The last time you went to an arcade that wasn't a Chuck E. Cheese's or Dave & Buster's was probably more than a decade ago. The business model was always that arcades offered the kinds of graphics and unique experiences that couldn't be matched at home. But throughout the 90's console technology caught up, the internet began bringing gamers together from inside their own homes and people slowly stopped lugging around pockets full of tokens. Many of us think back fondly on those days spent in massive, dimly-lit arcades like Forest Fair Mall's Time-Out on the Court and Sharonville's Malibu Grand Prix. But those golden days of loose joysticks and face-to-face competition aren't stuck in the 80's anymore.
Co-founders, Jeremiah Minor and Jesse Baker, set out to bring a classic arcade back to the Cincinnati area but it wasn't as simple as ordering products from a vendor. They spent three years tracking down their must-have cabinets, learning their way around cherry switches and motherboards to keep the machines running, and starting up the business while working other jobs. The result of those years of work is Arcade Legends, a 3,000+ square foot space that opened in May of 2009 with nearly 60 games, 6 pinball machines, a 106" projection screen hooked up to tournament-quality fighting sticks, and two 50" TVs for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. You can relive your youth (while the kids play newer console games) but forget about all those jingly tokens.
One of the best parts about Arcade Legends is the way you play. A flat rate gets you access for the entire day and once you're in you'll find all of the games are set on Free Play -- no coins required. If it takes you 100 credits to set the high score in Ms. Pac-Man or finally see the ending to Strider you haven't spent a penny more than what it cost to get in the door. For adults, that means $10 Sunday - Thursday and $12 Friday and Saturday. Kids rates are $6 every day for ages 5-11. They also offer group rates, a party room for special events and an everyday deal where '5 pay and the 6th plays for free'.
Minor and Baker change out games frequently so you'll always find something new to play and there are regular fan-sponsored tournaments for fun, prizes, and a chance to play some truly rare old games. Typically reserved to fancy galleries in California and New York, Arcade Legends will also feature a video game themed art show on March 13th. Students from the Options Academy at Butler Tech will display and sell pieces amongst the arcade machines and festivities.
Just like the arcades of old, there's no telling what you'll find to do at Arcade Legends. Young and old, fanatic or passing-fancy, there is no place like it in Cincinnati or the entire mid-west. Check out Arcade Legends' site for a complete list of their games, directions, updated event information and more! Be sure to check the image slideshow below for a printable coupon for a free admission too!
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