Insert Coin(s)

 

Guess what? My blonde ass was in Vegas last weekend — SURPRISE!!! That’s only where I go, like, every few months! But this trip was especially amazeballs for I finally was able to make time to stop by Insert Coin(s), and now I freakin’ wish I would have paid them a visit during all of my prior trips to Sin City.

Insert Coin 1
Wanna game while waiting for your drink? Pick up a controller.

Insert Coin(s) was a super chill, super fun laid-back gaming bar that made me feel right at home. The night before I had gone to swanky XS, and while it was fun to dress up in a skintight dress paired with shoes I could barely walk in, I’m much more myself in a t-shirt and a pair of chucks so I GREATLY welcomed the change. And while I may have been dressed casual, there were several people dressed in their best which oddly enough didn’t seem out of place. After all, everyone was having a great time just enjoying themselves — music was pumping, the drinks were pouring, arcades were bleeping and blooping and the atmosphere was nothing but energetic.

 Insert Coins 2

It was a packed house — which I personally loved — and thankfully when I wanted to sit my butt down for a few minutes I never had an issue finding a seat. That’s because people are always moving due to the extensive amount there is to do, be it play one of their kajillion arcade machines, play a round on a console at the bar, rent a booth, socialize or dance to the beats of their amazing DJs.

Oh, and something else I absolutely loved about Insert Coin(s) — you use actual quarters to play. Like, you have to trek your ass over to the dollar-to-change converter and see how many quarters you can fit into your any and all crevices of your body and stock up. As someone who only has local access to GameWorks where you use a card instead of change, it seriously flooded my heart with warm nostalgia.

NOW LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I PLAYED.

Insert Coins Main
X-Men. Need I say more?
Tapper
This was a game called Tapper. I loved it because it had an actual tap you had to flick to fill up beer mugs.
Karate Champ
Oh man, this game was SO cheesy and the controls made no sense whatsoever but damn it was a good time.
Joust
Again, here was another game where the controls were completely whack. You, like, rode ostriches and had to poke other people off of their ostrich. Yeeeah.
Guantlet
Someday I WILL own a Gauntlet machine. Oh. My God. This was amazing and I’d say most of my time was spent here, which included numerous quarter runs.
720
720 Degrees — in principal, this game did some fun stuff. It was like an open-world skate park where you had to find locations within that would prompt mini-games. The mini-games would reward you and you could upgrade your board. Or something. I was drunk. But as you can tell by my hand gesture, I didn’t know WTF was going on.
DK
Ah, Mister Jumpman and I. Stupid Donkey Kong. He kicked my ass so hard.
Star Wars
Dat face.

If you find yourself in the Las Vegas area you’d be doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t stop by Insert Coin(s). The staff are friendly, the selection of arcade machines is vast and the atmosphere is amazing in itself. And come on, who doesn’t like the combination of alcohol, great music, gaming consoles and arcade machines?

Needless to say, I’ll be back so hard.

10 Comments

  1. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place. Will have to check it out next time, if only for Joust, one of my all time favorites. There’s also a pinball museum, but you probably knew that.

  2. Should go to Funspot Arcade one of the times you come to Boston, it’s a bit of a drive up to Lake Winnipesaukee, but it’s the worlds largest arcade. If you remember the room with all the cabinets at PAX East in 2011, those were all from there. We all know that the convention it self isn’t what PAX East is all about, so I think it would be kind of cool to skip a day and go there sometime, I’ve been twice before, it’s awesome. The only bad thing is that it’s their off season during PAX East, so it won’t be hopping like this place.

    Also, we definitely need to make some plans to meet up somewhere this year. Looks like I’m going to the Nerd Appropriate get together on Thursday night. Not sure you’ll be there, but DM me on twitter or something if you have any plans that I may be able to partake in.

  3. I am crying at your shitting on my childhood.

    Tapper was AWESOME! Love that one.

    Karate Champ and Joust are classics. KNOW YOUR HISTORY, BRITT!

    720 is a weird one, but arcade is the best version of that (the NES version was balls).

    I’ll have to check out the one here in MN. Yeah, we have an Insert Coins! :)

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