The days of the arcade scene were amazing for certain. Sure, there were problems, such as machines breaking down, some unsavoury types hanging around, and bullies bothering others, but for the most part, it was a magical time. You would constantly find new games to play for a charge and there was so much fun to be had with friends.
And of course, we all know of dreary jobs that seem to be dead-end positions that drain our life. Yet many of these jobs now find a new audience in the form of simulation games that take on an over-the-top nature. Games like Power Washing Simulator have proven to be great hits, so a game about running a laundromat would make sense. However, Arcade Paradise is not about only running a laundromat, but also the arcade in the back, hence the name.
The premise is simple, you are sent by your father to work at a laundromat to learn about the real world, and you discover there are arcade games in the back and soon find yourself slowly building up an arcade to run as a real business. You must initially balance the two jobs and find yourself picking out games and adjusting the game settings to make the most money, while also running the laundromat and washing and drying clothes. It has a slow beginning but once things get moving, the game becomes very addictive.
What makes this work is how everything feels arcade-like here, from taking out the garbage to cleaning gum, everything feels like a minigame that you are rewarded for. Even cleaning a toilet is now an RPG battle where you must do sufficient damage at the right point in order to clean up. The same goes with cleaning arcade machines, as you must do things like getting rid of literal bugs on the board to get them working.
The arcade games are the real draw here and there is a wide variety of them. Most feel like a classic game but with a twist, such as merging Pac-Man with Grand Theft Auto for instance or a reverse Space Invaders style game. There are also puzzle games, futuristic racing games, a rhythm game based on Dance Dance Revolution, shoot ’em ups and more. Once you have renovated you can add more games and once you have enough games, you can do daily tasks in order to earn British Pounds to buy upgrades and more music for a Jukebox that you can buy.
The idea of handling two types of currencies with dollars and pounds is a nice touch and everything about the game is addictive and fun, but then there are the bad aspects. The game as played on Nintendo Switch has a number of bugs present, including graphical issues such as images not appearing where they should be, the arcade games not working despite not having broken down in-game, and standard crashes that ruin your progress. It is very frustrating that the game, which does a great job and even has a great story told as you progress, is held back in this way.
If the various bugs and glitches could be fixed, then Arcade Paradise would be the easiest game to recommend. You get to run your own arcade and play the games while balancing other responsibilities and maintaining a schedule so you do not lose sleep. If you take too long to do tasks, things go wrong such as getting a low grading for the laundry, or people not wanting to come to your location if there is too much garbage present and the sanitary level is low.
Still, it cannot be denied that there is something special here. This is a game where both running a laundromat (that gradually becomes outshone by the arcade) and an arcade feel equally fun, even with the arcade games included. This was a blast to play and if the bugs and glitches are fixed, this will be a must-play title for anyone. It has that IT factor that keeps you coming back even when you are doing small tasks, and you do not get bored, even if some of the arcade games ended up feeling like the controls are a bit wonky at times.
Arcade Paradise gets a cautious recommendation depending on the system played on. If you have a Switch, you may want to wait for patches, but it is otherwise a fun management sim with a unique hook that does not grow tied. The well-done story bits also feel interwoven at just the right amount and that feat alone is impressive. All in all, a game to keep an eye on for sure.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
All images were taken from in-game screenshots captured on Nintendo Switch