Oasis Arcade is a true ‘token’ of the 1980s

There’s a new player in Wausau. Oasis Arcade aims to level-up the downtown area’s nightlife with an alternative option for entertainment: a retro-style video game arcade.

Co-owner Tom Powers grew up loving the lights, sounds and classic gaming cabinets of iconic 1980s arcades. But when he first considered opening up a retro arcade in Wausau, after driving to Eau Claire with a friend to purchase a vintage Joust arcade game, it didn’t seem like a viable business.

“We’re driving back and he goes ‘I always wanted to open an arcade.’ And I’m like, well that’s a fantastic idea if this was 1986. You know? I can’t see that model working,” Powers said.

The idea gnawed at Powers, though; so he did his research and found successful retro arcades across Wisconsin, like Player Two in Green Bay, District 82 in De Pere and Re-Boot Social in Eau Claire.

“I just started running the demographics on how many people are in the area and the median household income, and all of a sudden I’m like okay the math actually works in Wausau,” he said. “And there isn’t anything for a 100-mile radius like this in any direction.”

The idea for Oasis Arcade was born. Powers partnered with Seth Clendenning to start the venture at the old Chang Garden space on Jefferson Street in downtown Wausau. Working with an Eau Claire restorer/distributor, as well as private collections, Powers brings 55 individual games to Oasis Arcade. That includes 35 arcade cabinets, including all the classics like Pac-Man, TRON, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Double Dragon, as well as four-player consoles. There are also 20 pinball machines, running from restored classics to brand new machines with all the latest bells and whistles.

Mallory Ninabuck plays the Spider-Man pinball game, one of Oasis Arcade's 10 vintage pinball machines.

Photo by Michael Strasburg

Oasis Arcade operates a bar with food, so kids need to come with an adult. Kids and families are welcome until 7 p.m. After that, the arcade is for adults 21 and older.

“Saturdays and Sundays during the day is great family time. Bring the kids,” Powers said. “Friday night and Saturday night — that’s when the adults come out to play.”

While video games are incredibly popular with younger generations, classic arcade gaming is an entirely different experience to modern games. Powers said the social and physical elements of arcade gaming creates a totally different vibe.

“When you sit at a console that’s right in front of you, that is all that is in your view because you’re right up on that thing,” he said. “Add in the chaos of the other games around you and it’s this sensory overload that you don’t get playing with a headset on, sitting in your room at your desk.”

Oasis Arcade will be partnering with The Garage in Rib Mountain for a friendly ongoing competition. Both places have a Big Buck Hunter game, so they will have a weekly competition where players at both locations will compete against each other from the comfort of their preferred bar. Powers said they are working on even setting up a TV webcam so competitors can watch each other play in real-time.

Powers aims to keep the experience affordable. Almost all games are played for a single token. Three tokens can be purchased for $1, making the average game cost 33 cents. Considering most games are from the 1980s and are still marked 25 cents per play, that’s a pretty good value after 40-some years of inflation.

Powers also went the token route, instead of a “pay by the hour” route, to retain the classic arcade experience.

“There’s a certain ASMR response that triggers for the Gen-Xers, they go: ‘I know that sound! I know that feeling,’” Powers said.

In advance of Wednesday’s grand opening, Powers opened the arcade to some social groups and enthusiasts for a few trial nights over the past week, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. A special preview night, which was reserved for the first 80 people that responded to Oasis Arcade’s Facebook post, was sold out almost instantly.

“I thought it should probably take about a week to get that [80 responses],” Powers said. “In 40 minutes it filled up. By the time I got to the Facebook post to say it was full I had to turn another 40 people away.”

Following up on all the advance buzz, Oasis Arcade opened on Wednesday, June 3. The arcade, located at 102 Jefferson St., Wausau, will be open Wednesdays through Sundays. Visit oasisarcadewausau.com for hours and more information.