The Arcade Expo

When I was a kid, there were three arcade places in town that stole my time and quarters.  The first was Malibu near Poplar Level and the Watterson (where I would sweat playing Cabal), the second was Aladdin's Castle (distinct memory of playing Out Run at my friend's after-hour birthday party), and the nameless-to-me-now one in the Mall St. Matthews (they got my entire piggy bank on one game of Terminator 2).

I have fond memories of these times.  They were simpler for me.  I eagerly anticipated Friday night with my dad (the boys' night) where I would get a chocolate ice cream cone and spend all of my dad's overtime pay on Star Wars (either version), Airwolf, and Dig Dug for good measure.

Even though these arcade houses faded into the distance a long time ago, there has been a new hope:  The Louisville Arcade Expo.  Since 2011, Joe Stith, Matt Fleitz, and Jeremy Fleitz have been putting on show with enough radiation to send you back to the Cold War.  "The Arcade Expo is a celebration of all things retro gaming. It's about bringing back something magical that has been lost in modern gaming. It's about that feeling you got when you went to the arcade and saw all the new, awesome games like Street Fighter II. Or the rush you felt the first time you picked up the star and barreled through in Super Mario Bros," said Joe Stith.

The show features over 30,000 square feet of retro game with a certified pinball tournament, gaming contests (with super creative trophies), a travel through time of gaming consoles, a costume contest, and guest speakers (this year's show includes a famous pinball designer and stars from the documentary, King of Kong, A Fistful of Quarters).  "To those who lived during that golden age of gaming we want them to have another chance to relive the glory days; as well as introduce a new generation to the incredible analog gaming scene of the 70s, 80s, and 90s," continued Stith.  

The Expo is held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel off of Hustbourne Lane on 1776 Plantside Drive (near Bachman Subaru), and it is jam packed, wall-to-wall, with great gaming titles.  The pinball section is loaded for any wizard, containing both old and new machines (my favorite in the past has been the Joust machine--yes, a Joust pinball machine).  A walk through history is found in the console and computer game section, starting with Atari and Apple IIe and ending with the N64 and original XBox.
When asked about some of his favorite parts of the Expo, Stith said, "Seeing the pride and joy that a mom or dad gets when they show their young kids how they played games 'back in their day', and then seeing the kids and parents having a blast playing together."

The dates of the show are March 4-6.  The hours are Friday 2:00 pm-12:00 am, Saturday 10:00 am-12:00 am, and Sunday 10:00 am-4:00 pm.
The cost of admittance is $25 for the day/$55 for the weekend.  All games are set to free play (no quarters needed).  With pre-registration, the cost is $20/day or $45 for the weekend.  In addition, there is a discounted rate for staying at the Ramada Inn.
Gauntlet II thrown.

http://www.arcaderx.com/

Matt Gatewood
REALTOR

Keller Williams Louisville East

502-594-6582

www.gatewoodproperties.com