Do you remember the days of dimly lit video game arcades, full of the bloops and bleeps of games like Pac-Man and Galaga? The heady scent of sugary soda and unnaturally buttery popcorn hung in the air above the neon lights and the grimy DayGlo carpet, and crowds of tweens (which at that time were called children) jostled about from machine to machine, spending coins faster than a chain-smoking senior at a Reno slot machine.

With the meteoric rise of home game consoles, the video game arcade has sadly gone the way of the drive-in theater. You can still find a few here and there, somehow clinging on for nostalgia’s sake, but they have the feel of a reproduction rather than the real deal. The atmosphere is never quite right.

The glory days of the arcade are likely gone forever, but a new tech demo for Oculus Rift offers the next best thing: a virtual reproduction of a classic ’80s arcade, complete with fully playable games.

NewRetroArcade is a project created by Digital Cybercherries, which set out to recreate the video game arcade experience while also learning Unreal Engine 4 in the process.

The virtual arcade does not come with any of the game ROMs for legal reasons, as doing so would be the equivalent of distributing pirated material. The creators at Digital Cybercherries stated that “users may be directed to locations where files and packs can be obtained, but nothing is shipped with the game itself.” The program supports user-added ROMs and cabinet art, so any number of old (or not so old) games can be added.

In addition to playing on the numerous arcade cabinets, players can also pick up a Game Bboy or SNES controller, as NewRetroArcade supports emulators for both systems.

Users who only download the base program without adding any ROMs or emulators can still explore the arcade, listen to cassette tapes or Internet-streamed music, and play “physical” games, such as darts or bowling. Non-VR owners can even explore the arcade on a traditional screen to see what it’s like. And for that truly authentic feeling, you can pop open a can of New Coke, if you can find it, and burn some popcorn in the microwave.

You can view a video of NewRetroArcade in action here.

Image credits: Digital Cybercherries (c)