I’m NOT “Bringing Back” Arcades

Whoever told you I was “bringing back” arcades was sorely mistaken.

This year, I’ve been keen on correcting certain misconceptions associated with the Wilcox Arcade route — but unfortunately, this one doesn’t just affect me.

Arcades never went anywhere, despite what some people claim. You just weren’t paying enough attention.

The erroneous notion that arcades at some point “died” and must now be resurrected is so prevalent, in fact, that I’m just about tired of dispelling it. Even so, considering many current readers of the Wilcox Arcade blog could be largely unfamiliar with my history — and perhaps even arcade history at large — I may as well lay out the facts once more for posterity.

For the sake of brevity — and my own sanity — I’ll keep the focus of this particular piece on what’s local to me here in western Kentucky.

Cataloging Local Arcades

It’s always been hard for me to believe anyone who says there aren’t any arcades located near them.

Let’s take my hometown of Hopkinsville, for example. With a population of roughly 30,000, Hopkinsville actually feels quite big within the context of western Kentucky — even though, to folks from major metropolitan areas, it probably comes off as downright quaint. (Just wait until you get a load of the other cities I’ll mention in the article.)

Hopkinsville itself doesn’t have a dedicated venue called “the arcade.” However, there are several “street locations” where you can, in fact, play arcade games.

Southern Lanes is perhaps the most notable example, featuring a wide array of video games and redemption machines (operated by Brewer Amusement Company). While these games didn’t drop literally this year, they definitely didn’t originate in the 1980s — or even the early aughts. In other words, nothing about their appearance would suggest “retro” to you as a patron.

TJ’s Laundry (operated by Middle Tennessee Amusements) is admittedly not nearly as flashy, but it lays claim to a host of well-regarded retro games. That’s kind of to be expected in a laundromat scenario, though, where people usually aren’t spending $50 in one trip.

And I can’t forget Foodies…despite the depressing reality that they have since outsourced their entire Facebook presence to generative AI. Here, you’ll find another solid set of retro titles.

By their very nature, arcade games sometimes necessitate travel, because they exist in literal, physical space. As such, I think it’s worth expanding the Hopkinsville discussion to include nearby northwest Tennessee. There are two family entertainment centers in Clarksville alone — The City Forum and Dave & Buster’s — plus another Dave & Buster’s in Nashville, alongside countless local alternatives.

The city where I attended college certainly isn’t lacking in arcade destinations either. Murray, Kentucky, is only an hour’s drive from Hopkinsville, with a fairly modest population of 19,000. And guess what? You can play arcade games at Gatti’s Pizza, Pagliai’s Pizza, and Corvette Lanes (not counting what I’ve done with Wilcox Arcade, though we’ll get there eventually).

Maybe you can chalk up all those arcades in Murray to the influx of college students who arrive each year. In that case, let’s shuffle further west to Benton, where you can play older arcade games at Forgotten Past (operated by Lemons Coin Machines). Its population is fewer than 5,000, by the way.

Sitting right next to Benton is Calvert City — a no-name town of 2,000 people that will soon boast a fully-stocked modern arcade as part of its drive-in cinema.

But let’s be real: No one is kicking it in Benton or Calvert. The real epicenter of action in the “Jackson Purchase,” as we refer to this region, is undoubtedly Paducah, a place whose population numbers nearly 30,000. Oh…they have a family entertainment center, too, called Atomic City.

It sounds like we’re spoiled rotten with arcade options here in western Kentucky — an incredible feat considering I haven’t yet detailed what I’ve made happen via Wilcox Arcade.

The Wilcox Arcade Route

As you likely know, I’m the owner of Wilcox Arcade, a “route” of arcade games sprinkled throughout the commonwealth of Kentucky. All this means is that I place said games in third-party venues, as a tertiary attraction, instead of helming a dedicated venue of my own.

Sure, I’d love to have my own venue — but I’m really just not to that level yet, financially speaking. That’s why my mission has been to plant fun wherever I can put it, which I think is every bit as valid.

My most notable presence is at Know-a-Guy in Murray, Kentucky. There, you can play a rare variant of the indie video game Switch ’N’ Shoot, as well as enjoy a couple electronic bulk vending machines. I plan to add another indie video game, Skycurser, in the very near future.

I also operate video games at Trends N Treasures in Murray and Basement Bar Collectibles in Benton — albeit I’ll need to update both those spots as soon as humanly possible. Sadly, I wasn’t able quite able to get them up to my personal standards last year, so I hope I can do so this year.

Beyond that, my route is mostly composed of bulk vending at this interval. I operate the sticker machines at Venture River Water Park in Eddyville and the gumball machine at Epic Gamers in Fulton — alongside other bulk vending machines at The Pink Petunia in Crofton and The Mason Jar in Cadiz.

Even if I don’t possess the same capital as the “big boys” of the arcade industry, I hope you’ll at least recognize and appreciate what I’m trying to do at this stage in my life. It’s not inherently special that I run an arcade business — lots of guys do — but it is, in fact, special how I specifically go about it, prioritizing indie video games over prize redemption. (Crane games are the devil, people.)

Arcade games are clearly all around you — so don’t let them become white noise in your environment. Seek out the fun you desire in this world.

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