Arcade Paradise | Xbox Series S Review
Ever wanted to run your own retro 90s video game arcade? Well now you can do just that with Arcade Paradise from Nosebleed Interactive and Wired Productions. Of course, the path to becoming King of the Arcade will not be an easy one, and there is a fair amount of graft required to get there, but we will come to that in due course. Available to buy now on Windows PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, my review was on the Xbox Series S with a review key that was very kindly given to us by the wonderful folks over at Nosebleed.
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In Arcade Paradise, you take on the role of Ashley, and your job is to manage your father's launderette. Each day your shift comprises of cleaning up litter, loading washes into the machines, then switching them over into dryers, maintenance of the washroom, juggling the finances, putting out the rubbish, etc. Sounds exciting eh? But soon after you start, you get the opportunity to purchase and setup some video game arcade cabinets in the back room of the launderette, and that is when things start to get a little bit more interesting for you.
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Depending on the income from the washing and drying, you can start to introduce the game cabinets, and from there on, start making money from them as an additional income. This will obviously allow you to keep expanding the 'business' with more game cabinets, which in turn will generate more and more income. The game becomes a plate spinning exercise for the most part, with you running around, collecting litter, bagging it up and throwing it in the skip around the side of the building, putting on washes, then putting clothes into dryers, as well as emptying all the coin hoppers, managing the finances, emails and calls. The game can get a little bit frantic at times, as you rush to get all of the tasks completed for each day.
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All of the games that you introduce to the Video Arcade can also be played by yourself, and some with co-op. There are a varied range of games available, over 35 in total, and there are some DLC packs available, which feature versions of some games that might be familiar to you. The games are all retro-looking and come with a suitably 90s style soundtrack to keep you entertained. And you can even get to have your name and high score recorded in each of them. It all adds up to make a very nostalgic trip down memory lane, back to those great games you used to play in the Video Arcades, before we had consoles and gaming PC's.
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I found Arcade Paradise had just the correct amount of balance between running the actual launderette and giving you the option to play the arcade games. And as you progress more and more through the game, it was good to see just how much your arcade expanded. You will have some favourite specific games that you will be playing more, and I found myself at times just completely ignoring the actual launderette part of the game and just sitting for a while playing through the back in the arcade. I should also point out here that in the game, you play as Ashley, but the launderette is owned by Ashley's father, Gerald, who is sunning it up in the Riviera. Voice acting duties for Gerald in the Riviera are provided in the game by none other than Doug Cockle, who you may know as the voice of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher games. Gerald will be on your case, as it is his money you are playing with.
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Arcade Paradise is definitely a game that I would highly recommend. It's part launderette management, part mini-game bonanza. There are so many different little mini-games within the arcade aspect of the game here. You even get ranked on the speed of your washing and drying service, so you do get kept on your toes with the general day-to-day tasks. So grab your PDA and a bag full of coins, pull up a stool, and enjoy a little nostalgic slice of 90s video gaming heaven. Just don't forget to stay hydrated!
g1a5w3g1an's Rating: 4 out of 5.
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For more information on Arcade Paradise please use the following links...
Nosebleed Interactive - Developer | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Wired Productions - Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Many thanks to Nosebleed Interactive for the Review Key.
Arcade Paradise | Windows PC | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo Switch
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