Yestercades (locations in Red Bank & Somerville, NJ)
Yestercades is a gaming experience straight out of the golden age of gaming. Classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders will have parents re-living their youth, while the kids will love the modern gaming consoles like Xbox One and Wii U. Their game library is stocked with the top titles for each system.  Yestercades offers several birthday party packages.

OMG MYO Pizza and Video Game Lounge (Howell, NJ)
I recently had my son's 7th birthday party at this great new restaurant that combines kids favorite things: pizza, ice cream and video games. Owner and mom, Nancy Canon-Ying, created the restaurant so kids would have a place to hang out together and have fun. Customers make their own pizzas by selecting ingredients and designing the pie itself, after-which OMG bakes it in their ovens. They also have a make-your-own sundae bar featuring 12 different ice cream flavors and 20 toppings. The highlight of this restaurant is its Defcon 1 Gaming Room. The room houses 24 gaming consoles, each with 32 inch LCD screens and Turtle Beach headsets. There are tons of games to choose from including Minecraft, Super Smash Brothers and Call of Duty. Call ahead for gaming reservations. 

Power Play Gaming (Denville, NJ)
PowerPlay Gaming specializes in gaming and parties for ages 6 to 26. Their gaming lounge features 12 individual Xbox 360 gaming stations each with 37 inch LCD TV's and surround sound gaming chairs. They also have 2 stations featuring 61 inch LCD TV's and 2 gaming chairs for co-op play featuring Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Minecraft is available on all TVs. They provide both casual drop-in time and tournament play. They also have some great birthday party options including an Overnight Gaming Party. A relaxing lobby stocked with snacks gives parents a place to relax while the kids are gaming.  For more information, call 973-627-0927.

Gamers Paradise (Rochelle Park, NJ)
The folks at Gamers Paradise know how expensive it is to keep up with all the latest games and consoles. You and your kids can try everything for a fraction of the cost before buying it by visiting their great gaming lounge. They have over 3,000 video games, eight 50 inch HDTV's and sleek gaming chairs where visitors can play with friends or go solo. Both retro and modern consoles are available, ranging from Nintendo 64 and Gamecube to XBox One, PS4 and Wii U. All of the current generation consoles have XBox Live and PSN for multi-player gaming. They recently introduced themed gaming nights including Minecraft Mondays, Nintendo Tuesdays, Super Smash Bros. Wednesdays and Grand Theft Auto Thursdays. Gamers Paradise offers four different birthday party packages at their location, or they will bring the games to your next party. For more information, visit their website or call 201-490-4699

The Portal Lounge (Toms River, NJ)
The Portal Lounge is a new type of video gaming lounge that is fun for both experienced and novice players. The Lounge features a variety of consoles including Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii U. Both individual and group multi-player game playing is available. Guests can bring their own games or choose any of the games found in their extensive library. The lounge offers monthly events and gaming tournaments during which prizes are awarded. Single visit gaming, monthly/annual memberships, and birthday party packages are available. Visit their website for more information.

Local Battles (Fort Lee, NJ)
Local Battles Entertainment is a video gaming/LAN center based on Xbox consoles. This unique lounge provides players with a fun and safe atmosphere for a leisurely or competitive gaming experience. They house 32 gaming consoles and 32 ultra fast gaming PCs. They provide casual gaming, tournaments and birthday parties. They also rent headsets and have a variety of inexpensive snacks. Visit their Facebook page for more details.

Silverball Museum (Asbury Park, NJ)
Give your kids a history lesson by showing them what it meant to be a gamer more than 30 years ago. This blast from the past features tons of old favorites like Donkey Kong, Frogger and Galaga. In addition, the Silverball Museum is home to tons of old pinball machines dating back as far as the 1940's. No high tech gaming consoles here, but kids and parents will love doing a little old school gaming at this hot spot located right on Asbury Park's historic boardwalk. The Silverball Cafe features some great boardwalk favorites including pizza, funnel cakes and salt water taffy. Stop in for lunch or throw a retro gaming party at this unique arcade.