Remember when spending your pennies down at the arcade was like, the peak of the peak of Saturday afternoon fun? Welp, now you don’t have to imagine any more. This weekend, **Topshop Oxford Circus **are turning themselves into a fashion playground complete with candy floss, a giant grabber, ice cream, popsicles and... even better, it’s made especially for big kids (that’s you).
Here’s some of the arcade games that got us going back in the yesteryear.
Pac-Man
Mainly because it was one of the few that didn’t involve shooting and/or erm shooting. Plus, you know, they had one on Friends so that was cool. Also there was Ms Pac-Man to keep Pac-Man in check and she just had the sassiest bow that ever did exist. I hope they’re still together and have adopted the evil ghosts as their children.
The Grabber
Also known colloquially (and by that I mean in Toy Story) as The Claw. This was the game that your teenage boyfriend played for you and won you a massive beautiful teddy bear that signified how beautiful your love was. Oh wait, no. Sorry that was in films. Actually I had to beg my boyfriend to play the grabber for me in the name of romance just last year. He won me a green dog that now sits on my shelf and looks at me funny.
Coin Pusher
Stay away from the 20p version of this game kids! That’s just for the big spenders/the people who actually managed to get an after school job. Instead, I was more partial to the old 1p and 2p versions of this game. Coins piled up maddeningly close to the edge, coming close to falling into the winner's trough and your purse every time. Except they never did. The dastardly dastards.
Pinball
Obvously playing this on your family PC (it was the only game it came with except Solitaire and Minesweeper you see) was just practise for the real thing when you got in front of a real life pinball table. Even though you lost every time within the space of about five minutes the sounds and the lights were like, really exciting. Also, you could sing Pinball Wizard and not look mental. Which is pretty much what everyone wants from life anyways.
That one with the ride on motorbike
Really more of an immerisive ride than a game, the motorbike game (TT Moto to the real pros) was as close as your dad was going come to letting you get on a motorbike in real life. And, judging from the amount of times you crashed into the poorly graphic-ed crash barrier on the screen it was probably a good thing too.
Dance Mat
Not sure it ever aided you in your dancing skills but at least you’ll always know and never forget the words to Steps’ 5,6,7,8. EVER.
And make sure to visit topshop.com to play the popcorn catcher game. Live for three days only.
For more information on the Topshop Playland Arcade, click here.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.