- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Arcade UFO
Category: Arts & Entertainment Arcades Arcades [Edit]
3101 SpeedwayAustin, TX 78705
Neighborhood: University of Texas
(512) 380-1725
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 3 pm - 1 am
Fri-Sat 1 pm - 3 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
27 reviews for Arcade UFO
27 reviews in English
-
Review from Nicholas S.
Austin, TX
12/8/2011
I spend entirely too much time at this arcade, giving them entirely too much of my money - hey, might as well promote them too.
If you're into fighting games, this is the place to be in central Texas. Currently, they have: SF3: Third Strike, Super Street Fighter 4 AE, BlazBlue, Marvel VS Capcom 3, Mortal Combat 9, Arcana Heart (3?), and Tekken 6.
Lots of other games for whatever genre you're into. The place, as noted by others, is small. But I like that, it gives it a cool atmosphere. It's cramped and dark; isn't that how an arcade should be? The place is kind of hard to find, as there's really no flashing or back-lit signs, and the windows are blacked out for the sake of keeping it dark inside. It's ALMOST as if they don't want to be found.
Which brings me to my next point, which I think is the reason a lot of people were not crazy about the place, it is, for the most part, for hardcore gamers. (Read: HARDCORE gamers) If you're not a hardcore gamer, you could be turned off. Some of the staff and patrons may turn their nose up at you because you've not mastered your character in Street Fighter. Other than Pac-Man there's really no casual games that anyone can pick up and learn. You really have to train like an Olympian to be competitive here.
That said, it's a great place with unique games you're not gonna find anywhere else outside of Japan, and for the most part people are very friendly and cool. -
Review from Mark K.
8/27/2011
"HISS!" was the greeting I received from the Unidentified Fluorescent Outcasts (UFOs) of Arcade UFO as daylight followed me into this dungeon of finger dexterity. The scathing onomatopoeias turned to sighs of relief once the door closed behind me. I stood motionless for several minutes, letting my senses adjust to the epilepsy triggering cartoons and pulsating techno beats emanating from the machines.
"Where's the token booth?" I asked a vampirical patron living vicariously through a first-person shooter.
A grunt of irritation and a swift head gesture towards the coin dispenser was as much kindness as this pseudo-cop could muster.
"Thanks." I replied, trying to be polite.
(Grunt), he responded.
I slid a five spot into the bill slot and gathered my spacecraft adorned tokens.
"Now where are the Skee-Ball machines?" I asked myself, for fear of inciting the revenge of the nerds.
My favorite test of depth perception was as absent as natural lighting in this den of Japanese imports. (The games, not the gamers. Well, some of the gamers.) As a matter of fact, all ticket-dispensing amusements were nonexistent. The satisfaction of climbing the leader board or slaughtering your opponent in a rare version of Street Fighter 4 are the only prizes to be won at this all-business arcade.
Whenever I play a fighting game I'm like an infant playing the piano. I just giggle and haphazardly hit buttons with no rhyme or reason. I decided it would be in my best interest to save my tokens for a less complex challenge, however, that was nearly impossible. Despite their stereotypical aversion to athletic competition, gamers LOVE a virtual contest. Even the Pac-Man machine (Pac-Man Battle Royale) is made for a melee.
Just as I was about to donate my coins to one of the non-blinking mouth breathers captivated by their screen, I spotted a relic from my adolescence, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Circa 1991). I was beckoned to the nostalgic machine like an abduction beam. For the first time in over a decade I was wielding Leonardo's sword and slicing through Shredder's foot soldiers like the second hand on the clock I was now ignoring.
An hour and one disappointingly rusty performance later, I was down to a dollar. I pried myself away from the time sucking device and spent my final tokens on a melodious machine by the name of Pop'n Music 17 The Movie. My white-boy rhythm was no match for the "beginner" setting. No sooner did I hit the start button, I was mocked by an animated bunny grimacing beneath the words, "Game Over." My defeat signaled my departure from this peculiar land.
Hisses from the inhabitants of Arcade UFO chased me out the door as I returned to the UV rays of the real world. If I were still fifteen, this would easily be a five-star review. Unfortunately for Arcade UFO, the last decade has taught me that there's more to life than joysticks and jump kicks. It's called Skee-Ball. -
Review from Lauren A.
9/10/2011
Awesome new release arcade games, mostly Japanese. I brought my 13 year old cousin, who is a gamer (I am not), and she had a fun time.
I used to go to Einstein's with friends in high school, and Arcade UFO is pretty damn similar, down to the small space and that reeking smell. But that's what makes places like Arcade UFO special...the community, the weirdness, even weird smells. Also the sweet Ms. Pac Man four-player game. -
Review from Eric B.
6/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely a niche arcade. Come here if you used to go toe to toe with peeps at Einsteins and want to play the latest fighting games against other like minded gamers. Don't come here with a huge group or if you want to just mind your own business and mess around with a little SF4.
This place is SMALL. They do have all the latest fighting games and a few hard to find cabinets, which is nice. But it's pretty cramped.
My main gripe? Some of the clientele need to use a little invention called DEODORANT. Jesus christ man. While I was there there was an employee walking around spraying Lysol all over the place because the smell was so dank. Come on dudes...just because you game all day doesn't mean you can't spend 3 seconds and put on some goddamn Speed Stick before you leave the house. Blecccccch.
I could see myself coming here every so often to see what's new and exciting in the arcade world. But I don't think I'd be a regular. -
Review from RICHARD K.
Austin, TX
7/25/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Pro: A very Japanese Arcade in north campus. Mostly fighting games like SF, BB and MvC. Good place to just kill some time.
Con: Very small and lines for most games. Not good for large groups. -
Review from Andrew T.
Austin, TX
1/30/2011
I went, and I wept.
This is no Einstein's.
As a native Austinite, born and bread, lived here the entirety of my 24 years of existence, tonight was quite depressing. Arcade UFO has been around for a couple years but this was the first time I finally got around to visiting it.
When I was a wee little lad at the age of 10 or so back in '96 I had my first foray into Einstein's Arcade. At the time my dad would drop my friends and I off there for an hour or so while he ran some errands downtown or on campus. It was dark, dingy, dirty, and felt like a second home.
As I grew older and my friends and I got cars in high school, we would regularly meet up at the Metro (now called Medici Cafe), drink some coffee and smoke some clove cigarettes because we were totally cool kids oh yeah, then dunked quarters into the games at Einstein's and Le Fun next door. The Church of Scientology bought out the building Le Fun owned to expand, which was sad as it was a pretty decent arcade, but there was still Einstein's so all was not lost. Plenty of Rush 2049 was played, plenty of Time Crisis, but what we played the most was Soul Calibur. It was still every bit as dark and dingy as it was when I was a child, and still every bit as perfect as an arcade can be.
College came and I moved to West Campus. Many of my friends moved out of state or went to other colleges in Texas, but Einstein's was still a fairly regular staple for 3am drunken debauchery on a weekend night when everything else had closed. And they regularly held Soul Calibur tournaments. I was living at New Guild Co-op when Einstein's closed. Only two blocks away, we frequented it quite often. The news hit me hard but there was light at the end of the tunnel! They weren't shutting down, merely relocating to North Campus, so while I couldn't stumble in drunk on foot at 3am, which was pretty much 90% of the time I went there, I could at least occasionally visit my old derelict haven on a slow Sunday.
That never happened. Maybe if I lived in the North Campus area I would have stopped by to see how it was, play a couple games, but the fact that I now had to essentially plan and schedule a trip to the arcade rather than just whimsically walk in left me ignoring the new location and slipping from my arcade nerd past-self.
Well, last night, I did. My girl and I couldn't decide what to do last night and didn't really feel like going downtown or going to any parties so we grabbed some dinner and headed to Arcade UFO to get a couple rounds of Soul Calibur in.
It's not dark, dingy, or dirty at all. It's large, clean, and brightly lit. All of the atmosphere of a hole-in-the-wall arcade is gone. It feels sterile. I have nothing against nice places -- I enjoy going to Fino's for cocktails and tapas, and Eddie V's for their $.50 oyster happy hour -- but sometimes you just want to go to a dive bar like Lovejoy's or Hole in the Wall, drink some cheap beer and listen to bluegrass. Einstein's was the dive bar of arcades, and that's what made it beautiful. Almost every game there was $.25 with just a couple being $.50. It was open 'til 4am, was perpetually dank, and was just an overall comfortable place to get your nerd on.
Games at Arcade UFO are a minimum of $.50, with lots of them being $.75 to $1. None of the fighters are side-by-side anymore. Your opponent is on another machine across from you, so you can't even see them, which makes it kind of awkward if you're trying to play with a friend. The game selection was fairly disappointing. There are some Tekken 6 machines, some new Street Fighter machines, some obscure Japanese fighting games, but no Soul Calibur! NO SOUL CALIBUR! No old school Street Fighter or Guilty Gears either. Maybe I'm just waxing nostalgic but no arcade can be complete without Soul Calibur, Street Fighter, and Guilty Gear.
Overall the game selection is terrible, the lack of side-by-side machines makes things impersonal and wastes space that could be use to have more games, it's too damn bright, it's too damn expensive, and it lacks the feel and charm that Einstein's had.
I've rambled on long enough about this. I don't know if Arcade UFO was supposed to be a replacement for Einstein's (it's supposed to be the same management) or a new take on arcades but it doesn't live up to it's legacy for the various reasons I listed above. It's a shame too because Einstein's was an institution, one of the many little things that made the UT campus area awesome. I'm giving Arcade UFO two stars because it's not terrible, and my judgement of it is likely clouded by nostalgia, but it's not a place I see myself returning to regularly, or even at all, unless some drastic changes are made. -
Review from Phyllis K.
Austin, TX
8/30/2008
As much as I dislike being bombarded with the smell of sweaty boy, sweaty, geeky, virginal boys, I love video games. Arcade UFO is worth the assault on my olfactory.
Modeled after a Japanese arcade, Arcade UFO offers the standard DDR, fighting games like Tekken 6 and Street Fighter 4, and classics, like Donkey Kong. But it also houses a plethora of nostalgia games like Metal Slug and Dungeons and Dragons, and good but forgotten games like Mr. Driller, similar to Dig-Dug, if Dig-Dug snorted Japanese fat lines of cuteness.
And when you're feeling a little overstimulated you can always sit on the patio or visit the convenient store, hookah bar or deli, all next door. Open till 4 am, this place will satiate you arcade cravings deep into morning.
My only complaint is that the fighting games are setup as one player per console/screen, instead of two players around one, butting elbows on and off-screen. -
Review from Susi R.
Updated - 7/1/2010 10 Check-ins Here
HOLY SHIT THEY HAVE POP'N MUSIC!
This is the best place ever.Listed in: Nerdcore
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
1/11/2010
Ok, I promised to bump up my review to five stars if they got another music game. Imagine my… Read more »
-
-
Review from Lauren W.
Austin, TX
8/18/2010
Like the other reviewers said, this place is pretty much geared strictly to the Japanese gaming/anime nerds. Don't get me wrong, I like playing Street Fighter-esque games, but that's about all they have here. I was kind of looking forward to some Centipede, Pinball, or Ninja Turtles.
It's a little dark and small (I like this though, it makes it sort of intimate in a way), but it is clean, the staff is friendly, and the machines are well maintained.
Another heads up, this place is a total sausage fest. But then again, I'm probably the weirdo for being a girl and going to an arcade... -
Review from Andrew J.
Austin, TX
2/9/2009
Went here with my g/f to blow-off steam on pixels instead of each other. We had a blast playing Time Crisis 4, the machine was in great shape. Other big name games I saw were Initial-D 4, Street Fighter IV, and Tekken 6.
Place is pretty small, could be a problem if there were a slight crowd. I was there on a Sunday afternoon ~ 3-5pm, I'm curious as to whether the place builds lines on a Friday or Saturday night.
Convenience store next door has energy drinks, thats worth 1/2 star at least. I didn't notice any machines out-of-order. Taking a star only because of the price ($1 coins can add up REAL quick - I blew $20 on TC4... even though we probably sucked) and because I wish they had a couple SEGA machines.
Overall, I'm highly impressed and look forward to going back.
(PS, the Mrs. enjoyed it too. I'd consider this a fun date location) -
Review from Alberto N.
Austin, TX
9/9/2008
I have to say that I am very impressed with this place. They had a couple of machine malfunctions, so they don't have all their games up and running, but what they do have is very good. They've got some great old school games like metal slug and even the versus game from Super Mario. But the gems are really the fighting games and their machines. This is one of the few arcades in the United States ( That's right! ) that even has Street Fighter IV since Capcom is not likely to release the game in arcade form for the U.S.
Also, you gotta love the fact that they give you a nice little patio to go out and relax on so you won't die from the smell of the usual gamers who happen to forget deodorant everyday.
You can tell that whoever opened this arcade is really like -
Review from Steve E.
11/11/2009
Honestly, the first time I saw this place, I thought it was a front for some drug cartel: nondescript, small white building in an area better known for well-lived in student housing than a video game arcade.
However, once you step foot inside and that somewhat dank musty air hits you in the face, you instantly are reminded of two things 1) you've just stepped back in to Einstein's Arcade on the Drag (RIP) and 2) video game arcades are a dying breed.
Sad, but true. It seemed like not so long ago you could head down to the 7-11 or supermarket with a bunch of quarters jingling in your pocket on a Saturday afternoon. Who was going to be the king of Street Fighter II that day? Was a new game in place? Which one of your friends or classmates would you run in to there?
Well, if you're in to that sort of communal experience you just can't get with an XBOX 360, or just want to relive some of your youth, I have to say that UFO is a fantastic place. They have a surprisingly large amount of games crammed inside that little building. And it's games that Gen X'ers will recognize (like Street Fighter, Xevious, Pac-Man), but also some recent games available only in Japan (Initial D 4, anyone?) too. The focus is pretty heavily on fighting games, though, so if that's not your cup of tea, you'll not have as many options.
Still, this is a fantastic, local business and I'm proud to donate my quarters to them--and so should you! -
Review from jeremy w.
Austin, TX
1/15/2010
Pinball Machines. How can you be an arcade without pinball machines? However, they do have all the latest shit that every kid already has on one of their sixteen game consoles that they have at home.
So you know. If you sit at home all day playing games, and your mom tells you that you need to get out of the house, but you find our yellow sun singeing your translucent skin, stop in here. In fact I think there's a pizza place next door that can take care of your dietary needs. -
Review from justin d.
Austin, TX
6/15/2011
I was happy to see a new arcade go up near ut. However, this place is more for hardcore gamer nerds than arcade dilettantes, and I am the latter.
-
Review from Ashley C.
Austin, TX
Updated - 6/4/2009
I just met the owner of this place, completely by accident, and I have got to say she was incredibly friendly and informative. I just found out from her that they rotate their puzzle games every two weeks so expect me to be there more often for sure!
They care so much for their machines and the quality of the players experience that they replaced the dance game pad sensors that Tek Republik and Einstein's had sadly left in disrepair. IIRC she said that besides the ITG machine, those machines have actually been completely replaced as well.
I just wish I had taken better advantage of their location when I lived nearby!
Who wants to play Street Fighter 4 with me ;)?
Read my first review on this place for a run down of the interior and exterior instead of just the owners lovely demeanour and dedication.Listed in: Dos and Don'ts of Nerdom in…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/29/2008
Delicious Street Fighter 4, how you woo me.
This place is small but jam packed with great games. When… Read more »
-
-
Review from Samantha W.
Austin, TX
4/3/2009
So many games! So little space!
I like the cozy factor. The crowds put me at ease somehow, where other arcades make me feel isolated and self-conscious of my playing skill. Being crammed in with people watching and waiting and having a super time makes me feel like my poor street-fighting skills are all funny and worthwhile.
State-of-the-art games! In addition to my all-time favorite, Ms. Pac-man, they have some of the newest most dazzling eye-candy games, apparently before anybody else gets them in Texas and sometimes the US. They also host Street Fighter tournaments with top players in attendance.
Good variety, good vibes, awesome hangout, and an excellent date if you care to get cozy on Tetris Master or Puzzle Fighter (just make sure you go somewhere quiet to talk afterwards - it's super-loud). -
Review from Christina L.
New York, NY
9/27/2010
After watching "The King of Kong", I had a desire to go to an arcade, but I guess I was envisioning an arcade similar to the one in the documentary. This place has absolutely no classic games, not even Pac-Man.
If you can get over that fact, then you might enjoy it. We played some racing games, some shooting game, and others that weren't too memorable.
The place is small. Not really crowded (went on a Friday night).. Not a place that I am dying to go back to every weekend, but okay to try out. -
Review from Il P.
Austin, TX
9/2/2010
Cool!
In the groove 2 rocks (on Dance Dance revolution pads)! They also have recent versions of KOF and SSF. No virtual fighter nor tekken. -
Review from Victor T.
Austin, TX
9/1/2010
Hands down the best arcade in the entire state of Texas or Gulf Coast for that matter. As others have already stated this place focuses on the Japanese anime street-fighter genre of games.
The game controls all work the way they should, and the equipment is kept mega clean.
It's like being in a mini-Japanese arcade without the annoying Pachinko audio assault. They even have DDR for those that like to use their feet. -
Review from Stu R.
8/3/2010
LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE this place.
This is one of the only places in the ENTIRE STATE to play Japanese style arcade games... specifically 2d fighters and bullet hell games. They have melty blood and arcana heart 2!!!!!!!
If you don't know what those are, you probably won't care. If you do know what those are, you're probably stopped reading by this point to jump in your car and drive yourself down to the arcade to get in on that action.
The only downside to this place is that the locals are insanely good. People are gonna whoop your ass. It's all in good spirits though. Fun times! -
Review from Andy T.
Austin, TX
6/1/2011 10 Check-ins Here
Am I seriously writing a review about the only Japanese Arcade in Austin at the moment? There's no competition for UFO at all. It's the only place you go to if you want to play some of the most updated arcades that Japan has. Most of the regulars come at night time only. So if you're going to bring your kids and let them enjoy the arcade without pressure in the air, I'd recommend bringing them during the daytime.
-
Review from Brian S.
Austin, TX
7/8/2010
First off, it's incredible to live within walking distance of an actual independent arcade. Thank you, Arcade UFO, for filling this void and satisfying my nostalgia for the late '80s decently. The fact that this place exists is worth 4 stars alone.
The downside is, I'm not a Japanese game fanatic, or an anime fan. Most of what you'll find here is targeted toward that crowd. Sure, I can get into a fighting game featuring a bunch of cute girls. But ultimately, I'm more of an American arcade gamer.
For people like me, you've still got some options. Time Crisis, some racing game, Metal Slug 6, some new Street Fighter game, and a multi-game console with Mega Man 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 inside.
The rest ... ehh. I implore the owners of Arcade UFO to get an OG Pacman, Donkey Kong, pinball machine, etc. Quit screwing around and start raking in WAY more coins by appealing to a wider audience, while reviving the true sense of what an arcade should be. Eclectic, completely entertaining to anyone, and PACKED to the gills.
I'll keep going here and pumping quarters into games I don't really like to keep the place alive, but MAN I hope some old school games appear. -
Review from J Y.
Austin, TX
1/15/2011
There's a certain divide between arcades in people's minds. Arcades tend to send people back to a time in the 80s, where Pacman and Centipede were king. UFO is a new-age Japanese arcade, containing more or less the latest stuff, with little to cater to the rest of the public. With that in mind, UFO gets the job done well. The latest fighting games are always available to play almost a few days within release overseas, and the cabinets are authentic cabs and parts manufactured by R/S and Sanwa. Understandably, people are disappointed by the lack of known classic arcade games, but with the lack of space and competition from Pinballz, it's almost forgivable. The games may be majority fighting games, with a few shooters and puzzle games, but blame developers and publishers for that trend. Overall, ArcadeUFO is a great place to be if you're up for seeing the cutting edge of Japan arcades, but staying closer to home. Come play some street fighter, and join the community.
(For anybody bringing kids, I highly advise bringing them in the daytime, when the rest of the arcade scene isn't present.) -
Review from P R.
Austin, TX
11/27/2010
Arcade UFO is FANTASTIC. They do not have many classic games anymore. But there are games worth playing that satisfy one's need for something old school. For instance, Street Fighter and many other fighter games are lined up in a neat row. If you are looking a new fighting game to try I suggest Gundam. There is also puzzle games and fighter games, on other machines, like Puzzle Fighter and Megaman are on one cabinet thingy, and there's also Tetris, Mr. Driller, Dondonpachi... There is a racing game, but I forgot the name. I really love that Pop'n'Music is here and also ITG. The ITG machine is full of extra songs that I just love to play. The pads are in excellent condition. I am angry that there is a timer on the select screen now for ITG, especially if there are so many more songs to choose from... a little more time should be given to select.
-
Review from Charles M.
Austin, TX
7/10/2009
Great place to bike to after the bars kick everybody out. It's always cold inside and they offer some great games, new arrivals are a buck to play- like Street Fighter IV. I think I stumbled in around 3 a.m. one time. Totally rocked my Joystick.
-
Review from Dygo T.
Austin, TX
Updated - 1/19/2011
old review stands. recently saw that their bank no longer provides change, so you'll need to buy tokens. but they give out bonus tokens every $10 you spend, so it's possibly a better good deal.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/18/2009
Although it looks small from the outside, don't be deceived- inside is one of the best arcade… Read more »
-
-
Review from adam c.
Georgetown, TX
2/25/2011
kool arcade, better then Einstein's ever was but needs afew more classics.
