Bringing back a sense of retro gaming, Electric Starship Arcade relieves its regulars of modern day video games.

In 2017, owner Mike Woods won two broken gaming machines from an auction. This led him to spend a night fixing one game, and then six days fixing the other.

“It really dawned on me that, ‘Hey, if I buy them broken, I can fix them and learn a new trade at the same time,’” Woods said.

He said he planned to buy two broken arcade games from then on, every month for three years and fix them. After, he would decide on whether or not he enjoyed it enough to move forward and open an arcade.

In February of 2020, was when he said he was ready to open the arcade.

“COVID was whispers. We didn’t know it was going to hit like it did,” Woods said. “The world was shutting down for covid. So it’s a scary time.”

He said he was fortunate he had just leased the building when COVID hit because he didn’t have any preexisting bills and they waited until quarantine restrictions lifted, and the arcade officially opened its doors in June.

“The timing sounds crazy, but couldn’t have been more perfect,” Woods said. “About eight months after we opened, we really started getting some steam. People really started coming back out, and it’s been great since.”

Jack Young, an employee at Electric Starship Arcade was a regular for four years, and he said when he finally turned the age to work in a bar, he immediately applied.

“I like knowing the inside secrets about, like, all the games,” Young said. “Some of these machines aren’t even official, they’re prototypes that we made our own. I think Tattoo Assassin, it was an arcade game that was never released.”

He said he enjoys being able to provide a nice, comfortable, and safe space for people who come to the arcade.

Aside from the customer rushes, Young said working for a family-owned business is very relaxed compared to the other jobs he’s had before.

Dave Pino, another regular, moved to Texas around the same time the arcade opened, and he said the first time he visited, he was reminded of home.

“When I walked into this place, I said, ‘Oh, this place is great.’ It sounds like all my family parties,” Pino said. “It was just an environment that I felt very comfortable [in].”

He said Electric Starship calms him down internally and keeps him happy, as well.

Pino said what he did for his occupation would have him travel around the world and he’d try visiting an arcade everywhere he went, and Electric Starship Arcade is one of his favorites.

“Mike since day one, that guy has been so meticulous with the way he cares for all machines, and he rebuilt everything back to the original state,” Pino said

Pino said Woods put so much effort into this arcade, and he couldn’t believe a place this epic was near his house. Pino’s love for the place led him to devote his time to the company by more than just being a regular.

“He actually helped build the stage over there for Bruno, the animatronic that we have, as well as just setting up all the lights and sound, he was a big help with that,” Young said.

Pino said how he believes Electric Starship is an iconic hidden gem in Texas.

“This is a venue of quality, of real high quality,” Pino said. “This is the best arcade in America, potentially the world”