Play rare and beloved retro video games like Mortal Kombat, BurgerTime, and Golden Axe with affordable token pricing.
Enjoy a diverse selection of pinball machines, featuring both classic and newer models for thrilling gameplay.
Sip on budget-friendly drinks with heavy pours, served by friendly bartenders in a lively arcade setting.
Grab delicious pizza and snacks to fuel your gaming sessions, available on-site for convenience.
Host unforgettable birthday parties or group events with token packages, pizza, and arcade fun for all ages.
Use tokens or quarters to play games, with helpful staff ready to assist with any machine issues or extra tokens.

Relive the golden age of gaming with classic arcades, pinball, and retro fun for all ages!
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Aftershock Classic Arcade is Madison's premier destination for retro gaming enthusiasts and families alike. Featuring an extensive collection of rare and classic video games, pinball machines, and modern favorites, we offer affordable entertainment in a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy token-based gameplay, friendly staff, and a full-service bar with drinks and snacks. Perfect for birthday parties, casual visits, or nostalgic trips down memory lane, we're dedicated to preserving the joy of arcade gaming for everyone.
This place is SO FUN! We stopped here yesterday impromptu with a group of 6 12-year olds for my son's birthday. The gentleman working was super helpful and so friendly! He gave my son a free cup of tokens for his birthday, we let the boys play, and ordered pizza (which was delish)! $5 each kid and they were entertained for an hour and half. I highly recommend this place! Anywhere you can play Guitar Hero, BurgerTime, Mortal Kombat, and Golden Axe is a win in my book. Thank you Aftershock! We will definitely be back soon!
Great games, great atmosphere. Drinks are cheap and you get a lot of tokens to play the games. They also host events all the time. I live out of Madison and have been wanting to go to a retro arcade for a long time, and I was not disappointed. Always my go to place whenever I visit Madison!
This is, without a doubt, one of the best arcades in the Madison area! Bring cash for the tokens. Most old video games are one token (25¢), while the newer ones and the pinball machines cost more but are still very reasonable. I spent a few days in Madison mainly to check out the arcade scene, and Aftershock was the one that I wanted to return to one last time before heading home. There are a lot of rare games here, and the pinball selection is great. They are very helpful if there is a problem with a game. I can't comment on the drinks because I'm not really into that, but the bartenders were so nice anyway and loved the games as much as I did. They don't have many food offerings, but they do have pizza and snacks, as well as a soda vending machine if you'd rather have that.
I love this bar! The workers are always nice, they always give you extra tokens if you have an issue with a machine, and they even started to recognize me when I come in! They also have little custom tokens instead of quarters (although all the machines take quarters too) which I just absolutely love. Heavy pours, pinball, and pull tab machine. What more do ya need?
This place is truly a hidden gem. A very unassuming front entrance leads to a large room with an amazing selection of great games. No filler arcades wasting space here, just cabinet after cabinet of some very fun classics. The attached parking lot has ample space. Time spent here is well spent.
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