Michelle reviews Detroit's Offworld Arcade, the area's very own hub for retro gaming.
When I first heard of Offworld Arcade in Detroit—from
Reddit, of all places—I could barely contain my excitement. Growing up, I spent
most of my free time and allowance money at the local arcade, pumping quarter
after quarter into all of my favorite games. As I got older, I noticed that
arcades were in a steady decline, especially with the advent of home console
gaming and online multiplayer. Now people don’t have to actually leave their
homes to play games with their buddies. While this is certainly convenient,
there is something to be said about real life human interaction and
establishing comradery.
Offworld, ran by retro game hobbyist Don Behm, is a mecca
for arcade game enthusiasts and casual gamers alike. Behm has gathered more
than twenty upright arcade machines from the 1980’s and 1990’s and kept them in
excellent shape. Many classics are represented: BurgerTime, Zaxxon, 1943, Ninja Gaiden, Bad Dudes, Q*bert, and NBA Jam just to name a few. The games have that lived-in feel and
all the controls work perfectly for the most part (a joystick or two that
sticks are pretty much unavoidable in an arcade).
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The arcade is set up in an old Catholic school, which adds
to the aura of nostalgia around the event. There is just something adorable
about hanging your coat up in a locker to go play video games with your
friends. The entry fee is a measly five bucks which entitles you to free play
on all the machines for the entire night. I used to burn through five bucks in
a hour back in the day, and it doesn’t help that the arcade games are purposely
made to be extra difficult to make you have to spend money on continues. Keg beer is provided—and everyone knows video
games are much more fun after a couple of drinks!
Since this Offworld took place near Christmas, they held a
White Elephant gift exchange. The gifts had to be video game related and a lot
of people took this as a chance to offload their old games and knick-knacks. There
were some pretty sweet gifts to be had and everyone had a blast with it. A DJ
was spinning records to keep the party going and there was a general festive
atmosphere. You will never feel more loved than at a gather of nerds with like
interests. Everyone was incredibly nice and fun to chat with and the crowd was diverse.
If one were looking for a place to mingle and meet new people, Offworld would
be a great place to start.
Mr. Behm is personable and pleasant. I saw him wandering
around conversing with the attendees and even playing some games himself. He
was also quick to help with machine problems (putting them back on free play
etc.) and extremely knowledgeable with the mechanics and minutiae of retro game
upkeep. He is a collector but still a
huge nerd as well, and it’s refreshing to see someone who does something out of
pure love for the hobby as opposed to monetary gain. Offworld is held once a
month so if you miss out on it, there is no need to worry. If you are looking from some gaming fun on a
weekend, this is definitely an affair to check out.
-Michelle Kisner