Arcades

This month, our family made the trip to check out the Orono Arcade. I really enjoyed the experience last time (about a year ago), so I was happy to see an even bigger expansion of the arcade since my previous visit.

We came with a group of 5 people and started on the bottom floor – that’s right, there are 2 floors to this arcade. The door to the bottom floor is accessed from the main public parking lot in downtown Orono. The door on the upper level leads out onto Main St. – there is no parking here, just access to the main intersection if you were going to walk that way.

Table of Contents

• The Theme of the Orono Arcade
  • Tokens as the Currency
  • No Prize Counter
  • Wall of Retro Games
• Pricing at the Orono Arcade
• The Expansion and Layout of the Location
  • The Expansion
  • The Layout
• Final Thoughts on the Experience

The Theme of the Orono Arcade

The Orono Arcade is an ode to the heyday of the arcade era – where more people were meeting up to play games at an arcade, enjoying the experience of gaming, and chasing down high scores. This is evident by a few things:

Tokens as the Currency

When you insert money into one of the cash exchanging machines (or go up to the main counter), you are given back customized tokens that can be inserted into machines throughout the arcade to play the games. Many arcades choose to use digital game cards that keep track of your money or some arcades simply just have their machines take cash and quarters. 

The tokens are a nice touch that up the nostalgia for this arcade and are a tactile fun for children to slide into the coin slots of each machine (yes, our toddler seemed to enjoy this part). I will say though that even with a little bag that the arcade provides to hold all your tokens, they are easy to misplace in your pockets or struggle to remove the specific amount you need each time. So I think the digital cards are easier to manage, but the cool factor is definitely higher with the tokens. 

No Prize Counter

Unlike many other modern arcades, Orono Arcade LLC does not have a prize counter or any games that give out tickets to redeem. Honestly, this was very refreshing and makes you focus on the experience and fun of playing the games rather than any complication or stress of how many tickets you might earn.

That is not to say there are no prizes though, Orono Arcade sometimes runs contests to beat a certain high score on a game that will earn you a prize, such as a new gaming console. There is also a board by the main desk for a Beat the Owner contest where if you beat the arcade owner’s high score in a certain game then you will win yourself a giant bag of tokens for free. 

Wall of Retro Games

On the upper level is an entire wall of retro game cabinets. The week we were there, they had Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man, Dungeons and Dragons, Asteroids, Castlevania, and a few others.

These games were only one token to play, so they were a good value just to try them out or to make multiple attempts and try to get good at one. I think this selection of retro games is a great inclusion in the Orono Arcade and I wish more arcades would have these available.

The retro gaming section at Orono Arcade is top-notch.

Pricing at the Orono Arcade

Standard pricing at Orono Arcade LLC is 3 tokens for $1 (33 cents per token). There are a couple large bundles you can buy to get a better deal: $25 for 90 tokens (28 cents per token) or $50 for 200 tokens (25 cents per token).

Here is the cost per play that we saw:

• 1 token for retro arcade games
• 2 – 3 tokens for some multiplayer games
• 2 – 4 tokens for prize/crane games
• 4 tokens for pinball and modern video games

There is also a blacklight mini-golf course which winds through the games on the upper level of the arcade. I played the course on a previous visit and had fun with it. There are typical mini golf ramps and obstacles, and even a gamified set of optional rules to make the experience unique. The course is relatively short, but for $5 per player, it is worth trying out for those who like mini-golf or need a break from the video games.

The Expansion and Layout of the Location

The Expansion

There were 2 main things that seem to have been added in the expansion: prize machines and pinball. The prize machines consisted of about 5 varieties of games, including some claw machines, a rubber duck machine, and some skill games based on timing or positioning to win a prize. 

The pinball machines are definitely a welcome addition to the arcade and there was a great selection added. Avatar, Harry Potter, Dune, John Wick, and a bunch of superhero options, just to name a few of the 10 or so machines that were set up. 

Oh and for all of the Labyrinth movie fans out there, you bet Orono Arcade has you covered with that pinball machine, too. David Bowie pretty much performed an entire song on the pinball screen during one of our playthroughs. 

Also on the bottom floor, a dance game was added – Step Maniax. This was my first experience with this DDR-style game. It is a little different than Dance Dance Revolution in that you use the middle starting point as a button, and well, the difficulty settings were not exactly thought-out: “Beginner”, then “Easy”, then “Hard”…listen, Step Maniax, that is not how words work, where is the medium? It turns out Easy means Medium for the most part, so tread carefully if you get the chance to try it out.

We got to dance to 2 songs on the play-through of Step Maniax.

The Layout

In general, I will say that the actual space and layout is a little tight. There were certain spaces where a group of 4 or 5 people could congregate and watch each other play, but there were also tight hallways and bottlenecks where a group could not just stand around without likely blocking the pathway for other people trying to navigate the arcade. 

There is a bathroom on the lower level (in the back), and this is where the new birthday party area is, also. 2 tables are set up in this area, but because of how narrow the hallway is, you can really only comfortably fit a few people per table.

As an aside, I think it is time that I come clean – I have been to this building before, probably dozens of times, only it was not the Orono Arcade LLC. It used to be a restaurant and nightclub called the Bear Brew. I danced on their dance floor, I ate pizza and had academic conversations in the booths, I spent way too long listening to a jam band with a good friend.

So walking into this building now and seeing it transformed is a very interesting experience. The mini-golf course is now where the dance floor used to be, as you step down about 4 inches to get there (not the smartest design when dancing is involved, but fine for mini-golf), and the retro wall of games is where there used to be tables with a great overview of the parking lot and perfect for people-watching.

Final Thoughts on the Experience

All in all, we had a lot of fun at the Orono Arcade and will definitely be back for more. The game selection will keep you busy for hours (with pinball, racing, sports games, modern video games, and even mini-golf) and the general feel of the arcade having a focus on the gaming and fun experience (rather than on ticket redemption) worked well for us.

Now having gone in different group sizes, I think that smaller groups (or solo) of 1 – 3 people may work best for the particular layout of Orono Arcade. Larger groups may find it tougher to stick together with the narrow hallways and the games spread throughout 2 floors, but this may be totally fine for how your group/family operates.

Playing Mario Kart as a group of 4 (because Orono Arcade has 4 Mario Kart machines connected) is always worth your time and I heartily recommend that experience to anyone!

Read more about Orono Arcade LLC in our directory, or go straight to their Instagram account here.

Our family checked out Smitty’s GameLAB in Topsham, Maine recently on a Saturday around lunchtime. There is a large parking lot for this shopping center and the GameLAB is sandwiched between a Reny’s and Sherman’s Book Shop (so on this Saturday morning the parking was pretty full!). It would be good to note that the arcade is in a separate building than the Smitty’s Cinema, which is a popular chain of dine-in movie theaters – the cinema is in the same plaza, but its entrance is further down and around the corner.

The Prize Wall

Right when you walk in, you are hit with the sight of the Prizes Wall – and you know what, it is very well done. This is probably the best prize wall I have seen so far. There are a lot of options for all different amounts of tickets – various toys, sweets, board games, and gadgets. There were 3 full walls of floor to ceiling prizes, so it looked very stunning, too.

The staff were very friendly at the prize counter and very helpful to get us started in the right direction to purchase our credits to play the games. So after that interaction and seeing this prize wall, I knew we had to at least try to go home with something.

The Pricing

Smitty’s GameLAB costs $1 for 8 credits. At $10 and higher, you will get an increasing percentage of bonus credits along with the purchase. We paid $10 to get 80 credits + 8 bonus credits. At $50, you would get a 35% bonus of credits (140 bonus credits). 

There are some caveats with the system at Smitty’s GameLAB – after not seeing my bonus credits appear when playing my first game, I asked a staff person and found out that the bonus credits cannot be used with the crane games, so that is an interesting distinction. As an additional fee, you are also charged $1 every time you load a new card with credits. So if you plan to have multiple cards, or if you return for another visit and forget your original card, you would get charged an extra $1 upfront.

Arcade Games at Smitty’s GameLAB

Most of the games at Smitty’s GameLAB Topsham are modern arcade games. They had a mix of crane games, racing games, virtual reality, and many ticket-winning games. 

The smaller ticket-based games are 8 – 10 credits per play, while the bigger prize games and cranes were 16 – 24 credits. Racing games ranged around 16 credits each. Overall, this is a little higher priced than some of the other arcades we have been to recently.

So what did we play? There was a very cool Hot Wheels racing game that gave tickets – there was a pedal, but you stood up to play the game so that was a different variation on this style. We had a lot of fun with that one. We played the arcade versions of classic games like ring toss, kicking soccer goals, and knocking down milk bottles. 

We tried our hand at a couple crane games and walked away with a rubber turtle! One of the coolest arcade games we saw was one called “Snow Day”. Essentially, you stand in a tube and white/blue plastic balls (like from a ball pit) are continually dropped on your head. You must pick them up off the floor or catch them mid-air and then stuff as many balls as possible into the container opening in front of you. We watched a child take this one on, and they looked to be having a great time with it!

The Bar Area

Directly next to the arcade games, you can easily flow into the bar area, which has booths, high-top tables and a full bar, completely surrounded by big-screen TVs. Smitty’s GameLAB has a full menu of fried foods, burgers, and drinks, with staff that will take your order and serve you.

This area is also where the birthday/parties are set up. Smitty’s ropes off some tables for your group and adds some nice popcorn buckets to the table. There were 3 or 4 parties set up and going while we were there. Even with that, the facility never felt too overly crowded.

We decided to order lunch and got a high-top table in a middle area between the bar and the booths. After placing our order, we put our coats on the chairs and went back into the arcade while the food was being prepared. At this time of day, the food came pretty quickly. I think we only waited about 15 minutes and the food was there.

We ordered:

• Chicken Tenders Platter = $15.49
• Quesadilla with Chicken = $15.48
• Side of Fries = $6.49
• Large Soda = $5.99

Overall, the food was good. The fries were crispy and tasty, the quesadilla was big and had nice chunks of chicken in it. But since the quesadilla did not come with anything we ordered the side of fries – so I’m not sure I could say that $22 for a quesadilla and fries is worth it. Also, $6 for a soda seemed a little high to us (is this what soda costs now?!).

Final Thoughts

Smitty’s GameLAB is extremely clean, well set-up with different areas that flow, and friendly and attentive staff. There were plenty of modern games to occupy us, and enough space to move around and check out all of the spaces. All that said, this arcade is a little more expensive than others we have visited, but still think it is a good value because of how nice the experience is, especially the bar area and prize wall.

At the end of our visit, we had racked up about 280 tickets which was enough to earn us 4 small plastic dinosaurs, a slightly larger plastic food toy, and some candy. That along with the small duck we won from the crane was a pretty good haul to take home.

See more about Smitty’s GameLAB in our directory, or go straight to their website here.

We visited Family Time Dine and Play on a Saturday morning shortly after they opened. This arcade, laser tag arena, and indoor children’s maze is located in the Auburn Mall in Auburn, ME.

Up a small set of stairs you could see the flashing lights and pixelly sounds of the arcade area. Before going there, we stopped at the front desk to get a card with credits to play. They use the card system for these games, so to play games in the arcade you will need to add money to a game card which gets exchanged for credits. You use the credits to pay for the games. 

Pricing at the Arcade

For $5, you get 20 credits. If you add more money upfront then you get some bonus credits for free, depending on how much you add. If you know you will be playing a good amount of games (or if you live close by) then it could be beneficial to add more money to the card to get the bonus credits.

Most smaller/quicker games were 3 – 4 credits per play, while the higher tech games and prize-winning games were between 5 – 7 credits each. There were crane games to win prizes and there were also some games that gave tickets.

Most of the ticket-based games were right up front in the arcade, closest to the door. The tickets could be used to redeem at the prize desk for an assortment of prizes. You would need 10 tickets to get the lowest level of prizes and at least 1500 to get a stuffed animal.

In terms of value, the best thing we played was the Dance Dance Revolution game. For 3 credits (about 75 cents), you get to dance to 3 songs. Each song is about 2 minutes long, and even though only one of us was actually “playing”, all of the rest of us were dancing along, so it was very fun to do that together.

The Birthday Area and Play Gym Maze

They were setting up for a birthday party when we arrived and had a nice seating area where the guests started to filter into. There seemed to be enough seating for 75 – 100 people in the party area, so I am guessing it can get very busy when a large group is there for a party.

At the far end of the arcade is the “Crazy Maze” which is an enclosed play area with different levels and obstacles for children to go through. It is a bigger version of a PlayPlace at McDonald’s, and honestly, it did look like fun! There were multiple children climbing through there and they seemed to be having a good time.

Types of Games at the Arcade

There were a variety of different types of games at the Family Time Dine and Play arcade. Racing games, Whack-a-Mole, skeeball, and giant versions of classic games like Space Invaders and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in addition to all of the ticket and prize winning games. Most of the games were new/modern, as opposed to vintage or retro games.

There were 4 pinball machines – The Munsters, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avatar. This was my first time seeing that Avatar machine, and it did look like it was going to be fun, but I did not get a chance to play it, unfortunately (but it would be first on my list for the next visit).

Some of the reviews for Family Time Dine and Play mention broken games being an issue. Were there broken games? Yes, we did see some, including one unplugged and sitting amongst the rest of the games. But having previous experience owning an entertainment business myself (escape room), I know that things break pretty regularly.

You can try to anticipate how someone might play a game and which aspects should be built strong or secured down best, but at the end of the day humans are unpredictable in what they might do, and technology (which these arcade games are filled with) always has a chance to stop working even when you want it to. Everything we played at Family Time Dine and Play worked correctly and there were plenty of options to choose from.

Final Thoughts

Overall, my family had a really fun time at Family Time Dine and Play. We did not try the food, but we would give it a try next time we are there. The entire place was very clean for an arcade that size and we all felt comfortable walking around and enjoying the games.

There were many shops also open in the Auburn Mall and it would be worth it to explore those places also before or after spending time at the arcade. So this location would definitely make for a fun family adventure!

Learn more about Family Time Dine and Play in our directory, or go straight to their website here.

Took a quick family trip over the weekend to visit the Dragon’s Lair Arcade in Bangor, Maine. I love checking out arcades, seeing the selection of games, and just being in the atmosphere of the flashing lights, explosive sounds, and button mashing. 

How to Get There

There is a ridiculous amount of parking at the Bangor Mall – you would be wise to drive slowly through there, though, and watch for any minor potholes. The arcade is inside the Mall, closest to the Furniture and Mattress Gallery (name?), but going in through Dick’s is also a viable option.

We went in through J.C Penney and walked about halfway through the mall to get to the arcade. Like many other shopping malls in the country, the Bangor Mall has multiple vacancies and the entire property seems to be in legal trouble over the matters. But there were still several clothing retailers open inside the mall. 

The Food Court

The Dragon’s Lair Arcade has actually taken over the previous mall food court and sells their own pizza and sandwiches there. I have some fond memories of this location being a Sbarro in the past, back in the glory days of shopping malls.

We did not see any other food options throughout the portion of the mall we walked through, so it is good that Dragon’s Lair Arcade and Pizza is filling a void for anyone who gets hungry – you would not have to leave the mall to find something. I did not try the pizza this time, but would plan to on our next visit.

The Arcade Games

Dragon’s Lair Arcade had a pretty large selection of different games. They did have a prize counter so there were a good amount of games focused on earning tickets – claw machines with tickets as prizes, arcade style games to win tickets, etc. 

We played a few rounds of a game where you try to catch a fish and can earn tickets for the fish you catch. Every so often, a golden lobster would sprint (essentially) across the bottom of the screen. Catching that lobster would earn a jackpot of tickets – despite some valiant tries, we did not catch that lobster! 

Besides the ticket-earning games, there were racing games, shooter-style games, an air hockey table, and a few pinball machines. I am definitely a fan of pinball, so I like to try whenever I happen to be around one. Having some millennial childhood memories of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, you know I made a beeline for that machine. I had a good time playing it. At one point, the ball got sucked into some kind of magnet (or force field??) and started spinning around in circles like the centrifugal force had just taken over. I can’t remember ever seeing something like that before, so that was definitely a unique experience.

The prize counter had a nice selection of things to win after playing. There were large prizes like board games, backpacks, and Squishmallows, then plenty of smaller prizes and plastic toys. The lowest amount of tickets needed seemed to be 5, and that would earn you a piece of candy or a spider ring, but there was a lot of selection if you had between 10-50 tickets.

Logistics and Extra Games

Most of the games took quarters as payment and were priced between 50c to $1 per play. There was a coin machine to exchange your money into quarters, and there were also machines to count up your tickets when you were ready. 

We saw a sign saying there were even more games in a “classic arcade” next to J.C. Penney, so on our way back we stopped by that, too. It did not seem to be open at the time we were there, but I could see through the window that there were a ton more arcade games set up. 

All in all, I think a family (or just yourself!) could spend a while playing games at the arcade areas here and there should be something for anyone who likes games. 

See more about Dragon’s Lair Arcade in our directory, or go straight to their website here.