Latest news with #Ms.Pac-Man
Time Out
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Chuck E. Cheese is opening a new arcade chain—but this time it's for adults
Can you believe Chuck E. Cheese is turning 50? For everyone who grew up with this arcade icon, say hello to Chuck's Arcade, a slick new concept built for grown-ups who still get a rush from high scores and trading tickets for prizes. If your childhood was lit by the hum of Ms. Pac-Man and the chaos of Mortal Kombat, this is your spot. Rolling out in major malls across the U.S., Chuck's Arcade is not a reboot—it's a reinvention. Rather than birthday parties and ball pits, this new concept is pure, unfiltered arcade energy, designed for longtime fans and new gamers alike. Think state-of-the-art racing rigs, VR shooters and heavy-hitters like Halo and Jurassic Park, right alongside pixel-perfect classics like Galaga, Centipede and Donkey Kong. It's the future of arcades with one foot firmly in the golden age. And yes, the animatronics are back. Every Chuck's Arcade is 'watched over' by characters from the original Munch's Make Believe Band, now a nostalgic tribute instead of a live show. Chuck E. and crew are stationed throughout the spaces like retro guardians of the game floor. Ten Chuck's Arcade locations are now open: Buford, GA; Tulsa, OK; St. Petersburg, FL; Oklahoma City, OK; Victor, NY; El Paso, TX; Salem, NH; Kansas City, MO and Nashua, NH. A location in Brea, CA is opening soon. Each location has its own vibe: original artwork, unique layouts and a handpicked mix of modern and vintage machines. The Kansas City flagship even features a full pizzeria and pours beer and wine, making it a prime spot for grown-up game nights. Of course, the prize wall is here—but upgraded. Expect old-school merch, throwback tees, novelty candy and collectible toys that are worth the run for tickets. Whether you're chasing leaderboard glory or just want to relive a childhood weekend, Chuck's Arcade hits the spot.
NBC News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Chuck E. Cheese has launched a new arcade, and it's for adults
Chuck E. Cheese wants to make sure the grown-ups have fun, too. The iconic kids arcade chain announced it's looking to cater to teens and adults by opening Chuck's Arcade locations across eight states, according to a news release. Chuck's Arcade will feature retro favorites like Ms. Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat and Centipede alongside newer games like Jurassic Park and Halo, the company said. There are already Chuck's Arcade locations in malls around the country, including in St. Petersburg, Florida; Trumbull, Connecticut; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Victor, New York; Buford, Georgia; El Paso, Texas; Nashua and Salem, New Hampshire; and St. Louis. The location in Kansas City, Missouri, features a full menu and original artwork on the walls. The company said 'no two locations are exactly alike.' 'Chuck's Arcade is a natural evolution — an opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences,' Chuck E. Cheese CEO David McKillips said in the news release. Each venue will be 'overseen' by one of the company's classic animatronic characters, from Chuck E. Cheese to other ones from Munch's Make Believe Band. A video on the company's website shows a statue of a character encased in glass in the middle of the arcade. Some locations will also sell clothing, toys and novelty candy, according to the company. The new locations come amid an ongoing rebrand for the company, which declared bankruptcy in 2020. A corporate restructuring and a $350 million investment then led to electronic ticketing, more adult menu items and new play areas at its hundreds of locations. In March, it announced it was removing the iconic animatronic band from its locations. 'Of course, if you think about entertainment 47 years ago, it was incredible to have the animatronic band and new music,' McKillips told NBC News at the time. 'But in reality, the animatronics were getting tired.' 'Kids are consuming entertainment on a digital platform,' he added. bet on arcade games last year.
Tom's Guide
07-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Nintendo Switch 2 hasn't fixed one of the biggest issues with the Switch — and my hands are not happy about it
Aside from the obvious issues with stick drift, the biggest issue with the original Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons is that they had a tendency to be rather uncomfortable. More so in some games than others, but in the early days of the console I found my hands getting sore very quickly — to the point where I'd have to stop and take a break. The Nintendo Switch 2 has tweaked the design of the Joy-Cons ever so slightly, offering a smoother magnetic connection, a larger profile, mouse controls and more. Unfortunately, the same comfort problem still remains, and I actually think it might be worse this time around. Back in 2017 when I got the first Nintendo Switch, I spent a lot of time playing Mario Kart 8. It was one of the few games I had when I bought the console, and I put in a huge number of hours trying to 3-star all the Grands Prix in the different difficulties. I still haven't managed to get very far on 200cc, if anyone is wondering. The problem with playing Mario Kart on Joy-Cons, either in handheld or TV mode, was that my hands would get incredibly sore over extended periods of time. It may be something to do with the way I held my hand during the races, with my thumb pressed down on the acceleration button almost constantly. (You can enable auto acceleration, but that's cheating to me.) Maybe it's my big hands compared to the compact nature of the Joy-Cons or maybe it's the general design of the mini controllers — possibly both. But it felt like no matter what games I played, I'd need to take breaks far earlier than I would have done if I'd been using a full-size controller. Mario Kart was not the only offender. In those early days I had comfort problems with a variety of different Switch games, from Skyrim to Stardew Valley. But over the course of 8 years, I've slowly gotten used to the general shape of the Joy-Cons in my hands — to the point where discomfort is no longer an issue. Now that Nintendo has changed the design, even if it should be for the better, those issues have come back with a vengeance. And, of course, Mario Kart has been the key offender. It doesn't matter whether I'm playing in handheld mode, with loose Joy-Cons or attaching them to the official grip. After a while my hands start to ache while playing the game. Mario Kart is the worst offender so far, though I will admit that is what I have spent most of my time playing. Over an extended period I could almost feel what Chandler's hand on Friends must have been like when going for the Ms. Pac-Man record. I took a break from writing this to make sure that my experiences couldn't be written off as general fatigue, and I found that my right hand was starting to ache before I finished a single race on Mario Kart World. Feeling your hand slowly seizing up is not a fun thing, especially when you're in the middle of a race. Over an extended period I could almost feel what Chandler's hand must be like after an extended session of Ms. Pac-Man. Obviously I don't want to be stuck with my hand in a mis-shapen claw for however long it would take to relax, so I had to take a break. Medical experts are always telling us we need to take regular breaks from screens, so maybe that isn't such a bad thing. But the last thing I want when I'm feebly trying to outrun a blue shell is to have to contend with cramps in my hand. Especially when I still have 3 more races to go. The only reason I can think that it's suddenly so bad again is that the new Joy-con design is just subtly different enough that the muscle memory from the old Switch is now functionally useless. Which means I'm going to have to start over from scratch — hindered by the fact I'm now almost 8 years older and starting to fall apart. The comfort of Joy-Cons certainly isn't a dealbreaker for me, and I'm certainly not going to avoid playing my Switch 2 — especially once there are more exclusive games to play. But it does mean that I might have to bite the bullet and opt for a different kind of controller the majority of the time. That's either going to have to be a brand new controller, or some kind of grip to make the Switch 2 Joy-Cons a lot more comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. Ideally something a little more affordable than the Switch 2 Pro Controller. If I'm going to have to spend $80 on something for the Switch 2, I'd rather buy a game.
Axios
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Sea-Tac Airport levels up with retro gaming lounge
Seattle's airport just leveled up: Sky Gamerz, a neon-lit retro arcade lounge, is now open in the N Concourse — and it's free to play. Why it matters: Waiting in airports can be a drag, but the new addition at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport could make layovers and delays something to look forward to: a chance to kill time playing classics like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and Ms. Pac-Man. The big picture: Sky Gamerz co-founders H. Lamar Willis and Jonathan Ford chose to make Sea-Tac the site of their first airport gaming lounge, owing to Seattle's cred as a hub in the gaming world, they said in a Port of Seattle news release. A second gaming lounge is slated for Atlanta, per the port. What they're saying:"Tens of millions of people are playing and buying video games every year, and the number keeps growing," said Willis. How it works: Simply trade in your ID for a loaner game cartridge to play in one of the retro gaming stations found in the family-friendly side of the lounge.
