Since the birth of gaming in the early 1970’s its grown to epic proportions. The classic arcade spot saw its peak in the 80’s and early 90s which afterwards it withered down with the increased production and affordability of personal home gaming consoles like Nintendo and Sega. Adults today grew up enjoying dark arcade rooms with lights flashing, bells ringing and the power of the joystick.

At last we arrive to the present day when those kids are now running the show and luckily bringing back the nostalgia of gaming in the form of retro arcades, bar arcades and museums. I wanted to highlight one gaming hot spot in each county, that locals can enjoy and relive the past but also make new memories with their kids, friends and families as they did in the old days.

MIAMI

Miami has a gaming diamond in the rough hidden right between the Don Shula expressway and turnpike. Arcade Odyssey, has been voted the #1 arcade of choice in South Florida and once you step inside you’ll know why. Arcade Odyssey offers the classic old school arcade vibe from an array of lights shining from the games to the blacked-out windows which makes keeping track of time a bit harder. Owner Rick is an avid gaming collector and is constantly adding new games including shoot’em-ups, fighters, pinball and unique titles which never made it to the states. Now as we ogle over all the classic games that bring us back to our childhood, you’ll fall backwards when you see their prices.

Do you remember when $5-10 would last you a lifetime? Well in Arcade Odyssey it still does, they still use tokens and these bad boys go a long way! For $1 you get 3 tokens, but if you spend $10 you will receive 33 tokens. Most of the games are 1-2 tokens, I spent $10 and it lasted me a little over 2 hours. After about 17 games ranging from AC/DC pinball to Time Crisis, I was blown away by how far my $10 went.

In addition to the amazing arcade, they also offer a wide selection of the most surprising and extremely unique Japanese snacks. Some of these snacks you must see to believe. Every time I visit Arcade Odyssey I feel so comfortable it’s as if I’m hanging at a friends out… a friend with a giant gaming collection.

Arcade Odyssey

12045 SW 117 Avenue,

Miami, FL 33186

Miami, FL 33186 Hours :

Mon – Thu: 2:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Fri: 2:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Sat: 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Sun: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

BROWARD

South Florida has been flooded with microbreweries and beer gardens, so you may be looking for a spot that has something a bit more to offer. Tenth Level Tavern, was birthed from brain child Joseph Cammisa and brings together the allure of the classic arcade with the fine taste of craft beers, IPAs and wines.

Most Fort Lauderdale outings for people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s consists of the same boring bar crawls and ubering home at 3am. Tenth Level Tavern was built from the ground up by Joey’s bare hands to create a spot which people can come together as a community, leave their cellphones in their pockets, play amazing old school games and enjoy their company over a brew.

The amazing bar top was assembled with gamers in mind, with screens and controllers constructed right into the bar. If this bar top doesn’t blow your mind the huge variety of games including Street Fighter, Pac Man, Mortal Kombat, Mario Kart and more will make the night fly by. I stopped by there on a random Friday night with some friends and we enjoyed some great beer from M.I.A. Beer Co, a craft brewery located in Doral. While sipping our cerveza we dove right into some classic Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fight and Mario Kart. I can’t tell you what an incredible time we had talking, hanging and playing. It felt so good to be in a bar that feels like a community and not a tourist trap. I highly recommend checking out Tenth Level Tavern.

Tenth Level Taven

1242 NE 38 th st,

st, Oakland Park, Fl

Hours :

Mon – Wed:5:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Thurs – Fri: 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Sat: 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Sun: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM

West Palm

Most locals in the 561 know Delray Beach is probably one of the utmost funky, fun and unique neighborhoods around town. This is created by a combination of amazing foodie spots, great live music venues throughout the strip and a massive collection of pinball machines oozing out of the newly opened Silverball Pinball Museum. Silverball Pinball Museum cut its grand opening ribbon on June 17th 2016 to a large group of eager gamers young and old.

“He ain’t got no distractions

Can’t hear those buzzers and bells

Don’t see lights a flashin’

Plays by sense of smell

Always gets a replay

Never seen him fall” -The Who, Pinball Wizard

As you walk in, you can’t help but hear buzzers, bells and see hundreds of little lights flashing down the aisle. Most museums do not let you touch the works of art but at Silverball they offer amazing flat rate prices from $7.50 to $25 which allow you to play as many games as you want without hashing out extra quarters. With over 88 pinball machines and 24 arcade games, there is surely something for everyone.

I visited Silverball and paid $15 for an evening pass and proceeded to walk over to The Addams Family machine, my favorite pinball game. While our group of 4 enjoyed, a fun filled night of gaming, Silverball also offers an amazing menu of food, beer and wine. Playing with friends is great but it’s even better when everyone can chow down on some tasty bites. Be sure to pop in and check out this extremely family friend local spot.