Game #1293: Arcade Paradise

  Arcade Infernum

 Equal parts mini-game collection and laundromat simulator, Arcade Paradise was a surprisingly good... until it broke. 

 I purchased the game thinking it was just a collection of retro Arcade-style games, but it wasn't. As I waited for the game to arrive, I learned that you actually had to take care of an Arcade and buy new machines and my interest for the game waned a bit.

 Then the game started, and you're actually given a laundromat to take care of. You have to go through rooms collecting garbage, and you can't pick up everything since the bag gets full, and dump it into the dumpster next to the building. You also have to remove chewed gum from walls, through a timing minigame, and clean the toilet if it gets stuck. You have to hold down the A button to put clothes inside a washing machine, wait three minutes, the hold down A to take back the clothes, move to a dryer, and hold down A to place it there. Three minutes later, take it out. And you need to to it quickly if you want the most money. To get money from the Arcade Machines, you have to go from hopper to hopper, and you can't use the money until you place it in a safe.

 I thought the whole game was a big joke and this laundromat simulation would stop after the first day. It didn't. But eventually I got into the groove and I fell in love with the game. After a while, the Arcade Machines will make enough money so that you don't need to do the laundry anymore.... but it was fun. I'd sneak in some game time, playing the numerous Arcade games, while waiting for clothes to wash or dry. And as you play, not only do you earn money to buy more machines and upgrade the room, but you'll also get tasks, tasks that rewards you with pounds, another currency, which you can buy for upgrades: Make days last longer, get someone to remove the money from the hoppers for you, let you dash, etc. I know it sounds tedious, but it's a load of fun.

 And what's even better, not only are there a ton of games, but they are also fun. Sure, none of them could stand by their own, and sure enough, some may feel a bit janky... but they are fun. And each one has a set of goals, fulfilling the goals makes them more popular, and thus, helps them generate even more money. The progression feels so good. The game is SO good.

 It's a shame it's a buggy mess. A few times, after pausing the game, it simply froze. Sometimes it'd just freeze after a day. And you can only save between days.... and then it happened. I had invested over 10 hours in the game, I adored it... but the game crashed on the day I received a new arcade machine. Upon restarting the game, the tutorial telling me how to place new machines popped up and the game froze again. I restarted the game and... this time it didn't freeze, but I noticed that I lost all my arcade machines and my room expansions. I was devastated. I almost gave up right then and there.... but, I didn't lose all my pounds, and I had some money saved up, plus, the game was so much fun... fine, let's get everything back again.... except that there was a tiny issue now. I had an extra Arcade Machine. Whatever, I soldiered on, and then I got the new machine.... the game just crashes now, 'cause it doesn't know what to do since there isn't enough room for a new machine. And I can't buy the room upgrade until I've gotten every Arcade Machine... basically, my file is ruined.

 The game is brilliant, it is, I'd give it a 9.0 or so, because it's a blast. But all these crashes? My ruined save file? Inexcusable. 

 4.0