Phosphor Dot Fossils: Arkadia Retrocade

Friends, this new Phosphor Dot Fossils video from Earl Green is rather special to say the very least – as you won’t be experiencing a playthrough for an arcade or classic PC or home console title – but a walkthrough of the Arkadia Retrocade. The arcade that I have had the pleasure of being part of for nearly eight years – this is the location of course that you have heard me talk about on the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. In fact thanks to Earl, you will be able to see more than a few of the titles that we have tackled in 53 episodes of the show. With the added bonus for of all the fans of Arkadia who are unable to make the trek – to get the opportunity to scope out the second wing of the arcade. And while Earl mentions it himself, it bears stating that with over 150 arcade cabinets there are bound to be a few that have sadly gone down and await repairs. These are machines of course that are in some cases are over 30 years old – that were never designed to be in continuous operation for 6 days a week and upwards of 16 hours a day.

Now I have touched upon it in the Diary podcasts themselves but Shea Mathis, the owner and manager of the Arkadia Retrocade, has poured everything of himself into the place. Every bit of memorabilia that lines the walls from posters to vintage toys are from his collection, many of them from his own childhood. That is half the fun of visiting the arcade – taking the time to stroll through what Shea has pulled off – which when you get down to it is a living time capsule. While obviously COVID-19 forced the arcade to close it’s doors to the public for over five months – the good news is that thanks to a friend of Shea, a fundraiser was set up and allowed the community to come to his aid. A way for the community to show their thanks and appreciation for an individual who is always going out of his way to help others in need. In fact for what it is worth, you sort of get to see Shea in this Phosphor Dot Fossils video – manning the front of the arcade as always.

It should be noted that Earl Green has been an extremely good friend to the arcade – donating a massive portion of his home console collection to Arkadia. So without further ado, enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Arkadia Retrocade, courtesy of Earl Green and Phosphor Dot Fossils!