North Belfast’s Retro Room — located in the Cityside Leisure and Retail Complex — offers games for people of all ages
A North Belfast business is helping spark a love of arcade and board games in a new generation.
The Retro Room features vintage arcade machines from the 1980s and 1990s, offering players an affordable way to experience classic gaming. For £7 an hour, visitors can play as many machines as they like at the venue.
Owner Marty Neill, said the idea for the business was inspired by his lifelong love of gaming and visits to similar venues around the world. He wanted to pass on his passion for old-school games to others — particularly young people.
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He said: “It is less about the games in some ways, and more about the environment and the atmosphere.
“The gaming arcade has somewhat disappeared from our lexicon. I do think kids think gaming is an anti-social experience but older people know it can be a social activity that brings people together.
“For some of us it was where we met our friends for the first time, or where we took our first date. My memories in Belfast, growing up here in the 80s and 90s during the conflict, saw the arcade as neutral ground. They were places where people met, came together and had fun — they were hugely important.”
Marty believes the need for social spaces has become even more pressing since the pandemic.
“Post-Covid, when everyone spent so much more time in their homes, it was problematic for some young people,” he said.
“They need more places to go and I think it is a terrible irony that Belfast now has fewer places for young people than when I was 13. I think that is a real problem.”
The arcade offers a range of old favourites including Guitar Hero, Double Dragon, Donkey Kong, Time Crisis, street fighter, alongside a selection board games. Around 40 classic arcade machines are in operation, with a further 20 in the workshop.
The Retro Room plans to rotate machines to keep the experience fresh for customers. Classic consoles with thousands of games are also on offer, as well as around ten board games at any one time. The business is always looking at ways to introduce new entertainment, explained Marty.
Marty said that, somewhat surprisingly, many younger visitors often start on the arcade machines before gravitating to the table-top board games.
He added that the arcade often becomes a bonding experience for families, as parents share their nostalgic love of gaming with their children.
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