Mark Guenther and Mia Mazadiego met in college, back when Mark had a pinball machine in his dorm room that he invited Mia over to play. The couple continued collecting and restoring dozens of classic games over the years until 2015, when they decided to open Neon Retro Arcade: an homage to the arcade’s heyday in the heart of Old Pasadena.

This colorful venue, with a light-up interior befitting its name, might be a little slicker and less sticky than an arcade from back in the good old days, but the games are just how you remember them. The owners’ goal has been to introduce classic arcade games to a new generation that perhaps is more familiar with Minecraft than Street Fighter.…