Retropolis Amusements Arcade Southend

Where is Retropolis Amusements?

Visitors to Southend can find the Retropolis Arcade situated on the Eastern Esplanade opposite the Sealife Adventure Centre a short walk away from the Southend Pier and town centre. 

Retro Arcade (with a difference)

Instead of focusing on the typical retro arcade machines with Joysticks such as Space Invaders and Galaga, Retropolis in Southend specialises in mechanical Cat D fruit machines with feature boards, reel holds, nudges and Hi-Lo buttons. 

How it began

Retropolis Arcade is a unique retro amusement arcade concept that grew from private collections of passionate fruit machine enthusiasts. Here, visitors can find a huge selection of various different types of British fruit machines from every decade from the sixties to the present day. 

For many, the nostalgia of the ‘glory days’ is intertwined with the gaming machines that were played at social clubs, pub venues and snooker halls in the youth. 

If a player’s favourite fruit machines are from the 70’s / 80’s / 90’s and early 2000’s, then it can be a challenge to find them in todays arcades. 

This is because the trend is for arcades and entertainment venues to replace classic fruit machines with modern digital casino slots, opting for convenience and cost efficiency, over the more artistic and interactive mechanical fruit machines of the past. 

This is where Retropolis comes in. Just like an Aladdin’s cave of Wonder or Santa's Grotto, any enthusiast will be gleeful like a kid as they explore the venue and discover forgotten games and machines lost to time. What's better than hearing the turning of moving reels and the familiar clunk from gaming hoppers of the past?

Various Jackpots to Win

Most machines are £5 jackpot fruit machines with repeat, though some of the machines are so old that they also have the £4 jackpots and some with club style £6/7/8 and £10 (between times of changing legislation). They have kept some of the games exactly how they used to be back in the day, meaning that a one-pound coin will give players 20 spins!

Atmosphere

Even the atmosphere in the venue feels like stepping back in time to an arcade from the eighties or nineties. The lighting is on point, the hustle and bustle of people milling about with the sound of reels being spun will transport visitors back to the days of youth. 

Retropolis Arcade really tries to retain a community feel about the place with everyone enjoying a flutter together and also welcoming wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Fruit Machines

With fruit machines from every era, visitors can find a unique range of fantastic £5 jackpot fruit machines to enjoy. These include:

JPM

At the front of the venue visitors can find a nice row of JPM cabinet machines including Rollercoaster, Monopoly, Crazy Crazy and many more!

Maygay

At the rear of the venue players can find a long row of Maygay machines including The Great Escape, Italian Job, Donkey Kong, Eastenders, Cash is King, Monopoly, Cluedo and many more. 

Barcrest

There are some timeless Barcrest classics available to play with £4 jackpots including Colossus, Andy Capp, Viva Las Legas and Road Hog. Next to the entrance there are also two classic Cops and Robbers gaming machines with the siren atop of the cabinet.

In a separate section is another large row of newer generation Barcrest machines including Vamp it up, Bully for You, Spiker Biker and Frenzy

Coin Pushers

Whist not the main focus for this arcade, Retropolis also has two lovely unique Astra coin pusher machines called Viva Cash Vegas and Party Time Surprise. These are hybrid fruit machines and coin pushers all in one! 

Casino Style Fruit Machines

There are many triple and quad sit-down style casino slots to play, and these include some more common names including Party Time, Bullion Bars, Party Fruits and Solid Gold, yet also some rarer machines including four player Party Games (with the screen) and Reno Casino. 

There are also many different types of classic Bar-X style machines and lots of chrome-fronted cabinets to explore. For fans of Astra Gaming, there are also four bar-top style fruit machines including Jungle Jive and Double Cash.

Venue Verdict:

Retropolis Arcade is a treasure trove with some of the greatest fruit machines from every decade since decimalisation (and even some before)!

A collection from passionate enthusiasts that is open to the public to play 12-months-a-year. They have a bar serving drinks and snacks and a community feel that makes everyone feel welcome as guests and players. 

Even if you don’t gamble, it is worth viewing and admiring some of the amusement and fairground art that can be seen here, created before the introduction of mainstream digital photo editing software. 

There are no giant neon arcade machines, no flamboyant fairground games that pay out tickets. Just good old fashioned spinning mechanical reels and pound coin prizes. Certainly the best fruit machine venue in Southend and possibly the UK. Highly recommended. 

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