Reviews of The Pixel Bunker. (Museum) in Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire).

The Pixel Bunker

125 Reviews

97 Comments

Museum

Video arcade

National Film & Sci-fi Museum, 34 Secklow Gate W, Milton Keynes MK9 3AT, United Kingdom

Description

Information of The Pixel Bunker, Museum in Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of The Pixel Bunker

Popular times

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of The Pixel Bunker

D.

As far as I know this is the only place like it in Milton Keynes unfortunately. Great family atmosphere with a decent selection of arcade machines. Obviously I'd have liked there to be more (no Capcom cps1 or cps2 machines so no street fighter or marvel arcades😩). The pricing is good and you get about 4 hours for a session. Be careful though as there is limited space and people can book up spaces online. Unfortunately there were a few too many machines out of order or not working properly with drifting steering wheels or arcade sticks constantly drifting left.

Z. C.

It was great to see old favourites. I booked a family ticket for £36, at 10am-1pm. I think a 3 hour slot is a little too long, due to the heat and smell within the room. There is not enough ventilation for the amount of people in the space. Games were generally fab. There is a great counter of snacks and drinks and a figurine display section to look at. Gamers heaven, family of 50:50. Maybe an hourly option?

G. P.

Strangely, the games that held my attention for longest weren't the ones I was expecting. I hadn't even heard of Magic Sword or Maximum Force before but they were my favourites. Metal Slug X is still beautiful, and Operation Wolf is the nearest I'll get to using an Uzi (my poor trigger finger). A nice reminder that true vector graphics such as Asteroids and the Star Wars arcade cabinet are really great. Stayed the full three hours, but attention was drifting a bit after two. Would love to see some larger cabinets, but appreciate that space is at a premium.

M. K.

For me i really enjoyed my visit. If you love old games and can remember the feeling of an 80s arcade its almost like stepping back in time. If your too young to remember then this is what it was like - smoke and strange people asking for a credit or 2.. played pac man, Galaga & Bomb Jack leaving my MCK high scores on each! £14.99 Will get you 3 hours and unlimited goes! Well worth the price. But you need to book online. Also your find the venue is next to the movie sifi museum and they are selling some cool stuff. Only 1 thing that could make it better is if they had seats as standing for 3 hours is hard if you have walking problems or disabled group members

J. B.

An incredible afternoon of retro fun. 100 arcade machines - all the classics - Afterburner, Time Crisis 2, Star Wars - in the X-Wing, TMNT, And a vast decor of retro games. You pay to get in and you then can play as much as you like in your time slot. It didn't feel in any way full, got a chance to play any game I liked and really enjoyed it a lot. I had forgotten how much fun this can be, but not how expensive it once was and this was fabulous value for money. Really enjoyable. Staff were ace.

b.

Great retro arcade with original cabinets! So great to play some of these games again. They are old, so not everything works as intended. Good value and 3 hours is more than enough time. Things to improve It's very hot in there They need more bins The toilets needed cleaning Messiest reception I've ever seen

L. B.

Awesome Fun! 3 hour sessions is more than enough time to explore the ample selection of games from vintage classics to more modern favourites. It can get very warm in there so I would suggest dressing for warmth 🌞

M. F.

A fantastic retro arcade with over 100 different games to play on original arcade cabinets! The staff have also said that they've got over 100 more cabinets that can be switched out, so each visit will be different!! But even better than that is they are all on FREE play! So no need to pump them full of coins to play. You can play as many, or as few of them each visit. For example in Time Crisis 2, I was able to simply press the "continue" button each time I died... and so I reached levels that I was never able to as a teen! The entire room is decked out with retro stuff and funky lighting, adding to the atmosphere overall. I was not only able to relive my youth, but to enhance it and create new memories! This arcade is part of the much larger National Film & Sci-Fi Museum, which is coming very soon! You can see glimpses of it through the shop and entrance areas, but you can tell that there is so much more to come! I can see myself spending loads of time here!!

W. S.

Was a day out for my daughter, she wanted to go there but I think both her and her father enjoyed it very much. I had a little go at some of the games, pacman, Galxian

M. F.

Loads of fun! All the machines are in great condition and it was easy to get a turn on every single one. As an older "geek" it was great to take my teenage daughter for her to experience these games for the first time and for me to reminisce. Will definitely be coming back

J. N.

Went here yesterday during an evening slot was great fun. They had all the classics and some new retro games which were great fun. Defo will return. Wish they had bubble bobble, a non digital pinball and a Tapper but otherwise was a great selection. Good selection of drinks and beverages too. You want to know what would make it perfect? A selection of American sodas, candy and beer.

J.

I had a great experience here today, seeing all the retro arcades had me feeling very nostalgic. The aliens arcade bought back a lot of memories and the wrestling figures well I never thought I would see them again. Nice 3 hours of play time. I would like to see some retro pinball machines in the future.

A. M.

Completed 4 of our favourite games start to finish. Fantastic arcade and very fun. Will definitely be going back

K. S.

Got very busy quite quickly on a Sunday morning. Good game selection, very warm inside. On the pricey side at £36 for family ticket. Played: Point blank Daytona Karate Champ Time Crisis Tekken Pacman Track and Field (high score) Paperboy Asteroids Ridge racer Missle command Space harrier Operation wolf Terminator Street fighter Simpsons R-Type Plenty more games in there.

J. J.

Cool place for retro gamers, would have been nicer if machines were spaced out a bit more as its quite close. I took my autistic teenager, so it was a bit loud if sensitive to noise

S. W.

So the idea is great but the execution isn't. The place is small with no air-conditioning so you are sweating in there where I went in winter and would dred it in the summer. The lack of seating in the lobby area (only 2 seating areas) really did put me off the place completely, as I wanted to rest well my son still carried on playing and I couldn't do that. I ended up standing leaning against their fridge because my feet were hurting I was overworked overheated and just needed some fresh air. They've got quite a bit to fix before the idea of would actually work can't see the place lasting. Didn't stay my full 3 hours only stayed an hour and a half because of these things.

N. E.

We had a blast! We spent 2 and a half hours play on the games. It was so cool to be able to play the classic, old style arcade games, as well as a few we'd played before. The only thing I could have a negative about was we weren't aware we had to book this, and the museum separately. Might be worth there being a joint booking system? But other than that it was great. Such an amazing collection of games, and being in a dark room made the experience even better! Thankyou again to the staff for a great day!

C. H.

This is the national film and sci fi museum new to mk. In this is the pixal bunker, this is a retro arcade with loads machines , really good vibe, lighting and sounds :) we had such a good time playing some classic arcade machines I remember from childhood . Drinks and treats available there.

V. C.

Second time visiting and nice to see they've changed round some of the games so we got to try something different. Disappointed though that a few of the machines were out of order (about 5 of them) and then on others the joysticks/steering wheels weren't working properly and on Point Blank the trigger and calibration were off making it unplayable. They were working fine on our previous visit and I would not want to go back until I was reassured that it was all maintained properly with games back in working order. As others have mentioned it is hot and cramp but still very enjoyable, our 9 and 14 year old stayed 3 hours without complaint.

N. O.

Booked on their three hour session but attention really wained after 60mins so left and came back when quieter. If you are COVID risk adverse you would find it uncomfortable. There are alot of people in the session in close proximity and no sanitising of controls. I found three machines broken (paper boy, point blank blue gun and ridge racer wouldn't stay straight) as well as the one tagged out of order. It's all jammed into one room and felt a little underwhelming to be honest.

M. R.

None of my personal favourites were there (Monaco GP, Final Fight, Super Sprint, Point Blank) however this didn't really matter as with so many games available on free play there's something for everyone. No machine hogging so got to have a go on everything worth coming a bit later in the session and starting til the end as it does quieten down considerably (maybe an idea to offer a taster ticket 1/2 price for the last hour of a session only?)

L. M.

The Pixel Bunker was epic! Between the 2 of us, my teenage son and I managed to get on approx 5 'Top Score' boards 😁 Retro arcade video gaming at its best.

J. F.

We went on a date here recently and we both really enjoyed it! Such a good price for 3 hours and such a unique way to spend your time! Good for all ages and not too busy so you never feel like you're waiting to play a game... Would definitely recommend

L. F.

As adults we enjoyed the games... took us right back. Our 15 year old kids not so much.. I think they so used to HD & graphics now. Little disappointed that 'Alex the kid' was not there 😔 As a family of 4 we brought the family ticket £35. I think this is very over priced. You get 3 hours for this but the room is very small and very HOT! Husband could not cope with spending another 2 hours in there. Also a few of the games were not working. This place is inside the Sci fi and film museum which is also another £35! When booking tickets I did find this very misleading as I thought you got the museum and pixel bunker together, sounds more worth it.

H. H.

Went to a Sat pm session and it was brilliant. Took me back to my youth with loads of original, classic arcade games, all great fun. The session was sold out but it didn’t feel busy. People moved around the machines so you weren’t waiting too long for any game. Can’t wait to go back. 3 hours wizzes by in a flash. Great for kids both young and old!!

A. H.

I really wanted to love it, but it's a little half-hearted in some ways. There are classic arcade cabinets, but many are broken or are two player games with only one working set of controls. It's too hot, packs customers in too close (yes, even during Covid) worse than even arcades of the 90s, and the staff seemed a little apathetic. It's fun, it's worth a visit, but temper your expectations.

L. W.

What a great retro hit! Took the kids and their cousins (age 8 to 14, both boys and girls) and had an amazing time. Three hours sped by and it was great playing some intergenerational family co-ops on real old time classics, that even my Nintendo soaked kids agreed were really good; and then spent most of the test of the day talking about. (as did I the next day with some of my more geeky colleagues). We will definitely be back!

J. C.

Visited the Pixel Bunker with two young children. To be honest, having to pay for a 5/6 year old wasn't worth it because they aren't tall enough for most of the games and there are no steps for them to stand on. As others have said it was also way to hot and crowded. We left after 45 minutes because it was just too uncomfortable, especially with a mask. Would recommend if you go during a quiet period and with older kids.

G. L.

Spent 3 hours here recently. While the choice of machines is good and value is fine, it is a little cramped. They could do with a bit more space around each machine. Some couldnt be used as others were using the neighbouring machine and over spilling into the space. Good fun though overall

A. B.

Good trip down memory lane. Large selection of vintage games that appeal to all ages and preferences. Not too busy, so can move from game to game easily. 3 hours flew by, but it's exhausting saving the galaxy that many times 😁

G. H.

Great visit some quality old arcade machines

j. j.

Like a timewarp back to the 80s you won't wanna leave. Good for introducing todays kids to a time when games only had a joystick and one fire button, bliss! Just wish they had more space for the bigger cabinets like Gauntlet and Super Sprint and more sit downs but that's just being picky. Can't wait to go back, money well spent.

S. B.

Great retro arcade fun. Some of the best classic machines from the 70's to the 00's.

J. P.

Small, dark, cramped, noisy. Exactly what you want from a retro arcade! The machines were brilliant and are all on free play so you think "just one more". Where else are you going to find a Joust, an Outrun and a Time Crisis?

M. T.

Definitely good value for money - considering you could blow £10 on an arcade game in about as many minutes back in the day. Three brilliant hours of retro arcade fun

M. L.

Arcade machines from the 80s onwards. Great nostalgia.

J. W.

Kids loved it 11 and 7 years old dad 40 loved it too

A.

Fantastic place! How can anyone complain, we should be grateful for the people making places like this possible. We need more places like this, keep up the good work, hope to be back soon 👍

L. R.

Heard about the pixel bunker opening on an ad on Facebook. As soon as we saw the ad me and the family were excited to be able to go. We wasn’t let down, it has an amazing atmosphere and an amazing room with retro arcade machines. The staff were absolutely perfect and always ready to help. A perfect family or friends evening out. Definitely going again, also cannot wait for the museum to open. 100/10

L. C.

I was excited to go to pixel bunker and today I went for the first time. For me, I love retro games and I spent a lot of time in arcades in my teenage years. Pixel bunker is good, but the hype was better than the experience. Pros - Good selection of games Good mixture of games from different eras Easy to access with plenty of parking Has a nice feel to the place with cool retro toys on display Cons - Some of the machines are old and battered For the price, you don't get a lot for your money (will go into this in detail) The arcade is pretty small so the racing games are standing up rather than sitting down My major issue with the place was the price of a ticket. Although £13.50 for three hours sounds cheap, it isn't when you compare it to it's competitors. In Bury there is an arcade called Arcade Club which is the largest arcade in Europe, their ticket price is £16 for the day, the arcade itself is probably 5 times the size of pixel bunker with a lot more on offer. So although pixel bunker is a good place to go, maybe £10 for three hours or even £5 for an hour is more reasonable. Also the feeling I got when playing the games is that they're not checked daily for things like gun calibration on the shooting games and the joysticks are tatty and stiff on games like street fighter and wwf. The biggest plus from pixel bunker is the cleanliness and the staff. They are always going around the machines cleaning them and there's a lot of hand sanitiser. The game selection is fairly good, there will be some favourites missing but there are also other favourites... for example, there is one game in some classic series but not necessarily the best game of the series (subject of opinion). Also some classic arcade games are completely missing like final fight, wwf wrestlefest, moonwalker, golden axe, virtua striker, virtua fighter, tekken 3 and the list goes on. Would I recommend pixel bunker? Not at the current price, but at the same time I wouldn't advise against going. Would I go back? Yes but not in a hurry and maybe when more games are put in. All in all I would say it's good fun but there's better out there if you're willing to travel. As far as a local arcade, yeah it's a lot of fun.

E. F.

Awesome! If you loved arcade games in the 70s and 80s you have to go. 3 hours of fun for £12 - bargain.... Gutted I didn't finish Commando though

S. W. (. A.

Great place full of retro arcade games.

J. P.

Just great, three hours flew by. Some games had a few minor issues but that's part of the charm, no emulation or modernised cabinets, these are as original as you can get. Coming back regularly!

S. P.

A great afternoon and worth every penny. It's 3 hours but they had to chuck us out! Very well organised and staff are friendly. Genius idea.

L. H.

Well worth the money, you get three hours of non stop play. Bought back so many memories and children loved it too

D. M.

Amazing, such a fun place. Brings back so many great memories. Highly recommended and will definitely come again. 💜

M. K.

Haven't had wrist ache like that since I was 14. The heat and noise of a 100 odd arcade machines. It's 1989 all over again. This place is great.

A. R.

It was a great evening out for my whole family. Great staff, with a large variety of games for good value. Hope they do a yearly pass. Thank you for a great experience

z. H.

It was too busy and did not feel covid safe, so only stay a short while.

M. g.

Absolutely awesome and amazing thought I was 16 again which was a long time ago lol very helpful and knowledgeable staff will definitely be going back 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

A. A.

Excellent vintage games machines, great fun. All age's.

L. P.

Wonderful, fun place with brilliant arcade games. Lovely, friendly staff too. Will definitely go back again soon.

T. W.

As a 37 year old it is retro, but kids of today might not appreciate the experience as much as a adult reliving their youth. Good amount of time for the money, especially for 4 people

E. C.

Quite small place with lots of machine. it gets really hot in there even with fans on. staff is really friendly and helpful.

F. D.

Excellent selection of old arcade games, friendly team and great atmosphere. Journey well worth it, loads of parking and food options close by.

S. H.

Really lovely arcade, had a blast with my friends. Great atmosphere, can't wait to return!

A. D.

An excellent afternoon playing 80's arcade games. Will definitely go again

S. J.

Anyone who likes retro gaming needs to visit. Amazing atmosphere and great staff after all these years I am still good at Double Dragon.

M. T.

Wow! Took my son there and brought back loads of memories! Can’t wait to return! Great value great service.

J. A.

Such a great place, friendly and helpful staff; great evening spent playing some of the best arcade games of the 80s and 90s.

L. L.

Smaller and busier than expected but some great games, it's great for a family outing.

K. (.

A large selection of retro games a lot I hadn't seen before. It gets extremely hot in there even with the fans on but was a good time overall

D. B.

Great place! Highly recommended and all the team at Midsummer Tap can’t wait to have a team night out there!

J. O.

Excellent time, only liked a few of the machines but they had track and field so all good

S. C.

10/10 The staff were great and there was always something to do for the 3 hours we were there. Can’t wait for the museum to be open. 100% will be going again

b. c.

Lots of lovely retro arcade games from star wars atari to classics like time crisis and pac man

M. W.

Great place, well worth a visit, some cracking games :)

d. f.

Very overcrowded. Too hot inside the room. Too many people inside. Machines too close together. No Space Invaders or The wall

A. S.

So much fun! Loads of atmosphere. Dark, loud and intense, just like I remember!

J. L.

Awesome retro gaming fun only going to be as successful as how they keep it updated and new titles rolling in!

K. B.

Great fun and great value, really brought back some amazing childhood memories!

A. C.

Very warm. Old machines you can't do a lot but otherwise great time there

G. V.

I love this place bring back lot of memories and my 10 year old son love to

S. R.

Quite fun, a bit too hot so don't forget to bring water

H. S.

Superb Retro Arcade! Loved it. Look forward to the museum.

P. M.

Great value. Had a great time. Bought back a lot of childhood memories

G. F.

Brilliant display of 80s retro gaming.

S. H.

Great experience and fantastic staff really friendly and great machines!

G. B.

Fantastic place to play some amazing games! I remember most of these from back in the day!!!

D. L.

Great place, super chill and they buy and sell retro toys 😁

j. n.

Great place, Great time...will go again when I can.

S. C.

This Brought back so many memories from my youth. Thank you

N. C.

Get your 80's arcade on!

G. L.

Great night back to the 80s

I. W.

Good value family ticket

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