There’s a montage in The Karate Kid where the hero, Daniel Larusso, takes his sweetheart Ali on a first date to an arcade – which back in the 1980s looked like the most fun place on earth.

There was mini-golf, table hockey, go karts, dodgems, trampolines, a photo booth for some reason, and a suitably cheesy soundtrack.

And back when the most glamorous destination for a 10-year-old growing up in Walkden was the foyer of Unit Four (they had multi-player Space Invaders), it felt like Daniel San was on a different planet, let alone continent.

Now married for 20 years I have no real need for such first date fluff. I usually get enough brownie points for remembering to take out the green bin.

But after accepting a chance to visit King Pins in Manchester’s Arndale Centre, I can only say their neon-soaked hive of fun is as close as I have ever been to living out that Karate Kid scene right here in the UK.

Bowling has never been my speciality.

There is something in the ratio of arm strength to knuckle size to which I am clearly not biologically suited. If you are going to fail at something, however, it might as well be accompanied by clever cartoon graphics and a light show on the rare occasion my ball avoided the gutter.

Thankfully, my two teenage sons have got the knack, sporting talent not necessarily a genetic trait.

Next up was shuffleboard.

Not the type enjoyed by leisurely pensioners on a cruise but a rather more digital-savvy affair, which proved the most fun activity of the day.

Every push of the disc mapped by overhead cameras, it all felt very futuristic. And there were a few different games to play, which made sure our allotted hour passed by in the blink of an eye. Highly recommended.

We paused for some food and, being honest, I didn’t expect a lot. You rarely get a Michelin starred bowling alley. But, hand on heart, the offerings at King Pins were well-priced and very tasty indeed.

I went with some chicken wings and topped fries, but the table was stacked with pizza, tenders, doughnut burgers and cauliflower wings, which made me glad I hadn’t over-exerted myself on the bowling earlier.

Next up was a spot of mini-golf, a fairly brief but fun activity, and half an hour on the arcade, which was stacked with the latest games. As someone who grew up pushing two-pence pieces in Mr B’s in Blackpool, it was all beyond me, but a grown-up version of Hungry Hungry Hippos forced me out of retirement.

Sadly, the baseball batting cage and the karaoke booths were fully booked, or else I would have been happy to hit a home run in both. But when the organisers of our fun afternoon said we were finishing with a few legs of darts and a couple of drinks, I was transported to my happy place.

Once again, all the hard work had been taken out of our hands – the scoring done digitally, and even the possible double checkouts suggested by a computer screen. It didn’t make me throw any better, but at least meant the maths was sound.

We never did get the cheesy eighties soundtrack but stepping out of King Pins and back into the bright sunlight of early afternoon Manchester was a sobering sensation.

King Pins offers more fun per square yard than most places in the city centre, or at least the family friendly ones. I’ll definitely be paying it a visit again.

King Pins is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to midnight and Sunday 11.30am to 8pm.

Discounts are available for parties and all sessions can be pre-booked online at https://kingpins.co.uk or via the front desk.