The arcade industry is in a tight spot these days, with many amusement centres closing their doors due to reduced footfall. However, one Miami-based location is doing better than most, and Gemu Oni, a Japan-based French YouTuber from the channel Life is a Video Game, recently paid it a visit.
Arcade Odyssey, says Oni, "is not only home to arcade machines, but also to a vast number of pinball tables, Japanese imports, and even a bar offering Japanese specialities. More importantly, it embodies a philosophy of arcade culture that has become increasingly rare."
The French arcade fanatic, who is certainly no stranger to the world of arcades and has his own collection of rare cabinets, goes as far as to say that Arcade Odyssey "stands shoulder to shoulder with titans like Taito HEY in Akihabara or La Geek Room near Paris," adding:
"What sets Arcade Odyssey apart is a clear rejection of the purely lucrative arcade model that dominates much of the modern scene. Many contemporary arcades rely heavily on UFO Catchers and redemption games, systems where players accumulate tickets to exchange for prizes. While financially effective, these mechanics are often criticised by longtime arcade enthusiasts for diluting the original arcade spirit: gameplay mastery, challenge, and scoring."
The arcade was founded by Rick Medina, who has curated a unique collection of more than 170 machines spanning the entire history of arcade gaming. These include the usual suspects, like Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, and Galaga, but cover almost every other coin-op genre you could mention – versus fighting games, shoot ’em ups, rhythm games, rail shooters, and even electro-mechanical machines.
Some of the rarer items include Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX, the X-Men 6-player cabinet from Konami and a super-rare Rail Chase 2. "Even more astonishing are machines like The Act, an interactive arcade film developed in 2007 by former Disney animators at the American studio Cecropia, never commercially released, and prototype hardware such as the impressive U235: Meltdown," says Gemu Oni.