Magic City Amusement Arcade Great Yarmouth

Located on Marine Parade between Nicky's Cafe and Grellys Fish and Chips and close to the Leisureland Arcade, Magic City Arcade boasts an enviable location opposite the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf on one of the busiest parts of the Great Yarmouth strip. Magic City Amusements has a compact frontage though certainly makes up for this with two venues on two storeys to explore. 

Merlins Sports Bar

On the first floor you can find Merlins Sports Bar, which has been a mainstay on the Great Yarmouth seafront for many years.  Here you can find other great entertainment options in the form of large-screens for showing sporting events, darts competitions and also ten pool tables and nine full-sized snooker tables. There is a balcony terrace that overlooks the strip and provides an excellent meeting place or spot to relax in. Merlin's has an entrance at the rear of the building on Apsley Road, though it can also be accessed from inside the amusement arcade.

Arcade Entrance

Being located between 2 of the best fish and chips shops on Marine Parade, the front pedestrian area outside Magic City Arcade can become busy with the buzz of families coming and going and enjoying lunch.

Out the front of the arcade there are young kiddie rides to tempt people milling about at the front to let the kids play. There is a Disney ‘Cars’ inspired ride-on machine for small children and also a combination football and boxing punch machine for teens and adults. 

Stepping inside the venue it has a nice atmosphere that is spacious and there is good access for wheelchairs and mobility scooters alike. 

Coin Pushers

In the front section are a range of different themed coin pushers, all of the modern variety paying out coins, shelf prizes and most offering ticket wins to be redeemed for prizes. 

There are Space Invaders, Jurassic Park, Adders & Ladders, Busy Bees and Pac-Man branded coin pusher machines and prize grabber crane claw machines lining the walls of the arcade. There was a great selection of sweets and keyrings as shelf prizes here with branded toys and ornaments too. 

The front section is sympathetic to young children with bright coloured décor and carpets. It is very clean and modern looking. 

Fairground Games

As visitors head toward the rear of the arcade there are many types of ticket paying fairground games. These include throwing, aiming, shooting and basketball arcade machines. 

There are also some triple row ticket slot machines that pay out wins in tickets, which is perfect for parents to help children collect better ticket prizes! These appear to be the only 'fruit machines' that are located outside the casino slots area.

Casino Slots Area

Near the rear of the venue, there is a spacious section with a Sonic the Hedgehog air hockey table situated opposite the enclosed adult casino area. 

Inside the adult casino area there is a large triple sit-down Rainbow Riches Community Gold machine and also lots of individual digital slots terminals from Blueprint gaming. There are also some Deal or No Deal fruit machines and a large triple Bar-X modern machine with upper feature with £100 jackpot. There are also a couple of older style X-factor type machines from Quest Slots.

Mini Bowlingo

The very back of the amusement arcade is fully dedicated to mini bowling with a six lane Bowlingo area. This is £2 per play and there are also automated bumpers for the younger players. Even in the school holidays this area is often overlooked as it is tucked away at the rear of the arcade. Perfect to have a low cost game with the family, whilst retreating from the hot sun (or rain).

Venue Verdict

Magic City Amusements (and Merlins Sports Bar) enjoy a compact yet spacious atmosphere that is bright, clean and welcoming. There is also a wide range of different games and activities under one roof, making it an ideal place for larger families with young kids to base themselves for a day or afternoon. 

Featured Machine: Derby Day Four Player Arcade Game