Geeks Mania Arcade — Attraction in Madison

My wife and I took a trip to Madison to explore some new pinball locations away from home. We stopped here first because of the amount and type of pins shown on pinside. After stopping at 4 more locations afterwards, I'm happy to say that my wife and I both agreed this was our favorite. Not only is 15$/person a great value for all day pinball, the pin selection is decent with a good mix of newer sterns, jersey jacks (willy wonka was "game of the week" and it was advertised a grand champ score gets a free week of admission), and GOOD Williams games. We came on a Saturday early afternoon, yes it was busy and there were many kids, but that is expected in an all ages arcade on a weekend at this time of day so it was not disappointing.

Pin quality: Good. Not perfect and it rarely ever is, but the majority of the games I played were fully functioning, and just a couple had a feature or two that was either not or disabled. Games seemed pretty well maintained and I imagine a pretty good pinball mechanic is responsible for keeping these games running well with the amount of play the receive.

Now the non pinball. Lots of games. There are also so many games that are good party games, or games you can play with 4 or more friends, some that I've never even seen before. We've been to plenty of arcades with a ton of games, but this place has a lot of space and despite the crowd, it did not feel crowded. The games are spread over a large space including I believe at least 6 side rooms off the main large one that helped make this place still feel comfortable during a busy day.

In summary, if you like arcades/games/gaming/pinball or looking for a place for a kids birthday party, you should stop here for at least a couple hours and check it out. If you want to play some serious pinball, maybe avoid early afternoon weekends as it's a little bit hectic (expectingly). I'm sure it's a bit more calm on an evening weekday.

Long review, but to someone like me who is trying to decide between some of the many places around Madison to stop at, scroll up and...

Can't I give this more stars?? Arcades are few and far between in 2016. To have this rare gem of a place on the west side of Madison is simply INSANE, and I encourage literally EVERYONE to go!! And go often!! It's a bit weird to find the location the first time you are there. It's in the building AFTER the DMV building, right on the corner. Park in the lot in back and enter through the back door. There is also a front entrance, but there's no real sense in going in that way if you park in back. Since they just opened, the signage is the only thing that needs help. Look for the "Geek Mania" signs on the wall and follow it down the hallway. Once you're in though, you will freak out and your inner nerd will take over, totally forgetting this one simple inconvenience.

There is an amazing selection of arcade games from all eras, you can spend literally hours hopping from one game to the next. An entire ROOM of pinball machines, from the classic Addam's Family and Black Knight 2000, to the newly released The Walking Dead, screams of pleasure and pain can be heard all throughout Madtown because of this room alone! :) There is SO much fun to be had!

There is also a huge area for card games which can be rented out for parties or private events. They are doing repairs on old machines in the back, so new titles are constantly being released onto the floor. They have a gift shop area for lots of different gaming related items, and each time I'm in there, there's something new. Great staff are friendly and easy going.

I live just a mile away from Geeks Mania, and I just can't believe how lucky the west side of Madison is to have this place. This is usually the type of facility you'd see on the east side or downtown, if at all. GO THERE NOW. GO THERE OFTEN! Everything about...

I was upset to visit for the first time with my son, and have most of the arcade cabinets to be out of order. Looks very tacky that some work and are still next ones that don't out on the floor. They need to move them and replace them with working systems if they expect to make a decent profit. Most games are fun, but the ones that do work have been weathered and need repairs/reupholstering/refurbishing. Some are so washed out that it's difficult to play. I was given a gift card for both my son and I, but had I paid. I would've been disappointed with the lack of fun I had due to seeing my favorite games in such a poor upkeep and wear and tear finally catching up with the age of the systems. It needs work to be a great place. I would like to see this company grow and encourage them to seek refurbing current cabinets and or getting new cabinets of the most popular games they see most people playing. I love the idea, and the concept is awesome... But the variety of games that do work are very few. Be prepared to be let down when looking to relive your childhood memories. I still recommend this place for a family get-together or small event/party as it is very fun with the younger kids. It has the games Chuckee Cheese and Alladins Castle no longer have! Overall, I had a decent experience, but it...