A visit to Retropolis in Southend: classic machines back on the seafront

Retropolis made a strong impression on our March 2023 visit to Southend-on-Sea. The attraction was the machine line-up: the kind of older fruit machines that can turn a quick look around an arcade into a much longer conversation about favourites you remember.

The Maygay selection included Donkey Kong, Fight Night, The Pink Panther and EastEnders. Nearby were JPM machines including Roller Coaster, Monopoly 60th Anniversary and Colossus. Seeing those names together was the main reason the original report was so enthusiastic.

The Astra multiplayer collection was another highlight. Party Bingo, Party Games, Hokey Cokey, Party Arena and Party Time Double Decker were among the machines noted during the visit. The report particularly praised having so many working examples together in one arcade.

There were familiar Barcrest names too: Andy Capp, Road Hog and Viva Six Las Vegas. Machines from Impulse, Global and Empire added to the mix, alongside a small selection of retro video games.

At the time, Retropolis was operating as a family amusement arcade. The original writer hoped more adult machines would follow once the necessary licence arrived, but that was a hope for the future, not a confirmed list of machines already available.

Alan, Andy and their families received the thanks in the original report for bringing this collection to Southend. What came through most clearly was the pleasure of finding machines associated with childhood and teenage arcade visits back together on the seafront.

This account describes the visit published on 26 March 2023. Machine line-ups and facilities can change, so anyone travelling for a particular cabinet should check directly with Retropolis before setting off.