Pixels & Pints at Akihabara Arcade

Stop us if you’ve heard this one. We doubt you have.

An electrifying green monster with orange hair and a popular blue hedgehog wearing slick red shoes walk into a bar… to fight… and to play games! These are the cosplaying patrons of Akihabara Arcade (8901 N. Harlan Street).

Blanca and Sonic pass down separate aisles of the room clamoring with nearly 100 imported Japanese arcade machines. They sit facing each other with the game interface in between, excitedly sink their quarters into the credit slot, clutch the neon green joysticks, and frantically smash attack buttons.

“Akihabara in Japanese roughly translates to electric city,” said Brandon Osha, owner of Akihabara Arcade of Westminster. He recalls visiting Akihabara in Japan, a major shopping district in central Tokyo dedicated to all things video games, manga, and electronics. Playing games in that arcade was a formative experience and one Osha hoped to recreate in Colorado eventually.

Osha was a self-starter in the game industry, working in other Front Range arcade establishments until he began managing the Westminster GameStop. When he was only 16 years old, he bought his first NeoGeo machine and quickly learned to maintain it himself by watching how-to internet videos. Collecting and reviving several Japanese machines in his basement over the years buoyed Osha’s entrepreneurial spirit. Soon after in 2016, Akihabara Arcade first opened its doors in Westminster.

Nine years later, the place is jammed with patrons arriving for tournament play on a Friday night. Excited gamers fueled by game-character-themed specialty cocktails or imported Japanese craft brews crowd a small stage where live multiplayer games are streamed publicly on Twitch. Cheers erupt from the crowd and the thumping music grows louder by the minute.

When questioned why Westminster was the ideal location for Akihabara, Osha says, “Westminster is my stomping grounds. My wife and I were born here.” But hometown pride isn’t the only reason fueling his decision. “I know the community and its people.”

Although the arcade is known best for its selection of fighting games, Osha works hard to make the space adaptable and exciting. He repeatedly curates the game selection to meet the demands of his customers, adding racing simulators as one example. Puzzle games, side scrollers, rhythm & dance, and sports categories also fill out the active game list.

Osha’s collection of 90 machines is thematically tied to a specific era: 1999 to 2003. Thanks to customizable Japanese machines known as Candy Cabs, if one particular game isn’t being played frequently, Osha can quickly swap it with something different and change out the artwork to match. This ability gives customers new experiences on the regular.

Osha recites a surprising list of popular arcade games he does not showcase including well known games like Galaga and Pacman. “Everything I have here, I played when I was a kid. They’re not generic. There’s more skill involved in a lot of the games that we carry here, which I think a large community appreciates.”

Another rare aspect of the Akihabara Arcade experience is almost every machine still takes a single quarter payment, as opposed to charge cards popular in arcades. Osha says this helps keep the games more accessible, trustworthy, and affordable.

The bar, splashed in neon light and adorned with game character figurines, serves sake, slushies, Japanese spirits and whiskey, non-alcoholic beverages, and — if you’re in a real pinch — a cup of ramen noodles.

Customer reviews share that the arcade’s best qualities are all-ages fun, friendly staff, and the unrivaled collection of games.

“We have something for everyone here,” Osha said proudly. “It’s completely different than anything else you’ve seen in America.”