Pac Man is coming to town
Stepping into YESTERcades is like stepping into the 1980s. When you first walk in, you’re flooded with flashing lights and the sound of arcade game music playing nonstop in addition to various hits such as the song “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s.
Even without touching a gaming console, you get an adrenaline rush from the atmosphere around you. The experience here makes you feel like the kids in Stranger Things and allows younger generations to get a feel for what it was like for their parents growing up.
YESTERcades currently has locations in Red Bank and Somerville, and the company recently announced that a new YESTERcades location is set to open in Westfield this spring at 151 East Broad St., the former site of City Sports.
The ambiance at the original location in Red Bank further enforces the retro feel with a primary color scheme, scattered lava lamps and old movie posters which include Batman with Michael Keaton and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
What makes YESTERcades really special is its wide selection of games and gaming consoles. In their collection, they have retro cabinet games such as Ms. Pac Man and Donkey Kong Jr. and traditional games like pool and air hockey. Gaming consoles range from older ones like Sega Master System and Colecovision to modern ones such as the Wii U and Xbox Kinect. YESTERcades also boasts an assortment of 16 pinball machines. A full selection of the games for both locations can be found on the website yestercades.com.
As far as pricing goes, the players are given two options: a day pass, which is $25 (plus tax) in total, which allows players to come in and out of the arcade as they please all day, or a wristband that charges $8.75 (plus tax) per hour, where once players leave they are charged for however long they were there. In any case, all of the machines are set for free play, which allows for unlimited fun and a lot of bang for your buck.
Modern-day arcades usually consist of high-tech games that connect with the demands of today’s youth, but YESTERcades connects with all ages. There, various ages and genders are represented in one room with one thing in common: a love for gaming.
In an interview with njnext.com, founder Ken Kalada said, “When people come to YESTERcades, they forget about the mortgage, their health issues, everything, even if it’s just for an hour.” In an age dominated by smartphones, YESTERcades’ success shows that vintage is still in style.
YESTERcades currently has locations in Red Bank and Somerville, and the company recently announced that a new YESTERcades location is set to open in Westfield this spring at 151 East Broad St., the former site of City Sports.
The ambiance at the original location in Red Bank further enforces the retro feel with a primary color scheme, scattered lava lamps and old movie posters which include Batman with Michael Keaton and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
What makes YESTERcades really special is its wide selection of games and gaming consoles. In their collection, they have retro cabinet games such as Ms. Pac Man and Donkey Kong Jr. and traditional games like pool and air hockey. Gaming consoles range from older ones like Sega Master System and Colecovision to modern ones such as the Wii U and Xbox Kinect. YESTERcades also boasts an assortment of 16 pinball machines. A full selection of the games for both locations can be found on the website yestercades.com.
As far as pricing goes, the players are given two options: a day pass, which is $25 (plus tax) in total, which allows players to come in and out of the arcade as they please all day, or a wristband that charges $8.75 (plus tax) per hour, where once players leave they are charged for however long they were there. In any case, all of the machines are set for free play, which allows for unlimited fun and a lot of bang for your buck.
Modern-day arcades usually consist of high-tech games that connect with the demands of today’s youth, but YESTERcades connects with all ages. There, various ages and genders are represented in one room with one thing in common: a love for gaming.
In an interview with njnext.com, founder Ken Kalada said, “When people come to YESTERcades, they forget about the mortgage, their health issues, everything, even if it’s just for an hour.” In an age dominated by smartphones, YESTERcades’ success shows that vintage is still in style.
