Happy Birthday Jordan!

Hello, It's Jordan. Typically, I'm annoying you to play Jackbox. My birthday was last Sunday (The 1st) but leading up to it, I was trying to have somewhat of a birthday week, full of panic attacks, Salt & Straw Tacolates (Pugtato, you were right, they do get a bit soggy, but I think it's because of packaging and care) and something I love covering - Arcade Games!

This week I spent multiple times at Round 1 in Burbank, California. Why Burbank? It's the closest to my house, it's also my home away from home because of it's media landscape, Movie Studios! Voice Over Booths! Animation Offices That May or May Not Be Haunted! (allegedly)

The other reason is, unlike other arcades, Round 1 still has the most variety. Round 1 does have fighting games in Japanese Cabinets, some of it are timed based others credit based.

Like every arcade now in the world, it's no longer "token" or "quarter" but rather a card, one thatv serves two reasons - you can't track the money or value on machines, and the other to store tickets for ticket redemption games (but more on that later)

At Round 1, a game card costs $2 ($5 for a branded card - something that's a promotional, most of the time it's too Japanese Pop Culture IP, like ChainsawMan, Ultraman, Hololive, and Metaphor: Refantazio for you Persona Sickos)

Then you get your credits, if you're a sicko like me, you pay the $5 extra for the "annual fee" as well which gives you a discount for any refills (make sure you're doing it at the desk and not the kiosk)

The "Max" without it is $120 gets you 777 credits, but when you are a member $110 gets you 800 credits.

This time around, I managed to get a DanDaDan card. Which is lucky because in thought the promotion was over.

Anyway, the fighting games, as you can tell are 5 credits or less (some were 3.5, others 4, Street Fighter 6 was 5)

Instead of going into the review of fighting games because I'm, as the industry calls, "a scrub". I will just say 'it's cheap, and even if you don't have that much money I think $15 with a card gets you at least 10 sessions, but it is arcade mode so you could theoretically go through a tower with one play)

I do know they have ticket redemption games, but some of the cabinets and games you might have seen at Dave & Busters or Lucky Strike or Main Event or your local Mini Golf Arcade, so I'm going to ignore it for this article (you know Mario Kart, you know about "The World's Largest Pac-Man"

Also, as painful as it is to say it - Claws will only get this section. Round 1 has the most "fair" claws in the game. The staff really want to make sure there is at least a winner every 5-10 minutes or so, obviously after they get enough credits a mini claw is 7-9 credits and typically set to a strong claw every 10th, larger claws are more 15-20, and the biggest claws 50-100 attempts (depending on value) Plushies arrange from Hello Kitty/Sanrio to Kirby to Anime Characters (This "Demon Slayer"... Seems like a big deal!) and certain games are played for figurines like "Casual Gojo from Jujitsu Kaisen" "Beach Hatsune Miku That Will Definitely Make People Question How Publicly Horny You Are" and my favorite - Poochita!

Some of the figurines will end up in the prize area for the ticket redemptions, and this time around I grabbed a tanjito figurine, a gojo figurine (both on the first try) and a Momo from DanDaDan plush that I think took me 20 attempts (and at 15 credits reach attempt, UH OH! 300/800 gone like that)

Anyway, back to the arcade.

They do have Ticket Redemption games, and the most middling pizza, however, I honestly believe this place will get the Five Nights At Freddy's IP before anybody else.

Another reason I love Round 1 with the ticket redemption is they have NEW ONES. it's one thing to get the games you've seen on The Coin Game (oh, you didn't think I know that game exists?)

It's another to see the new attempts. Pictured are two games Quarterback Pro and Tic Shaq Toe.

Quarterback Pro LOOKS like a discount "NFL Two Minute Drill" but there are no hoops to put the football in, instead, it's lit up like a reaction game with a ticking clock for points, get enough points get the jackpot. At various points a wheel will be shown or set points as well. It's as much about skill as it is reaction.

Tic Shaq Toe is essentially Connect 4 Basketball, but without the Hasbro license, but instead the basketball player who will put his face on just about everything! It's essentially toss across, you make the hoop you get the square 3 in a row wins, solo play makes you go against the AI. Shaq only makes two appearances, in what sounds like a cameo video on his phone "hey kids, I hope you have fun" and "thanks for playing my game" Thanks Shaq.

But how about throwing balls into a toilet? How about games where you pull a rope as a goat? A version of BOP IT, and while it's not unique - I saw Plinko from The Price is Right, and that is just delightful.

Jackpots are various some are just 100, others 500, others 1000 (that Zombie game was over 2,000 as you saw)

But the way they get you? COIN AND MARBLE PUSHERS

It's essentially the closest America has to pachinko machines. Some you're very familiar with, such as Angry Birds or Minions, or with the "card collecting" variants such as Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or Star Trek.

Round 1 has pretty much most of those including one where you play with WWE Superstars where you try and get the cards to collect, maybe you'll get Roman Reigns! Maybe Finn Balor, but most likely will get a somewhat outdated version of Charlotte Flair.

They also have Rick and Morty, which as they say on that show "Holy Crap Lois" - you get tickets or coins and the coins move and maybe the coins give you bigger bonuses.

They also have one that looks like fake gold bricks and a train, but that looked so much like a sleezy part of Vegas.

You have the Spider-Man one that you've seen before, with the horrendous voice over that says "SUPER BONUS, TODAY IS GOOD DAY FOR YOU!"

but there are two that I really REALLY want to say are FUCKING AMAZING

One is Godzilla, essentially an oversized version of the SpongeBob coin pusher (but with marbles) if it goes in the box you get the bonus, also there are those card collecting things, where if you collect all of them you get 10,000 tickets (still don't know the rare, I hope it's Godzookie, it will probably be MechaGodzilla or Mothra)

They also have red balls, those "big balls" that if you collect one launches a video bonus, if you get 5 plays a bigger video bonus where if it's 1/10 chance you get the "biggest wheel" which is at the center of the table next to a giant Godzilla, with that jackpot.

The other one that's really good - Castlevania. Essentially, you have cards to collect, but those coins if you hold on can be used to give you powers like "double the value of the marbles" or automatic free spin. And yes, complete bonus giving you the ticket jackpot by default..

But in this version, you play Simon Belmont, obviously, and Dracula that cheap fuck is hiding. By rolling marbles down the track, if it goes into a hole, you get to unlock the wheel, and one of the spaces on the video wheel is the super bonus wheel, landing on that gives you a bigger bonus of tickets, marbles, or 500 Marbles just spilling all at once. In two visits this became my favorite machine because of its jank.

1 swipe is 12, and 5 gets you 75 you know the deal, but 3 swipes was all I had 36 and on my 2nd to last marble, it wound up with the 500 marble drop and suddenly I got so many marbles down and tickets earned and 8 spins of the wheel because some spilled into the hole and the bonus marbles became 46 and now I got way more than "an extra turn". I AM THE BELMONT OF TICKET REDEMPTION

At this point, I took a break and had a DanDaDan inspired drink a sprite with green apple syrup and pineapple chunks. It was yum, you also get a coaster.

And then I had a pizza that was middling, takoyaki which was fine (I think it needed to thaw out a tad more before going into the fryer) and some French Fries (okay those are actually really good, and if you ask nicely they can put the takoyaki flakes on it or nacho cheese. I'm weird.)

They also have Calipo Cocktails that can best be described as "Milky Gin" but bizarrely good

Anyway after I threw most of everything away it's time to go back to the arcade.

Rhythm Games are the bread and butter of this place. While I'm always on to try and roll on Taiko Drum Master with Don-Chan (so much Anime themes, hope you enjoy otonoke and the Kirby medley)

They have plenty of them, Pop n Music is one of the new ones, there are two game show buzzers, red and blue and essentially you press them in sync with the music, press, hold, smack multiple times etc.

The bubbles in the center play on a more difficult setting where you have multiplayer to push. The music variety is still very much "somewhat known in the US" ( bling bang bang boom, and Megalovania will always find it's way somewhere)

Gitadora sees almost a modern version of Rock Band with a better guitar or drum kit and a VTuber like character to rock with.

And also they have other types of Dance games, from one based around Para Para hand dancing, to one involving Just Dance level movement of body on a camera (and floor)

I argue besides the Cranes and Fighting Games, THIS is the main reason to show up. Rhythm Games are a hard commodity on most address and Round 1 has a good reputation with Namco for many of the cabinets. Lots of newly released arcade games straight from Japan as well. Each swipe is usually 8-10 credits, but you get THREE TRACKS which means three songs to choose and perform with. Which means LOTS of value for your credits if that's all you want to do. Additionally, water and fans are available to those exhausted by the cabinets and dancing to something from hololive.

Lastly, they also have plenty of other arcade games as well, when I was last there, they had Point Black DX and a Bishi Bashi type game with pumps, unfortunately they are gone from this location (because it's a personal attack on me) but they did have other games.

Marksman (pictured) is more of a point blank clone, with various challenges in different shooting galleries, shoot the targets, shoot the people with guns, etc.

Another was "Contra Burst" that takes the thrill of Contra and makes it a lightgun game.... FOR TICKETS

Reach the point total get the tickets and advance get through the boss stage and get 250 tickets.

There are other light gun games, yes, I'm sure Time Crisis is there and maybe Luigi's Mansion and Dark Escape 4D.

But it's fun to see other cabinets out there in the wild.

Ultimately I did manage to play EVERY game that was available at the arcade (that was working) and IT'S STILL VERY TOUGH TO GIVE MY TOP 10 OR RECOMMENDATIONS.

But here are some of my advice for those going.

• If you are in the area, just go for more than you feel you're going, so you don't make impulsive decisions later down the line

• Some arcades will have the games at a much higher price, Others probably a tad smaller, credits are irrelevant because of the bonus credits and how much each area holds them.

• While it's fun to get a prize like a Nintendo Switch 2 (78,000 tickets btw) and is doable, remember you are most likely not going to make a profit unless you're just min-max at the skill machines for hours at a time. It's about the journey not the destination, be prepared to lose $900 to try and get the credits to get that console.

• Plush Toys and Figurines are also the same, if it's an exclusive go for it, or from a favorite series. Otherwise, going to a Tokyo Lifestyle (they exist in malls in SoCal) or a Anime Retailer will be cheaper in the long run if you want a plush based on your favorite Pokemon. Again, if it's the destination, just buy it.

• Continuing with the "journey not destination" most of the prizes are easily available at Five Below. The same $120 could get you a big shopping spree there, so just remember YOU'RE HERE TO HAVE FUN

• The machines that are most fun are arbitrary, rhythm games and fighting games could be your cup of tea, or it's legit just skee ball. MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY THAT NARUTO CARD GAME WITH THE RFID , YOU DO YOU

• obviously this is full of anime stuff, but don't let it scare you that much if it's not your wheelhouse, Pac-Man and Sonic and Mario is most likely present and if that's not for you, I mean, they have Crusin' Blast and King Kong and SpongeBob. The karaoke rooms have Billie Ellish and the K-Pop Demon Hunters Soundtrack, you'll be fine

• There is no "right time" - morning gets you grandparents and nannies with children, afternoon gets you teenagers and after work adults, late night gets you 21 and older crowds and sometimes date night people and large groups. As Burbank is in the mall, it's locked down except on the outside, so you have to take the long way out, if you want to leave and maybe go to that famous AMC or the Batman Statue.

• Dave & Buster's is more of a sports bar, Main Event the same, Lucky Strike/Bowlero is more of the side arcade that you see at mini golf. Round 1 is HUGE, lots of different options out there. And usually mechanics to fix most cabinets if out of order.

• Truth be told, I still don't know how Chuck E.. Cheese can survive this, given the economics of arcades (foot traffic, actual money to fake money, to redemption for a third currency) but the idea is to make you there is some sort of instant gratification to keep you coming back. It is ultimately a Kiddie Casino. (And for non ticket redemption - it's about pricing with demand and logically, what's near Food & Beverage for the easy upsell)

• You will not play everything in a day, trust me I tried, take breaks and remember - just keep credits on the card and come back later.

• If you're not in the area and it's your only attempt, at least try and get ONE physical prize and then call it. Use the tickets for stickers or ramen noodles. Something for the road (or if traveling - just something that fits in luggage.

• Have Fun! (I know it is a wasted piece of advice, but Day 1 was a sad scary time because IRL problems Day 2 &3 were much easier

• Just be nice to the staff, some of them are just as weird and nerdy and silly as you.

For me, I just can't pick a favorite game or what to play, everybody is different. I (obviously) gravitate to Game Show stuff first, and then the Cranes for prizes before one taiko run, one snack break, a few redemption games and ending with just enough credits for one more Taiko run for the night (I don't leave the house much because of caregiving, so there is no reason for me to keep the credits, but I will keep the card. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW I REALLY LIKE KAIJU NO 8!)

Thank You Round 1 for being great, and thank you Godzilla, for protecting the children of the world.