We love an arcade machine here on VG247. Associate editor Alex Donaldson built an extension to his house just so he could fit in more of them (well, that’s what I think it was for – he may have a different story). Arcade Paradise, then, an upcoming arcade management and nostalgic trip through ‘90s gaming, jumped onto our radar.

If you find yourself daydreaming about the days of Mean Machines magazine, those knock-off Street Fighter 2 cabs, or the time when a go on After Burner cost 10p, you might want to look at the video below.

We’ve all seen favourite arcades close in recent years, but who hasn’t wanted to run one despite the clear financial pressures? You’d fill it with all the best games, make it a cool place to be, and generally have a blast at the same time. Developer Nosebleed Interactive and publisher Wired Productions have joined forces to give us that opportunity – except, these aren’t empty shells of arcade machines that only AI visitors can play. In Arcade Paradise there are 35 unique custom-made retro arcade games to enjoy.

In the video above, you can get a look at the game in action and hear from the dev team about how the game came to be. While the included arcade games are original creations, you might be able to spot a few that are clear homages to classic games.

We’ve given Arcade Paradise a whirl, and early impressions are that it walks the line between busybody sim and retro arcade love-in very nicely indeed. You might be drawn in by the arcade games, but there’s a pleasing sense of accomplishment to emptying the coin trays.

Take a look at the video above and let us know what you think in the comments below. And what arcade machines would you put in your arcade? I’d have a lightgun shooter area, for sure, and a bunch of SEGA racing games.

Arcade Paradise will be releasing for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One on August 11, 2022. The physical retail release for Nintendo Switch will be available on August 25, 2022.

Note: VG247 contributor Jim Trinca worked with Nosebleed on production of dev diaries and has provided them with VO for use in the game.

Tom has been in games media for longer than he cares to think about. He runs VG247 and likes to post articles about what things were like in the old days. Formerly a Football Manager addict, he now spends his free time tweeting about the classic PGR series.

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