The Lost Arcade Review

Chinatown Fair is a name that will be quite familiar to some and completely alien to others. Either way, there's not too many video game arcades that will have their story told in movie form! Set in New York's Chinatown, The Lost Arcade documents the dominance of video game arcade culture in the 80s and 90s as well as it's eventual demise to consoles, all centrally located in a very old school arcade called Chinatown Fair.



Amidst a flurry of hadoukens and some fantastic footage of video games of yesteryear, it would be too easy to crowbar this wonderful piece of film into something about video games. It addresses lots of points in it's 79 minute long running time. From the bigger and better arcades, the rise of the consoles to the arcades ultimate demise and it's subsequent rising from the ashes. Ultimately though, it concentrates on the people. This isn't a video game documentary, this is a people documentary. Their sense of spirit, community and emotions are all on display here and while the world evolves into VR and Live Streaming, it's easy to see the impact that Chinatown Fair had on it's regulars. And the movie makes you care not only about the arcade itself, but it's people and what it stood for and created. 

While it lingers and drags it's heels on occasion, the movie manages to move at a wonderful, solid and enveloping pace. You'll find yourself captivated by the story and fully engaged in the interviews. We all knew an arcade like Chinatown Fair. No matter where you are in the world and no matter what age you were. Everybody has found memories of their arcade travels. Sure, the games were fun. I recall my first time playing Ghosts 'n Goblins, Commando and having my mind completely blow away by Rastan Saga. But it was always about the friends you played with. The laughs you had. The Lost Arcade will drum up all those emotions and then some.



Simply wonderful! Check it out right now on iTunes!

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