Arcade Monsters Is a Fun Spring Break Activity for Kids on St. Armands Circle
Arcade Monsters offers two stories' worth of classic and new video games.
Image: Braxton Palmer
Spring break is upon us. For locals, that might mean trying at all costs to avoid the hordes that swell our streets and restaurants. But for visitors and people with time off, it’s an opportunity to have fun and try something new.
It's a few years old now, but I recently got the chance to check out Arcade Monsters on St. Armands Circle. It’s an arcade franchise with two other locations in Orlando and Melbourne. It’s a refreshing space for young people in an area of town that mostly caters to older folk. Families with moody teens who are being difficult about shopping on the circle can ship them off to Arcade Monsters for a couple of hours.
The St. Armands Circle location is Arcade Monsters' third in Florida.
Image: Braxton Palmer
Inside are two stories worth of video games from every era. If you’re old school, there’s "Donkey Kong," "Galaga," "Mortal Kombat," "Pac Man," "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and more.
There are also newer games that should come with seizure warnings for epileptics. Of those, "Luigi’s Haunted Castle" was a personal favorite. I got so into it that there were tears rolling down my cheeks because I barely blinked the whole time.
But what really makes Arcade Monsters unique is the amount of rhythm games straight from Japan.
The Japanese games are so authentic that they are all in Japanese. While that can add an extra layer of confusion, the games have QR codes you can use that will explain them in English. But the main issue I had with the Japanese games is that I couldn’t hear them. Loud music plays inside the arcade and drowns out the sounds of the games, making it pretty hard to play.
Arcade Monsters is an ideal place to go with a few friends—or even a date.
Image: Braxton Palmer
The other unique thing about Arcade Monsters was that there were no tokens or change machines. You pay $19.99 and get unlimited play. And while that’s a pretty good deal if you want to play all the games, it’s also a double-edged sword. While it’s nice not to spend a fortune trying to get a high score in skeeball, without the limitations of tokens, the stakes feel lower.
While you work up a sweat, you can refresh yourself with the drinks and food available. Arcade Monsters serves Cuban fare and beer and “natural” slushies that I was too scared to try.
I suppose you could go by yourself, and there are plenty of pinball machines to knock around on your own, but Arcade Monsters is best with two or three of your friends. Maybe a date if you’re not too competitive. I could see a lot of relationships ending over a heated game of air hockey.
