50 W Cordova St
Vancouver, BC 

Hours: 4 p.m.–2 a.m. daily
Phone: (604) 423-3081
Menu: gretabar.com

GRETA Bar YVR is more of a sports bar than an arcade for video game enthusiasts to hang out in. And when this franchise type operation has outlets in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, I’m sure the population of geeks is higher, and hopefully there’s a lot more space to play other electronic games too! When Fan Expo Vancouver selected this place to host an after-party of sorts, the business which opened in 2022 better be able to hold a ton of people. When this the convention had sold out attendance on Saturday, packing in over 10,000 people, the ticketed party most likely attracted 2-3% of that number.

Three comic book artists took part in the Comics Xplosion and as for where that took place, even I struggled to figure out where this operation can set up a safe space for them to draw. The mezzanine would be the best area when I was here before the event. It ran on February 22, with Benjamin Su, Dave McCaig and Mike Rooth drawing anything they could think of. Afterwards, the artwork was auctioned off. Although I wasn’t around at the start (was dining elsewhere), I managed to get here in time to see how the last hour went.

But to give the establishment a proper assessment, I went in a Thursday for a bite, because I was already in the area, and returned Friday to play some video games. The promotion for a free hour’s worth of unlimited gameplay to anyone showing their convention badge convinced me to return. While I got a lot of tickets because of one game, none of the swag at the redemption booth interested me. Unlike the prizes one can find at a normal arcade, this one is more about marketing this establishment with the t-shirts, lanywards and caps.

The people here are mostly socialising and enjoying what’s on television (the USA/Canada nationals were on that night), rather than playing games. Most of the snacks are just that. I found the chicken lemongrass bao nothing to rave about, as the dough is nothing like the soft and toasty warm version that I had from Afuri (review link) a while back. Although the wagyu beef offerings were tempting, I wasn’t that interested and I was here to play the games! And when there is a nice large range of alcoholic stimulants offered, I thought nothing about the combination. When some games require dexterity over being able to shoot straight, that can make for an amusing night!

The range of cabinet games is quite good. There’s a mix of old and new, and I found Space Invaders Frenzy is the ultimate game that I can play on end! It mixed up elements from Missile Command and as the stages get faster, blowing them all up can be quite challenging. Although the controller is supposed to have buttons to launch bombs on top, they did nothing, and I had to wait until I hit power-ups to launch counterattack missiles at the invaders and smart bombs coming down at me! Thankfully, the two player option makes everything easier, but even then, players have to be fast on the draw to make it past stage six (the best I did). But as some arcade games are designed to pump up the tickets rather than achieve high scores, I have to wonder about the state of this industry.

While looking around, I found Jurassic Park and House of the Dead. Besides classic Pac-Man, I found four pinball games and gravitated to the Godzilla one. When bar patrons are cheering at the television than for someone making a high score, I have to wonder if the idea for this operation has lost its focus. I miss the days of when there were nationals for games like King of Fighters (which this local operation has). But when they’re spread out, wandering around to try them is like revisiting high school. Some will gladly move aside so one can play that game, and the clique crowds will give you a look.

Until I can find Star Wars Battle Pod arcade game experience, this operation’s shtick is only as good as what one wants to do when out with friends. As a bar, it’s no different from Sam Malone’s Cheers, but as a social place for nerds, it’ll depend. I can see myself having more fun at establishments like Mox Boarding House where the bar/restaurant is separate from the gaming section. That way, there’s no conflict of interest. Now that’s what Vancouver needs and I hope some entrepreneurs can facilitate it!

3 Blokes out of 5