Get ready to level up Friday as video gamers across the nation celebrate National Retro Video Game Day.
This day is a bit of a blast from the past as gamers celebrate those classic video games that first sparked their love for gaming. Whether it be rescuing Princess Peach while dodging falling barrels on “Donkey Kong” or getting into space wars on “Asteroid,” this day is about reconnecting with your childhood gamer.
Retro games are usually video games from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. If you’re old enough to remember, these were the games in big machines you could play for a quarter at your local arcade.
The 1980s saw the rise of 16-bit consoles such as Sega Genesis, according to History.com. But, by the early 2000s, the video game industry began to embrace more advanced gaming technology. Gaming systems such as Xbox and Playstation quickly became the new norm, leaving retro games behind.
To preserve the nostalgia, fans of the late 20th-century video games have been flocking to retro arcades to relive their old childhood experiences.
J.R. Boudreau, a retail associate at Game Underground, an arcade in Waltham, started getting into retro video games about five years ago, he told MassLive. Boudreau was interested in combat games, and many of the ones he enjoyed playing were inside arcades.
“I was just around an environment of people who not only cared about fighting games in general but also like the history of games and it seemed really interesting to sort of tag along with them. And that’s how I got more serious about taking a look at retro games,” he said.
Longing to chase ghosts in Pac-Man or stack bricks in Tetris? Here are some retro video game arcades in Massachusetts to celebrate National Retro Video Game Day.
Versus Boston is where retro video games meet pop art. At Versus, patrons can find all their favorite retro games – “Asteroids”, “Ms. Pac-Man”, “Galaga”, etc. – inside an arcade adorned with iconic pop art murals from local artist Dirty Dekv, according to the arcade’s website.
But, Versus is not just an arcade…it’s also a restaurant. Patrons can enjoy video game-inspired meals like Zelda fries and Smashed Burgers while playing their favorite games, according to the arcade’s menu.
But after 7 p.m., the arcade turns into a 21-plus venue only, where adults can enjoy beers and wines, according to Versus Boston.
Versus is open from Sunday to Thursday 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. and Friday & Saturday 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Game Underground is a mix of old meets new.
Patrons who walk into Game Underground in Waltham can play up to nine retro video games, some of which include “Tetris”, “King of Fighters” and “King of Gladiator,” Boudreau told MassLive.
Game Underground also offers a variety of games that can be played on the NES, Gameboy and Sega games, Boudreau said.
Instead of quarters – like in the “good ol’ days” – Game Underground’s arcade games accept tokens which can be purchased via store-issued cards, Boudreau said. Each card costs two dollars and can be reloaded. A dollar on the store-issued card is equal to eight credits.
Most games at Game Underground are between six to 12 credits. The longer and more complicated the game, the more credits it costs, Boudreau said.
If you are the competitive type, Game Underground also hosts weekly tournaments, including a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament every Tuesday for five dollars, according to their website.
Game Underground is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to their website.
Do you wish to have unlimited playtime to enjoy your favorite arcade games? Stop no further than Hometown Arcade in Norwood, where for $20 patrons can play classic games like Arctic Thunder, Big Buck Hunter and Asteroids Deluxe for as long as they want, according to the arcade’s website.
Hometown Arcade also hosts events. On March 28, the arcade will host an “adult night” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hometown Arcade stated on its website. For $35, play your favorite retro games while enjoying a beer or wine. The arcade also hosts weekly game tournaments, including a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Hometown Arcade is open in Norwood Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the arcade’s website.
At Materia Arcade & Video Games, half the store is play, and the other means business.
Materia in Worcester offers patrons a selection of 12 working arcade games to play from, some of which include “Street Fighter,” “Tekken” and “Mortal Kombat,” according to Andy Jimison, the store owner. To play the game you need tokens, which can be purchased from Jimison. The store owner said he sells them in bundles with 12 tokens costing $4. Each token cost around 30 cents, he said.
Every Tuesday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the arcade also hosts video game tournaments, the store owner said. Patrons can battle each other by playing popular games such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Aside from retro video games, Materia also sells, “everything from Atari and the original Nintendo to Play Station 5,” Jimison said.
Jimison also repairs video games. The store owner said he frequently comes across patrons who need a new console or new battery for their video game.
Materia is open in Worcester from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, according to the arcade.
Free Play is free to play – well for seven bucks at the door at least, according to the arcade’s website.
This Worcester bar and arcade offers more than 50 retro games patrons can play, including “Donkey Kong,” “Frogger” and “Pac-man,” according to Free Play.
The arcade also hosts “Freeplay Family Day,” where for $10 a family can enjoy the arcade, the skee ball, air hockey and pinball machines, according to the arcade’s website. The next “Family Day” is on March 24.
But, Free Play isn’t just for games. It’s also a place where you can jam out to sick tunes, too. On March 8, Silly Rabbit, an alternative rock cover band, will be playing at Free Play in Worcester, according to the arcade’s website.
Free Play also has a dance lounge called “Rewind,” where patrons can dance to songs from the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s every Saturday Night, according to the arcade’s website.
Free Play in Worcester is open from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday and Monday, and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, extending to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Flashback Retro Arcade + Bar + Grille is what it sounds like — a flashback. If you were a child of the ‘80s or ‘90s, you’ll enjoy this arcade venue which features classic games like “Tetris,” “Donkey Kong” and “Marvel vs. Capcom,” according to their website.
Although Flashback markets itself as a 1980s and 1990s joint, its games date back from the 1970s to the 2000s, according to the arcade’s website.
Like in the ‘80s and ‘90s, these arcade games cost only 50 cents per play, while pinball tables cost one dollar, according to Flashback’s website. The games take both quarters and tokens. Patrons can either get quarters from the arcade’s change machines or purchase tokens from their server.
Unlike its name, The Quarters in Hadley doesn’t require any coins. For a $10 ticket, patrons get unlimited access to arcade video games, which include “Street Fighter,” “Qix” and “Mortal Kombat,” according to the arcade’s website.
Patrons can buy tickets either at the arcade or online, according to The Quarters’ website.
Tuesday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight tickets are only $5, but The Quarters becomes a 21+ venue after 9 p.m., according to its website.
The Quarters also hosts special events. Starting on March 15, the arcade will be hosting Hell Night, where music such as classic doom, sludge and metal will be playing, according to a flyer The Quarters posted on its website. The arcade will show horror movies and will serve “spicy food.”
The Quarters is open in Hadley from 4 p.m. to midnight on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 4 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, from noon to midnight on Friday, from 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to its website.
Here’s an extra free life:
Funspot | New Hampshire
If you want to take a drive, the mecca of all retro video game arcades is over the border at Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire, declared the largest arcade in the world by Guinness World Records. It offers more than 500 classic and new games, according to Guinness. It’s also home to the American Classic Arcade Museum, with more than 250 pre-1987 video games and pinball machines, according to Funspot’s website.
“It is here where adults can re-live a bit of their past, spending hours with their faces illuminated only by the glow of a screen, putting token after token into the game from their childhood all for that chance to get just one level further, just one score higher,” Funspot’s website says.
