What was the name of your childhood arcade?

[maxlords]

The old arcade in my mall was called The Electric Palace. Creepy ass place too

[kupomogli]

I think everywhere had an Aladdin's Castle and Chuck E. Cheese.

Other than those there was only one other around where I lived. I don't remember what it was called unfortunately.

[parallaxscroll]

When I was a teenager, there was an awesome arcade I started going to called GALAXY GAME CENTER in Arlington Heights, IL. (another suburb of Chicago). On Sunday mornings you could pay a 4 dollar cover-charge to play all the games (except Galaxy Force II deluxe, their showpiece) on freeplay from 10:00am to 12:30 PM.

[Astrosmash]

Both Crossgates Mall in Albany and Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston had arcades called Cyberstation; those were the closest real arcades to where I lived. (They're both still there as far as I know. Don't know what they're like any more though.) Also there was a Chuck E. Cheese in Albany when I was a kid - I believe that building is a Staples now. Sad.

Still, I pumped a lot of quarters into a RoadBlasters cabinet at Pizza Hut two towns over as a kid, and slightly later Paul's Pizza in my town had a Neo Geo cabinet with Samurai Shodown that got a lot of use from me and my friends.

[shertz]

Cool thread. I'm assuming you mean 'pre-1984 crash' arcades ;-) Here's mine...

O'Game Pizza Coral - Montclair, CA
Showbiz Pizza - Montclair, CA
2-bit Grinders & Games - Pomona, CA
Staw Hat Pizza - Claremont, CA
Star Ship Video - Upland, CA
James Games (still open) - Upland CA
Family Fun Center (now Boomers) - Upland CA
Bullwinkles (now Boomers) - Upland, CA
Time-Out (use to be Sega Center) - Montclair, CA & Pomona, CA
Chuck E Cheese - Laverne, CA, Upland, CA and Diamond Bar, CA

[ThoughtBomb]

Back in Brooklyn there was but one arcade place and that was More Fun. I went there for years since I was a little kid and remember playing a lot of 90's classics. Eventually More Fun's name changed to Smiles, which me and my friends called "Frowns" because all the games we liked were disappearing along with the arcade itself, eventually. (SIGH) Oh well.

[tcv]

I went back home to Metairie, LA for Thanksgiving weekend. On the way back out of town, I noticed the Fun Arcade, my childhood hangout, is up for lease. I don't really know the full details, truthfully. In fact, if you go the website you can see via live cameras they're still very much alive and kicking. This place has been around for over at least half a century, if you can believe it. They even had a "Fun Arcade West" during the arcade's heyday. It wouldn't surprise me if they're on the way out, what with a declining arcade industry and Katrina's sucker punch.

[Draven]

I grew in Lexington, KY and we had two arcades that everybody went to. Aladdin's Castle and Tony's arcade. I spent hours in those places and alot of cash. Of course they have long since gone, but I miss them alot. One of them is actually a gamestop now. So what was the name of the arcade you went to back in the day? Just curious?

Same here. Exactly the same. I grew up in Jackson and Lexington was the closest arcade around. Between trips the 4 or 5 machines at the local Wal-Mart held me over.

[DeputyMoniker]

Cactus Jack's. (Still open!)
Le Mans. (Still open but it's called Bally's Le Mans now.)

My teenage arcade was Billy Baloo's. They're closed but 2/3 isn't bad! I doubt too many people have the pleasure of gaming in the same room (outside of home) for 20 years.

[Flack]

Cactus Jack's. (Still open!)
Le Mans. (Still open but it's called Bally's Le Mans now.)

My teenage arcade was Billy Baloo's. They're closed but 2/3 isn't bad! I doubt too many people have the pleasure of gaming in the same room (outside of home) for 20 years.

Le Mans closed earlier this fall.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/show....php?p=1436178

[DeputyMoniker]

Le Mans closed earlier this fall.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/show....php?p=1436178

Crap. The last time I was there, their Galaga cab wasn't working and I didn't see anything else I'd like to play. Wish I could have played one more round of Galaga before they shut down.

[apogee_vgc]

The Back Room - Pella Iowa

[BobaFettHotep]

Wonderland in portland oregon

[k8track]

Short answer: My main three arcades were Laser Land, The Subway, and George's Quick Mart.

Long answer:

Some firsts:
• First arcade game (and thus, first video game) I ever saw: Either Space Invaders (cocktail) at Pizza Hut, or Super Bug at Wal-Mart. I think it may be the latter.
• First place I ever saw Pac-Man: Señor Taco, Macomb
• First place I ever saw Frogger: Hornsby’s discount store
• First place I ever saw Donkey Kong: Krogers
• First place I ever saw Defender: Hughes Park, Astoria (I’d read about it in the “Arcade” magazine part of Dynamite magazine. My friend Shannon and I each took half of the controls. We sucked.)

Some places with games I remember (some are obscure places I only visited once):
• YMCA: Sea Wolf, Breakout (never worked; to this day, I’ve never seen a working machine)
• Phoenix Mall, Ft. Smith, AR: Journey
• Central Mall, Ft. Smith, AR: Bagman, Star Rider, Crystal Castles, Mario Bros.
• Quincy Mall: I, Robot
• Road Runner, Booneville, AR: Super Mario Bros.
• Dairy Queen: Donkey Kong Jr.
• Bob’s Skelly station: Jungle King, Berzerk
• Unknown Place in Ipava: Juno First
• Unknown Pizza Place in Rushville: Warp Warp
• Unknown Arcade in Booneville, AR: Zaxxon
• Unknown bus stop in Missouri: Joust 2
• Taco Johns: Time Pilot
• Kwik Shop: Gauntlet
• (Somewhere): Pleiades, The End

The more major places in my arcade-gaming childhood:
• Laser Land arcade: Tutankham, Slither, Monaco GP, Bosconian, Looping, Congo Bongo, Robotron 2084
• Wizard World: Blueprint, Tron
• The Subway: Satan’s Hollow, Pengo, Joust, Zookeeper, Kangaroo, Fast Freddie
• George’s Quick Mart: Jump Bug, Strategy X, Turtles , Berzerk (cocktail), Star Castle, Amidar
• The Place: Warlords, Extra Bases, Tailgunner, Carnival
• Sandburg Mall: Monster Bash, Vanguard, Gorf, Wizard of Wor, Tac Scan, Red Baron, Moon Patrol
• Fulton County Fair arcade tent: Space Encounters, Eagle, Donkey Kong Jr, Tron
• Pizza Barn: Astro Blaster, Stunt Cycle
• Jr. Food Mart: Ms. Pac Man, Pepper II

[The 1 2 P]

For whatever reason I can't remember the names of ANY of my 5 arcades I had back in the day.

[rolligame]

My local arcade was Aladin's castle. Had a few other local arcades but for some reason that one stands out more.

[Gunface]

Ah, the memories.

My first primary arcade was "Dream Machine" in Westminster, MD at the then Cranberry Mall, I think it goes by "Town Mall" now (which is a terrible name). The arcade eventually changed locations, and became "Recordtown Games", and then it closed down.

I'd say my Secondary Arcade was the nearest Aladdin's Castle in Hanover, PA at the North Hanover mall. They had that sweet 4 player X-Men setup, great times.

Still though, nothing will ever beat playing Spy Hunter at Dream Machine...

Awesome! I used to go to Dream Machine at the Pheasant Lane Mall in NH. We went for my birthday most years as it was about an hour away. I remember coming home from it one year and drawing the characters from Final Fight as soon as I got back.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Street Slam...1 Game,,He Won....Rematch Monday..



Baseball Stars 2
Great Game!!!
I started off great,less distractions...Leading 9 to 3...Using all my tactics to try and win..Laughing Hysterically as I just kept scoring..11-5
I told him I'd be impressed if he came back from this deficit...It makes him play even harder which makes me play harder=FUN..
He ties up...
11-11 top of the ninth..I had a man on 1rst and 3rd... I didn't score..
Bottom of the Ninth 2 outs....Solo Home Run that just made it over the wall left field corner...12-11 ..He Won..

[Atarileaf]

Fast Eddie's in Windsor, Ontario

[tcv]

Ah, I found out my childhood arcade is, in fact, gone.

Here's the note in New Orleans CityBusiness. It sucks, but, then again, I haven't been there in years, so it's not as if I helped keep it afloat.

The article notes they are selling the machines.

m