WE have had an 80s revival with shows like Stranger Things and retro music festivals.

And now amusement arcades are making a comeback thanks to a Martinscroft gamer.

Richard Telfer is launching Retro Arcade under the arches in Crown Street on Friday at 7.30pm where visitors can play 52 arcade and pinball machines.

Among them are Pac-Man, Donkey Kong Jr, Dig Dug and soon Tron. But as well as lovingly restored titles from the ‘golden age’ of arcade games, there are also favourites from the 90s and 00s as well as the chance to play classic consoles such as the NES and Mega Drive.

“I treasure them all,” said Richard, 38.

“It’s all about nostalgia because you just don’t see many of these machines anymore. People my age are missing their childhood.

Warrington Guardian:

“Eighties culture has become big again on TV and I’ve actually got Dig Dug which is featured in the arcade scene in Stranger Things. I’ve also got Tron on the way which has been a hard one to get hold of.

"That’s currently in America on a shipping container waiting to come over. It’s a bit of a buzz when you manage to get one of the rare units. Tron is the ‘Holy Grail’ for me.”

Entry will be £8 for adults and £5 for under 16s which includes unlimited games with no time limit. Over time, Richard will be getting more games in and swapping arcade units to keep things fresh.

There is bar with beers, spirits and soft drinks and snacks like pizza and paninis will be introduced at a later date.

Richard’s love of pinball machines started when his dad bought him an Eight Ball Deluxe unit for Christmas when he was 11.

The former St Gregory’s RC High School student added: “My first love was pinball machines and I had about 10 in my double garage at home before I decided to do this.

“I’m very keen on heritage. Arcades are only from recent history but with technology moving on so fast it’s about keeping these things going.

Warrington Guardian:

“They are temperamental because they’re vintage but they can be restored.

“I’ve got a machine down there – Super Monaco GP Deluxe – and there’s only two in the country that we know of.

“I’ve had a guy from Leeds saying he is going to come all the way just to play that.

“It was a wreck when we bought it and we’ve rescued it. We had to send the circuit board over to America to get it fixed.”

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Retro Arcade is aimed at gamers between 25 and 45 and it also features art from classic films that were popular during the arcade era like Back to the Future and The Terminator.

Richard said: “My kids are more into Fortnite but they do come in an enjoy it and think I’m a cool dad. From the 70s to the 00s, we’ve got all four decades rolled into one building and as soon as you walk in those sound effects should bring back memories for a lot of people. The response has been tremendous.

“I’ve been getting about 10 messages a day on social media. Hopefully it will really take off.”

Retro Arcade opens tomorrow, Friday, at 7.30pm where Hangar Number 4 used to be. It will then be open from Thursday to Sunday as well as bank holidays. Due to licensing, under 18s have to be accompanied by an adult