Reviews of Capital City Classic Arcade (Bowling Alley)

Gray Mac

Stepping into this place and hearing all the classic arcade games cycling through their demos provided a hefty dose of nostalgia for me ( I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s). The owner was friendly and the place was clean. I went on a Wednesday evening and received the pay for one hour of play and get a second hour free. Great fun and great value. Only concern was that a few of the games on the floor weren't in working order.

Andrea AKA Bipolar Babe Speaker-Author-Changemaker

I had so much fun tonight!! My husband and I were looking for something fun and new and so awesome to have this little retro find in New West. Great selection of games and the 80s tunes were awesome too. Pinball machines are my favorite and really enjoyed revisiting my childhood. ♥️???? Thank so much!

Jade Konechy

I went a few weeks back with my friends, I’m not a huge arcade goer, but this place was worth checking out even for me, I really liked this one game where you had to lift a bar to get a ball in a hole (I made it to the 6th one, it’s actually really hard) The owner was also really awesome, he gave us an extra 20m because we showed up 10m after opening, so he wrote us until 530, instead of 510. If you’re an arcade goer you could probably get a day pass and spend a few hours, it’s a really good price, I wish they had more space for more machines, but they really put in as many as they could with the space they had. You can also keep track of your own score on their website by submitting your score, I didn’t bother submitting my own cause I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll probably bring any friends visiting to check it out, hopefully this place is popular enough and makes enough money to expand! A couple of the machines needed repair, but it’s expected and kind of adds to the charm of 90s arcades.

The Double Shot “The Double Shot”

Great arcade go so it stays open they have everything

Errin Morrison

We booked the arcade for my son's 13th birthday - only family bookings at the moment due to Covid, but in regular times this would be a fantastic kids party idea. We had a blast. So many games - including all the classics, no coins to deal with, super friendly owner/staff. We'll be back for sure and I would highly recommend this as a unique family (eventually friends) outing!

Bella Bunny (thebellabunny)

I’m so glad this place has survived the pandemic. As someone who lamented the demise of Playdium back in the day I never thought I’d find a place that had pay-by-time for an arcade again. I prefer that since I love to try as many different things as possible! This arcade is a labor of love by the owner (and all the machines are their own personal collection!) and it shows! I really have to get back to coming here, especially now we’re fully vaxxed. Support local business and have fun while doing so!

stephanie white

So awesome to walk into an arcade with old school arcade games from way back when! What a flashback! My children loved it there! The staff were friendly and cleanest bathroom I've been in a very long time!

Garry Self

This is better than arcades used to be! Clean, nicely renovated with a great selection of games, all available to play at a very reasonable hourly rate. Great for kids and adults alike. Love the 80s music videos too, especially when a bit of vintage metal comes on.

Brittany Tinline

Wow, what a great place. So much nostalgia. Wishing the owners all the best - this is an absolute gem to have in the neighbourhood.

Shaze Elliott

I love this arcade, every machine is a classic!

Jason York (Jork21)

I love the concept and love the games, but I wish the nachos were baked and hot. Also, when are they going to serve alcohol?

M J

Came here to celebrate our sons birthday instead of a party. Two hours all you can play is great! We had so much fun and it was great to introduce our 8 year old to all the classic old school games we used to play. Very nostalgic being in an arcade. The owners are great and you can tell they've poured their heart and soul into this business. We felt very safe as its clear they are being very careful with cleaning and sanitation. We also loved all the 80's music we heard. We will definitely go back.

Elizabeth Bruce

Great fun! It was a safe covid-19 activity. I'll be back.

Lawrence Bau

I was glad to find a retro arcade with a great selection of nostalgic games. I also like the idea of charging by time so I won't have to worry about digging up quarters to keep playing the different machines. The owner is friendly and noticeably passionate about the arcade.

Zoid Kirsch

Good ol games.

LRRR RULEROFOMICRONPERSEI8

Waste of time during COVID. Masks are made required even if you are vaccinated which makes no sense. Don't bother wasting gas driving here.

Jessica Greville

Having grown up in the 80's and now being able to share the nostalgia and the origins of gaming those long hours of our youth with our own children is pretty awesome! Capital City Arcade is full of awesome classic games. Most are in their original housing. You can tell the owners are passionate about their collection + it's so cool for them to share it with all of us. It's a fun, great hangout place for kids of all ages, young and not so young!

Lee Ingram

So many incredible throwback arcade games and the best selection of vintage pinball games I've seen locally. They added a nacho bar so I gotta go back!

Marios Melissinos

Amazing place, so glad that is open, brought back so many childhood memories.

Kerri Parkin

The owners here are a very friendly family and extremely knowledgeable about everything arcade! Great deals for an amazing old school arcade experience! $12/hr or $25 for the whole night (in-and-out privileges with a wristband until closing!!) They are even preparing for food and beverage service! Looking forward to seeing them thrive!!

John Odan

To be fair they had allowed me and my kid to look around before we bought a ticket. But the games were really "classic" (old!). They have some parking in a little lot behind the building which was nice. They were a few adults there due to covid situation but we didnt enjoy our time there. NB: it's out first arcade experience so it's possible we had too high expectations. Revised rating: I'm revising my rating from a 2 to a 4 star rating because the owners response is factual; I'd judged them based on how my visit made me feel and not on what they offer. And I agree that my rating has a real impact on their business. For providing an amazing array of classic games, friendliness of staff, and offering parking, I'd have given a 5 star. I'm reserving 1 star because at the end, our experience just wasn't 5 star.

Keegan Bailey

Fun place

Amy

Fun little retro arcade. The people running it are nice and friendly. They have fun classics that seemed much easier to master when I was younger. The place is clean and is a fun place for a birthday party.

M LVS

Amazing place. They should have a space in downtown as well

Tim Schmitt

Great spot, fun classic games. Can’t wait until they have beer.

Chris Peters

Friendly staff and cool retro games

Aaron T

The potential of this place is incredible and the passion of the owner outstanding. The pricing model and cost to play are pretty perfect, I left without a burning hole in my pocket and the desire to return. Once food service is established I see this place being a sapperton institution and a great hangout spot for people. Hopefully with such good pricing and service the owner gets his fair share too.

Tanner McCoolman

Unlike most of the arcades in Vancouver filled with stoned teens and 20-somethings, this is a very family oriented experience. Unlimited play for an hourly rate, with kids entry costing a fraction of adult entry. The games and the space are both very well cared for, and the whole operation is a labor of love at a level rarely seen. Truly a wholesome family business trying to spread joy to other families. That being said, I'm a stoned childless 20-something, so I'll be sticking to the seedier arcades, but that won't stop me from singing the praises of Capital City Arcade whenever the topic comes up.

NanoDrive

Came here for my birthday with my bubble. So many classic games I got to try for the first time in person, MAME just isn't the same. Many of the machines are in good condition, unfortunately Outrun was out of order and Super Hangon had pretty loose controls, which are two of the machines I was looking forward to playing the most. Still had lots of fun with the other machines, especially Galaga and Dig Dug which are some of my favourites. I'm very excited for the Return of the Jedi and the Missile Commander cabinets to become playable, and I will be coming back for those, along with more Dodonpachi. Very safe atmosphere, felt totally comfortable and would recommend if you're looking for an outing during Covid.

Brent Sanders

Awesome place

Jamie Reynolds (Jascrey)

What a great environment to play the games of yesteryear, and to discover games I'd never played before! The owners have laid their passion out for the city to enjoy, and enjoy it you will. Current favourite game of mine? TRON.

David Campbell

With lots of the classic games and a decent selection of pinball machines you won’t be bored! The owner is a rockstar for sharing this 80’s style arcade. Can’t wait to return for more!

Angel Sullivan

I enjoy and appreciate the vision of this place, and I am impressed at how many games they have. I felt like I was walking into old arcade from my childhood and got giddy seeing some of my favorite titles like Pacman and Mario. There were also a few really neat ones that I hadn't seen before. It was a fun little nalstagic trip back to being a child and that was super cool! Great way to end a dinner date night or hanging out with friends. I really think they were smart to have a pay per/hour fee structure because the child in me always kinda dreamed about free playing these games like this, and it was super fun to do so! And I feel the price was reasonable to what they are offering. So while I enjoyed the trip back in time, the retro games are very similar so got a bit bored by the end of the hour. But that's a personal thing and not really a cirtizism of the owners. I really hope that they continue to grow and think they would benefit from offering alcoholic beverages (which from replies to other reviews looks like they are working on). I also think that they should expand beyond the retro games only so that they don't get stagnant. Can't comment on food since we didn't partake. Looking forward to bringing my kiddos here over spring break and show them some of the games that I played as a kid. :)

Stu Maxwell

$12 per hour plus 50¢ per pinball game. That's not very friendly to the pinball lover who has little interest in retro video games. That makes this the most expensive place to play pinball in the province.

Wandara Ngauv

Awesome arcade! Such a rare thing to find these days and I'm glad this place exists! So many classic games, you pay by the hour and can try them all! I wish they had TMNT, WWF Wrestlefest, Street Fighter 2 CE .. then it would perfect haha Thanks for keeping this place open!

Yvonne Hopkins

We had a private booking for 2 hours and had the whole place to ourselves. It was such a blast and well worth it. You can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks. The owner knows everything about the games and even gave us the history of them when we asked. Will definitely come back!

Jude Evans

Place is lots of fun. They have a lot of retro arcade cabinets as well as five pinball machines in the back! Hourly rates with unlimited credit at all the games. This place has a chill atmoshpere that endears itself as soon as you walk in.

Jake Holder

5 star. Had a great time tonight with my wife. Love all the retro games and the 80s music added to the atmosphere. Also,they had amazing staff that were very friendly and loved all the games. Definitely be back soon!

B L

Hated it. Dirty floors of building and bad attitude owners.

Ryan Anderson

This is a great place for all ages young and old. The days of playing games with friends in public is a lost experience and is great fun. There is something for everyone here have wider even a few mechanical games. The price is very reasonable and by the hour you can't go wrong. Friends, family or even a party would be good. Highly recommend you check it out m it's been awhile since I've been here cause of covid but I'm glad to come again.

Lucy Q

Such an awesome, retro place! Came here for a friend's birthday to relive the fun arcade times of our teenage years and we had a blast! The private booking was wonderful as we felt completely safe with just ourselves & the owners there. Great 80s music and a huge selection of retro video games to play, plus you can bring your own (non-alcoholic) drinks to consume at the table so you don't get dehydrated from all the gaming. There's lots of free parking around back. Thanks to the owners for creating a fun, safe environment that we could enjoy on a special occasion during the pandemic. We will definitely return. Support this family-run local business if you can!! I can hardly wait until the nacho bar opens again.

Brenda Tarrabain

Ì was brought here for my birthday party excursion. We had a blast! I will be back and willingly parting with money to enjoy that " old time" arcade feel! You have to come and experience the fun!

Stephen Carl O'Shea

This is the absolute best and I can't recommend this enough. Drop everything and go here now. And then go here often!!!!

Logan Wiltse

Good selection, good tunes, $12/hr or $25/day, play as much as you want no quarters required! Excellent spot to bring a date.

Shelby Denison

You pay by the time you're there and not the games. Interesting idea. Very small, limited amount of games.

TeeCee Carabin

Lots of fun. Pay by the hour for unlimited games.

Gavin Clarkson

This place is so cool! The staff and owners are really friendly and accommodating, and follow strict COVID procedures, so it’s a really safe feeling outing. Their game rotation is fun and unique, with plenty of famous classics and niche games. My favourites are the “manual” ball games like Ice Cold Beer. The hourly rate and unlimited gameplay means you can try any and all of the games on offer until you find your new favourite. The 80s music videos give it a real Tron Flynn’s vibe. Great place.

KelseysStinkers

Good place to bring your kids & come play some games!

Jeffrey Legaspi

I had a lot of fun here! Paying the hourly or daily rate gives you access to the arcade machines - all set to free play. On Wednesdays (as of this review), they have a special deal. When I went, it was buy one hour ($13), get another free. Overall, it was a great place to have fun and the staff were friendly. I would love to visit again!

Steven Smethurst

Lots of fun. They have a bunch of games from my childhood that gave me great joy to place again. "free cold beer" machine, etc..

Dylan Gidlof

Good atmosphere, banging tunes, excellent upkept machines and friendly staff, support your local businesses

Steve Truong

Fun arcade games. Lots of old school ones

Jackson Burgess

This place is absolutely fantastic. I have been to many arcades in the past but this one takes the cake. All of the classic games from the 80s and 90s are here, and is the only one of its kind in Metro Vancouver. 100% recommend, family-friendly!

Mr,Willson

This place is awesome. !...Super fun...Kinda like the old days when arcades were king. Endless Free plays on all their cool games.

Jarell Alvarez

This place is a gem. What an amazing find and so much fun to be had. This is fulfilling my playdium gap in my life and takes it to another level. Who knew unlimited game time on insanely fun and challenging arcade games would be so fun. Whether you're into vintage games or some of the earlier 2000s there's something for everybody. Props to the owner's for the rad playlist and nostalgic feelings. Will be happy to drop $25 for a days worth of entertainment any day!!!

Carolle Bruce

We rented out the entire arcade for an event with friends and family. Capacity is reduced down to 20 people and with a required mask policy and an abundance of hand sanitizer, we felt this was a very safe venue to celebrate a milestone birthday. All the classic arcade games are here with a few unexpected surprises! Our two hour booking flew by, everyone had a blast! We highly recommend this venue as a fun, safe venue!

Ron McLeod

Great place, nice selection of games in good condition, friendly staff.

E Z

Awesome atmosphere, classic games, priced well. Free parking available a block away on along Major street.

Wade Meise

Great fun lots of older games lots of fun

clay bomb

Awesome old school arcade. Love it!

Tim M

Lots of old school arcade games!

Willem Toorenburgh

This was a great place to visit. I love the pricing model of paying per hour rather than per play (with the exception of the pinball machines, which is understandable). My rating will be changed to five stars once they're able to serve food, which I believe is in process.

sheri cormier

Too expensive not enough games to spend hours their.

Eunice L

I booked a semi-private party here recently and all of my friends loved it. We ended up getting our time cut short due to a power outage in this area but we made the best of it. I love the concept of this arcade, their nacho bar and hopefully they will be licensed soon. The owners running this place were incredibly nice, friendly and easy to deal with when setting up the party. Their pricing is quite fair. It’s a local small business that I am happy to support and refer all my friends to. Thank you for being awesome!

Natalie V (Bratalie)

Decent amount of games, good 80s ambience, liked the high score tracking on the monitors. Some games need a little TLC, maybe new/reconditioned monitors. - (Review updated to 5 stars due to a very detailed response from the owner)

Scott M

I can't wait to come back when the pinball machines are available. It would be really cool if they could get a copy of street fighter or something similar in the future. I can only hope the city gives them their liquor licence. My only critique is that the building doesn't seem to have HVAC so on sunny days, the arcade gets super hot even with all the fans they have out.

Phillip Arsenault

Fortunate to have this new place in our neighborhood! I hadn't played NBA Jams in 20 years and it did a number on my arm, but totally worth it.

beau

$20 all you can play for 2 hours They had all the old time favs Had a really fun time playing all the games I grow up with

GxC

Honestly, I've been looking for some good, local arcade experiences and this place takes the cake. The staff are wonderful and inviting, the machines are in great condition and the music choices are top notch. I'm definitely coming back to this place and I hope you try it too.

Sarah Giammarino

This family arcade is really fun. Pay by the hour! My kids love it.

Ryusuke Fukazawa

Went for a private booking for a friend's birthday party and had a lot of fun! I haven't been to other arcades, was actually my first time going to one ever, and I wasn't disappointed at all. Cute Pac-man signs for the genders on the bathrooms- which were super clean btw. The guy working was really nice and helpful, let us stay for an extra ~15 minutes I guess cuz a lot of the guests were late lol.

Kirby Lagroix

Tons of fun, reasonable rates, clean bathrooms. Can't wait for nachos and beer. More than one hour recommended

Justin Franchini

Love this place and the Nachos are good

Ryan Mellors

This place is an absolute treasure. Fully functional arcade machines from the 80s, some very rare ones, and two of the friendliest shop owners imaginable.

Arnold H

Hopped in my DeLorean and travelled back to the 80's! For anybody who grew up then, this will bring back a lot of memories. Great selection of games from Frogger to Donkey Kong / Jr to Joust to Pacman to Punch-Out to Tron. Cabinets are very clean and well maintained which is a big plus. Another bonus is the 80's music going non-stop on multiple screens which really adds to the ambience. 5 stars!!!

Trevor Hardychuk

Oozes nostalgia, look forward to going back and knocking out some hi scores

Andrew D

Fun retro arcade. Played old games from my childhood. Have to pre book appointments due to covid times so don't expect to just walk in and play but its 100% worth going

Chris Whiteside

It's an arcade. I can't wait to see what the full opening looks like!

Greg Rizzardo

Great place great staff great environment to have a good time. Highly recommend

Josh

As advertised. It was everything i was hoping for. There is so many games to choose from. Will for sure be going back.

J Pisacreta

Great games... Rotating collection...nacho bar to open soon

BannisterLeo

Awesome arcade to check out in New West. Great variety of the classics and up. The owners are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They've worked very hard to get the arcade to where it is and deserve a lot of support from the gaming community. Definitely check them out. Reasonable rates, super clean arcade and bathrooms. Keep up the great work guys.

Tara Bohune

Cool games including a big collection of pinball games. Great place!

S S

Awesome retro arcade experience! Many simple classic games to keep you busy for an hour or more. It felt safe as everyone was wearing masks. Owners were courteous and even gave out little Halloween candy bags! Would definitely visit again.

Richard Lee

Very retro gaming establishment. The days of PAC Man, Galaga and much more. The also serve nachos with chicken, beef or pulled pork with various toppings. The food is excellent and you have a variety of hot sauces possibly even the secret sauce locked in the kitchen safe. Per hour rate for use of games will keep you entertained.

Max Rt

Love this place, so fun!!!

Dustin Blaine

Great Arcade! Classic games like donkey kong , ninja turtles, street fighter etc. We rented the place for a small group event. Everything was Clean ,great price, nice staff. Super unique idea for a group event and everyone loved it!!

Marshall Mcrobbie

Old school arcade games for the win!

Aaron Alms

Owner was very friendly and nice to talk to. Looking forward to my next visit!

Bradulus Prime

This game gets the stars. Best arcade I've been to

Brittany Ford

Super fun way to spend an evening. Nacho bar is dope and really tasty!

Jordan Mcmillan

Owner is really friendly. I've there twice since it opened last week. It's just a lot of fun.

Joe Sharpe

Great place. Nice guys. Will be coming back.

Gavin Yastremski

Excellent place to burn a couple of hours playing the classics before or after a meal in the area. I have a good time whenever I drop in and am always wishing I could stay longer

Thomas

Great time

Blair Crews

I had a big 80's smile on my face the second I saw "bagman". My permafrown didn't return until about a half hour after I left. I hope they do well because I plan to go back a lot.

Ed Cole (AirbendingEagle)

Great place with a great variety of Arcade games.

Jenypher McMicheals

I felt like a teenager again

Matt Powley

The games all work great. I suggest bringing a friend, as there are many games that can be played 2 player as well. Had a great time

Troy Pantelle

Been plenty of times and keep wanting to go back. Great staff, reasonably priced, awesome selection of games. Very well maintained, you can tell the owners are passionate about the experience they give. Not cookie cutter corporate bull like rec room in Burnaby. Hoping the city opens their eyes and finally gives these guys a liquor licence so you can enjoy an ice cold beer while playing ice cold beer.

Craig Hubert

Went in to kill an hour with my son and we had a blast, clean and family friendly. Will definitely be returning for more fun!

Bobby Raju

Good way to kill a quick hour or two!

Willis Killjoy

Needs a few more machines. But otherwise a fun time

kyle may

Lots of fun. Great Birthday party spot for kids!!

Kingofthe Crop

If you want a classic arcade experience this is one of the best and most affordable places to go!

Brandon Braun

Went twice over the weekend, had a blast playing a bunch of old games, especially Dig Dug. What really surprised me was how amazing the nachos are! Honestly, they were a big part of why I went twice. I'll definitely be going again next time I'm in Vancouver.

Robyn Kurtz

What an amazing place!! I had a blast playing games from when I was a kid and my kids had a blast finding new (old) rad games! Super clean and spacious.

Brett Pulliam

Very cool 80’s arcade. All the classics you expect to see plus rare games that are also fun to play. Games in great condition with a nice family environment.

Jon L

A great place to have fun. For those that miss the arcade or for those that don't think video games and smartphones mix, you'll enjoy it. Most of the biggest classic games to play and even some games from way back! Two hours of unlimited play for $20. Lots to enjoy! NOTE: Due to the COVID pandemic, tickets have to be bought through the website and for specific times. Also due to the pandemic, the kitchen is closed.