Where do we go now?!?!
To me, music gaming is all about the arcade. Guitar Hero and Rock Band may be nice party games, but in my years as an arcade rat, my friends and I spent countless weekends and dollars working up a sweat playing Dance Dance Revolution and other music games. If you’re interested in a type of gaming that requires more than pushing buttons, or just need to know where to go to find a functional machine in the area, here is a list of my favorite places to drop quarters and Dance Dance.
Port Authority Bus Terminal (8th Ave. & 42nd St, 2nd Floor Arcade)
This is one of those arcades attached to a bowling alley, but it just so happens to be inside the busiest bus station in the world (literally—ask my friend, Wikipedia). Fortunately, the bus patrons are too busy trying to get back and forth from work and home, so the arcade is never crowded, usually occupied only by tired tourists with kids. Despite its less than cozy feel (the bowling alley next door is super upscale), I rate it so highly because it’s never a long wait to play any game, and the DDR Supernova machine is in excellent shape. If you’re a beginner, you might not want to go at rush hour, since passengers for a bunch of NJ buses line up right outside, and you’ll be in full view. Also, avoid the expensive food and drinks in the bus station and pick up a lunch elsewhere, like a Subway sandwich using a Campus Clipper coupon, and use the savings on more games!
Eight on the Break (Dunellan, NJ)
8otb is the mecca for music gaming in the Northeast. Not only is it a great arcade in general, with almost every fighting game ever created in addition to pool tables and the latest racers, it houses popular music games like DDR and its American counterpart In the Groove in addition to games that are super rare in the states. This is by far the most convenient place to find Beatmania IIDX, Pop’n Music, and even Keyboardmania all in one location. If you want to make the trek from the city, take the PATH train, which has a stop right across the street from the arcade and makes trips back to New York late into the evening. It’s definitely worth the ride.
But before you go, make sure there aren’t any tournaments going on, which will either make it impossible to get time on the machine of your choice or make the place maddeningly crowded, or both.
Next Level Arcade (40-13 8th Ave, Sunset Park, Brooklyn)
Even though this arcade doesn’t have DDR yet, I have to mention it because of its history and its bright future. In the past year, the iconic Chinatown Fair arcade that had serviced hardcore gamers for decades closed its doors due to rising rent prices. For an arcade rat like me, CF was the only place that really felt comfortable as somewhere to come every week, hang out, see the same people I always do, and play popular and classic games, all in the beauty of Chinatown where it was tucked away in a section of Mott Street generally not frequented by tourists.
Well, rumors of its relocation have finally come to fruition, and a few months ago, the owner of the old CF opened the doors of Next Level Arcade in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Currently, the only music game they have is DJMax Technika, but they will be slowly reopening all of their old games over the next year in addition to possibly installing an in-house bubble tea café. Though the new Brooklyn venue allows for greater possibilities and a snazzier atmosphere, it will be the returning clientele of dedicated gamers that will make the new CF feel like home.
-Avia Dell’Oste.
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