The beautiful city of London has an array of magnificent monuments and attractions to visit for the solo traveller, as well as plenty of options for couples and families. But what about the travelling gamer? Gamers with a taste for retro throwbacks will be delighted to hear that there are a surprising number of arcades for them to enjoy, with many being situated in the very centre of London. Why not check out these fantastic arcades during your stay in central London to satisfy your retro gaming desire?
Las Vegas Arcade Soho
If you’re staying in the centrally located Montcalm Hotel, then the Las Vegas Arcade Soho should be one of the first stops on your retro gaming tour. Situated close to Hyde Park, Las Vegas Arcade Soho has all the old favourites that any retro gamer could wish for. There’s guitar hero machines for the musically inclined as well as thrilling shoot-em up games filled with zombies, monsters and henchmen to blast your way through. The arcade also has a variety of driving machines to suit racers and classic dance mats that will transport retro gamers back to the good old days of gaming.
What’s more, Las Vegas Arcade Soho also has classic air hockey tables, snooker tables and football games for players who get bored of blasting mutants or stamping frantically on dance mats. Hardcore gamers looking for their retro fix could spend hours upon hours here in this relatively small gem of an arcade.
Namco Funscape London
A huge amusement arcade located near Queen’s Walk across Westminster Bridge, Namco Funscape offers a huge range of gapes and entertainment including classic atmospheric Star Wars and Jurassic Park simulation games. Namco Funscape is imbued with a real 90’s feel, and is also home to a plethora of gaming machines including Tekken and Pacman Ghost Chase, as well as other retro attractions such as dodgem racers and bowling alleys. Namco is a great choice for retro gamers with families too; there’s a fantastic soft play area for children aged up to 8 to enjoy whilst the gamers can relax in the adjoining café and recover from an exhilarating day out at one of London’s best-known arcade hotspots. Because of its close proximity to Westminster Bridge, Namco is another great choice if you’re staying at one of our hotels in central London.
ClubQuest London
ClubQuest London offers something entirely different to the usual arcade environment that retro gamers will love. Remember The Crystal Maze? The classic escape room gaming show enjoyed by millions in the 1990s has been brought into the 21st century in fantastic style thanks to this live escape room game.
You and your team of 3-5 people are trapped in rooms differing in design and environment, with clues leading to a puzzle which, once solved, lead to yet another puzzle. Teams must solve all the puzzles to complete the overall mission, some of which include deactivating a deadly bomb from exploding that will destroy all mankind and destroying a satellite designed to enslave the human race before the 60-minute time limit expires.
