Sunday, November 15, 2015

Another Castle





Another Castle's interior is divided into two sections. Half of Another Castle's fluorescent-lit interior is a video-game shop selling new and used games for the Playstation, DS, XBox and even Gameboy.




There are also Pokemon stuffed animals and these adorable fridge magnets made from fuse beads (created by lying plastic beads out in a pattern, then ironing the beads to fuse them).





But the other half, well -- it's a darkened three-room circus of retro arcade games and pinball. You'll see Frogger, Contra, Donkey Kong, The Simpsons, Dig Dug and Tetris. Pull up a Mario Brothers-style red-mushroom stool and play a few games (or more).


Most still only cost a quarter or at most, two quarters, even newer games like Mario Kart, Dance Dance Revolution or Star Wars Racer. A roll of quarters comes in hand, or bring cash to draw coins out of the change-making machines.



The store's small kiosk window offers beer, pop and snacky things like chips. But I'd eat before arriving.




I like Another Castle better than other video-game locations in the area; it's a more manageable size, the pricing is straightforward, and I really like the retro games. One employee described it as a dive-arcade, and that's about right. 



A few downsides: Limited hours and limited parking. It's not open until 5 p.m. on weekends, and there are only a few parking spots outside in the tiny lot. You might need to wait, or park in a lot just to the south. Also, trying to turn left out of the lot onto Highway 99 is a recipe for certain death. Just turn right, for the love of Mario.

On weekends, the arcade opens at noon.

Oh, and if you come with kids, they might see some 1980s sexism of the cheesy variety.






Would I play again? An unequivocal yes. GAME OVER.

Another Castle 

Address: 23303 WA-99, Edmonds, WA 98026
Phone: (425) 967-3740 or Arcade: 425-967-7043

Store Hours: 
Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm

Arcade Hours:  
Monday - Thursday: 5 pm – 11 pm
Friday: 2 pm – 2 am
Saturday: 12 pm – 2 am
Sunday: 12 pm – 10 pm

Website: http://www.anothercastlegames.com/

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