This place is totally awesome!! It's a full on arcade the likes of which send me back to the 80s but it has the added benefit of having a full bar. I drank a couple of Galaga (i.e., Old Fashioned) cocktails. While imbibing, I sent myself back to my teenage days by playing Donkey Kong Jr, Track & Field, Crazy Taxi, Tetris, and some half dozen other classic arcade games. Sadly, I had to leave before using all my tokens as I had a dinner reservation. The good news is, though, I now have a reason, nay, obligation to come back. I wish we had a place like this where I live! read more

I never thought a place in the 21st century could do such a wonderful job of replicating a hole in the wall 80s arcade. Up-Down is that place. It is literally underground and is poorly lit but just bright enough thanks to the video games that you can still have fun talking to your friends. If you want to remember how bad you were at playing 80s style games, then bring some money and prepare to get a blast of from the past. Arcade games include top hits like Frogger, Pac-Man, Wreck It Ralph Jr, track and field, Tetris, rally racing and so many more. These are the original versions not some remade version. To make the experience that much better, they have a great selection of adult drink choices at the bar. Yes, you can do the one arm curl while controlling Pac-Man as he munches away at the pellets and ghosts. read more

I've broken a lot of glasses here by accident because I get plastered and too damn excited when I get to Goro in Mortal Kombat that the glass slides off the arcade cabinet because I don't have the good sense to keep it on a table. Sorry, Up-Down. :( Up-Down is located in a basement, so you feel really cool going down the stairs with the neon sign blaring in your eyes. Since Iowans don't get subways, we often miss out on the thrill that is slowly descending into a subway terminal. And that's not where the comparison to subway terminals end. About half way down, you get smacked in the face with the smell of old, old booze. You get used to it, though, because it's absorbed through your skin and you reek like Up-Down for months after your visit. If you get in and out in ten minutes, you may avoid the stank. The entire place is pretty dingy looking. They did desperately attempt to plaster the walls with pop icons from the 80s and 90s so people are more like "Hey, that's Ash from Pokémon!" instead of "Hey, that's black mold!" Plus, everyone is too distracted by nostalgic arcade cabinets to really care that their friends are slowly being picked off by the oversized rats in the walls. The floors can be sticky. I wonder how often they scrub down the actual arcade cabinets. Aside from arcade games, they do have oversized Jenga and skeeball. They have an N64 and that gets any self-proclaimed 90's kid's boner going even if they only ever played an N64 once in their life. The games of choice or usually Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. They do have Mario Party but you risk pissing off all the drunken bros who live and breath beating random strangers at Up-Down at Mario Kart. The bathrooms are horrifying. Dudes freely use the gal's restroom and there are no locks on the stalls. I recommend humming a tune or belting out Celine Dion so people are aware that you're occupying a stall and don't walk in "guns blazing" so to speak. They also smell like hamster bedding. I do enjoy the graffiti though, so make sure you bring a silver Sharpie or something, because the walls are black. Leave a silly one-liner! I know I have. This place gets very busy on the weekends at around 10pm. It gets crowded and very hot and you may accidentally make eye contact with a nerd. The drinks though? Always good. Never had a bad one. They have a decent draft selection and fun, video game-themed mixed drinks. They got great specials during the week too so you don't have to spend a lot on coins to use the machines. Overall, this place is fun to come to a few times a year just so you can ascend out of it knowing you lived through it. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with UpDown. I love that its close to my local watering hole and that I can usually get a few of my friends to play a game of Jenga with me. I sort of (but not really) dislike UpDown because the machines always like to eat my coins. That being said, the bartenders ALWAYS reimburse me, and are super understanding about it. Hey, I get it, the machines are old/retro, they are bound to malfunction. One day I will come in when all of the skeeball machines are working, fingers crossed! My only concern with this place is that it gets REALLY hot down there on busier nights and God forbid someone falls down those stairs getting there or leaving. They sometimes get a little slippery in the winter. It would be nice if they had an elevator :-/ We can only dream. Great place to have a get together with a croud of friends though! read more

Update: newly expanded with food options and more game options. A much better addition which makes the place even better. Not you don't feel like you're playing in a friend's dark basement. read more

This place is WHACK. If you're Black don't come here. The customer service is TRASH. The drinks are trash. Pizza is the only thing on the menu & it's trash. The music is trash. The place is just trash. Never going there again. read more

This is a super fun spot to take your date! So many games to choose from. Classic arcade, newer classics and a great selection of pinball with solid hands on games make this a great joint to hang for an hour or so! read more

The entrance reminds of some seedy clubs I've been to in NYC. Guy at the door sitting on a little stool checked my ID and stamped my hand. I knew I was in for some fun. I don't drink, but I did notice they have a decent selection of microbrews, old school WWF reruns playing on the TV, and all my favorite games. Kiss pinball, Donkey Kong, Altered Beast, Ms. Pacman, Frogger. I met some friends there and it's a little loud, but we could still have a conversation which was mostly, "you suck I rock this game." The staff is really friendly and there are plenty of games to choose from. The atmosphere is just the right amount of funk. My one piece of advise is bring cash, the drinks are cheap, and they have a $10 credit card limit. ATM is available as well. We'll definitely be back! read more

Super fun place with great crowd. Be prepared to wait a little to get a game in during peak hours. Great drinks too. Went there on my birthday weekend with some friends to check out the new addition upstairs. We played a lot of their new hockey foos game. The games are cheap and 5-10 dollars should last you all night. I would be there more but I am in Clive. They have a great Ms Pac Man cabinet! read more

You start by heading downstairs towards black doors unsure of what to expect but you hear the nostalgic sounds blasting from the inside and immediately feel welcomed! I love the giant connect four and jenga. The set up for Smash Bros with the large screen is amazing. Love that they have skeeball. The drinks.... don't get me started. I could talk all day. Very reasonably priced and delicious! The bartender (taller blonde guy) suggested drinks from the drink menu and even made us a special one of his own called the thing. TRY IT!! you won't be disappointed. He even gave us ideas for what to do in town the next day. Perfect for a group of people to come have fun. We went on a Tuesday night.... still had a good turn out. Very chill vibe. You read more

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We love a bar arcade and have been to many. There were a lot of people and many of the games weren't working. Beer selection was ok.

Fun place. Good beer list, and all the old-school games that I wanted to play were there and in good working order. They don't cheap-out on the tokens (I think I got 8 for $1). Rampage, (fast) Ms. Pac Man, Missile Defender, Track & Field, Burger Time, etc. My only complaint was that it was hotter than Hades in there even with the doors open. I heard it was an unusually crowded night (it was packed) so that may have been a factor, but I was sweating by the time I left. (After leaving a new high score on Ms. Pac Man.) I'd go back. read more

I was visiting my boyfriend's family in IA. It was his brother's birthday and the boy likes games, so we tried this place. Neither of them had ever been, which was cool; we all got to experience the magic for the first time together. We went on a Sunday, so it was 2-for-1 tokens, which made an already budget experience obscenely cheap. PLUS the bro got extra tokens for free because it was his birthday (or close enough to it - the bartenders were sweet and let him have them even though his birthday was technically the next day). We loved the game-themed drinks. The bar is absolutely stuffed with great games. They even have a cozy little "living room" where you can play Mario on Nintendo, and a big projector screen on which to play Super Smash Bros or Super Mario Racing. I liked the vintage arcade games best, especially Burger Time, which I had never seen before and which made me highly anxious in the best of ways. Those evil hot dogs! Super silly, super cute, made me super competitive and very hungry. I also liked (and was, for once in my life, good at) the pinball games, particularly The Walking Dead. Fun! We stayed for hours and had a blast. 10/10 would go every time we visit from now on. read more

Classic arcade games in a bar atmosphere. Good times with friends guaranteed here! Get there early for the occasional game token deals. Prices on games are only a quarter each. The drink selection is nice also. Good location downtown. Recommended! From Rampage and Dig Dug to Playboy Pinball and Mario Cart, the place has plenty of entertainment to keep you having fun all night. Skee Ball and more! read more

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This is a really neat bar and honestly, it's a pretty cool place to go if you're alone and want to drink. I was a little nervous, I must admit because I was going out alone in a city that I don't really know much about. So, I got my little airplane bottle of cucumber vodka, chugged it by a trash can, threw it up a bit, brushed myself off and went into Up-Down. Went down the stairs, I looked around for a second and then I thought to myself, wow! They're playing my favorite songs! However, I needed to immediately run to the bar and get myself some fireball-lemonades and thank to the high heavens, the fireballs were only $4. I'm not a big fan of places with a $10 minimum on cards, but it's worth it if you're trying to have fun. Anyway, to the arcade part of it. The place looks like a retro-80s, 90s arcade. All of the games are older and have a lot of fun classic vibes. I was super mesmerized and sat down and watch people play the South Park pinball machine. I like that the place kind of wraps around and it almost seems like there is a nook and cranny to explore. If you don't have money also, they have giant jenga blocks for you to play with. I probably will be coming back here when I come back to Des Moines again. read more

First great barcade in Des Moines! This new "barcade" is known for their large array of classic arcade games, life-sized jenga and connect four, and older gaming systems. They have great games like Pac-Man, Mario Kart, Super Mario, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Tekken and many more. There is even a skeeball area in the back. I dig how for a lot of the games, there are spaces intentionally placed so that you can put your drink there. My only complaints would be that the space where Jenga is located is quite cramped, therefore when it falls, it seems potentially unsafe. The space is a little cramped because of all the games, but I guess the more games, the better! read more

Whoever the genius was who thought of UpDown deserves some sort of award from Generation Y. What better place for kids of the 80s to come and enjoy GOOD beer [Bell's Hopslam, anyone?] and those iconic games of our childhood? I'm talking balls-to-the-wall, no-holds-barred Jenga, Mario Kart, Super Mario Brothers [complete with your Mom's floral upholstered basement couch], Tetris, Tron, Pac Man, Pinball, and yes, even Skee Ball. There's tons more, but those are just the best parts. Up Down, you're doing it right. read more

Great times to be had. Great beer selection on tap and they newly renovated layout really opened up ambiance. Great game selections for the gamers and for group looking for party favors. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the neighborhood. read more

Overall: For Des Moines, it's a unique bar with a cool atmosphere, cheap drinks, great music, great beer selection and fun games. I've been to Up-Down a few times while visiting family in Des Moines and it's what you expect from a typical bar. It gets pretty crowded, but they do a decent job at making sure it's never over crowded. I never have cash on me, so I'm not able to get coins to play games, so be sure to bring cash with you or break down the cash you have for $1 and $5 bills. They're known for their shotski, which we do each time we go, you just have to ask the bartender if you can make it happen! The beer selection is REALLY great. From basic domestics and light beers to imports and craft beers from all over the nation, it's definitely a spot for those beer lovers out there! Probably best to get there earlier or closer to closing on the weekends because you might not be able to play any games during the busy prime hours! They typically have some older 80s or 90s film playing on all the televisions, so be prepared to feel all the nostalgia in this basement arcade. read more

I know that I have posted a review on this amazing place before but it must not have stuck! I love this bar. This bar satisfies my nerdy gaming needs on an (take my money) level. They have great coin and drink deals. They also have PINBALL! I love pinball. I love that they have drink holders attached to the machines so you never have to move or worry about spilling your drink as I yell at the machine for my ball slipping by the prongs. :) They have giant Jenga, they have old school systems hooked up so you can sit and play them as you wish. I love the giant screen for Mario Kart that everyone can get into it. Also don't for get your 4 person Pac Man game and Ski ball. Really I am so happy in this place. Music, booze and games only for the adults who never want to grow up. I always seem to have tokens with me when I go home. The games are only a quarter and that could last you all night. The place is packed every time I visit. Body to body people and video games you really cant go wrong. We recently stopped in with a party bus and they happen to be having a photo booth night and everyone jumped in to have their pictures taken on the back couch. I think this place is a must if you are in the area. I know that my other review was more lengthy on how much I enjoy coming here but this one will have to do. I have been here multiple times and I don't see any reason not to keep coming back. My your gaming nerd happily live on at this bar. read more

All right: the games are super cheap - most are 25c, including the pinball, skeeball, and dozens of classic standup arcade games. Super Nintendo is free, as is life-size connect-4 and Jenga. Drinks are reasonably priced. It's part of the ambience that you're in a packed cellar but that can get annoying on the weekends. A recent complaint was that the place smelled like unwashed bodies. The Jenga can also get noisy and out of control, but again, that's part of the ambience. If you want to play video games in peace and solitude while you sip your beer, there's another (lesser) barcade on the other side of the river. For the party people, Up/Down is where it's at. read more

The concept is now a tired one but upon opening it was unique. Every time I have been it has been busting at the seams with people. The tap take overs can be fun but it is hard to get a pour sometimes. Vintage games are a nice poke in the side of 'remember when?' Bathroom has been clean and well stocked each time I have been. Parking can be tricky. You are better off taking a spot when you see one and walking over. It is in a nice area and there is plenty to do so make a day of it. You will enjoy it, there is something for everyone. read more

Positives. Lots of classic arcades. Eight pinball machines, and they serve drinks. Negatives. Mixed drinks are weak, shots are a bit under a shot, and as a biker I stood out like a sore thumb. (As a biker I didn't really give a...) read more

It's rarely as fun as you expected to be when you go. Yes, the employees are often rude, but sometimes waiting in line to play a game is not worth it if you ever even end up getting to play the game. I've also been there at least twice when one or more of the Skee ball machines was not working. read more

CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE! I came here with my fiance's coworkers one day for a get-together and am glad I got to see what this place was like. I never heard about it and was taken for a nice surprise. They have old school arcade games you can play (For tokens of course). I did not have anything to drink when I was here, but will take my friends here sometime and partake in their beverages as well. It is an overall great place, the atmosphere and people are friendly. read more

I've never had a bad time here. People that work here are friendly & people that go here are respectful. Though the women's bathroom has little to be desired & is broken a lot (good thing they have 2 toilets). There are so many games to choose from that just cost 1 token. Before 9pm there's 2 for 1 tokens at the bar. They have a ton of beer you can try. There are even free games. Skee-ball, Kenya, pin ball, pac man, mortal kombat, simpsons, super mario kart, mario brothers on nentendo, driving games, shooting games, Tetris... So much more! It's always cool/temperate there & never hot even when it's crowded like other places in the East Village. read more

KC needs a place like this! Immediately. Looking for things to do, I found this place online and thought "oh, my boyfriend will probably like it." It may sound crazy but totally blew my expectations away! His face lit up and the 80/90s kid came out. Love the fact that it's 21&up, you can nerd out, games break down to only .25 so you have plenty left for drinks, what more could you possibly ask for?! I am in love with the concept and can't wait to come by again. The candy infusions weren't half bad either! read more

This is my first time here! Went out on a limb on a Saturday night and to be honest I'm not a game playing girl but I'm so glad I came here. We got here about 9:45 the place was packed. We ordered a drink which was week. We got some tokens and started playing games. The crowd was loud and spilling drinks. I started playing Frogger which I got to play for free because someone had left $15 worth of tokens in the machine! Addicting game to say the least. The place kind of smelled of B.O but what do you expect in a basement full of guys. I played Frogger for about an hour because I was that determined and hey it was free! We moved on the the pin ball machines. I had a blast playing the TMNT one!! I was up to having 4 balls at once! In the back corner they have a NINTENDO with Mario! I haven't played this game since I was a kid. They have a couch to set on and it felt like you were at home playing when you were a kid. I got to level 5-1 on one guy and let someone else play!!! I haven't had this much fun in a long time. We ordered a few drinks and they were just weak. So we stopped ordering. Them. The bathroom is a diff story. My only complaint really. It's small, the doors don't lock, both times, there were girls puking in the stalls and I really just had to pee! They ran out of soap which by the way was just a little bottle not even a dispenser. I shrugged it off because it is a bar and I haven't found bars with decent bathrooms. Oh and there is also Mario kart!!! How cool is that, I relived my childhood playing rainbow road! I had a blast, you should check it out, made me feel like I'm chasing my youth though. Haha but I'll deff be back!!! read more

Up-Down - I loved playing old nintendo!!! So awesome! - Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I came here one random weekend while I was in Des Moines with a friend and I had heard many good things about this place so I had some high expectations. Walking in, I had that impression of another "towny" bar and if anyone knows me, I actually really enjoy "towny" bars. The crowd that night was just the right mix of people and chatter. I can't remember the drink that I ordered exactly but I know it was something along the lines of Starbursts or Jolly Rancher Sour. I've had better drinks but that wasn't why I was here. I came here to play giant Jenga and that is what I did. My friend and I got challenged by another couple to play giant Jenga and even though we lost, we still had a great time. Something that I really love about this place is that it has a lot of vintage gaming systems like pinball machines, Nintendo 64, and Sega; all of the systems that I grew up playing. This place is nostalgia in a bar form. I'll be back soon and I'll be sure to win at Jenga next time too. read more

Channeled my inner 12 year old...with beer! Sweet barcade with a variety of drinks. Great venue for small events. The ski ball corner was the bomb. Loved that all the games I played only required 1 token. read more

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What a fun place! Who would have thought gaming and booze would be the perfect pairing? Came on an early Friday evening after working to meet up with SO and his coworkers. Partook in the special known as Pound and a 6 Pack, which is 80 tokens and a 6 pack of domestic cans/bottles. Very good value. On top of that, they also give a small amount of free tokens to the first 100 who show up that evening. Now to the games: wide selection of classic sit-down/shoot-em-up video games, pinball machines, skee ball, and of course the infamous human jenga. Varied enough selection to entertain most. I have to admit I'm not a huge gamer, but I found Pac Man and skee ball more than entertaining. Also have a human Connect 4 and a Nintendo 64 with Mario Kart. This is also in a great location on Locust St. smack dab in the middle of East Village, and adjacent to Tacopocalypse. read more

I was surprised this place wasn't bigger! In my mind I thought it would be more spacious and have more table type video games. It's got a very interesting house cocktail menu! There's great vintage video games on two levels but it's not a large place. There's not a lot of seating. I'll go back again! read more

The doorman was exceptionally rude. My friend and I were approaching the entrance mid-conversation and we were the only people in the foyer. When we didn't walk up to him and present our IDs right away, he rudely interrupted us and demanded to see our IDs. We were not holding anyone up and it would've taken 5 more seconds for me to finish what I was saying to my friend and then present identification, but the jerk got snippy, so we left. I don't see why anyone would be expected to pay $7 for a beer and have to put up with horrendous customer service. read more

This place reminds me of watching "The Wizard" in the movie theater, and dreaming that Santa would bring me that bad a$$ gamer glove! It is the true essence of a barcade. Retro divey, and in a basement! Excellent selection of games and Mario kart 64 on the big screen! Really the review could end there. For drinks a nice beer selection and some fun game themed mix drinks. They pour a nice mix drink for the average person. I like that they give you tokens when you buy a drink. Good selection on pinball and they have a skeeball league. They also play old episodes of American gladiator on the tvs and I found my self cheering! I really dislike the giant janga they have. I took a block to the foot while playing another game and I was not a fan. A few of the games joystick were unresponsive but to be somewhat expected. Did I mention that they have MARIO KART 64 ON THE BIG SCREEN?!?!? WINNER! read more

Love this place - what a great and fun idea! Fun for a quick drink or a night out with friends. There are tons of old school video games to keep your attention and ski-ball, my favorite! I also love the race car games. No food so keep that in mind. A pretty darn good beer selection as well - domestics, micro brews, and some local stuff as well. read more

Came here yesterday afternoon for my last stop in Des Moines before heading to the airport and, boy oh boy, I'm so glad that we stopped here! 2-for-1 tokens at the bar! And you get a ton of tokens! Played Skee Ball, N64 and Pac-Man Battle Royale! Seriously, I haven't laughed so much in a long time and will definitely be coming back to Up-Down the next time I'm in Des Moines! Also, the bartender was super friendly! I think its a Des Moines thing! Everyone is SO NICE HERE! read more

Good drinks and specials, which vary depending on the day of the week. If you want to enjoy yourself, go during the week (and earlier) because this place is buzzing later at night. Service is pleasant and efficient, but I feel their drink knowledge lacks. As I'm sure has been noted, games are only 25¢ and the staff will gladly refund your money if one doesn't work. They also do a nice job swapping out games for fresh material. Downsides are that the place seems to have a filmy grime on the floor and bathroom fixtures. Fun place though to knock back a few and enjoy yourself. read more

I went to UpDown on a Monday. The bar is actually on the basement of the building next to tacopocalypse. The bar welcomes you to a dark low key setting. There are tons of arcade games and a few adult table games like connect 4, a huge jenga set, and skeeball for the non gamers. I just wish they had more table games. We sat on the booth next to the entrance. The seats were sunken in and loose. Somewhat uncomfortable. There was a 2 player pacman arcade game installed in our table. However, it was out of order. On another note, the bartender was nice and made me a captain America, so if youre in the mood for something new and fruity, order that ;) Every 15 min a waitress always came to our table and asked if we needed refills or another shot. Its always nice to be kept on mind. In all, I'd go back. read more

Classic arcade games and beer make for a great combo! Came here on a Saturday night with a friend and probably spent a couple hours playing the games. I didn't keep track of time, it was just fun! Highlights included the extra large Connect Four and Jenga games along with 4 player PacMan and Skee-Ball. They also had a number older games for the Nintendo 64 and a few pinball tables. For a solid drinking game I'd say loser has to finish a quarter of their drink after each match of any game. This place made me feel nostalgic, I'd recommend it! read more

I love this place! They always have great drink specials and you get tokens with every drink. The more you drink the more you can play! You can also purchase coins without drinking. Tons of pinball, retro arcade games, Nintendo 64 hooked up to a giant projector screen for Mario kart, giant jenga and giant connect 4. They play 80s and 90s music and the tv's play non-stop American Gladiator. In the back, you can find a retro super Nintendo hooked up to a console tv and even a dirty couch to sit on to simulate your full childhood, basement gaming experience! read more