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    High Scores Arcade

    4.9 (41 reviews)
    Closed 12:30 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Erwin K.

    Key Points: - Totally throwback to the 1980s/1990s with old school arcade machines - $10/hr unlimited play - beer/drinks - Even Oregon Trail and Super Smash Bros! Stumbled upon High Scores after our group grabbed a bite at Revival Ice Cream next door, and what a pleasant surprise! This place is a treasure trove of 1980s-1990s arcade games, bringing back loads of childhood nostalgia. They have an impressive selection including but not necessarily limited to: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Rampage, Metal Slug, Double Dragon, Fatal Fury, Final Fight. Even not-so arcade-like Oregon Trail and Super Smash Brothers! It's like going back in time to the arcades my generation frequented as kids. Though honestly, no single arcade in my childhood ever really had such a great collection in one place. The best part? Just $10 per hour for unlimited play! Considering how many quarters I would have burned through back in the day, especially with how many times I would have lost, along with inflation, this is an absolute steal. They also cater to the adults of our generation who grew up with these classics, offering old classic beers (genius touch). I made the rookie mistake of bringing my Little One along just to see the place once, and I literally had to peel her off the Rampage machine as she didn't want to leave. Lesson learned: next time, leave the kids at home for a parents' night out. If you're in Monterey and want a fun, nostalgic, affordable throwback experience, High Scores Arcade is a must-visit. You can also grab amazing ice cream at Revival next door.

    Alejandra D.

    My husband had a nice time playing here. Lots of games from his childhood. $10/hour is a nice deal. They give you a wristband and you can play all the games. no coins needed. They have a sign that states you're free to look around but don't play. If you wanna play, buy a wristband. totally get that. I don't play video games or games in general like this, but I was able to hang with my husband in the games area and watch him play for a bit. I got tired so I sat in the waiting area where they had stools, so I wouldn't be in the way of someone else playing. My husband said some of the games did not work properly or the stick or buttons weren't working, so, that kinda sucks. But most of the games worked. They have stools spread around the area if you want to sit and play, and also offer step-stools for the kids. Again, didn't want to take a seat from someone else. When we arrived, it wasn't too busy, so that was nice. You could have your choice of games. But towards the end, more folks arrived and then a family arrived w/a baby and 3 small kids. Only the dad got a wrist band. But the problem I saw was that the whole family followed dad around the arcade, which meant they were blocking the games from others. So mom would sit on a stool in front of a game, but that meant she was blocking that game, so no one could play. She could've sat where I was in the waiting area. The other kids were climbing on the stools or just sitting there, playing w/the buttons, therefore not allowing a paying customer to play. I get they're kids and that's what kids do, but I don't think this was the place for them. People don't like it when others discipline their kids but obviously both parents were oblivious to what their children were doing and the guy working there is a young kid himself so probably did not feel comfortable telling them something. I wasn't even playing, but their obliviousness annoyed me. A player + 5 non-playing family members following them is too many people. I think the business should consider some rule about this or a limit. If they're not paying to play, they cannot be in the area to avoid interfering with other's play time.

    Super Smash Melee is an arcade game! GOAT'ed
    Antonio A.

    If you're looking for some a good spot to kick back and have fun, grab your friends and check out unlimited play for $10 /hr (each person). It's like a flashback to the 80's with the jukebox machine, hits from the 80's, classic arcade games (Donkey Kong, Duck Hunter, Punch-Out, Tetris, Pacman, and more)... and they have newish games like Super Smash Melee too. The staff are friendly and easy-going, games are cool, and it's easy to lose track of time here.

    Alex H.

    Great business i hope they open up more! Honestly the best party of my trip came back twice!

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    Ken K.

    Very cool pay by the hour gaming. 1 hour is $10 and they have a full selection of beer. I finally beat some of those pesky games that I never got very far in (e.g. The Simpsons). Very fun throwback venue.

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    Geanna T.

    While walking around Monterey searching for something to do, we ran into High Score, an interactive arcade museum. For $10, you can play unlimited arcade games for around an hour! They have a selection of arcade machines from different decades. My partner and I went around trying most of them, and we had a blast! It is a little small inside, and it can get a little busy. However, it was a really fun activity to do for a little date night. Going to High Score makes me wish I had something similar near me!

    Mike B.

    This place is a love letter to the arcade classics of the 1980s and 90s. It's small but I think that adds to the charm. Here's how I think of it: imagine there's a time machine that could take you back to play all the arcade machines that used to play at your favorite childhood pizzeria. Street Fighter II? Check. Mortal Kombat? Check. Pacman? Check. The list goes on and on. I'll definitely be back when in the area.

    Marisol A.

    Last night of our work conference and we found this place to hang out at and it was AWESOME!! Take me back to my childhood!! If you grew up in the 80s you'll love this walk down memory lane! 10 bucks for 1 hour and 5 dollar beers! All the classic 80s arcade games can be found here including Oregon Trail lol! They play nothing but 80s music which is super nostalgic! The girl who was working the front door/register was super sweet and I had a moment with her while I was playing Oregon Trail lol she asked about it and what it was and if it was any good lol I told her how this was the first ever type of computer game we played as kids in the 80s and how going to computer lab was the best place to be...she looked at me and said computer lab?? Lol!! Oh it was a great time!

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    2 months ago

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    Meg L.

    Thank you for visiting us, Kathleen, we appreciate you!

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    8 months ago

    Super fun! I wish there were ciders on tap, (please add them)!!!! Clean machines, in working order. Very nice and helpful staff.

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    1 year ago

    Loved this place. The hour went by fast and will be back again. Our entire family loved it

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    2 years ago

    This place takes us back to our good old days of playing classic games. I believe that $10 for an hour is a great value for the experience.

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    This place is great and I loved the 80s music. They even had Oregon trail and Mario bros

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    3 years ago

    Had so much fun here last night!! I really hope they update the games regularly, that would be so cool! I look forwrd to returning :)

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    Ask the Community - High Scores Arcade

    Is it 21+ at night? Can kids go?

    Hello! We only sell beer and seltzer so that we can be all ages, all the time. Kids are always welcome and 4 and under are free with a paid adult 👍

    Are we allowed to donate 80's and video game related stuff?

    Hi there! Send us an email at highscoresarcade@gmail.com and let us know what you hope to find a new home for! We’ll get back and tell you if we can find a way to make it a part of what we do. Thanks!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - High Scores Arcade

    They have all our favorite old school games, like Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Galaga, Street Fighter, even The Oregon Trail!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    This place is small but mighty! Has all the classics you need or want. They also have an area you…read morecan play many games on NES, Genesis, Playstation and a few more. They also have a section with games and accessories in front, a really cool board game and TCG room in back. Also very well priced snacks and drinks. I assume it was the owner behind the counter when I went. He was extremely friendly and very welcoming. This place is super cozy and lots of fun. My wife and son aren't really into games but I'll definitely be back by myself. This is an extremely cheap and fun experience if you miss the arcades of old!!!

    We found a locally owned arcade. It was smaller and had some of our favorite games growing up. It…read morewas nostalgic visiting here with my kids and sharing with them the actual gaming systems I grew up playing in my living room. My dad spoiled us growing up; we had every gaming system from the regular Nintendo up. Our friends and cousins always wanted to come over to our house so we could play video games. They have original games and systems for sale in the entrance of this shop. The employees were fine. There weren't any issues with service. Their was a guy actively working on something in the backround the entire time we were at the shop and another quietly gaming in the corner. They let us be and in return we tried to be respectful and follow the rules of their arcade. For the four of us to play for an hour was $32. This was a steal given how much our kids spend at our local arcades. No tokens were needed or loaded cards. I kicked my daughter's butt at Mortal combat and Pac man. We as a whole had a great time. The shop was quieter and we weren't complaining. The only recommendation for them would be some kind of cooling inside. It was a fairly warm day and it got kind of stuffy playing games inside. We would totally come back next time we're in Monterey.

    Monterey Lanes

    Monterey Lanes

    3.7
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    $$

    Love this bowling alley! Friendly and helpful staff, clean balls and lanes, decent prices. You're…read morecharged per hour- plus the shoes. If you don't have socks, they've got some available for purchase thankfully. They've got an amazing full bar in there for the adults--and an arcade for the kiddos + food and sodas. Unfortunately no free refills on the fountain drinks. We love coming here with friends! The music is hard not to dance/sing to as well.. good choice in songs! If you need a fun escape from all the touristy spots, highly recommend Monterey Lanes.

    We went in on a rainy day at opening time, during a school break. We figured more people would come…read moresince it was bad weather outside so we planned to wait maybe 20 minutes or so since it was also a week night and not terribly busy. They were completely full with just 5 parties, but had less than half the lanes open. They insisted they were already full and the wait "might be at least 35 minutes or if the party decides to pay for another hour, it'll be way longer.." So I said can you ask them if they were planning on playing another round or leaving or can I ask them? (We wanted to plan for dinner, we don't live around the corner either, it was a drive for us to come out). The 2 employees said sure, they are on lane 2. Then this other employee comes walking up immediately after and stops me and says "I can't have you ask that"...?? Ok..what's the harm in simply asking what their plans are?? They had LESS than half the lanes open on a RAINY day. I asked is there a way to open any other lanes? There were 3 more parties that came in after us! They said with enthusiasm, "no, we can't do that!" You work here, what's the surprise, why not? They turned our water bottles away, you can't bring your refillable ones. And don't expect to get a water bottle or any soda from the vending machine to quench your thirst either, they were completely out, the whole machine even though it was lit up and working. There was a bar there I think? But no one was there... I turned to my family and we all just said forget it, this is nuts... Honestly, the whole place looks pretty terrible. Carpets are stained, walls are dingy, there's zero fun decor-wise, in fact nothing on the walls at all... It looks kinda creepy in an abandoned sort of way. This place was run down, out of stock, employees with irritable and bored attitudes. We won't be coming back and will gladly pay extra to drive farther. It's sad because they are in desperate need of money to help the place. We would have gladly supported had they been open to helping us play a game!

    High Scores Arcade - arcades - Updated July 2026

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