of us who enjoy going to an arcade and this might be a good place to share the little gems we find in our local area or on our travels!

There's a template below and I'll add other recommendations to the OP
Name:
Address (please bold the city/town):
Website:
Prices

Games

Refreshments

Accessibility


User avatar
False
COOL DUDE
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Arcade Directory/Recommendations Thread
by False » Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:57 pm

Arcade Club in Bury and Leeds are pretty good

https://www.arcadeclub.co.uk/bury/ https://www.arcadeclub.co.uk/leeds/

NQ64 bars are usually alright if a bit busy and are all over the country. I've only been to the ones in Manchester and Liverpool though. The new Manchester NQ one is pretty big.

https://nq64.co.uk/

Image

Return to “Games”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Dowbocop, kazanova_Frankenstein, more heat than light, Red 5 stella, shy guy 64, Vermilion and 471 guests