These are the winding steps to the Arcade Club in Bury, Greater Manchester.
It's one of the places I visited last weekend for what I would describe as a weekend of
arcade memories.
There was always something special about the arcade.
The late nights, the smokey air, the multitude of flashing lights all blended perfectly with
a background of sound.
This sound layer was fundamental to the experience.
From one end of the arcade, you could make out the short melodical riff from your favourite
machine at the other.
Looking past the hazy lights, a machine would mirage into view.
A machine you knew, that you could connect with.
You might immediately your way to it, but on the way, distraction could come in the
form of a brand new machine.
A machine featuring cutting edge graphics and sounds.
The expensive play price didn't matter.
This was the future you were contending with.
Whether you ventured into this environment alone, or under the understanding of meeting
friends, it was always a memorable experience, and one which differed each time.
It's one which served me well from my single digit years, all the way until now.
In those younger years, it was all about the wonder, about the thrill.
Gathering together enough pocket money to get an hour's worth of arcade time was money
well spent.
As skills improved, that money might eek out longer than an hour.
Otherwise you could always just hang around and watch others play.
It didn't really matter, the experience was still present.
In my teens, the arcades became a place to have a quick drink with friends, a refuge
of sorts where you could go and socialise in a relaxing context.
Now days, most arcades seem to be filled with ticket producing machines.
Gimmicks, tempations of prizes.
Many people play at home on hardware which can keep up with the arcade hardware, and
so proper gaming machines aren't necessary.
However, there are still gems like this place.
The Arcade Club in Bury, Greater Manchester, where you can pay a single entrance fee and
play until your hearts content.
Companies like Retro Games Party also hire these machines out, and you can see them at
venues such as those operated by ReplayEvents.
After the arcade club, I was invited to Primark's own arcade club of sorts, for a new retro
clothing launch.
I, of course, grabbed my fair share of merchandise, particularly the Commodore 64 and Super Nintendo
Tees, but in between my arm stuffing experience, it was pretty interesting seeing some younger
kids get a chance to play these machines and find them really exciting.
What was even more exciting was speaking to Jon Stoodley, the Pac Man world record holder,
who revealed some fascinating tips on the game.
For example, I had no idea that if you plonk yourself here when the ghosts are in search
mode, you're safe as houses, or that you could slow the ghosts down by waggling toward them
and back - thereby grouping together.
But these were all tricks Jon learnt from the arcades in the 1980s.
A place, where many of us honed our joystick waggling skills.
Of course some of us learnt better than others, but these were still experiences which built
our character and solidified our outlook on life.
If we went to Japan, we'd see that Japan were skill learning these skills.
Take this table flipping game back at the Arcade Club.
Now this is what an arcade is all about.
New experiences, fun and socialising with friends.
Quirky gameplay mechanics like this, present the opportunity to all arrive at something
new, on equal footing, and just enjoy the experience without any serious competitiveness
acting like a resident fun sponge.
Arcades are really all about fun.
Arguably, arcades today still offer that experience.
But it feels more for a quick way to pass the time.
Perhaps an impulse visit as you're perusing a sea-side town.
Rather than a destination you plan to attend, for a late night gaming sessions.
A sessions where you can master Pac man skills, or learn how to flip a table to inflict as
much damage as possible.
I might be wrong.
It might be because my perspective is now older and biased.
But arcades used to instil a strong set of emotions; excitement, wonder, glee, pride,
and all served with a midnight undertone, and I think that's something we're missing
today.
Thankfully we can still visit outlets like this, tucked away in dark alley ways, on the
edges of towns, to mix with like minded cabinet thrill-seekers and claw back a piece of what
made the 80s and 90s so exciting.
Times when the latest games hit the arcades before anywhere else, paving a path of excitement
for the inevitable home ports.
These home ports invariably couldn't keep up with the real thing, but they provided
a taste of the arcade experience.
You were reminded of the arcade as you played them, and with friends, low lighting and a
good port, it almost felt like you were there.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.