Arcades and arcade machines have a long history in film. They’ve been featured in such diverse titles as Jaws, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Dawn of the Dead, Rocky III, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, WarGames, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Footloose, The Karate Kid, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (just to name a few). But here our favorite arcade moments in film:
The Last Starfighter – While it only really features a few arcade cabinets, we had to include this 1984 sci-fi. What kid hasn’t fantasize about being so good at video games that aliens came to Earth to give them a spaceship to fight evil? This one is an ‘80s classic!
The Bishop of Battle – A part of the 1983 horror anthology Nightmares, The Bishop of Battle is about a video game whiz who breaks into his local arcade one night. There, he finally beats the 13th level of the fictitious “The Bishop of Battle” video game, thus releasing hordes of the game’s enemies into the real world. It’s a strange movie, but the arcade in the film is wonderful!
Tron – Speaking of amazing arcades, who hasn’t wanted to spend time at Flynn’s Arcade playing the Light Cycle game? Tron (1982) featured lots of great fiction video games including Paranoids, Matrix Blaster, Vice Squad, and of course TRON! While its special effects might not quite hold up today, Tron is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of video games in film.
Once you’re done reading about the history of arcades in film and you’re ready to experience one for yourself, make plans to visit our amazing Charleston arcade today. And don’t forget to check out our specials for discount arcade play!
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