Gamer’s guide to NYC

We never thought we’d see a Broadway adaptation of Mega Man 7, but that possibility may not be as far-fetched as we believed. On July 2, the Brick Theater debuts “Game Play: A Celebration of Video Game Theater” (575 Metropolitan Ave between Lorimer St and Union Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-907-6189, bricktheater.com; $15). Three main-stage shows run through July 25, beginning with Thank You, but Our Princess Is in Another Castle: Four Live-Action Machinima Theater Pieces, for which producer-director Eddie Kim has reimagined characters from World of Warcraft and other games as digital puppets. Adventure Quest is a tribute to early PC gaming (specifically the King’s Quest series), and Suspicious Package: Rx is part theater, part live-action role-playing: Audience members don Zune headphones and are guided through the streets via aural cues and video flashbacks.

The Brick is also hosting three nonperformance events: a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Night (July 18 at 8pm, $5), Rock Band Karaoke (July 24 at 10pm, $5) and a Chiptunes Dance Party (July 25 at 10pm, $5). Work it out.

At Chinatown Fair Arcade (8 Mott St between Mosco and Worth Sts, 212-964-1542), a noisy old-school game hall, joystick lovers huddle around everything from Ms. Pac-Man (25¢) to the freshest hi-def fighting games, like The King of Fighters XII ($1). Practice hop-kick combos and terrorist-killing marksmanship, respectively, on Tekken 5 (50¢) and Time Crisis 4 ($1). And no, those people along the back wall aren’t performing a Klingon waltz—they’re grooving to Dance Dance Revolution ($1).

When the NES nostalgia has you desperate for some Mario flower power, head to Video Games New York (202 E 6th St between Bowery and Second Ave, 212-539-1039), a veritable 8-bit archive. The shop carries hundreds of NES games, not to mention a comprehensive collection of classics and rarities from just about any system since the days of Frogger—which it sells, by the way, for $150. Or, score a refurbished Nintendo for $90.

As an alternative to the ubiquitous GameStop chain, the neatly arranged J&L Game Trading, Inc. (28 Elizabeth St between Bayard and Canal Sts; 212-233-3399, jnlgame.com) offers the hard-core gamer the latest Japanese imports, including Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars ($65), a Wii fighting game. While the American PS3 and PSP systems will play imports, the Wii is coded by region, so you’ll either have to buy a Japanese console ($350) or—somewhat less legally—get a “modchip” for your American system. We’re mum on where to acquire one, but Chinatown isn’t a bad place to start asking questions.

Across the street from J&L is its closet-size counterpart, Initial D (15 Elizabeth St between Bayard and Canal Sts, 212-431-5478), named after the popular manga and anime series. It attracts customers by selling new games slightly cheaper than competitors do, and it has a nice selection of imports and used PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360 games, though their stock can vary as the store moves inventory. Check out DJ Max Portable Black Square, a Korean Guitar Hero–type game for PSP ($55).

If you’re burnt out on first-person shooters, retreat to the days of plungers and flippers with the New York City Pinball League (nycpinballleague.com). Enter one of its nine-week-long seasons at Amsterdam Billiards (110 E 11th St at Fourth Ave; 212-496-8180, amsterdambilliardclub.com; Mon–Thu 7:30–9:30pm, $50) to compete against the world’s top-ranked pinball wizards. The big guns play on Monday, with the intensity level dropping (and blood-alcohol level rising) by the week’s end.

Like sexual activity, Wii is fun alone, but the experience is far more worthwhile with at least one other person around. Aside from Wii meet-ups (meetup.com/newyorkwii), paddle addicts can test their prowess during a game launch at the Nintendo World Store (10 Rockefeller Plaza at 48th St; 646-459-0800, nintendoworldstore.com). When a big title is released, Nintendo heralds its arrival with either indoor game competitions or a block-party-style event in the plaza, usually featuring DJs and gaming kiosks.

Aside from six more minutes in the dryer, there isn’t much in this town going for a quarter. Which is why we’re such fans of the time capsules inside the Museum of the Moving Image (35th Ave at 37th St, Astoria, Queens; 718-784-4520). Pump coins into one of the rotating 14 vintage arcade games, part of its permanent “Behind the Screen” exhibit. At the moment, you can rack up high scores on Tron, Defender and Donkey Kong.

While a good number of gaming companies are based on the West Coast, New York is home to a few of the titans, including the legendary Atari. Whether you’re a total fanboy/girl or just obsessed with the new Ghostbusters, you can stalk the pros at some of their favorite happy-hour haunts, like the Galway Hooker (1 E 36th St between Fifth and Madison Aves; 212-725-2164, galwayhookernyc.com), and Under the Volcano (12 E 36th St near Madison and Fifth Ave; 212-213-0093), both near the company’s Fifth Avenue office. Atari staffers have also thrown company parties at—surprise, surprise—Barcade (388 Union Ave at Ainslie St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-302-6464, barcadebrooklyn.com), and it’s not uncommon for game producers to log a few hours of Punch-Out!! here. If you do run into an employee, feel free to geek out. “We don’t ever get sick of talking about gaming,” says marketing services manager John Kauderer. “People get really passionate about it. That’s what being a nerd is all about.”

8-bit NYC
Six games that feature our town.

• Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Between matches, Little Mac jogs along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

• Double Dragon Billy Lee kicks his way through what appears to be Chinatown, with the Empire State Building in the background.

• Ghostbusters: The Video Game This new release takes you to the gang’s old haunts, including the Hook & Ladder Company #8 firehouse and the New York Public Library, Humanities & Social Sciences Library.

• Freedom Fighters (PS2, GameCube, Xbox) In this dystopic future, the Russian Red Army has taken control of NYC, and American rebels are trying to force them out. Brawls unfold in Greenwich Village, on Brooklyn rooftops and around Fort Jay on Governors Island.

• Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360) In an alternate New York called Liberty City, players can take the Broker Bridge (Brooklyn Bridge) from Algonquin (Manhattan), and then drive through Broker toward Hove Beach (Brighton Beach). The game features tons of landmarks, from the Condé Nast Building to the Cyclone to the Flatiron Building.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) Not surprisingly, this fearsome fighting team spends a lot of time in the sewers.

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