Arcade Paradise - PC Review

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It is finally here! Arcade Paradise, my game of the day from WASD way back at the start of the year, is now available for all you wonderful people to play and in my opinion, you should get it straight away.

Developed by Nosebleed Interactive and published by Wired Productions, Arcade Paradise will have you coming back for more and more. Read on to find out why!

DON’T FORGET YOUR DAY JOB!

Don’t let the name fool you straight away, Arcade Paradise isn’t just about running your backroom slot machines, you also have a day job running the laundromat to keep track of!

Gameplay

You take on the role of Ashley, having been given the keys to a run-down Laundromat by your father, the owner of the Grindstone Investments, with him saying that maybe even you can make it a success!

After a brief tutorial into how to look after the laundromat (load and empty machines, clean toilets and trash), you are introduced to the back room where you find a couple of arcade machines. You find out that these had been bought by Leslie previously and after you are guided through how to empty the cash from them, you realise how much more money these make than the actual laundromat.

90s computer showing instant messenger — Oh hello MSN

The IM on the pc in the back office is your communication highway with Leslie as she shares the website the cabinets were originally from and explains how to buy more with the money that has been collected from the shop and deposited in the safe. Once you purchase your first cabinet from the money left in the machines you are left to your own devices of running both the laundromat and building up your backroom arcade empire!

Now some simulator games might have left it there, but not this one! Not only can you buy and install arcade machines but Arcade Paradise lets you play every single one of them. There are 35 stated arcade machines that you can buy, install and play in the back room. However ever there are also a ton of hidden Easter egg games, including the classic Solitaire on the back room PC!

back room showing arcade machines — This is just the beginning

Thankfully if you get carried away with the arcade machines your handy watch will remind you that your actual job in the laundromat needs seeing to and beeps whenever a wash or dry has been completed. Without this money coming into your safe, there is no way to afford those all-important shiny new machines!

Graphics & Audio

Arcade Paradise perfectly balances the realm of 3d gaming with the retro world of arcade. This couldn’t be clearer than when in the shopfront. The shop is in a 3d render, then, when loading the machines you have wonderful retro 16-bit animations of the clothes going in.

Arcade machine and watch telling you that machine has finished — GTA meets Pacman – but don’t forget those wash and drys!

On the audio side, there is some background laundromat music, which I’ll be honest turned down as got repetitive. But all other sound effects and arcade music were straight from the 80s which was just perfect!

Longevity

Honestly, there is soo much content in Arcade Paradise that you’ll keep coming back again and again and again. Even if you ignore the laundromat simulation element, you could spend all day just playing on the arcades. admittedly that might be your downfall, but who cares if you get to play retro arcade games all day!

phone showing a nokia style jumping game — Easter eggs everywhere!

Final Thoughts

At WASD I thought this would be a game to look out for and I’m glad to have been proven right. Arcade Paradise is a masterpiece of how to mix both the simulation and retro genres together and not loose the vital elements.

I can’t put it down and for that reason, I award Arcade Paradise the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!