A Little Bar Called '8-Bit'

Back in 2016, Poly and I stumbled upon a little bar called 8-bit. We'd travelled down to Falmouth, Cornwall, on our belated honeymoon, following fond memories from my days at the local university. Back then, 8-bit didn't exist. So, imagine our delight that this new bar had sprang up, catering to all gamers whilst providing a friendly atmosphere?

I must admit, I was immediately drawn to their eclectic assortment of cocktails on their amazing level-select display. Now, for anyone who knows me, I don't really drink alcohol. For someone who doesn't normally drink to become interested in the cocktails list... you bet they looked good! The Plumber's Companion was a neon-green apple flavoured liquor, referencing both Yoshi and Luigi from the Super Mario franchise. Sonic the Boozehog was a hilarious titled blue drink with a lemon ring based on Sonic the Hedgehog. There was even a wonderful pineapple concoction called the Lifestream, from Final Fantasy VII. There was one drink that stopped me absolute dead in my tracks, however. It was a drink of pure wonderment that I just had to try. The drink's name? Smashed Bandicoot.

The 8-bit bar level map of the cocktails, designed by Robert Lloyd

Smashed Bandicoot

Being a big ol' Crash Bandicoot fan, I must admit that the fresh mango juice cocktail was absolutely refreshing. An orange drink mixed together in a rounded glass gave the whole thing that wumpa fruit feel of the games. This, of course, prompted Poly and I to sit down and play Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. You see, the bar featured plenty of set up consoles, scatted about. The floor was full of PlayStations, XBoxes and even a few arcade machines. It was a frankly amazing atmosphere that grew better the more games we played. I did suggest we try the pitcher for Smashed Bandicoot, adorably titled The Wrath of Cortex, but Poly politely declined.

Me handling a Smashed Bandicoot.

Whilst we raced through Crash 2, several guys next to us were having fun on Guitar Hero. Meanwhile, we could hear people on the below floor making use of the space for some table-top gaming. The whole decor was incredible, full of gaming Easter Eggs. Figures from Resident Evil aimed their guns at us whilst mushroom clocks told the time. I could have seen myself spending quite a bit of time there had it existed in my uni days. (Well, at least during the second year, which was the only one I had anything resembling money.)

DELICIOUS.

We soon jumped onto an amalgamation of 2D consoles, to which I shall called 'The Hybrid'. I introduced Poly to Streets of Rage II whilst I introduced my taste buds to The Lifestream cocktail. Both drinks were honestly delicious, and I highly recommend them to anyone. Poly wasn't so fond of anything alcoholic, so instead enjoyed the cute Psyduck plush that 8-bit had. Poly's favourite Pokémon is Psyduck, and saw that it was open for bids, intriguingly. She found out the bid was very high, although it prompted the question of why there was a bid on it at all.

Poly nestled down with the Psyduck plush in 8-bit.

Closing Doors

Sadly, it turned out that 8-bit was due to close that very weekend. It meant a lot of merchandise was being auctioned off to raise money for a re-opening in the future. In the meantime, it meant they'd have to find somewhere cheaper beyond Falmouth. The impression I had was that it was due to the increase in rent on the property, which was a shame as that place really did serve 8-bit well.

Since venturing down to them in 2016, I have noted they have re-opened in Redruth. That's a place sort of near to Falmouth but not really. I can't help but feel that Redruth isn't their calling, what with Falmouth being a university town and Redruth being... well, as the locals once said, "a little run down." That hasn't stopped the 8-bit crew from starting a GoFundMe page, however!

The outside of 8-bit whilst at Falmouth.

Fund 8-Bit!

You can donate to 8-bit's cause to re-open in Falmouth through their GoFundMe page, here. They're after £30,000, which may seem a lot, but it's totally worth it should you ever get to visit them. In the meantime, you can always support them in Redruth, or on their Twitter page.

Still, it made for a perfect relaxation period during our honeymoon, following our Crash-esque themed wedding. I think Poly would have gone more for the drinks had there been mocktail versions, but it's a small thing in light of everything else. As for Psyduck... let's just say I may have surprised Poly with the ol' Pokémon when I saw her affection for it. 🙂