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0 It’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of Arcade Paradise. I’m going to be up my own coin slot and flex my credentials—back in 2022, I won the Arcade Paradise Woodgal JR competition and even earned the platinum trophy for the game. So, who better to review the VR version of the game than me? (A lot of people, actually.)
Do I get paid for this?
After the original game’s critical acclaim. Arcade Paradise VR launched on Meta Quest systems on April 25th, and later on PC and PSVR2 on August 8th. The game was developed by Nosebleed Interactive and published by Wired Productions.
Story
On the surface, Arcade Paradise seems like it’s all about the gameplay, and that’s mostly true. But the whole package is wrapped up nicely with a story told through emails and voice messages. It’s a tale of someone trying to find their place in the world, doing what they love against all odds. The story is supported by solid writing and Doug Cockle’s excellent, if a little meme-y voice work as Ashley’s father.
Gameplay
Arcade Paradise begins with the player character, Ashley, inheriting a laundromat from their father, voiced by the familiar Doug Cockle. You might recognize him as the voice behind Geralt of Rivia or, more notably, as “additional voices” in Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
For the first few hours, your sole focus is making money from the laundromat. This means you’ll be doing actual labor for 2 or so hours: picking up clothes, loading them into the washer, selecting the correct settings, and repeating the process with the dryer. It can get a little tedious, but thankfully, Arcade Paradise is well-paced. After those introductory hours, you’ll spend most of your time on the arcade cabinets—unless, of course, you love doing laundry.
While tedium is never a feeling you want to evoke in a game, it does play to Arcade Paradise’s strengths. It makes the end goal of owning a full-fledged arcade all the more satisfying.
There’s a game in this laundromat simulator?
There are 39 realistic cabinets to buy and play. From short, addicting types designed to drain you for your quarters. To full-on games with progression systems. They’re all excellently playable and add another layer of play to Arcade Paradise. Most of the arcade cabinets also feature online leaderboards designed to grip the high scorers amongst us. That’s a genuine claim too, I almost gave myself carpel tunnel trying to top my Woodgal high score for hours on end.
Out of the 39 cabinets, only 12 have full VR capabilities. This was slightly disappointing at first. However I quickly realized that using the controllers felt a lot like interacting with a real-life arcade cabinet which was just as fun. What was genuinely disappointing, though, were the controls, which I’ll dive into later.
Besides playing games, you’ll also be tasked with odd jobs like collecting trash, picking up gum, and even unclogging toilets with unsettling detail. The game incentivizes you to shift focus from the laundromat to the arcade through a to-do list. Completing these tasks earns you pounds, which can be spent on upgrades for both yourself and the arcade.
High Scores
Because higher numbers make me feel more worthy as a person, here’s a collection of current high scores I have. Let us know if you beat them through over on our Twitter X
Who said game critics were bad at games?
Controls
As much as I adore Arcade Paradise, the VR version isn’t without its issues. The biggest, as you might have guessed from my previous comments, are the controls.
During my playtime I encountered several issues. My hand would often get stuck in washers and dryers, which whilst funny at first, made completing tasks hard. I found the arcade game inputs wouldn’t always register—like pressing a button to drop a bomb, only for my hand to pass right through it. The worst offender was the lack of consideration for the PSVR2 controller size. To use the PDA for settings, I had to physically slam the controllers together, which was frustrating. While I could use the stick instead, it broke the immersion. I was also disappointed that there wasn’t a way to manually insert coins—a massive missed opportunity.
Aside from the control issues and the occasional stuck hand, I didn’t encounter many bugs in Arcade Paradise VR. There was a persistent glitch from the flat-screen version where I’d randomly complete a goal without doing anything, but that’s more of a help than a hindrance.
Music
The music in the game is excellent. Featuring music spanning across all genres, including parodies of popular songs, and original music all reminiscent of the 90s. The music is SO good in fact, that after beating the game originally, I went and picked up the vinyl.
Longevity
The flat-screen version of Arcade Paradise took me around 40 hours to complete and platinum. That being said I have over 70 hours on it thanks to leaderboard chasing and just vibing around the arcade. The VR version should offer a similar amount of playtime, especially for the people who love chasing high scores. It’s me. I am those people.
The to do list
Conclusion
Arcade Paradise VR feels like a natural adaptation from flat-screen to VR. A great job has been done utilizing the PSVR2’s features like haptics and adaptive triggers to enhance immersion. While this VR version will likely be more enjoyable for fans of the base game rather than newcomers, Arcade Paradise VR remains a unique and immersive experience. It offers some of the best gameplay you’ll find in the simulation management genre.
For that reason, I’m awarding Arcade Paradise VR the Platinum Thumb Culture Award…Can we have a sequel now please?
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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