Remember Asteroids, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede and Mortal Kombat? On Oct. 20 – 22 at The Colosseum in Providence, R.I., you may have thought you took a step 30 years back in time to these iconic titles’ heydays during the bar arcade’s Arcade Revival event.
For its first time ever, the location’s “Arcade Revival” – a massive arcade event with over 50 of the most memorable, classic games from the 1980s and 90s – allowed players free play access to all the games. There was a $10 cover charge, and organizers partnered with craft brewers from across New England, including the Revival Brewing Co., to add to the festivities.
The Arcade Revival is the brainchild of and co-organized by Jay Leone, Grant Garvin and Scott Langlais who, with other collectors and hobbyists, created a unique, immersive and fun classic arcade environment. Together, these collectors own hundreds of games and plan to host monthly events for the 21+ crowd. Organizer Jay Leone, an electrical and computer engineer at Dell/EMC, has been collecting since 2009. “I started with two games. Today I own over 200. Most games I purchase are non-working and need electronics and/or cosmetic repair. I love bringing them back to life. I’ve also connected via Internet forums with other collectors who share my passion.”
About five years ago, Leone started a collector meet-and-greet series called ‘Arcade Wednesday’ where collectors play competitively. He offers advice to help collectors debug and repair problems. There are over 30 members, many of whom will be at the Arcade Revival.
“Unfortunately, I was too young to experience the ‘golden age’ of the arcade scene in the early ’80s,” says Leone. “I spent most of my time playing console video game systems like Atari, Coleco and Nintendo. It wasn’t until the rebirth of the arcades in the ’90s that I started playing regularly.”
He says all things “vintage” are making a comeback, especially with the popularity that Millennials have brought to the arcade scene. Classic arcade and pinball games are enjoying a renaissance among the 30s and 40s crowd seeking to relive childhood memories. The Arcade Revival is where old and new gamers can try their hand at the classics that helped shape the industry. For more information, click here!