MADISON, Wis. — Video games are big business, and new technology is making them more life-like than ever before.

What You Need To Know

  • Aftershock Arcade is home to hundreds of video game machines dating back decades

  • It started when co-owner Brad Van bought a broken machine and worked to have it fixed

  • The arcade also serves food and drinks

  • Aftershock is open seven days a week

Despite the advancements, there’s a growing desire to play the old classics.

That’s where Aftershock Classic Arcade in Madison comes in. It’s home to hundreds of video game machines dating back decades.

Co-owner Brad Van loves every one of them.

“I grew up at a time when all of these games were brand new,” Van said. “So, you know, being a kid at that time, I kind of understood what games were the coolest games.”

The idea of making them popular again came when he found a broken Pac-Man machine in the back of a restaurant over 20 years ago. He bought it for $100 and worked to fix it.

“I started missing them and wishing that all those old games were back,” Van said. “So, just kind of an idea I had, and back then, people were throwing these machines away.”

He kept buying more and bringing them back to life. But they take up a lot of room. He needed more space and thought it would be fun to share them with others.

“Everyday people are coming in here, and they're just like, ‘I haven't seen this game since I was 12 years old,'” Van said. “That's always fun. That always brings a smile to my face.”

Aftershock has evolved to offer food and drinks, along with a trip down memory lane for gamers like Madison resident Keith Van Gilder.

“I am a child of the Gen X,” Van Gilder said. “In the 80s we had this to do. This is a lot of the games that I remember and like.”

Now, Van Gilder gets to show his kids how to play. For them, what’s old is new, and surprisingly cool.

“It is fun to stand up next to the machines and just play with a couple buttons and a joystick instead of six or ten buttons and everything from your couch and on the TV,” he said.

Van is happy to help with the comeback and hopes retro gaming sparks fun and conversation for everyone who comes to Aftershock.

“It’s a great spot for families to get together,” he said. “They can bring their kids in here and play the games. It's a lot of people just coming here to hang out like a neighborhood bar.”