Gaming enthusiast can find anything they want in a four-business cluster in downtown Somerville.
SOMERVILLE - Upon entering the arcade wonderland that is YESTERcades, patrons are immediately taken back to their youth as they're greeted by a bank of upright video games that include such classics as Space Invaders, Centipede, Donkey Kong and Frogger.
They're instantly overcome with a feeling of 1980s nostalgia as the machines blare and the neon lights put them in a relaxed mood.
Last June, YESTERcades was closed for six months after its roof collapsed. The business reopened in November and arcade aficionados have come flocking back to revisit their childhood and share it with their kids.
"People walk in and see those games and they understand immediately what we have," said Christian Murray, assistant manager of Yestercade. "Everyone who grew up with these games have families now and they want to introduce their kids to what they grew up with.
"We don't really have a demographic. It's five to fifty years old."
YESTERcades is the centerpiece of a gaming paradise located in downtown Somerville that consists of a cluster of four unique, independent but interrelated businesses which cater to lovers of video games, trading card games, comics and collectibles.
In addition to YESTERcades, Retro Classics, Comic Fortress and The Only Game in Town are located in a less than half-mile radius. Patrons go from one business to the other and the businesses work together.
Retro Classics sells vintage video games and systems. The Comic Fortress specializes in comic books and collectible toys and statues. The Only Game in Town features trading cards, board games, supplies and rule books.
"We have a very symbiotic relationship," said Richard Borr, who owns Comic Fortress. "We freely send customers to each other. It's a great shopping experience for anyone who has an interest in these hobbies.
"Somerville has been such a great town for this type of niche. It has become a destination for the gaming community."
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Daniel Antony, general manager at The Only Game in Town, said the borough has embraced the gaming community.
"Somerville has a lot of culture and it's nice to see this type of geek/nerd niche spring up and become more socially acceptable," said Antony. "It used to be underground. Now, it's more mainstream. These games bring together people of different cultures, races, professions and ages. It's all encompassing."
According to Statista, one of the world's leading companies compiling statistics on the internet, the largest share of gamers is the over-35 years of age bracket. Data collected by the Entertainment Software Association in a national survey found that 155 million Americans regularly play video games and that U.S. consumers spent more than $22 billion on games in 2014.
After leaving YESTERcades, gaming enthusiast can go a few doors down and purchase their favorite game and system at Retro Classics.
"The retro scene is exploding," said Paul Snearowski, owner of Retro Classics, which has more than 15,000 games in stock. "People want to go back to simpler times. They don't want to always worry about updates and patches."
On any given Saturday night, nearly 150 people visit YESTERcades, said Murray. Elementary-age kids and millennials stand side-by-side playing their favorite games. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights after 9 p.m., patrons can bring their own beer or wine, said Murray.
For just $8.75 per hour, patrons can engage in everything from old-school pinball machines and knock hockey to video game classics like Space Invaders, Pac Man and NBA Jam. A wide variety of consoles is also available to play games on Atari 2600, the original Nintendo Entertainment System, XBOX ONE and Nintendo Wii U.
"It was a hard six months when we were closed," said Murray, who also works at YESTERcades' Red Bank location. "The day we reopened (Nov. 6), we had a crowd out the door. The customers made it clear that they missed us."
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.