About Optimus Entertainment
Optimus Entertainment, while once praised for its affordability and suitability for diverse age groups and birthday parties with varied activities like VR, laser tag, and bumper cars, is now plagued by severe operational and hygiene issues. Reviewers note unpleasant smells, excessively dark and hot conditions, unsanitary toddler areas, and a prevalence of bootleg arcade games. Crucially, the business has demonstrated extreme unreliability, including unannounced closures for pre-booked events, and is strongly suggested to be permanently closed.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Historically, it was considered ideal for children's birthday parties due to affordability and appeal for younger ages (Review 1).Casual family outings looking for diverse, non-hardcore entertainment options like laser tag, VR experiences, and bumper cars (Review 3).Initially described as 'fun for every age literally,' specifically mentioned for a 1st birthday party (Review 1).Not suitable for toddlers due to excessively dark environment and unsanitary conditions in the toddler area (Review 2).Good for casual gamers, children, and teens who are not seeking authentic or hardcore arcade experiences (Review 3).
Why families love it
- Affordable pricing (Review 1).
- Reported as 'perfect' for a child's first birthday party, with good food offered for events (Review 1).
- Offers a variety of entertainment including non-traditional ticket games, VR stations (experiences, not full games), a driving simulator (casual use), new laser tag setups, and a small bumper car arena (Review 3).
- Fighting games like SFV and Tekken 7 played well with snappy controls (Review 3).
- Ticket game prize selection is described as simple with 'some good picks' (Review 3).
- Variety of entertainment options: VR stations, driving simulator, laser tag, bumper cars (Review 3).
Insider tips
- **CRITICAL:** Verify the venue's operational status before planning any visit or booking, as multiple reviews strongly suggest it is permanently closed (Reviews 4, 5).
- If the venue were open and you were to visit with toddlers, be aware of potentially dark lighting, hot temperatures, and unhygienic conditions in the dedicated toddler area (Review 2).
- Manage expectations for arcade game quality and authenticity, as many are bootleg with inconsistent performance (Review 3).
- Understand that VR stations offer experiences rather than full games (Review 3).
Good to know before you go
- Making any bookings or travel plans without explicit, current confirmation of operation and reliability, given past instances of unannounced closures (Review 4, 5).
- Visiting if you are a hardcore gamer seeking authentic or high-performance arcade experiences (Review 3).
- Families with toddlers sensitive to dark, unhygienic, or smelly environments (Review 2).
- Anyone relying on the venue for pre-booked events, especially school trips or parties requiring significant travel, due to extreme unreliability (Review 4).
- The venue is described as smelly, hot, and excessively dark ('almost pitch black besides lights on the games'), with management refusing to adjust lighting for parents with toddlers (Review 2).
- Value
- Described as 'very affordable' (Review 1). However, there is a risk of paying for services not rendered due to unannounced closures, with one school group hoping to get their money back (Review 4).
- Food
- Food was mentioned as 'good' in the context of a birthday party (Review 1). No other details provided about general food policies or offerings.
- Accessibility
- No specific accommodations mentioned. The venue is intentionally kept 'almost pitch black' (Review 2), which could be an accessibility concern for some visitors.
- Safety
- Kids are required to take shoes off in the toddler area, but this was cited as a hygiene concern rather than a safety feature due to the area being 'filthy' and smelling like urine (Review 2). No other safety features mentioned.
What parents say
"Wow i would recommend to everyone and I do. Fun for every age literally. Had my son first birthday and I wish I could have his second there it was perfect across the board and food was good. Book this place very affordable"
4 months ago
"It has potential but its lacking. It smells, hot and dark. Like almost pitch black besides lights on the games. I asked can the light be turned on because I had 2 toddlers with me and the manager said “no, this is how we keep it”. The toddler area needs to be cleaned. They require kids take their shoes off and their feet was filthy after playing and the area smelled like urine. If we wasn’t invited to a party we would have immediately left."
a year ago
"TL;DR: Great for casuals, hardcore gamers stay away. When I heard that a new arcade was opening up in New Orleans, I was very excited, and for the casual looker, this will fill their needs. However, a good number of issues prevent this location from being a regular spot for me. The main arcade is definitely a unique experience, with multiple non-traditional ticket games with inconsistent timing and huge RNG pools that make AP tough, though the prize selection is simple and has some good picks. Many of the selling points of this arcade include VR stations with a variety of experiences (no ful"
5 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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