Line #58 Main/VideoArcade


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcade_4842.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Not as common as they used to be, but they still exist in the West.[[note]]Left: ''VideoGame/PumpItUp''; Right: ''Ms. VideoGame/PacMan''[[/note]]]]
3
4	A {{setting\|s}} not seen as much these days due to their decline - thanks to personal computers, home video game consoles, and Internet cafés - this is where all the kids used to go to play their [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame video games]]. Rows of them, in big, gloriously fashioned cabinets. Often in darkly lit rooms to let the video displays shine and maintained in states from squalid to pristine, the machines [[AttractMode flash]] and [[ArcadeSounds burble]] to themselves even when not being played. More recent examples often feature ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''-style fun.
5
6	Special mention must go to arcades as locations in video games.
7
8	See also SuckECheeses. PacManFever optional.
9
10	If you're looking for pages on arcade games themselves, see UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame.
11	----
12	!!Examples
13
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15
16	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
17	* The characters in ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' often hang out at the Crown game center. In the [[Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon live-action series]] it was changed to a karaoke parlor, but it was kept in ''Anime/SailorMoonCrystal'' since arcades are still relatively popular in Japan.
18	* A video arcade features prominently in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', where Kyouko is proficient in a DDR-esque dance game.
19	* ''Anime/LupinIIIDragonOfDoom'' begins with Jigen and Lupin hanging out in one. Lupin's preoccupied trying to get the Lupin doll from the Claw game.
20	* The leads of ''Manga/HighScoreGirl'' bond over their shared interests in video games, and often hang out in arcades, particularly enjoying ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' and other fighting games.
21	[[/folder]]
22
23	[[folder:Comic Books]]
24	* ''ComicBook/SensationComicsFeaturingWonderWoman'': In "Wonder World" Diana escapes from Paradise Island when she's fifteen, meets and befriends a girl crying under the boardwalk and then goes to the arcade and laser tag with the girl and her friends. They also get ice cream with Diana thinks is excellent.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
28	* ''WesternAnimation/MonsterHouse'': A video arcade is seen briefly, in the scene where the main heroes enlist the help of a friend in information dealing with the possessed house.
29	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheCyberChase'': Level 10 of Eric's video game takes place in a recreation of the gang's hometown, including an amusement park with its own video arcade... which turns into the site of the final battle with the Phantom Virus as it animates the various game machines in an attempt to try and stop them from retrieving the last box of Scooby Snacks (which will complete the level and the game itself).
30	* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' takes place in Litwak's Arcade on Route 83, revolving around what the characters in the games do after-hours.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
34	* A montage of arcades in the movies can be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4XRQxbrLS8o seen here.]]
35	* ''Film/{{Tron}}'' features an odd mix of arcade machines of the period and ray-traced 3D extravaganzas which could have existed only in the last 10 years. (Justified since the movie was set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture.)
36	* ''Film/TronLegacy'' revisits the same arcade, assuming the time to be TheEighties.
37	* The Creator/JackieChan film ''Film/CityHunter'' has a scene set in the arcade on a cruise liner, where Jackie gets thrown into a ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' machine and absorbs the personas of some of the game characters.
38	* ''Film/{{Joysticks}}'', a teen sex comedy.
39	* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', where John Connor is playing the slightly anachronistic but thematically appropriate ''VideoGame/MissileCommand''.
40	%%* ''Film/{{Big}}''
41	%%* ''Film/DoubleDragon1994''
42	%%* ''Film/WarGames''
43	%%* ''Film/{{Arcade}}'' (no, really)
44	* ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084171/ Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again]]'' (1982). Hyde goes in search of his New Wave singer girlfriend in a video arcade.
45	* "The Bishop of Battle" segment in ''Film/{{Nightmares}}''. Most of the action takes place in a video arcade.
46	* The arcade in ''Film/TheWizard'', perhaps best known for the infamous "He touched my breasts!" scene.
47	* ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'' has an arcade apparently sponsored by Creator/{{Atari}}, as it contained virtually nothing but ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}''.
48	%%* ''Film/TheKarateKid''
49	* ''Film/{{Adventureland}}'' is set in an arcade in an amusement park.
50	* ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' includes an arcade scene with a ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' parody called Ninja Ninja Revolution.
51	* In ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'', this is a place without parental supervision where underage kids smoke cigars (!) and the Foot Clan recruits new members.
52	* ''Film/RoboCop2'' features an arcade where all the machines are from Creator/DataEast, who were responsible for the Robocop videogames.
53	* In ''Film/SouthlandTales'', Music/JustinTimberlake's disfigured WorldWarThree vet deals illegal psychic drugs from an arcade. After he gets high on his own supply, he enters the mindscape, spontaneously erupts into the Bridge of "All These Things That I've Done" by Music/TheKillers, and psychically forgives his friend for wounding him in a friendly-fire incident. In the background, his militiamen - all of them in military uniforms - happily take up their light guns and blast away at the arcade cabinets.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Literature]]
57	* The novel ''Game Over'' depicts a video arcade being run by [[spoiler:Satan in disguise]], full of games designed to get bullied children addicted to violence until they go on [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge killing sprees against their tormentors]].
58	* ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'' by William Gibson has a handful of scenes set in arcades featuring fictional games like Wizard's Castle and Tank War Europa.
59	* ''Time Twister'' by Ged Maybury has many scenes set in a video arcade, as the eponymous game machine is the device around which the plot is built.
60	* ''Video War'' by Stephen Manes. Set in 1983, the town leaders of Bunker Hill Bluffs tries to outlaw arcades, but a group of teenagers fight back.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
64	* In one episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', the team question a man while his young son plays a video game in a hotel's arcade. Saying they won't believe him about his whereabouts, he interrupts his son's game and tells him to the the investigators where he was. The boy gripes to his dad for costing him "a man," but tells the [=CSIs=] what they need to know. The dad then tells the boy they'll go to Circus Circus instead because they have better games there.
65	* In the pilot of ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'', Charlie and Larry meet in an arcade on campus at Calsci, where Larry gives Charlie some advice on the current case, while simultaneously getting a high score on his current game.
66	* The second series of ''Series/{{StrangerThings}}'' starts with the group visiting their local arcade, playing Dragon's Lair and meeting the soon-to-be newest member of the group.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Video Games]]
70	* The protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' can take Heidi or Veronica (depending on player choice) to one of these on a date. Amazingly, it’s full of teens who are playing retro games.
71	* ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' features at least one arcade per game so far. Along with a few diversions like dart boards and whatnot, they also include [[GameWithinAGame fully playable]] cabinets for games like ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', ''Hang On'' and ''VideoGame/{{Afterburner}} II''.
72	* The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series features Club Sega arcades (or Hi-Tech Land Sega arcades in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'') with a slew of minigames inside. Earlier games had original games and UFO catchers, while later games feature [[GameWithinAGame real Sega games]], including ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'', ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', and ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo''.
73	* ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'' has the arcade-in-game version.
74	* The paradigm for Platform/XBox Arcade Live.
75	* Both ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/Mother3'' have arcades in Onett and [[spoiler:New Pork City]], respectively.
76	* There's a plot-relevant one on the wharf in ''VideoGame/{{Wishbringer}}''.
77	* In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', the brothers can visit an arcade in Little Fungitown.
78	* In the ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial'' series, the Arcade Center is a staple dating location.
79	* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' 2 featured a video arcade in one level. The arcade machines could be [[RewardingVandalism smashed to drop power-ups]].
80	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies2ItsAboutTime'': In the [[TheEighties Neon Mixtape Tour]] world, your lawn turns into one when there's a huge wave of Arcade Zombies pushing entire columns of arcade machines in. Taken even further during an 8-bit Jam, where the arcade machines flash, make noises, [[TheGameComeToLife and start spawning 8-bit zombies from them]].
81	* ''VideoGame/LegoDimensions'' has one in the ''Midway Arcade'' expansion, complete with a real-world buildable arcade machine that can be inserted into the game to play fully-emulated versions of classic Midway arcade games such as ''VideoGame/{{Rampage}}'', ''VideoGame/SpyHunter1983'', and ''VideoGame/RoadBlasters''.
82	* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has arcade cabinets in several attackers' spawn rooms. Hanamura in particular has an entire Japanese game center for an attack spawn. [[{{Ninja}} Genji]] remarks about how he used to spend his days there and [[GamerChick D.Va]] gloats about her high scores.
83	* The ending sequence of ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'' has the game characters bursting out of an arcade machine and into an arcade.
84	* With the Diamond Casino Heist update for ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV Grand Theft Auto Online]]'', you can purchase one of these to use as a hideout for the heist in question, complete with a simple [[AnEntrepreneurIsYou business management game]] where you can purchase and install a slew of [[FictionalVideoGame fictional arcade machines]] that are all fully playable (and make you money).
85	* ''VideoGame/{{LittleBigPlanet}}'': The Cosmos from the second game has an two-story arcade used as the background.
86	* ''VideoGame/TomodachiLife'': One of the apartment interiors you can give to your Miis is an arcade theme. Likewise, the amusement park has a playable arcade game where you play an {{RPG}} game.
87	* ''VideoGame/MarioParty8'': The Free Play Arcade is a mode set in an arcade which let's you play all the minigames you currently unlocked.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Webcomics]]
91	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', a flashback panel [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/tlod-009 shows]] Diane on a date at an arcade within a bowling alley.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Western Animation]]
95	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Noise Land, Springfield's local arcade and one of Bart's favorite hangouts, featuring games such as "Escape from Grandma's House II" and "Hockey Dad". In a FlashBack episode to the early 1980s, a group of kids go play a video game version of "Kick the Can", and a Mumbly Peg arcade machine can be seen in the background.
96	* On ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Steven frequently goes to the Funland Arcade in Beach City. Interestingly, games like ''Meat Beat Mania'' are portrayed very realistically and modernly. They get a lot of the small details down right, such as the time counting down for the player to deposit more tokens to continue playing.
97	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has an arcade, complete with a ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' clone called "Hoedown Hero", albeit one that's out of order. That doesn't stop [[CrazyHomelessPeople Old Man McGucket]] from jigging for eight days straight.
98	* ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'': Season Eight's "Video Mania". Weird Harold develops an addiction to a Brown Hornet video game at the local arcade.
99	* ''WesternAnimation/SanjayAndCraig'': The titular duo likes to hangout at the Frycade, where one of their most favorite games is a fighting game featuring their favorite celebrity; Remington Tufflips.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder: Real Life]]
103	* Video arcades remain popular in Japan, where they are known as game centers.
104	* There are usually at least two in any small town, one in the bowling alley and one in the movie theater, so that young teens out with their friends might entertain themselves and spend their money whilst waiting for their parents to come pick them up after their movie/game is over.
105	* British seaside towns invariably have at least a few of these, ranging from a few ageing slot machines in a run-down storefront to some that are every bit as elaborate as the trope's pre-console heyday. Presumably they make most of their money from tourists taking refuge from the capricious whims of UsefulNotes/BritishWeather.
106	[[/folder]]

Context Main / VideoArcade