Reclaim Arcade: More than a Passion Project

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

Reclaim Arcade started as a fun idea and then fairly quickly became a passion project (which frankly kind of caught both Tim and I a bit by surprise). At this point, I would argue, it has moved beyond that to a kind of 80s arcade myopia 🙂 We are pretty locked-in to seeing if we can actually get a full blown 80s arcade/bar/maker/gallery space off the ground in Fredericksburg sometime in the next 6-8 months. There is no point in us getting all these games if people can’t play them, and we hope to build upon not only Reclaim Video as part of the space, but also resurrect the 80s vision of UMW’s Console Living Room. Whether or not it will happen depends on a number of factors: securing funding, thinking through a space re-design, and figuring out how a completely different industry works are just a few. But regardless, we are now approaching the idea of Reclaim Arcade as a more likely than not proposition, which is pretty freaking exciting. And all the while we have continued to pick up awesome OG arcade games. As of last night we have secured 28 games, a few of which are still in transit:

  • Centipede

Scenes from Reclaim Arcade

  • Asteroids
  • Kangaroo

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Defender
  • Galaxian
  • Q*bert

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Millipede
  • Tron

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Ms. Pacman
  • Galaga
  • Pac-man

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Make Trax
  • Joust
  • Gauntlet

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Smash TV

Scenes from Reclaim Video

  • Popeye
  • Track and Field

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Battlezone

  • Phoenix

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Star Castle

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Space Invaders

Scenes from a Reclaim Arcade

  • Outrun

  • Mortal Kombat
  • Super Punchout

  • Karate Champ (in transit)
  • Burgertime (tabletop, in transit)
  • Crystal Castles (finishing restoration)
  • Mario Bros. (in-transit)

We also have a solid lead on Missile Command, which we’ll add the collection one way or another regardless, but here is a partial list of games we still want/need:

  • Donkey Kong
  • Pleiades
  • Robotron 2084
  • Moon Patrol
  • Elevator Action
  • Jungle King
  • Ghosts & Goblins
  • Tempest
  • Gyruss
  • Rampages
  • Discs of Tron (stand-in cabinet)
  • Dragon’s Lair
  • Space Ace
  • Stars (sit-down cabinet)
  • Venture
  • Paperboy
  • Tapper
  • Ikari Warriors
  • Yie-ar Kung-Fu
  • Rush n Attack

If we get all these, granted some are a lot more difficult/expensive to get than others, if we get these I think this would be on par with the best arcade I have been to in the US yet: Portland’s Ground Kontrol (which is arguably the place that started all this almost 13 years ago when Zach Davis took me there). That place is legend in my mind, and having the roughly fifty 1980s arcade games listed here would make this more than a passion project, it would make it one of the most bitchin’ 80s arcades on the planet. And why not in Freddy? That town has been very good to us, and it would be fun to plant our roots even deeper into the past!

Scenes from Reclaim Arcade

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10 Responses to Reclaim Arcade: More than a Passion Project

  1. pat says:

    Given how bad US politics is and you know gun laws, this fricking arcade and co working space still makes me want to emigrate….

    I’ll chip in to help make it – want sponsors?

    • Reverend says:

      This is kind of an absurdist resistance 🙂 Remembering the 80s and the break with rationality in US politics under Reaganomics is a very good lesson to remember, luckily I was lost in the arcade and VHS store…

  2. Tim Owens says:

    I’ll add to the wanted list Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Simpsons. I think I have a penchant for those big 4 player cabinets, maybe because I can remember playing them with my siblings growing up. I also wouldn’t mind Roadblasters and Marble Madness for some more Atari love. This list just keeps growing, we’re gonna need a bigger boat!

  3. Michael Smith says:

    I just love the seeming incongruity of an internet company constantly working to bring back to life the physicality of technology. It’s like you’re rebuilding Flynn’s Arcade – the hacking online upstairs and the gaming (plus VHS) downstairs.

    Down with the MCP! Fight for the users! Reclaim! Reclaim!

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