In the glory days of arcade machines, one was transported to a world of flashing lights fused with pixelated warriors, rapid button-mashing and the clinking of quarters.
February’s upcoming First Friday will allow gamers to return to their color-saturated haven at Parazol Studios, featuring a unique twist on the traditional arcade.
The first Artcade Show is an exhibit that will feature 30 restored classic arcade games that guests can play free of charge, most of which will feature redesigned cabinet art by local and national artists.
The event will be held on Feb. 1 on Pierce and Seventh streets, with the expectation of a permanent venue opening later this year.
“I’m a big old-school game fanatic, and this is right up my alley,” event coordinator Nico Paredes said.
Paredes said he and his business partner, Ariel Bracamonte, decided to incorporate local artists into the machine restoration after seeing the weathered 30-year-old games they collected.
“For years now we have had this idea to open an arcade in Phoenix, but lots of the side art on the cabinets of machines was destroyed from the elements,” Paredes said. “Instead of returning the games back to their original condition, we thought, ‘Why not customize them to the artists’ personal views?’”
After hunting down classic games from online sellers across the nation, cracked and rotted wood cabinets were restored by street artists, tattoo artists and graphic designers.
“Once we started restoring these games, they looked like a canvas to us,” Paredes said.
The vintage cabinets designed by 28 artists represent a variety of styles and mediums, like abstract, impressionist, spray can, hand-painted and digitally-designed art.
Artists Shaun Cheney, Mikey Jackson and Ashley Macias said that playing the games, along with their childhood memories of the classics, helped them embody the spirit of the games into their work.
“It definitely brings me back to my childhood, because I really enjoyed going to the arcade as a kid,” Macias said.
Jackson, who has been designing the side art for “Stargate” for several months, said this event is a great networking opportunity for seasoned professionals as well as new artists looking to showcase their work.
“Every game is supposed to be tailored to the individual artist’s style,” said Jackson, who is incorporating bright colors and futuristic designs into his cabinet.
Macias said her surrealist work for “Shadow Dancer” is a necessary challenge to branch out of her traditional style, which usually features earth tones and is more organic.
“For the past year and a half I’ve really been trying to push myself as an artist with the encouragement of other artists,” Macias said. “I’m really looking forward to working with well-known artists, and it’s going to be interesting to see how all our pieces come together.”
Graphic artist Shaun “Bigie MeanMugg” Cheney is working on a vinyl wrapping for a Neo Geo cabinet with more than 180 games. He hopes his design will resemble a grid of the many games’ characters, with gold trim and LED buttons.
“This is completely different work for me, but it’s nice to represent myself as an artist again,” said Cheney, who normally designs logos for companies.
While artists are hard at work creating their interpretations of the arcades, classic games like “Pac-Man,” “Tron” and “Galactica” have been restored to their original condition to preserve tradition, Paredes said.
The Artcade event will feature musical guests Wooden Indian and DJ Melo. Many of the artists will be available to talk to guests and challenge them to some of the most popular games.
The first 20 people to sign up will have the opportunity to participate in the “Street Fighter II” Tournament, where the winner will take home a grand prize, most likely composed of the money competitors put in to play.
Paredes said he hopes this event will promote local and upcoming artists in the Phoenix area and the soon permanent space, El Barcade.
Many barcades, which are known for the pairing of traditional arcade games and a liquor license, have grown to be popular in places like Brooklyn, Jersey City, and Philadelphia. While downtown Phoenix has had an arcade in the past, El Barcade will be the first barcade of its kind to open in Arizona. Paredes said he hopes it will be popular because of the games’ custom-designed machine cabinets that cannot be found anywhere else.
Gamers who visit El Barcade once it opens will be able to play any of their favorite games for 25 cents per play. Machines will also be for sale, with prices likely to be determined by the artists. Paredes said that ideal locations for El Barcade include Roosevelt Row.
Bracamonte is pleased that Phoenix artists are so eager to participate in the Artcade Show, and expects a turnout of several hundred people to be at the event
“We are asking for as much support from the community as possible so that we can give back, and it will hopefully benefit the downtown scene as a whole,” Paredes said.
Contact the reporter at nbarret1@asu.edu
