Took a break last night from The Tear and family for a little fun filled adventure to downtown Los Angeles and the Two Bit Arcade!
It’s a rare moment that I get to visit an arcade. Adulting doesn’t leave much time for frivolous gameplay like this, but I needed a little fun time to relax my mind for a bit and to be able to celebrate my friend’s birthday with him.
The scene was punctuated with 1980’s pop music, neon, dancing LED’s and high riding denim shorts. It felt like a consciously retro experience even though I think the vibe was actually quite emergent. With the rise of 1980ms nostalgia and synthwave, my childhood is back, baby!
Arcades have made dramatic changes since I was a kid. Back then the hot games were Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Today, physical interactivity, team play and virtual reality are all the rage.
Two Bit Circus had all of these kinds of games in spades.
I only had the chance to play two rounds of VR, one was called The Ledge, which simulates you stepping off a 500 foot tall building with floor panels that shift beneath your feet, which did feel a little scary. Others who did the ride seemed to have a harder time remembering that it was all just a simulation.
The other game was a zombie shoot’em up with four simultaneous players. It was AMAZING. We each carried a rifle and could fire in 360 degrees. The headsets were very well maintained and sharp. The downside was it cost $12 for 5 minutes of play time. In total, I spent $19 for two games. That is far too expensive in my opinion, but I’m glad I got to experience it.
What a site!
I also managed to squeeze in a little old school gaming on an original Street Fighter standup machine.
What a time to be alive.