EL TEMPLO DEL ARCADE IN VALLECAS
A VIDEO GAME MUSEUM WHERE THE COMMODORE 64 LIVES

Those of us who have spent decades with the C64 keyboard in our hands know that nostalgia isn't just a feeling — it's a way of life. And every now and then something comes along that makes your eyes go wide and forces you to say: "I have to see this, no question."

El Templo del Arcade has arrived in Vallecas. Yes, right inside Madrid, no need for day trips to the outskirts. The space, which for years was based in Griñón — a paradise with a catch, because getting there without a car was basically an impossible mission — has packed up and set up shop in the heart of the city's south. More floor space, more machines, and an address you can actually reach on a Sunday without dreading the journey.

It's a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion, preservation and restoration of arcade machines, pinballs and video game consoles, from the oldest to the most recent. In other words: the dream come true for those of us who grew up feeding five-peseta coins into machines that weighed more than we did.

And this is where it gets interesting for those of us who come from the 8-bit world. Because El Templo del Arcade isn't just arcade machines. The moment you walk in, before you even reach the arcade zone, you're greeted by a collection of microcomputers and consoles that leaves you speechless. As one of the people behind it put it: "This covers the whole history of video games from the very beginning — from Pong, through home computers, right up to the PS4."

For those of us from the 8-bit world, this is the section that really hooks you. On display, among others:

Beyond the museum, the heart of the place is its arcade machines. One hundred and twenty-three machines in perfect working order: arcades, pinballs, light-gun games and driving cabinets.

There are also machines that never made it to Spain, on loan from private collectors: the Vindicator (with real tank-style controls), Xenophobe — where three players can play simultaneously on the same screen — and the Flying Circus, which dates all the way back to 1976. Genuine engineering masterpieces, all working and available to play.

The project has been running for several years. It started with thirteen people, and today the core team is down to just three: Ángel, Manolo and Javier. They dedicate virtually all their free time — after their day jobs — to repairing, maintaining and improving the machines, seven days a week.

The only real break comes on Sunday afternoon, which they use to place online orders and track down whatever impossible component they're after that week.

All so that when you walk in on a Saturday morning, everything is in perfect condition and you can dive headfirst into that feeling only those who lived it truly know.