Even within a bustling city known for having anything that anyone could possibly want, the video game arcade is a rare artifact. A dying relic from a long-gone era, gaming arcades largely took their quarters and went home in the early 2000s as home consoles became powerful enough to replicate the arcade experience in the living room and online gaming replaced the local in-person competitive scene. Still, any gamer should know the location of the best arcade in town, and New York definitely offers some interesting options, like gamer favorite the Chinatown Fair Video Arcade at 8 Mott Street.
Chinatown Fair Video Arcade is not a place to bring your little brother. We’re not talking any Chuck E. Cheese or Dave & Buster’s here. This is a real arcade—the likes of which you have not seen in 10 or 15 years. Immediately after you step into the dark, damp, crowded hall, you’ll immediately know that you’ve found, at long last, where everybody’s been hiding the past 10 years. The air smells heavily of prize tokens (real tokens, just like the good old days), of worn-down plastic, of brand new plastic, and of sweat generated by the absolutely insane parade of Dance Dance Revolution players.
The shouts of victory and the groans of defeat create the perfect sound track for a round of literally every fighter you should care about—tons of Street Fighter machines (including Street Fighter IV), Tekken 6, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, Samurai Shodown (and if you know there is no w in “Shodown,” then you are probably salivating), and yes, a King of Fighters ’98 machine. Put your quarter up and get ready to challenge the masters, because you’re in for a real fight. But, damn, survive, and relish the glory of victory as the loser heads to the back of the line still shaking in anger and griping over how cheap Ken is.
It’s such a classic arcade, too many unoccupied girlfriends and boyfriends stand idly by holding their significant other’s token collection, waiting for the next “Game Over” to insert the next few coins. The machines are all kept in good condition, with nary a broken stick or dislodged button to be found. And, of course, there’s the lack of a bathroom. Nothing will keep you on edge ready to input your quarter-circle-forwards like seriously having to pee.
It’s like being transported back to 1998. If only you could have seen that SFIV would be 3-D in 1998—nobody would have believed you.
The search for the best arcade in the city ends with Chinatown Fair Video Arcade. It’s got everything you could possibly want—the feel, the games, and the people. Bring a hefty handful of quarters, and don’t stop playing until you’ve got Carpal Tunnel.
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