Blast from the Past opens in Microshops in Ipswich

Blast from the Past has opened inside the town's Microshops, in Carr Street, after relocating from Beach Street in Felixstowe.

The gaming arcade gives players the chance to play consoles dating back to the 1970s, on a variety of screen sizes, with an option of around 10,000 games throughout the years.

Allister Frost, a former Microsoft employee, has been collecting consoles and computers since the 1980s, and launched this business in August, opening first in Felixstowe.

Blast from the Past has opened in Microshops (Image: Tom Cann)

He said: "I wanted to move here because Ipswich has high footfall with the population of the town.

"This is also 12 months a year, being inside, whereas with Beach Street, it worked best in summer time, which was a fantastic time for us.

"By Christmas it had dropped off a bit, so I thought I would move here.

The gaming arcade has over 10,000 games (Image: Tom Cann)

"We have triple the space now and I can still expand."

Blast from the Past is currently open across two booths towards the back of Microshops, with a third booth currently vacant next to it, which Mr Frost has said he could look to introduce a VR booth if the business proves successful.

He continued: "We are five minutes from the Cornhill here, it's an underrated area of Ipswich Carr Street so it's great to be here."

The arcade features a variety of consoles and games (Image: Tom Cann)

The business offers a new generation the chance to play on consoles and games that were popular when they were young or before they were born.

Mr Frost currently has a promotion on, which is a monthly membership at £10, meaning customers pay and can access any console or game they wish throughout the month whenever they are in town.

This is running until Blast from the Past reaches 100 memberships. It is £5 to play at anytime throughout a day.

The arcade features a variety of consoles and games (Image: Tom Cann)