EASTON, Pa. – Gamers looking to test their skills at Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat and other popular arcade games have a new spot to score fun times in Northampton County.
The Game Gallery, offering arcade entertainment and a retail store where individuals can buy, sell or trade new and gently used video games, consoles, collectibles and more, will hold a soft opening of its new arcade this weekend at 60 Centre Square in downtown Easton, owner Angel Correa said.
The Game Gallery hosted a soft opening of its new retail store a couple of weeks ago at the same site.
The business' new location operates in an updated space that was previously home to SmARTivities Showcase, which recently shifted operations to Promenade Saucon Valley.
Correa established The Game Gallery in 2012, originally operating the business at 249 Northampton St. in downtown Easton before moving operations later that year to a larger, nearby space at 315 Northampton St.
The Game Gallery operated at 315 Northampton St. for more than a decade before Correa decided to relocate the business again in 2023 to 349 Northampton St., about a block west of its longstanding spot.
The 2023 move was primarily due to increasing rent, Correa said.
At 315 Northampton St., The Game Gallery featured a back room where customers could play dozens of arcade games, but the business' most recent former location at 349 Northampton St. did not allow for that.
The 349 Northampton St. site previously housed restaurants, including Gino’s Pizza and, most recently, HOZA African Restaurant, and a full kitchen remains, Correa said.
The 200-plus arcade machines had been in storage for the past two years, and Correa was looking for a new venue that could accommodate both the expansive arcade entertainment as well as The Game Gallery’s growing retail component.
The Game Gallery's new spot totals around 5,000 square feet, giving the business room to expand its growing video game selection and other merchandise.
The front portion of the space is for retail operations, and the back portion is for the arcade.
Gamers will be able play more than 200 arcade cabinets, around a dozen pinball machines and nine Japanese-style, sit-down machines, dubbed “candy cabinets,” Correa said.
A few games are temporarily out of order as they require some repairs, but a vast majority will be ready to play this weekend, Correa said.
Correa also has plans to purchase more games, with a goal of having around 250 games by the end of the year.
"We have a little cove for the sit-down games and also a separate area just for the pinball machines," Correa said.
"We have such a large variety, and I already know there will be people here all day just for the Dance Dance Revolution. I'm actually going to be getting even more games in the months to come, which I'm super excited about."
The Game Gallery's lineup of arcade cabinets includes classics such as X-Men, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while popular pinball machines include Dr. Dude, The X Files, Police Force and Dungeons & Dragons.
Gamers also will be able to test their skills on classic arcade games like Contra, Frogger, Punch Out!!, Point Blank, Tetris and Double Dragon II: The Revenge.
“Of course, we have the quintessential games like Super Mario Bros., Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Popeye, but we also have some more rare games like R-Type,” Correa said.
The arcade, which will feature wall murals of popular gaming characters and retro design elements paying homage to the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, also will include other popular arcade games like air hockey, Skee-ball and a claw machine.
Guests will be able to play whatever coin-operated games they want, paying for each one individually – 50 cents for arcade cabinets and $1 for pinball machines, Correa said.
To enter the arcade, guests will pay $10, which they will immediately get back in the form of a $10 roll of quarters, Correa said.
"I'm just asking everyone to get a $10 roll of quarters and they can play as they go," Correa said.
"I don't like the free play model because then you usually have to bump that up to around $20. And I have a lot of people who come in just to play a few games. I have one guy who loves Donkey Kong and comes in just to play that. So, I wouldn't want to charge him $20 just to do that. I also want everyone to have that old-school arcade feeling with the quarters, too. I've seen parents take pictures of their kids dropping their first quarters into a game, and I think that's really special."
In addition to playing games, individuals will be able to shop hundreds of video games and video game consoles, including Nintendo, Game Boy and Sega Dreamcast.
The business also offers cash or store credit to individuals looking to unload their games, consoles and other items.
“We feature everything from Atari to newer consoles like PS5," Correa said.
The Game Gallery also carries a wide array of video game accessories, action figures, toys, comics, graphic novels, collectibles and movies and television shows on DVD.
At the new location, individuals also can shop vinyl records, VHS tapes and trading card games such as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering, Correa said.
"Starting at the end of June, we'll start to hold tournaments for fighting games like Smash Bros. and Street Fighter as well as for card games like Magic, Pokémon and Dungeons & Dragons. These would be ongoing events that are held every month."
The Game Gallery’s new, larger Easton location likely won’t be the end of the business’ expansion.
Correa hopes to grow The Game Gallery’s footprint even further with additional Lehigh Valley locations.
“I’d eventually like to open even more arcade locations, possibly in Bethlehem and Whitehall,” Correa said.
The Game Gallery, which also is available to rent for birthday parties and other private events, is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, Correa said.
For the latest Game Gallery updates, follow the business' pages on Facebook and Instagram.
