Here’s what the Media has to say….
“This is the perfect date for any gameloving duo. Here you’ll find an amazing selection of old-school arcade games from the ‘80s and ‘90s like PacMan, Mario, and Paperboy. If you’re not a fan of the arcade games, don’t worry. They have have several pinball games, three classic skeeball alleys, Nintendo and Sega console gaming, and lifesize jenga and connect four.”
“This arcade bar will make you feel like you’ve just gained an extra life. It offers more than 50 arcade games — Including classics from the ’80 and ’90s, Nintendo console ganes, skee-ball and life-size jenga — and more than 50 beers on tap. If you’re into craft beers, keep an eye on this place. It often has some looked-over rare treats at a steal.”
“A positive, youthful feeling inspired by retro decor plays well with the innocence of arcade games to produce a fun vibe. “Nostalgia puts people in a comfortable place,” Ivey says. Up-Down presents a dynamic option for fun that complements surrounding restaurants, bars, retail shops, galleries, performing arts and live music throughout Downtown.”
“Up-Down seems to capture something we’ve abandoned in our modern world of cell phones and usernames… At Up-Down, it was different. There were people, and they were pretty nice folks… Up-Down gives you more than just old-school video games. They give you the entire old-school experience, but it’s modernized properly and put together in a way that should have you finding or trying something new every time you come back”
“Surgeon general warning: Your eyes are going to boggle out of your skull at Up-Down – well before you’re trying to avoid the dive-bombing aliens high stages deep in “Galaga.”
“It is a place where the memories are resurrected and made at the exact same time.”
“Much better than a typical arcade, Up-Down Milwaukee is filled with vintage games from decades past. Plus, it’s got a fully stocked bar. Oh, and did we mention it’s for adults only? Yeah, it’s basically an adult playground come to life.”
“And the best part—Up-Down is for everyone (that is, everyone who’s 21+). Whether you have a love affair with ‘80s arcade games or have just dabbled in the Atari video games at your Uncle Richard’s house, there’s a game worth your quarter at Up-Down (yes, every game is a token, equivalent to 25 cents). “
“For a nerdy, aging millennial, it’s a dream come true that all started with a little video game escapism for the owners, Rafe Mateer, Josh Ivey and Sam Summers”
(The) basement bar, now two years old, stokes childhood nostalgia for both Gen-Xers and millennials, with synthesizer-heavy ’90s pop backing the real soundtrack of constant beeping from games. The roughly 40 vintage arcade games — including Donkey Kong, Tetris and Back to the Future — cost a quarter. Each has a cup holder for local beers or mixed drinks.
“There’s a lot to love at Up-Down. Like pinball. I’ve yet to get a shot at Super Mario Bros. pinball or Space Jam pinball… there is always someone laughing it up and scoring big.”
“At Up-Down, even the price is nostalgic. “One quarter per play,” Akers said. If you opt for tokens, it’s 10 games for $1. The mood is half modern bar, with natural wood accents and an outdoor patio, and half time machine, complete with video screens featuring shows and movies of the time.”
“It’s a simple equation, but Up-Down executes it elegantly: great, nostalgia-inducing video games (think Punch-Out!!, Mortal Kombat, Gauntlet), great beer (five Surlys on tap, three Fultons including the new Standard Lager, five Indeeds, and some cool smaller brews like Blacklist and Maiden Rock), no kids, a full bar, no kids, and good pizza. What’s not to love?”
“Milwaukee is home to a number of smaller (and great!) arcade bars, but gee whiz, this is the real deal.”
“Any Kansas Citians who spent their youth in arcades are bound to find love at first sight at UpDown KC. This new Crossroads bar and arcade combo has all the nostalgia and games you could imagine, topped off with an impressive beer selection.”
“Hopefully everyone who is interested in this will show up and support this new business, not only with your time, but by spreading the word as well! This is pretty awesome for Kansas City and gamers in general, I mean, what’s not to like about alcohol and games?”
“More than 50 popular games in the ’80s and ’90s fill every nook and cranny if the arcade bar. By design, the atmosphere replicates the cramped feel of an arcade parlor at a shopping mall.”
“For years, pinball and classic video games like Pac-Man held a special spot in American culture. But by the early 2000s, it was hard to find many arcades still open for business. But that’s changing with the rise of the arcade bar, a craze that Kansas City is just now getting in on.”
“We’re big fans of Up-Down, which took over the former Hamburger Mary’s space in April, bringing us video games (Crazy Taxi!), giant Jenga and Connect Four, pinball (FIFA!), skeeball, craft beer”
“Before the opening of Up-Down KC, I probably would have said that bars aren’t really that unique, that even fun places like karaoke and piano bars are just gimmicky dives where the experience all leads to you buying booze. But Up-Down wasn’t a cashed-in experience, it had everything I could want from an arcade and a bar respectively, it’s an experience I can’t really get from sitting down and playing video games at home while pounding back a few beers. The Up-Down experience is a truly unique one and certainly one I recommend to bar-goers and video game fanatics alike.”
“Go retro and relive your childhood on more than 40 arcade games from the ‘80s and ‘90s, pinball machines, three skee-ball alleys and more at Kansas City’s newest arcade bar with local graffiti art, Up-Down Kansas City. An adults-only arcade, pick your poison from an extensive list of craft brews or sip inspired cocktails, and be prepared to spend your week’s allowance at this nostalgia-inducing destination.”
“Given our headquarters is in Minneapolis, chances are you could run into a Game Informer editor dropping quarters into one of the 50 arcade cabinets at this Uptown hotspot.”
“A unique pairing is opening its doors Friday in the Crossroads district. Up Down Bar is the metro’s first bar dedicated to vintage arcade games. The concept is the brainchild of three friends from Des Moines, Iowa.”
“To A Kansas City Entrepreneur, Up-Down Is Where We Go To Game. Let’s not lie to ourselves – a lot of entrepreneurs like to game. Let’s continue to not lie to ourselves – we’re getting older than we care to give credit to. So where do we go to play video/arcade games whilst keeping true to our 80’s and 90’s roots? Up-Down Arcade Bar.”