APPLETON, Wis.— The nostalgia wave hits pretty hard inside Player 2 Arcade Bar in Appleton.

What You Need To Know

  • Player 2 Arcade Bar opened for adults 3 years ago in Appleton

  • The from 9-noon the 1st Saturday of the month kids can come with a parent

  • When the bar goes dry - milk, cereal, juiceboxes are available

  • The bar has 50 classic arcade video games plus pinball

Classic games, many over 40 years old, line the walls. Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and Tron await tokens just as they would have in a 1980s arcade.

“It’s fun to see people geek out about games they haven’t seen since they were kids,” said Player 2 owner Marissa Joyce. “We have 50 classic games here. Pretty much every game you want to have in an arcade, we have it here.”

Joyce and her husband, both video game lovers, opened the bar on College Ave. in Appleton in 2018. It’s a place for adults to grab a drink and get their game on with iconic arcade games.

It wasn’t too long after they opened that patrons started asking about bringing their kids in as well.

“I think they just enjoy sharing this part of their childhood with their children,” said Joyce.

So due to popular demand, on the first Saturday morning each month, the bar goes dry for three hours.

Boxes of Cap’n Crunch, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and more come out. Children accompanied by an adult can belly up with a bowl of cereal and watch cartoons from barstools.

Most importantly, they can get some tokens and play arcade games.

“People get excited,” said Joyce. “They have a lot of fun. It’s cool to watch and see a dad playing Guitar Hero with his tiny daughter.”

The prices seem retro at Player 2 as well. One token— 25 cents— gets you one play on the arcade games. Newer pinball machines require two.

“It reminds me of my childhood a little bit,” said Christopher Guevara of Forest Junction. “I like how they play the cartoons in the background. It reminds me of hanging out with my grandfather on Saturday mornings, having cereal, and watching cartoons.” 

Guevara remembered half-hour drives to arcades as a kid. As an adult, he comes to Player 2 with his wife during the week and with his kids on special Saturday mornings.

“I like bringing my kids here so they can see what we had to struggle with,” said Guevara.

There is a modern Nintendo Switch available to use for free but most players gravitate towards the classic games including Punch-Out, Centipede, Missile Command, Joust, Double Dragon, NBA Jam, Burgertime, and of course, Tapper.

“I think they’re just beautiful,” said Joyce. “They’re beautiful works of art. It’s like an immersive experience versus just playing at your house on a little controller. It feels more real.”

Joyce and her husband also have a Green Bay location with the same Saturday morning experience, where they also serve pancakes and bacon.

When the taps are turned off, it’s game-on for kids and kids-at-heart at Player 2.