Trip Report: Nickel City Arcade, Orem, 5/13/2020

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Nickel City recently re-opened. So, it was up to my brother and I to give them some business! It was our first time ever going to the arcade. We tried going with a small group of friends last summer. But it was a Saturday at 3:00 PM and the place was overrun by small children. So we elected to go later, then it just kept slipping out of our radar. Until now! And wow am I glad we went.

Nickel City is quite a charming little arcade, with a good variety of games. Admission is $2.75, and each game costs between 2 and 10 nickels. Nickels are loaded on a cute little card, just like Chuck E. Chizzle’s, with the point system largely computerized. I especially loved the roller coaster simulator, because you know me. Gotta have my coasters.

It wasn’t crowded at all. Just a few small groups of people. Pizza wasn’t available, which was super lame. But the fun games made it worth it.

Malibu, Malibu, if you ain’t got a foreign then she laugh at you.
It’s frightening in the dark!
Yeah, this is one of my favorite arcade games.
MFW I miss my amusement parks so badly that I want to ride this but I don’t because I will break it. D:
I sucked at this fishing game, but it was really cool. It almost felt like you could plunge your hand into the water and touch the fishies.
Did I mention Jurassic Park is awesome? Well, I’m gonna say it again. It’s awesome. I died shortly after seeing this screen, as I only had a tiny bit of HP going into the next level and I couldn’t figure out how to regenerate.
You could win big tickets. You won’t, but you could. Hypothetically.
Time to play some GIANT GALAGA THING! Aw yiss!
I loved the Star Wars pinball machine. In which you must rescue your beloved Princess Leia.
Don’t let the inflated numbers fool you. This is a terrible score.
Andrew won the jackpot (Instant Pop). Meanwhile, I got like 3 tickets. The balloon didn’t pop for either of us though.
I didn’t play this — it looked way too complicated — but I appreciated the carnival and circus aesthetic. I’m just a guy who needs carnival rides in his life.
And then we played whatever this thing is called.
This is the magnum opus of Nickel City: the Typhoon motion simulator. We did the mine roller coaster! This is WAY better than the crappy Paradise Coaster simulator that they have at the Ventura County Fair, which smells like B.O. and broken dreams.
Of course I’m not giving up my treasure without a fight, silly.
A more wide view of the arcade, with the excellent Space Invaders in the distance. Man I love this place.
Now it’s time to get some prizes! Oh, wait. I can only afford Tootsie Pops. Never mind. I decided to save my tickets (which are uploaded onto my card) for next time. Then I can actually get the cool stuff.
Ah but alas, all good things must come to an end. I have to get up early tomorrow, and the arcade is closing, so we must head out. </3
One last look before we head out. I’ll be back soon, Nickel City!

Overall, this was a great evening! We should’ve arrived there way earlier, though. It’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re playing games and having fun.

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