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The Retro Room at Cityside Leisure Complex is offering locals an affordable, all-you-can-play way to experience vintage 80s and 90s arcade machines. Owner Marty Neill established the venue to foster social interaction and introduce a new generation to classic, communal gaming. It’s quickly becoming a popular spot for families and friends looking for fun away from the screen.
2026/01/01
North Belfast has a fantastic new venue bringing a blast from the past to the Cityside Leisure and Retail Complex. The Retro Room isn’t just an arcade; it's a dedicated space designed to introduce a new generation to the joy of vintage gaming, while offering older residents a strong dose of nostalgia.
This unique spot features classic arcade machines primarily from the 1980s and 1990s. The best part? For just £7 an hour, visitors get an all-you-can-play experience across dozens of machines, making classic gaming accessible and affordable for everyone.
Marty Neill, the owner, was inspired by his lifelong passion for gaming and a desire to share that enthusiasm, especially with younger people. Marty explains that the Retro Room is often less about the specific game and more about the environment and the atmosphere. He believes that while modern gaming is often seen as anti-social, arcades offer a crucial social experience that brings people together.
Reflecting on his own childhood in North Belfast during the 80s and 90s, Marty recalls arcades serving as vital 'neutral ground'—places where people could meet, have fun, and bond during the conflict. He notes that this need for dedicated social spaces is even more urgent today, particularly post-pandemic. Marty believes that young people need more places to go and suggests it is a “terrible irony that Belfast now has fewer places for young people than when I was 13.”
The venue currently operates around 40 classic arcade machines, with popular titles like Guitar Hero, Double Dragon, Donkey Kong, Time Crisis, and Street Fighter available. Marty keeps the experience fresh by rotating the machines, with another 20 currently being worked on in the workshop. Beyond the flashing lights, the Retro Room also provides classic consoles with thousands of games, alongside a selection of around ten rotating board games.
Interestingly, Marty has observed that many younger visitors often start on the classic arcade machines before gravitating towards the table-top board games. Ultimately, the Retro Room is proving to be a fantastic bonding experience, allowing parents to share their own nostalgic love of gaming with their children.