A symphony of nostalgia can be heard inside Eric’s Retro Arcade at 38 Slayton Ave. Spencerport. The sharp clinks and clatters of the pinball machines, mixed with the sound of laughter, fill the room with energy. Each sound is like an invitation, calling players to take a glimpse into the past. 

A journey into the past is exactly what Spencerport resident Eric Vasquez intended when created Eric’s Retro Arcade. Vasquez wanted to turn his childhood passion into a unique and engaging experience for the community to enjoy. 

“It totally brings me back to a cool, peaceful time when I was a kid, and we would just beg our parents to go out to Chuck E. Cheese or Pizza Hut and play games,” said Vasquez.  

Now, Eric’s Retro Arcade can be that for other families. Steven Wood and his son, Joshua Wood are frequent customers who were recently voted Players of the Month.  

“It’s just a great feeling for family and friends to come here, and just enjoy themselves and actually have a day of just relaxation from the real world,” said Wood.

Eric’s Retro Arcade is known for its “prepay to play all day”. Each customer pays $15, and they can play anytime during store hours. This includes exiting and returning at the customer’s convenience. There are retro games from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. 

“It’s fun to go back in time to play games,” said Wood.

Vasquez travels great distances to acquire these specific retro games.  

“A lot of them I’d have to drive a couple of hours, or four hours, like Pennsylvania or Ohio, and in some cases, I drove to Indiana for some”, said Vasquez.  

Due to the number of games and electricity that each requires, Vasquez had to make sure the building was properly equipped.  

“We had to get ready to make sure that the electric was good to handle all of these machines,” said Vasquez.   

During that period, he did a soft opening, which allowed him to test the electricity but also ensure that the machines were all ready for the customers. Vasquez is a self-taught arcade machine repairman, and can fix most of the games himself, but there are some exceptions.

“Once in a while, if I’m stumped or I have trouble there are a few people that I trust in the industry, and I will send work out to them. I will send the circuit boards to them, and then they’ll fix them and send them back,” said Vasquez.  

Vasquez works hard to make sure that machines are available and ready for customers. If a machine is undergoing repairs, he will let customers know before they buy a ticket and want to play a specific game. 

“Pac-Man or Donkey Kong are big old-school games,” said Vasquez. 

Eric’s Retro Arcade will host world record players during an event on June 28 and 29.  

 “They’re going to be shooting for some world records, and it’s going to be awesome,” said Vasquez.  

Eric’s Retro Arcade is a one-of-a-kind experience where people can step back in time renew family connections and build new ones with fellow game enthusiasts.