It’s the homestretch for students in these last two weeks. Some of us have finals this week only while others must dredge through those tests into next week. Once all is said and done, it’ll be high time to look for a place to wind down and enjoy yourselves — maybe play a few games while you’re at it.
Luckily, there’s enough of a local arcade scene that makes fulfilling this scenario easy no matter which campus you’re on. Here’s a rundown of where to go to trade pencils for joysticks.
Tempe Campus: Endgame and The Grid
As is typically the case, students on the Tempe campus are a little spoiled for choice. The most well-known place would be the Endgame bar on Mill Avenue, located in the school-owned Brickyard building. Coin-operated games are nestled near classic consoles such as the Super Nintendo and PlayStation, with bigger screens working couch space for “Call of Duty” or “Super Smash Bros. Wii U.” You’ll find PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games dotting the monitors above the bar.
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The bar itself offers some decent brews at fair prices, with happy hour knocking off a couple bucks. The food is tasty while not too expensive, and all of the games are free to play — no purchase necessary.
If you’re looking to get nostalgic, The Grid: Games & Growlers, just opened in Mesa. The new locale is taking a more unique approach to the scene – not only does it offer classic arcade games such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Steel Talons,” but there is a space for tabletop games such as "Dungeons and Dragons" and the like.
Even more interesting is the acquisition of the rare “Killer Queen” arcade cabinet, making The Grid one of 12 locations in the world to carry the 10-player game. Additionally, there are the karaoke-esque "Rock Band" game nights, which are exactly what they sound like. In an interview with The Examiner, event coordinator Trish Sanetick said that the bar carries craft brews, and that she's always looking to bring in local electronic and rock bands to perform.
Downtown Phoenix: Gypsy Bar
If you don’t mind loud, thumping music, the Gypsy Bar is the closest arcade to the Downtown campus. It’s dressed in a nightclub framework with dancing and a full bar (with VIP and bottle services), but operates on the same line as franchise arcades with its game setup.
Rechargeable game cards are the modus operandi here, with titles ranging from "Guitar Hero Arcade" to "Super Bikes." In a sense, it’s Dave and Busters with an edge; it’ll probably be worth your time if you bring a few friends instead of flying solo.
West Campus: Wazee’s World Laser Tag
I’m putting Wazee’s World Laser Tag here for the dual purposes of proximity to West campus (20 minute drive) and laser tag. Yelp reviews of the place range from the unkind to the overwhelmingly positive, so your mileage may vary if you decide to make a stop here.
The neon-lit Area 51-themed tag arena is two stories, and looks brilliant for some rounds of run and gun. If tagging isn’t your style, there’s also a cosmic golf course to putt around in for more mellow sessions. The place is offering a stream of discounts for the holidays right now, so those short on cash may want to eschew a bit of glamor for some cheap fun.
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Burgers and video games collide on Mill with Aioli Burger and Endgame
Reach the reporter at Damion.Julien-Rohman@asu.edu or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter
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