Las Vegas has seen a few "hardcore" arcades come and go. From Race for Atlantis, to the Golden Age of The Orleans, to GameLand (rest its soul), there has usually been at least a decent spot for locals to get their gaming fix. The arcade scene in Vegas, unfortunately, has laid dormant for some time now (since the closure of GameLand and the Adventuredome's VR Center). The Orleans has maintained a decent selection of fighters, but Bemani fans have been largely out of luck outside of the occasional new DDR or hacked In The Groove machine. Today, I visited a newly-opened arcade called Gemini Arcade Palace. When I saw pictures of the place, I was frankly in disbelief. DDR X, DDR Disney Rave (I know, but come on), three ITG machines, DrumMania and GuitarFreaks V6 linked for session play, and two Taiko No Tatsujin machines under one roof? Be still, my Gamer heart! Naturally, I had to get down there and make an informed decision about this new contender. After being woefully misled by Google Maps, whose directions led me to an apartment complex, I found Gemini Arcade Palace at the southeast corner of Flamingo and Sandhill. Walking in, I knew I had found -- at long last -- the successor to my dearly-departed GameLand. All the aforementioned machines were indeed present, along with a PropCycle machine (PropCycle!!) and a few others I don't recall. I sat down at my distraction of choice -- DrumMania -- and plunked down fifty cents for a three-song session. After a few games and conversations with old arcade scene friends, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and left as satisfied as I ever had back in the GL glory days. Any budding local business will live or die based on how well they listen to their customers, and thankfully Gemini seems very open to the suggestions that have been offered by its earliest patrons. There has been discussion about adding Bemani games that aren't currently present (namely Beatmania IIDX, a highly sought-after machine for many local enthusiasts), which will help to please potential arcade-goers who aren't already convinced. The suggestions I have for Gemini are to get some high-powered fans or a good A/C system to keep the dancing game fans feeling and smelling rosy, and to get some popular fighting games in there to bring in a wider audience. The establishment seems to be catering to Bemani fans right now (which is fine with me personally), but they need to broaden their horizons if they want to get a diverse (and large) local following. I'm giving Gemini five stars based not on its current offerings, but what it means for the future of the Las Vegas arcade scene -- that is, that it isn't dead and that there are still business owners out there who want to build a local and loyal following by listening to its customers and giving them what they want.
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