Switch ‘N’ Shoot Has Now Been in Kentucky for One Year

One year ago, today, I placed the first ever indie arcade game in the city of Murray, Kentucky, through my company Wilcox Arcade.

Said indie arcade game was Switch ‘N’ Shoot, a one-button space shooter developed by Matt Glanville and published by DSM Arcade. Since then, countless people have experienced Switch ‘N’ Shoot here in western Kentucky, and I couldn’t be prouder of that fact.

You see, more experienced arcade operators than myself have told me that indie arcade games cannot become mainstream successes — that they’re just too niche to take off. Even so, and although we still have a long way to go, I’d wager Switch ‘N’ Shoot has become fairly well known within the community of Murray and beyond.

People seem to like this little arcade game, which puts a real smile on my face. So today, I figured we’d look back on the first year of Switch ‘N’ Shoot in Kentucky.

How I Acquired Switch ‘N’ Shoot

I’ve been in contact with the Switch ‘N’ Shoot publisher DSM Arcade since at least January 2020 — when the man behind the company, Dan Fessler, offered to sell me the never-released cocktail cabinet variant.

Five years later, I reached back out to Dan to let him know that I was still just as interested as ever in purchasing Switch ‘N’ Shoot, and if I couldn’t have the cocktail, I would find some way to afford the full-sized upright version of the game.

And to his credit, we did, in fact, come up with a way for me to afford the full-sized upright version of Switch ‘N’ Shoot — but to lob even more credit on his name, Dan then proposed an alternative route that would fit even better within my financial constraints.

Years ago, Dan Fessler had also offered Switch ‘N’ Shoot to me in the form of cabaret cabinet — in other words, a more compact upright model — although I had unfortunately not properly pursued it at the time.

But guess what? Dan still had one cabaret left in storage — one of two total that he had ever produced. I would end up buying from him a much cheaper, yet much rarer version of Switch ‘N’ Shoot, which would help set me apart from other arcade operators.

The Switch ‘N’ Shoot Launch Event

I’m not an old-school route operator: Unlike those guys, I’ll never just drop a game and dash. Rest assured that there will always be plenty of fanfare accompanying each of my acquisitions.

Speaking of which, I reminisce with great fondness about hosting the Switch ‘N’ Shoot launch event at Know-a-Guy on March 22^nd of last year. My wife Jordan and I rolled up to discover a cohort of our closest friends in attendance, which tickled me pink, and every person who played that day netted a one-inch Wilcox Arcade pin.

The Switch ‘N’ Shoot launch event marked a modest beginning for Wilcox Arcade events here in western Kentucky. Granted, I can say I had organized a month-long House of the Dead high score competition at the Main Street Tavern in October 2019 — but the Switch ‘N’ Shoot launch event was one day only, fully in person, and I was actually there to monitor it.

While we’re on the subject, I simply must thank Cade Utterback, Nick Kendall, and Sam Guthrie for attending the Switch ‘N’ Shoot launch event. I’m honored that I can count on friends like them to consistently support the Wilcox Arcade route.

It felt like a true “third space” moment, playing that brand-new arcade game together in public. For once, we had a reason to leave our homes besides eating at a restaurant.

Real Players Gave Their Testimonials

Indie arcade games are notorious for being…well, quite the opposite. Switch ’N’ Shoot and its ilk are fairly unknown among the mainstream populace, so I figured I’d do something about that.

My ingenious idea was to grant free plays to a lucky few on Switch ’N’ Shoot — in exchange for a some good, old-fashioned “word of mouth.” Anyone who took me up on my offer would need to participate in a testimonial video on the Wilcox Arcade YouTube channel, subsequently sharing the link to which on their personal social media pages.

Irian Christie, Boaz Burnett, Trevor Smith, and other kindly players spoke from the heart about what Switch ’N’ Shoot meant to them, something I can only hope broadened awareness surrounding the game in Murray, Kentucky.

By the way, I’d be happy to continue this testimonial trend throughout 2026 — so long as more locals contact me looking to be a part of the arcade revolution.

The All-Day Switch ‘N’ Shoot Tournament

August was when I really kicked things up a notch. Seeing as how Switch ’N’ Shoot had been in Kentucky for nearly half a year, I wanted to give the game a shot in the arm, so to speak.

My grand gesture to maintain interest in this indie gem was the all-day Switch ’N’ Shoot tournament. This event was exactly what it said “on the tin”: Players could swing by Know-a-Guy any time during normal operating hours on Saturday, August 2^nd, to contend for the top spot on the leaderboard.

Naturally, the top five players won Wilcox Arcade merch — but what made this event truly special was the aid I received from indie musician Groovy Kaiju, game publisher DSM Arcade, and local music store Wits’ End Records.

Groovy Kaiju sent me five copies of his Monster Tape Zero CD to dole out to the victors; DSM Arcade sent me an authentic Switch ’N’ Shoot marquee for whoever secured first place; and Wits’ End Records promoted the event on Facebook. This truly was the biggest Wilcox Arcade collaboration to date.

Much like the launch event — only that much grander this time around — it was nice to play Switch ’N’ Shoot with so many of my friends: Cade Utterback, Isabella Sabatino, Zack Claggett, Justin Wimberly, Hunter Menton, Carson Constant, Dylan Norton, Logan Sizemore, and others swing participated in the tournament that day.

We capped off the day with a trip to local burger joint Toasty Boiz (quite fittingly).

Freeplay Friday (Feat. the eSports Team)

I’m the kind of guy who will do anything to get people to play my arcade games. That’s not because I’m some scheming capitalist — but rather because I believe the entertainment I’m providing could be seriously meaningful to people if they gave it a shot.

Switch ’N’ Shoot has been my baby ever since I placed it at Know-a-Guy in Murray, Kentucky. I care so much about this one-button space shooter, because it signals my lasting commitment to the indie arcade scene, and because it’s actually a blast.

“Freeplay Friday” marked my most recent attempt at getting eyes on this ol’ cabaret — and it, too, likely won’t require much explanation. Regardless, I’ll just lay it out for you: On Friday, October 24^th, I let patrons play Switch ’N’ Shoot entirely free of charge — in the hopes that they would become more comfortable with it and, ideally, would want to try it again in the future.

To make this event even more exciting, I personally invited the members of the Murray State University eSports to get their hands on Switch ’N’ Shoot, too. Who else would have been better suited to play this notoriously challenging game than genuine professional gamers?

It was a good night out, and honestly, I’m not opposed to doing it again in the future. Maybe I’ll dub it a Switch ’N’ Shoot “boot camp.”

What the Future Holds in Store

Switch ’N’ Shoot is here to stay in western Kentucky, meaning I’ll continue to devise new ways to keep it in the public consciousness.

This week, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Switch ’N’ Shoot being in our commonwealth, I plan to charge only five cents per credit — literally a single nickel to experience this exceptional indie title.

That discounted price point is admittedly a little gimmicky, but I’m just trying to have fun here. Like I always tell people, I wouldn’t have gotten into the video game business if I aimed to become wealthy; on the contrary, I’m just some dude who endeavors to make this region that much more enjoyable for everyone who dwells in it.

So yeah, drop by Know-a-Guy in Murray, Kentucky, this week to play Switch ’N’ Shoot at it’s cheapest price per credit yet — just five cents of shy of being actually free.

I hope you’ll take this golden opportunity to really come to grips with the game, because it’s absolutely worth your attention.