New 80's Themed Arcade - Back to the Arcade South Mall Allentown, PA
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2024
- Join me as I check out a brand new 80's Arcade at the South Mall in Allentown PA. This place has all kinds of retro games and pinball machines!
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I feel like there should be entire 80s themed malls. People would go to them like theme parks.
if anything could revive the dying malls that would! one reason people stopped going to the mall because they got drab and boring by the late 90s. we need that neon filled atmosphere back!
I remember when malls had movie theatres, arcades, more specialty stores and large fountains. My local mall looks pretty empty compared how to it used be back in the 90s and early to mid-2000s.
It can be done... I saw a news about a Burger King who was intact in a mall with an 80's design, maybe some fast food like Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC in a 80's theme food court to fill some space.
I was born in the 80s and I would love to go to a 80s mall like stranger things
stranger danger hysteria and smart phones killed arcades.
You can see the passion that went into that place!
People need to get out there and support that arcade! It's a feeling and atmosphere that CAN NOT be replicated at home!
Absolutely!
I would love to but I'm 1100 miles away from PA. I hope they do well for sure. I'll be checking if there is any in my area. As far as I know they all closed down in the late 90's around here.
Idk....I think there are no need for them anymore. If there was ..then there would be an arcade everywhere. But obviously.... business ain't boomin
Game Consoles have blown arcades out of the water.
@@jongabrielminney2440 There is a need. Do you see how many people cheat in online games and tournaments?
That arcade is a work of art in itself. The love, effort, expense and attention to detail that has gone into it is clear. I wish it will be successful forever.
no people have theyre nintendos and playstation and 486 at home to play on now
I grew up during the 80s and 90s, and the arcade was my happy place. I love seeing new places like this, especially when they get the decor right and have a good selection of games. I would definitely hang out at this place. Thanks for sharing this with us; this is really cool!
Thanks for watching!
I love your arcade video I'm a 70s baby growing up in the 80s playing in the arcades ! The game I fell in love playing was donkey Kong back in 81! OMG I can't believe that was over 40 years ago! I guess that's why I love Nintendo so much! America needs more arcades like this all over the states to keep retro arcade gaming alive! I hope you make more video!🕹️🎮🕹️👍
Arcade era will never die !
I wish that was true, but unfortunately I think it has most of the nails in its coffin.
@@michaelpeters78 It's still alive, Just as big as it once was accept in japan, Still massive scene there, If your ever over there, But There are still loads of places that do arcades, Over here in the uk, They are mostly at sea side resorts, Holiday resorts or small places, Still i know what you mean, With how technology has come, It will still live on, Also plenty of people online that do custom arcades, Bar top arcades if you ever want to host your own arcade place of your own for good prices 😀
@@onlypvpcaterina-6669 let's hope they make a massive comeback. you never know. history tends to repeat itself as they say.
@@michaelpeters78 Indeed !
Pinballs specially, they have a massive and definitive advantge over any video game, they are mechanicals, they are REAL.
People who missed this time do not understand what an experience it was. We also didn't realize it at the time until it had passed
I truly love malls that have a movie theater and arcades ...That's my go to back in the 80s and 90s.
I noticed when I brought a couple arcade 1up units I modded to my brothers house for my nephew's birthday, the kids were more drawn to grabbing the extra corded controllers than using the joysticks. They understood those so they took those despite being the secondary controls for the systems. They likely had never been an arcade in their lives so it wasn't second nature to them. (Adults always just jump right on the joysticks and start going.)I put some extra USB ports so I could give both the machines I made 4 player functionality. I took a marvel superheroes counter cade that I modded, so it has a splitter so I had a TV on the table next to so kids could play with the corded controllers with the kids using the smaller screen. My nephew stuck to that as he was lunged on top of one of his motorized toys as a seat while he gamed his brains out.
The kids were shocked at the concept of Rampage(The marquee game is Rampage for the 3/4 machine, so one of the dads wanted to play it when he saw that, and the kids followed suit.), as they like what you mean we get to eat people and just smash the city? Are we the bad guys? I just laughed and replied just have fun and don't overthink it kiddos. They played both the original arcade game and world tour.
It was cool see the kids playing 4 player games , particularly TMNT the arcade game. They all cheered when they defeated Rock Steady and Beebop finally saving April. They got real excited when they took down Shredder. Thankfully for them I wasn't charging them quarters hehe. But this probably the closest any of them got to being an arcade. My sister in law was grateful as the kids stuck outside of the house, as they ran between the games in the garage and bouncy house they rented making the clean up much easier. It was a good party, as I was glad to share my gear with the crowd. I didn't build it to hoard it like a dragon in my lair.
I would love to travel back in time to this era. I miss the old downtown and shopping mall arcades like this one. All the new family fun centers just don't cut it as they are mostly ticket games. I would love to go to this place. Sure, I can play all these classic arcades in MAME, but noting beats playing the actual arcade in an arcade room setting.
I'm so glad people are trying to recreate them though
Yeah, I miss those awesome days. The summer of 1982 was awesome! It really is nice to see arcades like this opening up,but really hope to see more re of these. If I'm ever sent near Allentown,I'll have to check this place out 👍
@@ArcadeDude44 80's Era was the best part of my life.Great games,music and good movies.
Agreed. There is something about playing arcade games in the wild that beats even playing the same machine in your home!
Plus add in all the nostalgia feels....awesome. I miss malls but unfortunately they were largely superceded by the internet shopping. It's cool to see malls offering things you can't get at home.
@@mattm7798 Almost empty shopping malls are fantastic to be in as crowds are off putting especially in a virus pandemic but empty shopping malls are also a reminder that things can't continue like that if they're to stay open as businesses can't survive on fresh air.
As someone who is 43, man is this right up my alley. I miss the arcade so much. Most all of the games in this place too, from the early 80’s games to the early 90’s games are just about exactly the ones I’d have picked myself. The only additions (which may have even been there but not shown) being the first two Ninja Turtles games, and the first X-Men game. Especially the big 6-player version of the X-Men game. Holy crap was that a blast when you had 6 people all playing that at once! My only worry with this place? That it lasts. It’s hard for me to believe that places like this can make enough money today to survive. Even with the nostalgia factor and there being people like me who appreciate it. But it is funny to me how kids today are into 80’s and 90’s stuff so much when they weren’t even alive back then. They prefer things from our childhood. What does that tell you? We Gen-X’ers or just after really did grow up in an awesome time to be a kid.
Would not make it in my town. We have six bars that have lots of old video games you can play for free as long as you buy one beer. That would not leave enough paying customers for a nostalgia arcade like this.
@@kcclark9664 Yep, that’s a regular issue with places like this anymore. I personally love them for nostalgia as a kid from the era. But business-wise I just don’t think they can work anymore unless there’s some other huge hook to them.
I love the X-men and TMNT games. I played them at the boardwalk in Seaside growing up. I know of an arcade that has them and I hope to show it in the future.
@@RayOutThere Part of why I still hold on to my PS3, is because I own a few games that I bought digitally, like the X-Men arcade game, that I’m pretty sure can’t be purchased anymore on the newer platforms. The Simpsons arcade game is another that I have stored on it. As some of those some of those arcade games from the early 90’s go, I think those two and the two TMNT games were my very favorites. I also liked games like Street Fighter II, but some fighting games like that just weren’t quite as much fun to me, because they weren’t like these where it felt like you were following a story, and going on an adventure with anywhere from 3 to as many as 5 of your friends or strangers.
@@cgimovieman I hear ya. The Wii virtual console had dozens of games from the 8 to 16-bit era. And included games that were originally only available overseas, like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood or virtual console exclusives.
Man That's Cool! .. I'm 58, And Watching This Made My Eyes Sweat A Little .. Brought Back Some Long Gone Memories .. THANKS DUDE!
Thank you for watching!
I need this place in my life...
This brings back so many memories.......God i miss the 80s and 90s......wish i could go back so bad.
I truly hope this will expand to multiple malls throughout the US. That arcade is absolutely amazing!!!
Keep an eye out in your area, arcades like this one are becoming more popular
reason why arcades died in the late 2000's. we kids; grew up and had to work . we couldn't spend all day at an arcade anymore. thats why. i think arcades will come back. both in nostalgia and new up coming tech advancement. especially with virtual reality.
What a throwback to happier times! 80s was all arcades for me personally
Arcades are slowly but surely making a comeback, and it's beautiful to see.
What’s old is new again
@@TipppedScales1015holy crap I was actually going to comment the same thing lol
especially after all the peons have learned about germs and how they are spreads....really brillant idea
Love it❤❤
Loved the arcade. So cool they are bringing back the classic games.
Wow, I never seen so many 80/90's original arcades in pristine NEW condition. Like they all just came out of the assembly line yesterday!
IKR? I was amazed at how good the pinballs look, especially The Addams Family. It looks new!
good point! everything looked quite mint
Reproductions….
These machines will last much longer when kept indoors and actually used. It's the non usage, outdoor storage and constant moving that wears them out.
You love going to the arcade? You are not alone brother... Salute!
Beautifully “produced” 80s themed arcade. I’ve seen too many where they just plop a few 80s games in a kind of a run down setting. The ultimate 80s arcade, of course, is Funspot In Weir’s Beach, NH, a playable museum with like 400 machines. I do hope South Mall bounces back, and I hope Back to the Arcade is a huge success.
This is definitely the nicest one I’ve seen.
Great idea...I really hope it succeeds. The world needs more '80's. 😎
We all love the 80s
Wow love the video. I worked in a 80s arcade back in 84/85. There is nothing like the arcade life. Lots of love from Canada 🇨🇦
I’d love to see malls in general make a comeback. Humans aren’t meant to sit, isolated, shopping from a computer. We are social creatures by nature.
Preach it
Its hard because the malls aren't lowering rent to entice businesses to setup...instead they are raising it! And during the holidays? Rent triples! And even that has still been increasing. For a model that is trying to stay afloat against online...they sure are tone deaf to the needs of small business to thrive. The mall has helped drive small business out!
Need to take down Amazon.
@@paxhumana2015 I dunno how it is in other states but in NY the property taxes alone are a killer. Plus malls weren’t all that in their heyday. On a weekend or a holiday parking could be a nightmare and there was always a crime element. Not to mention with popular venues come crowds. As a teenager I enjoyed the mail and I’m kind of sad that the teens of today don’t have malls but as an adult I honestly don’t miss them
People shop online out of necessity. If the average person had more disposable income and better work life balance, malls could make a comeback. The wealthy class is making sure that won't happen
As a young adult during the late 70's and early 80's, I played all of these games in arcades like this one. As a kid we didn't have video games, so when I saw my first coin op game in college, {original pong machine 1972}, I was COMPLETELY blown away. Great video, it made me reminisce. I'm surprised you never heard of SCRAMBLE. It was in just about every arcade I visited, It was a real quarter snatcher.
This should be preserved
The 80s really ruled! 👍👍
“Ruled”…….haven’t heard that in soooo long lol. “That totally rules man” haha. A phrase straight out of the 80’s☺️
Wrestle fest was my go to game at the arcade!
This place brings back all the memories of arcades of the 80s and 90s. So much fun. Sometimes it get so packed and loud but that just adds to the fun
the arcade sounds are hypnotizing
God bless anyone willing to put the money and effort into opening places like this. My heart goes out to them because no amount of passion will keep it open. Kids like my 80s self with a pound of quarters in his pockets was what made these places thrive and that's evident as none of the games you filmed were being played.
I think people will play the games it was a lot of kids in there too they were playing but he can't really film kids playing in there cuz I'm so Mary's it's against the law to film minors and motions he may have to get permission as of this is a private business.
In ‘79 my buddy and I were going to go for the tandem Asteroids world record - which at the time was 7 days (but we never did, cuz we were 12). We used to hit the arcade in the morning on Saturday and play all day on one quarter. I think it sort of ticked off the owner - but then he realized our play did actually draw a crowd and kept people hanging out longer playing other games, eating, etc.
I Knew A Dude Like That .. We Were Teenagers .. ONE Quarter In Almost Any Machine And He Could Play As Long As He Wanted! .. It Was Wild Watching Him, He Was Unbelievably Good At The Most Challenging Games .. And He Would Draw A Crowd Too .. Then When He Got Bored, He'd Turn It Over To Me .. Then I'd Be Done/Dead In About 10? Minutes, Maybe, And Then The Crowd Would Split Lol! .. Great Times Man! Miss Those Days!!
@@CharlieScott1 Was your buddy named Tommy? : D
How I missed these arcade at mall! I guess this why we have Dave and Buster!👍👍👍🤩🤩
D&B’s doesn’t have any arcades from the 1980s. It’s just remakes of “new” classic games that use LCD screens and other newer technology.
@@achannelwithaprofilepictur6253 that’s true! They do have remakes! It be great if they had Streetfighter 6 arcade game 🕹
If I could get a like-new Tempest machine, I'd be set for life.
thanks for sharing. I miss these types of places.
Always cool to find an actual arcade operating in this day, and age, when all the malls are dying off. Even though I have a home arcade, full of 3/4 scale cabinets, I still enjoy visiting a real arcade, and playing those games. Thanks for sharing this.
Baby doll love us people invest on video game consoles or even as you mention him the arcade at home Stockton special being a natural organics mall where you can actually meet people socialize play games with people which most cases and y'all just not the same thing with a microphone in your ear at home. We need morn arcades
yeah its terrific, we have a similar thing happen here in n.z a guy started a place up with old and new arcades, great to feel that nostalgia
Place looks awesome. Can tell they put some love into this place. I loved Congo Bongo on Atari! Never knew it was a cab. And absolutely right. Have my own setup at home. It's fun and all, but something is just missing if you're not at the arcade.
Looks like someone sharing their personal arcade collection. Those are all very highly collectible machines. Very well thought out room.
Good job BTTA. I dearly miss the 80s. What a time to be a teenager and young adult.
SO great to see Stargate & Defender~ I was 16 yrs old in 1983 & never thought I would see something like this again. At the time we were thinking that video games of the future would all be 3d & much more high tech~ that DID happen, but these games are more fun.
My girls and I go there all the time. Super nice people. I like that they combine the new Stern's pinball games with the classics. That Rush machine is AWESOME!!! - They also have the old game Tapper, which I had not seen in a long time. So much fun. Can't wait to go back.
It's a great place for sure!
I miss the arcades. that place brings back good memorys
This is awesome 👍 I'm 4 hours away from there! Good to see a mall trying to make a comeback
I’m glad you went back to check it out!
If we couldn't make it to the Arcade, the 7-11 had 6 games you could play. Cigarette burns on the machines and all. Great times.
Weekends in the 80s for the under 18/21 crowd were mostly hanging out at the arcade, the bowling alley, the mall next door, and someone's basement drinking beer, listening to tunes and playing pool or darts.
Once you "came of age" and could legally drink, things changed a bit but it stayed mostly the same. Was a fantastic time of life..
Every single game in there is a classic!! Even the ones you weren’t familiar with..Straight from my childhood arcade days!! Thank you for sharing. I am going to go visit there!
I wish there were more places like this that had so much effort put into it this arcade has the most effort I have ever seen put into a retro arcade it looks straight out of the 80s
I have fun fond memories of arcades growing up in the 80's. Most malls had an arcade like Alladins Castle and most arcades were really dark with the video games giving enough light to give the ambient lighting. It was awesome and of course they always took gold tokens from the dollar/token machine just like Chucky Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza etc. I remember the attendant who would have to give a customer a token in case the arcade stole your token etc. Love this stuff and always will. I'm now 48 and this was me and still is. A++++ Thumbs Up and shared!
This place is fantastic! My wife found it and surprised me with a visit a few months ago. It really brings back fond memories of the heyday of arcades in the late 80s. They have a great selection of pinball machines, too! Highly recommended.
Awesome to see new arcades opening. I'll be sure to add this to my files.
that is awesome! i always said i would trade all my home consoles to go back to the arcades i grew up in......happily giving quarters to these machines
Great vid. I'm from Northern Ireland and as a 15 yo kid I remember travelling to Ohio in 1987 and visiting a mall there and it had all of the classics, totally blew me away. Great memories, great times.
I do remember scramble, loved that game but I think my favourite called "Punch Out" is unfortunately long lost now I'd say...? I'd love to play that again.
it looks AMAZING!!! I'm a big fan of retro games and this looks like a paradise, thanks for sharing 👌🔥👏🤜🕹
I can tell whoever set this arcade up actually came from the 80s. They set it up just like I would. Scramble is awesome! Would be cool if right next to it was Tutenkhamen. One big omission is Phoenix. That's a MUST. I'll bet you a million dollars the only reason it's not there is the owner couldn't find one.
Very cool video. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you!
Brings back alot of memories for me.
We need more like these. Some pretty rare machines in this place!
Super cool. Great video! 👍
Those were some good times.
Ohhhh this is great to see, I know it's an 80's themed arcade but I would love to see more 90's titles. Some of the late 90's 3D Sega titles were absolute LOVE.
No arcade is complete without a KILLER INSTINCT CABINET!!!
I was thinking the same.
Nice reminds me of the good old days
Basically grew up in arcades. So glad to see them coming back 🥲
Nothing like the old arcades. Thanks for the memories !!!!
Reminded me of the arcades I patronized as a teenager in Chicago back in the day.
Unfortunately they’re all gone.
If I was in Allentown, I’d check this place out.
Check out galloping ghost arcade in Brookfield Illinois
Wow...Very Wonderful!
Nice, about an hour from me, I think I’ll take a trip up there soon
Most amazing thing of all time ever. I would so be in there everyday after work blasting quarters.
I recently went here with my daughter and grandson. Very cool arcade!!
I hope they had fun!
@@RayOutThere lots of fun!
Thanks for posting this. I just got back from a roadtrip where I went to multiple cities/theme parks across multiple states. I stopped in Allentown mainly to go to Dorney Park, and I would have not known to check this place out while I was in town if not for this video.
I should pay this place a visit since I'm from the Poconos just NE from there, about a good 45 min drive.
I am so thankful to live near Back to the Arcade. I love taking my kids there and letting them relive MY youth!
Are there a lot of kids there? Or is it mostly a bunch of us guys in our 40s and 50s looking to relive our childhood? I grew-up back in the 80s and one of the most appealing aspects of the arcade (in addition to the social aspect of hanging out in person with your friends) was that the quality of the arcade games was far better than you could get on a home console. Pac Man on the Atari 2600 didn't hold a candle to Pac Man at the arcade. Now it's the opposite, and the graphics on those old arcade games aren't as good as what you can get on an Xbox or a PS5.
Regardless of whether the customer base is mostly kids or Gen-Xers, I hope this place makes a go of it. It looks like an awesome experience.
@@franciscolopez7101 - I grew up in the 80s too. This place captures the experience we had perfectly. It's usually a 50/50 mix of adults and kids. Even though consoles are superior graphically, there are still mechanical experiences -- lightgun shooting games, sit-in/ride-on games, pinball -- that modern screens can't deliver.
I wish this place much success because it's a market for arcades we just have to tap back into them. America pretty much sent arcades into obscurity. I miss those days.
Dave and Busters is a big franchise.....
@@roxycauldwell544 Dave and Busters is nothing like this place not even close
There is places like Dave's & Buster's and a including John incredible's pizza , unknown they have locations ever else but we got em here in Fresno California. But those places are set out to be more like casinos for kids and that's a same with Chuck-E-Cheeses which is still around everywhere you know when you go to these places you have your club card or should I say I mean you're arcade card did you put money on the I agree it's not the same experience like original arcades why do get to play some games that's neat definitely not the same. Dave's & Buster's more more or less is for it's basically One step before a casino
Good to see an arcade with SOME CRTs still in use in a lot of cabinets. Nice video. 👍🏾
I so wish I had a place like that in my city.
If this place is still open, I want to visit it. I'm barely an hour away from Allentown.
This brought back so many memories. Only thing I hated about going to the arcade was my parents forcing me to leave 😄.
Definitely a dream come true
oh my... Lucky Man !
We don't have many new arcade centers in my country... In fact arcade is dying.
But since I'm a teen of this era, It warms my little arcade fan's heart ! Have a blast ! 🙂
The Arcade, also the dads retreat. Would happily escape there while wifey does her thing. Great vid Ray!
I would love to visit this arcade and play ALL of the games!
In in Jersey outside of Philly. I'm going to have to visit this place. I LOVE 80's arcades and video games in general. The Berlin Auction in Jersey has a good little retro arcade but this place looks bigger. Can't wait to visit.
Let us know when you get there - Mark
@@markpaden1152 Thanks man
Damn, that place is amazing! I miss the good old days of Mall Arcades....awesome memories. The ambiance is everything.
That sign alone is worth it for me... I love '80s culture AND arcades!
Wow nice mall arcade... looks great
How did I not know this was a thing?? 😮😮 I went to see my cousins in Allentown last April!
That’s really cool. Although I didn’t hear any, all that’s missing are are the tunes. There’s nothing better than playing a couple of rounds of Moon Patrol while listening to Duran Duran’s The Reflex blasting through the speakers. 👍👾🕹
The soundtrack at the world's biggest arcade (really), Fun Spot, in Weir's Beach New Hampshire has the greatest soundtrack. It nailed the 80s arcade aesthetic completely, as it's been around since then!
Thanks 4 posting this, I'm about half hour away, had no idea we had something like this in Allentown.
In 1987 I went to Frisco CA Frisco had the biggest arcade in California 3 floors of alllll kinds of games!!!
I got all these games on Pandora 😁😁😁😁😁😁! If I can get a cabinet and put my Pandora and TV in the cabinet it'll be nice!!!
Exactly...I play the pandora with my now 7 year old daughter and explained to her how back when I was her age y had to go to a place and pump quarters into a machine to play games like this and you had to keep pumping quarters every time you die....haha complete rip off and we loved it
Thanks for sharing Ray! I love that new ones are opening up as well. We need to support them! Some good things never die in our hearts and so must return!!!
Loved it!
Thanks for filming this. I frequented the arcades as a kid. Some of my fondest memories are of those times in the mid 80's to mid 90's.
🙌
That arcade looks super cool. I would go there often if I lived nearby. My laundromat doesn't even have a Pac Man anymore.. I miss arcades.
Best part is the pricing 20 for 18 and up 10 for under 18 for all day all the games are on free play. They even have half price days.
Nice I used to live around there👍
Man, this takes me back to the late 80’s. Hanging out with my buddies at the local arcade on the weekend, burning through countless quarters trying to beat each other’s high score.
My quarters weren't countless. Every single one of them was precious. I remember fantasizing about having a ten-dollar roll of quarters. But that's what made those games so fun as a kid. Every single play had enormous value.
Episode 1 was a great movie.
Said no Star Wars fan ever.
Love those 80’s arcade games. Spent many hours and quarters playing them.
No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans
There's nothing like the smell of a Video Arcade. I miss those days!
That brand new smell,!!!
Smoke, BO, stale popcorn and pizza ;p
Love seeing old school themed places, games and accessories like this! Great video!
I have remotely viewed a lot of arcades in my dreams, and this is one of them.
Go to some if you're able, they're amazing
How much joy these retro games brought in my childhood, you have no idea.
Spending the whole day at the arcade,
I play the modern games but let us never let them be forgotten my friend.
Great channel !! All the support here from Nasty Blasty