New Bedford's Play Arcade expands; adds more Star Wars-inspired games

NEW BEDFORD — The well known outdated-faculty arcade in the downtown area has additional additional retro online games to its collection following opening a new sport space part on Thursday.

“That place is usually complete,” explained Adam Katz, owner of Participate in Arcade on Union Road. “Anyone wishes to sit in there, it fills up rapid and all people seems to be happy with it.”

The previous-faculty ’80s design arcade features additional than 40 vintage arcade video games, as properly as a total provider bar, craft-produced beverages and food stuff — and a roof prime deck.

Since opening in August 2020, Katz mentioned he’d been eyeing the building up coming doorway to extend the arcade into sometime.

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“I experienced a happenstance assembly with my new next landlord,” he stated. “I took place to jokingly say if he ever wanted to operate the 1st ground, allow me know.”

Katz said quickly just after, he was made available the place. He applied for permits in May well 2021 and got approval in November.

“Then it was scrambled time. I had to consider to get it done as rapidly as I could,” he reported.

Fortunate for Katz, he has an art degree and a building track record. He and his workforce invested the 1st two months chopping a gap by way of two 12-inch brick walls.

Katz mentioned they would perform in the course of the two times a 7 days that the arcade is shut.

When they have been open, they lined up the wall with plywood and put game titles in entrance of it to camouflage it from guests.

Inside the new arcade area

The entryway is influenced by “Stars Wars.” The new room, which adds 50 people to the arcade’s overall potential, capabilities Yoda and Darth Vader wall artwork as well as the Ninja Turtles. There are displays that show the menu and TVs that participate in the “Star Wars” motion picture on repeat in the course of the night.

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New arcade online games involve the “Star Wars” trilogy that arrived out in the late 90s, skee-ball, and a “Rapidly and Furious” movement cabinet racing recreation.

The black and white patterned ground is based on an arcade Katz frequented in Florida that presents a “Beetlejuice”-like vibe.

Katz also desired to add a nod to the fishing in the location, but didn’t want to go with a traditional nautical topic. So, he produced a “grandma’s basement-like” location with outdated couches, couch chairs, a green rug, paneling walls and a vintage red mobile phone.

“I felt like everybody could relate to that,” he stated.

The New Bedford native said he often needed to open an arcade in New Bedford. “I have a 4-year-outdated at residence, so we want to be capable to share this with her as well as have people occur in with their young children,” he mentioned.

“They’re enjoying Mario on a cupboard when they’ve only at any time played on Television. They are finding out a new way of participating in online games.”

In addition to the new place, Play Arcade is now hosting trivia nights on Wednesday. May perhaps 4 — also recognized as “Might the Fourth Be With You” Day — will be “Star Wars” trivia and cosplay evening.

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“Coming out of COVID appropriate now, we are receiving busier,” Katz included “We are studying how to deal with occupied alternatively of gradual.

“We have really lucky. And we are delighted people today are delighted with us.”

Normal-Periods personnel writer Seth Chitwood can be achieved at schitwood@s-t.com. Observe him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Help local journalism by buying a digital or print subscription to The Normal-Times now.

Tags: adds, Arcade, Bedfords, expands, games, play, Star, Warsinspired