What Shea Mathis and an army of friends and volunteers have
created could be called an
arcade, sure. But it might also
be considered a video game
museum with working, usable
equipment.
“There hasn’t been an actual
arcade (in Fayetteville) in 15
years,” says Mathis from the
party room at the new Arkadia
Retrocade in the Evelyn Hills
Shopping Center - until Nov.
10, when the doors opened at
Arkadia.
The project has been a
dream of Mathis’ for more
than a year, and he’s spent
much of that time acquiring
video game consoles from
eBay, Craigslist or at various
video game auctions. In
keeping with the theme of
having a vintage-style arcade,
no game newer than about
1992 is welcome at Arkadia.
That means newer games
such as “Mortal Kombat” and
“Dance Dance Revolution”
won’t be found, but older
games such as “Asteroids,”
“Galaga,” “Donkey Kong” and
“Pac-Man” are prominently
featured.
“Everybody’s got those
games that are their favorites,
that they love,” Mathis says.
Admission to Arkadia is
$5. After that, game play
is unlimited for the rest of
the day, with no quarters or
tokens required. In addition
to some of the more classic
arcade titles, other games are
offered, such as air hockey,
foosball and more. Several
cocktail-style game consoles
- with acrylic tops and
surrounded by chairs - can
be found at Arkadia, with
titles including “Frogger” and
an early version of “Pong.” About 50 game consoles
are currently on the floor atArkadia, and Mathis plans to unveil as many as 20 more once maintenance returns them to service. Also, other portable game consoles will be rotated into the mix. An old television currently is hooked to an Atari system;
in a month or so, Mathis hopes to switch in a Mattel Intellivision.
Mathis says the arcade caters to the 30-something crowd, who haven’t had an opportunity to play since arcades went out of style, but also young gamers with an appreciation for the classics.
The three birthday parties the venue hosted on its opening weekend illustrate that, Mathis says.
One party was for a 9-yearold. Another was for a 14-yearold. And the third was for someone in his 30s.
“People of all ages enjoy these games,” he says.
No alcohol is permitted or sold inside Arkadia, and the arcade is open only to those 16 and older unless accompaniedby a parent. A snack bar serves simple fare including candy bars and bottled sodas.
Mathis expects to reduce the operation to five days a week sometime after the first of the year, but he says he will also respond to customer demand.
Whats Up, Pages 17 on 11/16/2012