By Amanda
Over the weekend, I visited Denver, Colorado, so of course I had to visit one of their many geeky establishments while I had the opportunity. After dinner, my boyfriend and I played games at the 1 UP barcade in downtown Denver. The 1 UP features a full bar and an assortment of pinball, arcade games, and Skee Ball as well as burgers, wings, and appetizers. Kids under the age of 15 are also allowed in with parents before 7:00 PM—such a great idea for introducing younger generations of gamers to the classics.
Opened in 2011, the 1 UP is situated in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver, surrounded by other bars and eateries. To access 1 UP, you have to go through a gate off Blake Street and down and around a walkway—not more than a hassle during daytime, but could be a bit confusing for first-timers leaving after a couple beers. Also, if your friends are a bit more mainstream, the location allows you to trade time at a typical Blake St. bar for some Skee Ball. We got cash from one of the many ATMs, traded our bills for quarters, and headed into the main room to have some fun.
Opened in 2011, the 1 UP is situated in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver, surrounded by other bars and eateries. To access 1 UP, you have to go through a gate off Blake Street and down and around a walkway—not more than a hassle during daytime, but could be a bit confusing for first-timers leaving after a couple beers. Also, if your friends are a bit more mainstream, the location allows you to trade time at a typical Blake St. bar for some Skee Ball. We got cash from one of the many ATMs, traded our bills for quarters, and headed into the main room to have some fun.
The first detail that caught my attention was the very friendly staff. Everyone from the bouncer to the bartenders was courteous and provided quick service. 1 UP otherwise looks and feels like a typical bar: dark, low ceilings, lots of black, mostly rap and high-tempo music, and somewhat difficult to navigate when crowded, the right combination of cool and geeky. The beer list was small but decent. Instead, they opted for a large selection of liquors especially vodka in bottles lit by the colorful string lights and icicle lights draped from the ceiling.
Pinball machines line the first wall. I don’t have much practice playing pinball (besides the one on Windows) but I really enjoyed the variety of games that they did have. Personally, I enjoy The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Addams Family more than typical pop culture icons like the Simpsons, and the 1 UP offered enough variety to please everyone. You swing around the corner for the arcade games, which included randoms like Michael Jackson's Moonwalker as well as classics such as Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. It took forever to play Galaga, but otherwise if I’d had more time, I would have loved trying each and every game. I’m sad we did not get to try the giant Jenga, but we were tired after a day of driving.
Pinball machines line the first wall. I don’t have much practice playing pinball (besides the one on Windows) but I really enjoyed the variety of games that they did have. Personally, I enjoy The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Addams Family more than typical pop culture icons like the Simpsons, and the 1 UP offered enough variety to please everyone. You swing around the corner for the arcade games, which included randoms like Michael Jackson's Moonwalker as well as classics such as Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. It took forever to play Galaga, but otherwise if I’d had more time, I would have loved trying each and every game. I’m sad we did not get to try the giant Jenga, but we were tired after a day of driving.
The best aspect of the 1 UP versus other barcades that I’ve been to is that many of the games are multiplayer. This is a bar that really wants you to hang out with your friends and have a great time. The worst aspect was losing many of our quarters to games in need of more regular upkeep. However, since we visited on a Saturday, this could have been an aspect of the bar being busy and maintenance guys having the day off. A week day or night could be totally different. The 1UP is located at 1925 Blake St. in Denver, CO and online at www.the-1up.com. |