With about 175 Tim Hortons, 150 Starbucks and a handful of Second Cups, Coffee Times and Country Styles, Toronto is well served by cafes. It’s less known for bowling alleys (lots of closures since the pandemic), video arcades and, especially, science museums and planetariums (zero).

All of which is why the opening of a new arcade — even a temporary pop-up like the one hosted every February/March by Hotel X — is an event to be cherished.

The newest iteration of its Retro Arcade is very much geared toward couples and groups, with classic two-player games like air hockey, dome hockey, and even an eight-player foosball table.

There are also pairs of competitive games so you can vie for bragging rights in basketball shooting, motorcycle racing, bowling, and more. A virtual-reality roller coaster simulator is best experienced with a friend so you aren’t alone in looking goofy as you duck and dodge while wearing a VR helmet.

For those into more old-school arcade action, a pair of pinball machines (Elvira and Beatles themed) is available, as well as Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, and a game-of-all-trades offering everything from Asteroids to Street Fighter.

The devices are set to free play, but if you really feel the need to drop quarters into something, there’s a vending machine stocked with retro candy at modern prices. ($9 for Bottle Caps?!)

The Retro Arcade is free for guests of Hotel X, or you can purchase an all-day pass for $27.18 from Eventbrite. It’s open daily from Feb. 13 to March 22, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Now all we need is a few new bowling alleys, and maybe a fresh planetarium”¦

Learn more about the event, and nab your tickets, here.