Though net cafes are commonly thought of as nerd hang-out spots and places where seedy middle-aged…read moremen can go to watch online porn, well......actually, that's not too far from the truth. But, there's nothing wrong with an inhuman level of violence and time spent staring at a screen, is there? Arena is actually one of the more social net cafes you can come across. In fact, there's probably just as much socialising going on here as you'd find at your local coffee shop, only conversation and laughter is instead replaced by cries of frustration and anger from gamers taking their hobby way too seriously. Arena has a good variety of games and software, many of them online and mostly up-to-date so you won't be missing out on any action. The hardware of the PCs is also up to scratch with decent graphics cards and catered for the gaming experience. You'll come across the occasional bug or faulty software, but that's easily fixed by relocating to another PC. Pricing isn't over the top, and you can pay for your time in advance if you feel that you won't be able to tear yourself away from your game at some point in the evening. Group discounts are also available for big groups going in to spend the night having an all-out war. Of course, there's plenty of junk food and energy drinks stocked up inside and even a smoker's room (for all you cool kids), so you don't have to physically step outside and experience reality. The definition of living life, hey?

This place recently saved my backside, bigtime. See, I had an assignment that needed to be…read moresubmitted, pronto. There were several major obstacles with that, though. The first was that I was in Adelaide, and the uni wasn't. In fact, it is located about eight hundred kilometres away from Adelaide, and I needed to be in Adelaide for work. Of course, when you need to submit something by email, it's inevitable that you won't actually have any internet access because Murphy of Murphy's Law fame will be working hard to make sure that things will go badly. So of course, my little 3G modem died. After a bit of frantic 'oh my god, what am I going to do'-ing, I picked up the phone book and found this place. Well, perfect. Long story short, work was emailed, good times were had by all, and the story ends more or less here. The prices are alright, the systems are okay - I don't know the specs, I didn't really have time to crank MW2 up to max settings at the time, but they seemed alright. Apart from that, it's not a bad place. I've been to better. But I've been to much worse.

Gamers, like ancient tribes, are all about separation. One way they split themselves is over their…read moremachine: are they a console gamer or a PC gamer? There are hybrids, sure, but those are rare. The console players have a gay old time and swear by the controller, but anyone who's tried competitive gaming on a PC knows the thumbstick cannot match the speed and accuracy of the mouse. Furthermore, the PC will always have the superior graphics. So it may seem, then, that the computer is the obvious choice. The catch, however, is in the expense. And that's where Aztec comes in. If you want to experience PC gaming but have not the finance, Aztec is where you want to go. It's full of super powered computers, and they're all loaded with the latest and greatest games to play. And it's not just for the hardcore, ladies and gentleman. Another way gamers split themselves is over their dedication: are they hardcore or casual? A place like Aztec seems targeted toward the hardcore gamer, but that's a misconception. The real nerds, geeks and fanboys have all the equipment they need at home. Aztec is for the casual gamer who spends hard-earned money on other things, but enjoys the occasional stay in a virtual wonderland. Aztec's even fit for the newbie, who'll experience a majestic revelation if they're accustomed to the real world, where explosions are not a common occurrence, and where there's no such thing as fairies... (egad! Sorry, Tinker Bell!)

I used to spend countless weekends at this place, shooting up my buddies in virtual warzones…read more Though I don't really have the time to indulge in mindless violence so much anymore, Aztec will always be one of my favourite places to go when I'm in need of a quick virtual deathmatch. The hardware on these computers are grade-A: great monitors, excellent graphics cards, and of course, reliable mouses and keyboards! Playing games on these machines is a breeze, and any time an error occurs someone is quick to find a solution. The software installed on these computers also tells you how long you've been online, and warns you when you're about to run out of time - so you can run to the counter and buy more credit before you get booted from a round of kicking your friends arses!

A pretty standard internet cafe. There are about 10-15 computers here. Rates are fairly decent…read more In addition there is a small kiosk selling coffee, icecream snacks and the like and indoor tables and chairs.

Teanet's a little internet cafe just up from the junction of Rundle and King William. I used them…read morethe other day when I urgently needed to print something to get to a friend in town. They charged me $3 for an hour when I needed no more than 10 minutes to access my email to get this file, then they charged 50c a printed sheet. $3.50 for an emergency print wouldn't be too bad I suppose, but because of the number of sheets I had to print, the bill ended up at $11. It might sound scroogey, but that's a freaking extortionate price to pay for one printed document. The facilities are otherwise good. The computers seemed a little buggy from malware or something, but all applications I used worked fine and there were plenty of others in the store using the net. They promise internet gaming as do most internet cafes, so I'd expect their prices to be a little less for the hardcore gamer. Massages are also available if you feel like browsing the internet downstairs. No Idea what that's all about.

iNet Zone is both a computer parts retailer and internet gaming cafe. Compared to some of the great…read moregaming cafes in the area like CyberHive and Aztec, iNet Zone pales in comparison. The monitors hooked up to the PCs are ancient, and the gaming hardware isn't too much better. You might be able to play the classic Counter Strike 1.5 or possibly WoW, but don't expect the graphics cards to drive anything beyond that level. If you're hoping to play an online game of MW3 with state-of-the-art graphics and movement, your best bet is try one of the places down the road. Honestly, how many non-flat screen monitors do you see knocking around these days? The fact that this is a gaming cafe makes it even more embarassing. The parts on sale aren't too shabby - you can buy monitors, power adapters, CDs and DVDs; all the PC and notebook necessities. But again, you're likely to find these products for a better price at a place like MSY or online. It might be worth doing a bit of research before you commit to buy.

It's okay if you're just using the computers to browse the internet, but yeah, they're mostly…read morepretty ancient, and the monitors are fairly shitful. I mean, I just picked up a 24 inch monitor for less than $160, surely they'd get a better deal if they bought in bulk. Oh well, I'm not running their business and I'm sure they wish they had the latest and greatest. I'd be thinking about re-pitching the business to people who aren't interested in gaming so much. The hardware for sale is okay if you're only looking for peripherals, but like Trent, I hit up MSY for anything like that.

I've never had anything else but coffee at this cafe, but as one of the only coffee shops on…read moreHindley Street, it has earned a special place in my heart. The coffee is good; not excellent, but good. What I do appreciate, however, is the friendliness of the staff. They are always so chipper and in good spirits that I immediately feel better about being on that scummy street. That is, until some madman approaches my table and starts muttering psychotic things right next to my face. I really do like this coffee shop, and the fact that it's the only one that bothers to stay open past 5 is a huge helping hand to me when I'm in need of caffeine. Just don't spend too long out on the street at the outdoor tables - you know how it is.

There's a bit of lack of ambience here. There is very soft talk back radio on which the loud fridge…read moreis humming over. But the amount of good stuff is evident. Fresh juice is the first. A good size and cheerfully made. Internet terminals. Useful as they are right next to the back packers. Toilets inside! A real plus. No tramping down a rainy back alley among oil cans and wheelie bins. Two big TVs which I guess would be really cool to watch a soccer match with back packers from next door. Big selection of cakes and a decent range on the menu. Flyers and posters for local events. Magazine rack. Large airy space and huge windows on two sides. This would be excellent for travel bloggers and diarists. I had the pancakes with lemon and sugar and they were no nonsense but fluffy and delicious.