Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Monday, February 23, 2015

Review: Z82 Retrocade

Business name:Z82 Retrocade
Business type:Entertainment
Location:Sherwood, Ark.
My rating:
Website:Facebook 

I enjoyed video games much more when I was younger, mainly because I had more time to play. Since high school, I have spent less and less time playing video games as my daily responsibilities have increased. Although I find myself playing less, I still enjoy the occasional game. 

This weekend I finally had the opportunity to go to Z82 Retrocade in Sherwood, Ark. I had been wanting to go since a friend told me about it in 2014 but hadn't had the chance. With rain forecast for all day Saturday and no plans, I needed to find something cheap to do indoors. Z82 offers a variety of old arcade games set up on free play and only costs $7.50 per person for the entire day.

Environment
The arcade is a family-friendly environment. There were kids and adults enjoying the games. The machines looked new, the facilities were clean and the staff was very friendly. There aren't a lot of options for food and drinks and no outside food or drinks are allowed. However, a thirty-minute pass is available to allow for reentry. Several fast food restaurants are within walking distance, including Subway, Sonic, Arby's and McDonalds.

The Games
I was first introduced to Galaga when I was in middle school at which time I spent way to many quarters to play. Later I found it again on Gamecube. Saturday was probably the first time I had played in 10-12 years. Z82 Retrocade features classic arcade games such as Galaga, Donkey Kong, PacMan, Frogger and many others. I was even reintroduced to some games I had played in the 90's on the computer but had forgotten about like Asteroids and Missile Launch II.

Along with the classics other options such as Foosball, Air Hockey and Digital Dance Revolution were available.

My nephew and I spent from noon until about 9 p.m. at the arcade on Saturday. It was an affordable indoor option for a rainy day. My rating: A!





Monday, February 2, 2015

Prompt: What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

To answer the question, "What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day," I must first determine what kind of lazy day it is. At first thought, it is just a day when its cold, cloudy and rainy outside and I am stuck indoors. That is the easy answer to the question. Those days are usually spent on the couch in front of the television. If I am lucky, it is spent on the couch, in front of the television with family.

But then there is the other side. Sometimes there are days I just don't feel like doing anything. A few years ago, I was living in Washington D.C. for two months. I had planned to get up and go hiking from Georgetown up to Maryland, but the weather was just the opposite of what I previously described -- it was sunny and more than 100 degrees. That morning, I decided to roll over and go back to sleep. 11 a.m...2 p.m....4 p.m...6 p.m... I ended up sleeping the entire day away. Now, if that isn't a lazy day, I don't know what is!

But my absolute favorite way to spend a lazy day is out camping. Usually I am always on the go -- fishing, hiking, geocaching or something. But there are those few moments in there when I get to "be lazy" and just sit around camp and relax in nature. That has to be my favorite way to spend a lazy day.