This feels like a place out of a fever dream. It's nostalgia embodied, all of my favorite childhood Japanese arcade games in one place. There's no where else to find things like Pop'n Music, and the depths and breadth of Dance Dance Revolution songs on the machine is absolutely unparalleled. Yes, you can easily burn though $20 an hour without trying, but you'll enjoy every minute and feel good about doing it, which is more than you can say about that overpriced single cocktail downtown. I'm already planning my next game day. This place is a treasure. read more

This place is cool! I'm glad there's another arcade to go to. I like how the cabinets are catered to Japanese arcades too. There's some really interesting rhythm games Place has a cool vibe. Go check it out and support the local arcade! read more

i wrote a review awhile back and it looks like it got removed somehow. truth of the matter is, my fiance is disabled and we were told to leave by one of the managers. my fiance loves video games, imagine to her suprise when we step one foot in (because we have a service dog) and was told to leave immediately. small shop, lots of gamers. i dont recommend this place at all if youre disabled, the manager will kick you out. read more

Came for the latest Pump it Up and spent 2 hours exploring the new tunes, it has been a while since I play and it was a bit scared due to Covid 19 but the place requires masks and they have sanitizer so I felt more relieved. My husband and son spent time in the other arcade and they had a great time, we're definitely coming back! read more

This is the only arcade I've been to that has Cave games (Deathsmiles and Dodonpachi). Tons of fighting games too, as well as a rotation of more obscure games. Cabinets are in good condition. read more

Very, very cool arcade. Majority rhythm and fighting games. Initial D driving game and DDR as well. Interesting tetris as well. Overall a very niche arcade for enthusiasts but the vibe is very cool. Machines are high quality and seem to be in good condition. The place could be cleaner - bathroom has a fight club vibe haha. It's a really smaller interior space so if you're claustrophobic or you're uncomfortable with COVID spacing, probably not the best place to stay for a while, especially if it is packed. read more

One of the world's best arcade hang out spots. You'll definitely wanna check this spot out when you visit, or come here regularly for some games with friends. Excellent rhythm game selection. read more

Arcade UFO - Melty Blood!! - Arcades Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Cozy little hole in the wall place. Tons of fighting game and rhythm game cabinets, kept me and my friends busy for a good long while. There also seemed to be a tournament going on in which people were bringing their own arcade sticks; we stayed to watch for a bit before going back to doing our own thing. It seems like a great place if you're looking for a welcoming gaming community, will definitely be bringing our gear when we come back ^_^ read more

There are some cool games here, although the card readers don't seem to work half the time. And lots of the machines are out of order. Not a great place to take a date to. Not very much fun. read more

Arcade UFO - Arcades Near Me - Austin, Texas

WOW. SUGOII. KAWAII DESU-NE. Are you guys done with my Japanese of saying how cool and cute this place is yet? It's literally almost like stepping into an arcade somewhere in akihabara. You've got games like street fighter 3 to metal slug to some Rubix cube type of deal. Fun for all ages and you're there for a good time. Pay and grab a car similar to Dave and busters and tab your card to any of the consoles to play whatever you want. There will be nerds alike with their own joypads and such, stop staring. I got my own. Play your combo fighting games and reign supreme amongst your other fellow geeks alike. Do what you will to be number 1! Okay. I just had a great time here. It's an arcade for people who'll enjoy everything. read more

Definitely a niche arcade. Come here if you used to go toe to toe with peeps at Einsteins and want to play the latest fighting games against other like minded gamers. Don't come here with a huge group or if you want to just mind your own business and mess around with a little SF4. This place is SMALL. They do have all the latest fighting games and a few hard to find cabinets, which is nice. But it's pretty cramped. My main gripe? Some of the clientele need to use a little invention called DEODORANT. Jesus christ man. While I was there there was an employee walking around spraying Lysol all over the place because the smell was so dank. Come on dudes...just because you game all day doesn't mean you can't spend 3 seconds and put on some goddamn Speed Stick before you leave the house. Blecccccch. I could see myself coming here every so often to see what's new and exciting in the arcade world. But I don't think I'd be a regular. read more

Stopped by here last week on a Friday night, I love their little bit more spacious interior though I still think it's small, just not as small as before. A lot of the cabinets they have are very Japanese centric. I specifically love Pop'n and Technika, but what I am obsessed over is their SEGA UFO Crane machine. YOU ACTUALLY WIN STUFF and it's not all fake. I caught myself a Moogle, Chocobo and Kirby plushie doll from the machine and SO CAN YOU! Granted, I did blow $40 but SO WORTH IT. Tip: For the crane machine, if the toy you want is out of reach, AKA the claw can't physically move there or an item you want is all the way located at the bottom, you're always able to ask someone to MOVE it somewhere where you CAN grab it, THIS IS NOT CHEATING, as you are still going to pay to play, they are willing to accommodate. I asked an Arcade UFO employee to assist and he was more than happy to help me with this request. Awesome! read more

Came here with a new friend on a Friday evening and spent 3 hours just at the Tetris cabinet! This arcade is small enough that I'm not overly overwhelmed trying to figure out what to play. I was introduced to Jubeat as well. There are only 5 parking spaces, but plenty of surrounding streets. I can't wait to come play more! read more

Interesting lil spot by the university and was not what I expected. It was somewhat of a modern arcade with a different digital set up that basically allowed modern console gaming in a public space. Personally, I was looking for an old school arcade type, but didn't find much of that here. If you like playing modern games at a business instead of at home and don't own games yourself come check this place out. read more

A really great, fun place, with fair prices and up to date Japanese arcade games as well as some really cool retro games. As a girl who tries to go to every nerd establishment I can, a lot of places can be kind of hostile to women and assume you don't know what you're doing, and the staff here are super nice and welcoming. The environment in general is nice and fun (even if everyone there is much better at pop'n music than me) Worth it just for the chance to play pop'n music in my opinion read more

Awesome new release arcade games, mostly Japanese. I brought my 13 year old cousin, who is a gamer (I am not), and she had a fun time. I used to go to Einstein's with friends in high school, and Arcade UFO is pretty damn similar, down to the small space and that reeking smell. But that's what makes places like Arcade UFO special...the community, the weirdness, even weird smells. Also the sweet Ms. Pac Man four-player game. read more

"HISS!" was the greeting I received from the Unidentified Fluorescent Outcasts (UFOs) of Arcade UFO as daylight followed me into this dungeon of finger dexterity. The scathing onomatopoeias turned to sighs of relief once the door closed behind me. I stood motionless for several minutes, letting my senses adjust to the epilepsy triggering cartoons and pulsating techno beats emanating from the machines. "Where's the token booth?" I asked a vampirical patron living vicariously through a first-person shooter. A grunt of irritation and a swift head gesture towards the coin dispenser was as much kindness as this pseudo-cop could muster. "Thanks." I replied, trying to be polite. (Grunt), he responded. I slid a five spot into the bill slot and gathered my spacecraft adorned tokens. "Now where are the Skee-Ball machines?" I asked myself, for fear of inciting the revenge of the nerds. My favorite test of depth perception was as absent as natural lighting in this den of Japanese imports. (The games, not the gamers. Well, some of the gamers.) As a matter of fact, all ticket-dispensing amusements were nonexistent. The satisfaction of climbing the leader board or slaughtering your opponent in a rare version of Street Fighter 4 are the only prizes to be won at this all-business arcade. Whenever I play a fighting game I'm like an infant playing the piano. I just giggle and haphazardly hit buttons with no rhyme or reason. I decided it would be in my best interest to save my tokens for a less complex challenge, however, that was nearly impossible. Despite their stereotypical aversion to athletic competition, gamers LOVE a virtual contest. Even the Pac-Man machine (Pac-Man Battle Royale) is made for a melee. Just as I was about to donate my coins to one of the non-blinking mouth breathers captivated by their screen, I spotted a relic from my adolescence, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Circa 1991). I was beckoned to the nostalgic machine like an abduction beam. For the first time in over a decade I was wielding Leonardo's sword and slicing through Shredder's foot soldiers like the second hand on the clock I was now ignoring. An hour and one disappointingly rusty performance later, I was down to a dollar. I pried myself away from the time sucking device and spent my final tokens on a melodious machine by the name of Pop'n Music 17 The Movie. My white-boy rhythm was no match for the "beginner" setting. No sooner did I hit the start button, I was mocked by an animated bunny grimacing beneath the words, "Game Over." My defeat signaled my departure from this peculiar land. Hisses from the inhabitants of Arcade UFO chased me out the door as I returned to the UV rays of the real world. If I were still fifteen, this would easily be a five-star review. Unfortunately for Arcade UFO, the last decade has taught me that there's more to life than joysticks and jump kicks. It's called Skee-Ball. read more

As much as I dislike being bombarded with the smell of sweaty boy, sweaty, geeky, virginal boys, I love video games. Arcade UFO is worth the assault on my olfactory. Modeled after a Japanese arcade, Arcade UFO offers the standard DDR, fighting games like Tekken 6 and Street Fighter 4, and classics, like Donkey Kong. But it also houses a plethora of nostalgia games like Metal Slug and Dungeons and Dragons, and good but forgotten games like Mr. Driller, similar to Dig-Dug, if Dig-Dug snorted Japanese fat lines of cuteness. And when you're feeling a little overstimulated you can always sit on the patio or visit the convenient store, hookah bar or deli, all next door. Open till 4 am, this place will satiate you arcade cravings deep into morning. My only complaint is that the fighting games are setup as one player per console/screen, instead of two players around one, butting elbows on and off-screen. read more

HOLY SHIT THEY HAVE POP'N MUSIC! This is the best place ever. read more

Went here with my g/f to blow-off steam on pixels instead of each other. We had a blast playing Time Crisis 4, the machine was in great shape. Other big name games I saw were Initial-D 4, Street Fighter IV, and Tekken 6. Place is pretty small, could be a problem if there were a slight crowd. I was there on a Sunday afternoon ~ 3-5pm, I'm curious as to whether the place builds lines on a Friday or Saturday night. Convenience store next door has energy drinks, thats worth 1/2 star at least. I didn't notice any machines out-of-order. Taking a star only because of the price ($1 coins can add up REAL quick - I blew $20 on TC4... even though we probably sucked) and because I wish they had a couple SEGA machines. Overall, I'm highly impressed and look forward to going back. read more

One star for the awesome4-player PacMan. This place has some really neat games, the shame is that it is a dark, disgusting pit of a house. -4 stars for how disgusting Arcade UFO is. This is not a family arcade, it isn't even really an arcade for most people. This is a place for hardcore fighting game gamers. Arcade UFO needs a few things. First would be a good cleaning. And second would be hand sanitizer dispensers. I don't know how a place gets that dirty, but it is more like someone's hobby than an actual business. Before leaving I wanted to wash my hands. When I saw that bathroom... oh dear. A tiny closet, stinking of urine. Toilet seat up, covered in piss. Towels thrown on the floor, dust everywhere. It looked and smelled horrid. I guess if you're a guy and are okay with things like that, then good for you. I'm so glad that all I needed to do was wash my hands. Go if you are serious about your fighting games. If you just want to have some fun at an arcade and not feel gross afterwards, go someplace else. read more

It's not a big fancy arcade but that's not what I was looking for, it was full of old Japanese games from dance dance revolution to modern day beat games, a nice little hole in the wall place- definitely use a bathroom from somewhere else though if possible- it's uh quite scary read more

Like the other reviewers said, this place is pretty much geared strictly to the Japanese gaming/anime nerds. Don't get me wrong, I like playing Street Fighter-esque games, but that's about all they have here. I was kind of looking forward to some Centipede, Pinball, or Ninja Turtles. It's a little dark and small (I like this though, it makes it sort of intimate in a way), but it is clean, the staff is friendly, and the machines are well maintained. Another heads up, this place is a total sausage fest. But then again, I'm probably the weirdo for being a girl and going to an arcade... read more

If you appreciate rare import games appearing in the US, this is definitely the best arcade ever! Even if you don't ,you'll find something amazing here. This is one of my favorite places to go in Austin. All games & store are kept in *pristine* condition, very clean, amazing customer service & wonderful crowd. Always up-to-date games on their game floor and prices are great & reasonable. If you haven't come here at least once, you are missing out! Always a good time. read more

I have to say that I am very impressed with this place. They had a couple of machine malfunctions, so they don't have all their games up and running, but what they do have is very good. They've got some great old school games like metal slug and even the versus game from Super Mario. But the gems are really the fighting games and their machines. This is one of the few arcades in the United States ( That's right! ) that even has Street Fighter IV since Capcom is not likely to release the game in arcade form for the U.S. Also, you gotta love the fact that they give you a nice little patio to go out and relax on so you won't die from the smell of the usual gamers who happen to forget deodorant everyday. You can tell that whoever opened this arcade is really like read more

Honestly, the first time I saw this place, I thought it was a front for some drug cartel: nondescript, small white building in an area better known for well-lived in student housing than a video game arcade. However, once you step foot inside and that somewhat dank musty air hits you in the face, you instantly are reminded of two things 1) you've just stepped back in to Einstein's Arcade on the Drag (RIP) and 2) video game arcades are a dying breed. Sad, but true. It seemed like not so long ago you could head down to the 7-11 or supermarket with a bunch of quarters jingling in your pocket on a Saturday afternoon. Who was going to be the king of Street Fighter II that day? Was a new game in place? Which one of your friends or classmates would you run in to there? Well, if you're in to that sort of communal experience you just can't get with an XBOX 360, or just want to relive some of your youth, I have to say that UFO is a fantastic place. They have a surprisingly large amount of games crammed inside that little building. And it's games that Gen X'ers will recognize (like Street Fighter, Xevious, Pac-Man), but also some recent games available only in Japan (Initial D 4, anyone?) too. The focus is pretty heavily on fighting games, though, so if that's not your cup of tea, you'll not have as many options. Still, this is a fantastic, local business and I'm proud to donate my quarters to them--and so should you! read more

A dark hole just north of UT, Arcade UFO has a run-down veneer but sparkles on the inside. A cacophony of computer beeps and boops accompanied by Japanese sound effects play background to rhythmically dancing multicolored lights. A variety of imported games line the walls of two small rooms giving the establishment the feel of a geek's basement from the Carter administration. The faint smell of mildew and random foodstuffs pollute the air and sting the nostrils. If you look hard enough you can find the remnants of Cheetos (or perhaps their similarly colored brother: Doritos) ground into the floor. Dance Dance Revolution is nestled in the back and waited noisily for me to humiliate myself. I humbly obliged and got my ass handed to me by a lithe and snarky blond girl. Clearly, I will not be part of this revolution as my oafish feet and uncoordinated limbs forbid it. The arcade is a great addition to the North Campus neighborhood but could use a little more style, a little more cleanliness, and a wider variety of games. However, it is a great place to kill some time, cops, and the occasional mutant. read more

This is a pretty "underground" place. It's a pretty tiny place next to a small grocery store with a little sign that's almost easy to miss. When I walked in, I was greeted with the loud noises of the sole staff member playing some crazy rhythm game on an insane difficulty. I tried the game myself later, and it was hard as hell. Next to the typically empty counter, is a *machine* that takes your money and puts it on a card that you hold up to the machines to pay with. There is a $2 fee for a play card unless you add on $20. A friend and I split a card to avoid the fee. There are lots of games here you just aren't going to find in America - these games aren't translated either so you'll just have to hope the game you're playing is intuitive enough for you to figure it out on your own (some of them are). Sadly, many of these games may not be in working condition when you go. Several machines were down when I went. Of what was left, there were some rather addicting games to play, although I don't know what they were called. There is a dance machine here that has a MASSIVE library of songs, so if you DDR, this is the place for you. This place, being a small arcade, is as you might expect, pretty dirty. Doesn't seem to bother anyone though. At any rate, while I played some good games here, I went home rather unhappy, in part due to the obscene volume these games output, and I had to stay here for longer than I would have liked since a friend wouldn't stop playing. Overall, not bad, but I'm not itching to come back here anytime soon. read more

Hidden gem with games all in great condition! I love going here to play DDR, it's the best machine in all of Austin as far as I'm aware.

I've been back recently and feel I was way too harsh in my initial review. I think the problem is that I'm just not the right audience for this arcade (this sounds like some kind of awkward breakup or something, doesn't it?). I just can't really get into any of the new arcade games. The only games I enjoy anymore at this point are fighting games but it's just not the same when you aren't standing right next to your friend drinking his sweet tears of defeat. This, along with the fact that I just don't have enough time anymore to get good at the new fighting games, is not an indictment against UFO more-so than it is a simple admission of the fact that I am not the Fittest Of The Arcade Species anymore and am relegating myself to extinction in the face of arcade evolution that I simply cannot keep up with. This place is a great at what it does, it is just not for me, so please do not let my reviews alter your decision on whether or not to come here. I have come to accept my fate, and perhaps someday thousands of years from now my corpse will be discovered in the tar pits of Pinballz. read more

I just met the owner of this place, completely by accident, and I have got to say she was incredibly friendly and informative. I just found out from her that they rotate their puzzle games every two weeks so expect me to be there more often for sure! They care so much for their machines and the quality of the players experience that they replaced the dance game pad sensors that Tek Republik and Einstein's had sadly left in disrepair. IIRC she said that besides the ITG machine, those machines have actually been completely replaced as well. I just wish I had taken better advantage of their location when I lived nearby! Who wants to play Street Fighter 4 with me ;)? Read my first review on this place for a run down of the interior and exterior instead of just the owners lovely demeanour and dedication. read more

These Japanese style arcades are abundant on the West Coast but hard to find in Texas. I was extremely happy to find Arcade UFO amongst Austin's hidden gems. If you like rhythm based games, you will be here for hours. I thoroughly enjoyed ITG (Into the Groove), and there are many games that require hitting buttons to a beat. Pop'n Beats and JuBeats are my favorite out of the mix. There are also quite a few fighting games to choose from. It's a small building, but on a weekend wasn't too crowded so we had most of the games to ourselves. It could get crowded very quickly with more than 10 people, however. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially when figuring out how to load a pre-paid card with credits. Most of the games are a little hard to navigate if you arent fluent in Japanese. I learned this the hard way, as more often than not, I found myself playing levels I didn't mean to select. The games are a decent price. I've been to cheaper arcades of this style, but it isn't a total rip off. The outside walls have some cute, if not slightly vulgar grafitti. It's a nice touch to the place. The bathroom is covered in memes and giggle worthy notes. It's not the most modern, squeaky clean place to be, but that's a lot of what I love about it. It's small and run down, but it beats the screaming, rampant children and drunk adults at Dave & Busters. I may be biased because I love space-themed anything. read more

Looking to blow a few hours in the great indoors with all kinds of wonderful noisemakers, some of which are straight out of Japan? This is your place. I'm a button masher at best but still enjoy an afternoon at this place. They've got a little bit of everything, from driving games to DDR to fighting games to stuff that isn't even in English. Go forth, my pretties, and nerd out to your heart's content. Now if they could just program unpredictable Austin drivers into the Wangan Midnight game so it'd be extra hilarious...ha! Having two seats for this game right next to each other is a great peril to your stack of coins, BTW. This is perhaps the best maintained arcade I've ever seen--I don't think I've ever seen anything actually "out of order" here. If one does go out, it sure must not be for long. read more

Really cool arcade. Wish they had more fewer of the fighting games and more general games. I liked the old school machines with classic Genesis games and would like more of those. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, WWE Superstars were outstanding games to play. They also use a card system now (not tokens) that requires a payment of $3. Probably saves them on machine maintenance, but costs me more, especially for someone that doesn't live close enough to use it regularly. read more

I fucking love it here! Great selection of games....I mean..it's kind of small and cramped...and it's hot..I'm sure that it smells bad when it's crowded in the summer...BUT...get sugared up and go. It L be worth it! Plus, they have all of the best mixes on their DDR machine! I love you arcade UFO...will you marry me? read more

So many games! So little space! I like the cozy factor. The crowds put me at ease somehow, where other arcades make me feel isolated and self-conscious of my playing skill. Being crammed in with people watching and waiting and having a super time makes me feel like my poor street-fighting skills are all funny and worthwhile. State-of-the-art games! In addition to my all-time favorite, Ms. Pac-man, they have some of the newest most dazzling eye-candy games, apparently before anybody else gets them in Texas and sometimes the US. They also host Street Fighter tournaments with top players in attendance. Good variety, good vibes, awesome hangout, and an excellent date if you care to get cozy on Tetris Master or Puzzle Fighter (just make sure you go somewhere quiet to talk afterwards - it's super-loud). read more

I am an avid UFO-er and have spent many summer hours here playing and watching. It's in the campus area so expect the college-vibe. Young couples stop by here as a cute little date spot, students stop by for a study break (myself included for both) and frequenters get in the zone. Games cost less than the average at Pinballz. They don't take quarters but have a machine that exchanges bills and cents into coins. Sadly, I was disappointed after their remodel. There are less consoles/game and it doesn't actually look all that different. Hopefully they're still in the process because I'd like to come back to the good 'ole UFO! read more

Arcade Ufo holds a special place in my heart. As a fighting game enthusiast I come here for tournaments, ranbats, free play nights and just random occasions to play with friends. It's small, it's crowded and it's a little more run down than usual now sadly but overall they got games and they got service and snacks! It's a great location to come and have some genuine fun at a Japanese themed arcade! read more

I stopped by for the first time today and I was impressed. This little place has a lot of rhythm and fighting games. It was more sugoi than I expected. The only problem I had was that some of the machines had broken speakers, or maybe the volume was just turned down too low. The rhythm games worked flawlessly and had tons of kawaii songs to enjoy. A word of caution: if you come here expect the smell of an anime convention. read more

Pro: A very Japanese Arcade in north campus. Mostly fighting games like SF, BB and MvC. Good place to just kill some time. Con: Very small and lines for most games. Not good for large groups. read more