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Shout Out the Arcade you grew up in.


Lee9977

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for those that grew up on the west side of portland, do you recall the name of an arcade in Beaverton in the strip mall on the corner of Murray and Allen Blvd? It closed in 83 or 84. Used to go there a lot after school at Highland Park.

 

My mom used to work in Beaverton Mall and I ended up spending a lot of time in Electric Castle. sad to see that spot chopped out to an exit and a small food court there now.

I remember there was a tiny computer store next to it that sold the Coleco ADAM, and a place on the other side that did market research.

the roller rink had a lot of arcade games too, at the end by what was G.I. Joes. I remember playing a lot of Missile Command there. That got turned into a Ross dress for less for decades and I think now its a grocery store of some kind, I think.

I haven't been back there since last winter.

 

there were so many arcades open back then. we used to try to go to every one we heard about to see if they had anything new.

Hey HFB.

Don't recall going to the one on Murray and Allen (I now live about a half mile from there) but I sure remember going to Electric Palace (Electric Castle is Wunderland). My sister worked the sticker kiosk in the mall. It's now called "Cedar Crossing" and the fountains are gone. And I have fond memories of the roller rink (and zapping myself on the machines after getting static electricity from rolling around on the floor) too. Also, there was a small arcade in Valley Plaza on Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, if you remember that.

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whoops! yea, as I was typing that I was thinking "better not get them mixed up" and of course I did. doh!

yea, I was back in town last february and checked it out. I used to work in the mall too back in 87-88 at Tower Video. that of course is long gone and most of the mall unrecognizable.

I don't recall an arcade in Valley Plaza but if it was small I probably only went there once. I swung through there too when i was in town as well. I wanted to see if the Valley Theater was still running, and suprise! It was, as a 2nd run brew pub. i didn't have time to see a movie there but I plan to next time I'm in town. its the only theater left that hasn't been torn down from when I was a kid.

 

I remember vaguely there was an arcade sort of out in Aloha or Hillsboro that someone had made in an old converted house but it was at last partially run by this quite attractive woman. This must have been around 1980 because I recall she was keeping my dad entertained while we played the games and I was jokingly suggesting her marry her so we can score the arcade. He got remarried in 81. He took me to Chuck E Cheese before telling me, too, haha.

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Damn, I've got to find more information on defunct Portland Metro area landmarks. The Canyon Drive-In, Family Drive-In, various arcades, Hydrotubes, Washington Square stores, Beaverton Mall stores (and the airport, which was way before my time), places like Mr. Steak, Wuv's Burgers, etc. Pictures too would be nice.

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Damn, I've got to find more information on defunct Portland Metro area landmarks. The Canyon Drive-In, Family Drive-In, various arcades, Hydrotubes, Washington Square stores, Beaverton Mall stores (and the airport, which was way before my time), places like Mr. Steak, Wuv's Burgers, etc. Pictures too would be nice.

I wish I had more pictures. I went and saw quite a few movies at the Canyon Drive-In, don't recall which one the family drive-in was. back then that stretch of canyon was pretty empty. I remember when washington square was brand new, but barely.

The name of that arcade really bugs me though. considering the amount of time I spent in there you'd think I'd remember. Maybe I need to search on the ground when I'm there this winter

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Hey, PM me when you get into town.

Also, there is now a classic arcade downtown called Ground Kontrol, if you haven't heard of it. Kind of cool place.

I actually like the new Beaverton Mall (again, now known as Cedar Hills Crossing). Good restaurants and I love the Game Trader store there.

I remember just before the old Pay Less they used to have a mini arcade.

BTW, the Family drive in is now the Tigard Cinemas.

Fun to chat with you on old Portland-area memories.

Edited by retrorussell
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Hey, PM me when you get into town.

Also, there is now a classic arcade downtown called Ground Kontrol, if you haven't heard of it. Kind of cool place.

I actually like the new Beaverton Mall (again, now known as Cedar Hills Crossing). Good restaurants and I love the Game Trader store there.

I remember just before the old Pay Less they used to have a mini arcade.

BTW, the Family drive in is now the Tigard Cinemas.

Fun to chat with you on old Portland-area memories.

 

yep, I've been to ground kontrol several times. I didn't realize the tigard cinemas was an old drive in, or I forgot.

and I don't mind the cedar hills crossing now, it was getting a little dumpy before they started the radical remodel. I miss the old mall for nostalgic reasons, having worked there, and my mom worked in the mall until The Emporium closed. she started in the mall in 1978. I spent a lot of time in there. I remember when there was a head shop near the entrance to the emporium.

I'll be in town in january or february. I'm avoiding the crazy season a bit.. less expensive, less crazy.

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  • 3 years later...

Tin Pan Alley - West Lafayette, IN

Pizza Keg - West Lafayette, IN

Student Union - Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Showbiz Pizza - Lafayette, IN

Aladdin's Castle - Century Plaza, Birmingham, AL

I used to frequent all the Lafayette locations, including Tippecanoe Mall with Aladdin's Castle. Pizza Keg was awesome!

I will never forget the great smell of Showbiz pizza, plastic and pizza. :)

Golden Axe at the Union at Purdue!

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  • 5 years later...
On 6/21/2009 at 1:08 PM, kidnicky said:

I will be SHOCKED if anyone remembers this one,but when I was a kid I used to go to this one called Funky Monkey or Chunky Monkey or something at a little shopping center in Chelsea,MA. It was with a DeMoulas/Market Basket and an Osco Drug and some other stuff.

-Wayne Me and my brother would always ask for the F.M its was in the mystic mall Chelsea yup next to m.b. now its all done over!. But they had this draw of jus pure fun it felt like heaven's fun spot open up an I would spend my money so fast I had to ask my brother for his!!!... f.y.i there was a cool clothing shop also in the mall owned bye a wrestler... it was an 80's babies clothing store but it was a tight little mall.....

F'n awesome I looked this up. Because I'd like to open up one!!!! Cheers ???

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The Gold Mine, in Gleason's Corner Mall, Lake City, Florida!

I loved that place-my Grandmother(Nan)would shop, and leave me with plenty of $ for the Gold Mine and the taco shop next door, they were the last two stores before the back exit, I rarely remember leaving that area.

Props also to the Arcade collection at...I guess it's "Regal Cinema" now, I just can't remember what it was called then, the movie theatre in Lake City-not really an "arcade" per-se, but you wouldn't have known it, they had rows and rows of everything-in hindsight, they were there as an "attraction" for promoting movie ticket sales, but there were plenty enough games to have just spent an entire evening playing them.

(Tearing up a bit...dang. I really wish we still had those places...).

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Pinball Plus I and II, Burbank, California.  Usually went to the one on Magnolia (which I think was II) because it was close to home, but occasionally would bike over to the one on Glenoaks (or San Fernando; I forget) to see what they had.

 

Star Amusements, the Seafront, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.  There were a string of arcades of varying degrees of sketchiness along the Seafront; went to all of them at one time or another but that's the only one I can remember the name of.

 

A couple of nameless arcades in Dublin along the quays, but also the giant one across from the Odeon Cinema on O'Connell Street (first place I ever played G-Loc / R360).  One of the sketchier ones was just named 'Amusements' and it was a great place to watch drug busts take place (happened twice while I was in there); practically every game they had was a bootleg, as well.  Pretty sure it was a money-laundering front.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Oh man. Several here -

 

The first arcade I can remember going in was one attached to a swimming pool on a military base I was living at with my parents.  They rotated out games, but the constant one I used to really spend on was Heavy Barrel.  Also in this arcade - High Speed pinball, 1942. The same base also had an arcade attached to the commissary - most of these were newish though, so think late 80s/early 90s classics like TMNT and Final Fight. I found out much later (just a few months before we moved) there was a third arcade at a rec center on the base as well - I can remember either Space Position or Action Fighter (uncertain which now), my brother said they also had Yie-Air Kung Fu but I don't remember that. 

 

That's the thing about these arcades - most of them were not arcade chains.  They were a side part of a business or something like that.  Another one I recall was at a pool after we moved to Ohio - only game I remember was Crime City by Taito. Alot of trouble makers went to that pool, so I only went a few times. 

 

The first actual named arcade I used to troll was Fun 'n Games at the Upper Valley Mall in Springfield, Ohio - now a dead mall.  It died a sudden death along with most remaining arcades after the fighting game fad died down. I think it was gone totally by 2000. 

Edited by SearsRoebuck
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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Space Odyssey USA in Englewood (they used to have a train ride that would play a song similar to the Josie & the Pussycats theme), Bowler City in Hackensack (had The Simpsons, Class of 81, and a rare Addams Family Generator machine), and of course... Chuck E. Cheese in Paramus.

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  • 1 year later...
On 2/12/2009 at 10:24 PM, Gregory DG said:

I went to every arcade I could go to. The names usually escape me, but there are three I do remember most, all in Winter Haven, FL.

 

* Barrel of Fun (old Winter Haven mall) The entrance was shaped like a beer barrel.

 

* Atari Expo! (boy, was I excited when this opened. Still have some tokens. Took over when BoF closed at the mall.)

 

* The third one... I visited the most, but crap if I could remember the name now. (I'm sure it will come to me after I hit post.) But it was great, my first real experience with "modern" games of 1988-ish. I remember playing SMB, 1942, Hang-On, Afterburner, Bad Dudes, Ikari Warriors and the like there. It made a killing up by the Cobb movie theatre, but ended up getting run out of town because it was so popular with the kids. A couple of years later they reopened near the original spot, but didn't last long.

It was called "Gimme Games" next to the Cobb Movie Theater in Winter Haven, later moved into its own building on Havendale Boulevard.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Defunct:

Trumbull Mall Arcade, Trumbull, CT

Spanky's, Bridgeport, CT

Wizard's, Bridgeport, CT (quarter mile down the street from Spanky's)

Crazy Eights Arcade (Rose from the ashes of Spanky's, about a mile down the street), Bridgeport, CT

Arnie's Place, Westport, CT

Connecticut Post Mall Arcade/Tilt, Milford, CT

Milford Recreation/Smiles, Milford, CT

Melbourne Mall Arcade, Melbourne, FL

Putt-Putt Arcade, Palm Bay, FL

Fun Machine (two locations) Orlando, FL/Casselberry, FL

Fashion Square Mall Arcade, Orlando, FL

Florida Mall Arcade, Orlando FL

Rocky's Replay, Casselberry, FL

Contemporary Hotel Arcade, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

 

Current:

Pinball Pete's, Ann Arbor, MI

The Arcade In Brighton, Brighton, MI (I work there)

Crazy Quarters Arcade, Bay City, MI

Retro Electric Arcade, Lowell, MI

Offworld Arcade, Detroit, MI

Barcade, Detroit, MI

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, Farmington Hills, MI

Free Play Pinball Arcade, Fraser, MI

Pinball Classic Arcade, Monroe, MI

DraftCade, Perrysburg, OH

 

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16 hours ago, Rendclaw said:

Defunct:

Connecticut Post Mall Arcade/Tilt, Milford, CT

Milford Recreation/Smiles, Milford, CT

 

I remember Milford Recreation back in the day. During the Eighties there were a number of arcades along route one going through West Haven/Orange/Milford. I forget what the one in front of the Post Mall was called. You had to enter it from the front, not from inside the mall. The door was on the side along an outdoor hallway that took you to one of the doors to the mall. It was small but had a great atmosphere with cool lights.

 

The was another arcade on Route One in Orange called Gompers which had a lot of games.

 

We also had a decent arcade in my home town of Branford on route one. They sometimes had bands pay there as well. I think the Romanes played there once.

 

There was also Chuck'e Cheese that had a bunch of arcade games. For years it was across the street from Sears until they moved into the Sears shopping center, but by then they had transformed into a junior casino.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/1/2009 at 8:58 PM, Inky said:

Aladdin's Castle -- Louis Joliet Mall

Putt Putt Golf & Games, Joliet IL (Essington Road)

That Game Place -- Jefferson Square Mall, Joliet, IL

 

All three are defunct. They replaced Aladdin's Castle with a lame-ass "Pocket Change" arcade.

 

Putt Putt is long gone, and Jefferson Square Mall was torn down 3 years ago

I wouldn't be surprised if we were at the same arcade at the same time at least once (except Putt Putt, never went there but went to the mini golf place that was in Jefferson Square for a bit) I lived near Glenwood Ave. and use to walk the railroad tracks to Jefferson Square Mall. Went there from 79-85 until we moved out and went back when I was visiting probably right before the shooting. Nothing was better than Aladdin's Castle for me though, especially when you could play unlimited games for $5 on Sunday I think it was? Good times!  

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  • 3 weeks later...

Doc Holliday's Game Emporium, Cincinnati, OH (1983-2000). An arcade that was located under one of the largest bowling allay in Cincinnati (68 lanes)

Here's a image from 1983 (opening year):

DocHollidaysRHpic11.thumb.jpg.9db6e6b328de0c32141cf7cf028138bc.jpg

The bowling allay is still there and operating but, unfortunately Doc's (as we called BITD) is no longer in operation and here's what it looks like today:

DocsEntrance.thumb.jpg.d6fd53c1f6140f91025e2b4f080911fb.jpg

 

Here's a few more images from back in the 1980's:

 

DocHollidaysRHpic9.thumb.jpg.edde2010b02fd0e39a4c5d34c9e4adf3.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic8.thumb.jpg.3f5dbbdf190efc0630dcd2873d7eab30.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic2.thumb.jpg.e74c37c1a6f97a26b1bd87544d9a6b5b.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic4.thumb.jpg.b18152e5c4647e425588f7598717345c.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic6.thumb.jpg.b075266b8af2774cb490af080e8d6b27.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic1.thumb.jpg.05ce9adf14a7d464bcb22ef0e6f939e2.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic10.thumb.jpg.a26794974d3adb3398b46054436d21d5.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic7.thumb.jpg.9b824110d4f8ae9f261ec5cf20a7fb51.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic3.thumb.jpg.b995af690e4e23954baca29f65cbc1c5.jpgDocHollidaysRHpic12.thumb.jpg.e2cc10c0e8c9da1d8c1621fd6eef1ba8.jpg

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This is always an interesting topic for me as it is for many of you our age I suspect. One reason is I always explain how my first arcade game experiences weren't in an actual arcade, but rather bowling alleys and pool halls that eventually *became* arcades.   Case in point, we had a big entertainment place here in the KC metro area called King Louis West. It had a big bowling alley, a big pool hall, and a big ice rink for free skate, but also figure skating lessons/events and hockey practices/games.  

 

So in the mid 70's 76 or so when my very first memory of that place was when I was 5, the place was pretty much all pool tables with a row or pinball machines. Then you saw a few more pool tables taken out...it seemed like they had over 30 to start...and more pinball. Up until  about 77 or 78 then you saw the first "video" games.   Atari Stunt Cycle, Seawolf, Breakout..things like this. But the pinball machines still had their place.  Then when Space Invaders came out and that was where I first saw it. That was the real beginning of the major change.  Once that happened, you had Lunar Lander, Asteroids, and on and on. And it seemed like each week you'd see more and more video games until they filled the video game wall and then you started to see the pinball machines disappear in lieu of more video games. Then you started to see the pool tables disappear in lieu of more video games.  It eventually settled into what was more like a dedicated arcade game room that also pinball and pool tables.  It still had a dedicated pool area with dozen or more tables, but 1/3 or what it once was.  And there was still pinball, but it was maybe one row.   If you recall there were still new pinball hits that came out during the late 70's /early 80's arcade craze that were hits across society, not just with pinball players...things like Gorgar, Xenon, etc....so you DID still see new pinball machines show up.  

 

So I'd have to go with King Louis West entertainment center as my first arcade I grew up in.  

 

Now as for the first *dedicated* or purpose built arcade that I visited, I'd have to say it was Nickelodeon at the nearby Oak Park Mall which was pretty new at the time and just few miles away from King Louis West.  But the one I probably actually spent the MOST time in was the Fun Factory at the same mall that did in Nickelodeon eventually.   I also spent quite  bit of time at Showbiz Pizza.  We were lucky, it started in KC and the 2nd location in the country was  3 mile bike ride from my house, but it was definitely more short lived than Fun Factory.  I also spent time at the Malibu Grand Prix..but much less as it was more expensive.  Fun factory opened when I was in 6th grade or something and was there when I left home after high school.  I do realize Fun Factory started in other parts of the country earlier as more of an indoor carnival with rides/games etc. But we got it in 81-82 or so and by then it was pretty much a dedicated huge arcade.  The nice thing was they were big enough to stock 2 or even 3 of the hottest new games for less waiting.  

 

Here's an artists rendition of King Louis West before it was built(and pretty much what they actually built):

Document?documentId=15620

 

Afterwards they added the "ice chateau". 

 

Entrance was where that covered area to the left was with the spire.  To the left (top) was all bowling alley.  The biggest area with the raised roof and skylights is the ice rink.  The area overlooking it and between in and the skate rink was the restaurant/bar/snack bar and pool room/arcade. The pool hall extended into that square piece on the far right at one point.  

 

Document?documentId=15619 2 Building Zones Historic copy

 

LOL..I forgot they called it the "SportsoRama" when it first opened:

Overland Park, Ks - King Louie 1966 | King louie, Louie, Overland park

 

Part of the reason I have so many resources on this is that the neat thing is that the building is now the Johnson County KS Historical Museum and Heritage Center for the entire county. The entertainment center was(and building still is) in Overland Park, but it was really just a small suburb city of Kansas City and Johnson County, KS contained a handful of these suburb cities all bordering each other and it really served the whole area.   They have cool old signs from actual old businesses on the old drag, photos, memorabilia, for the whole area. (one of the towns is Mission, KS)

Explore Regional History at the Johnson County Museum | Visit KC

 

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 5/17/2023 at 9:37 PM, pboland said:

Doc Holliday's Game Emporium, Cincinnati, OH (1983-2000). An arcade that was located under one of the largest bowling allay in Cincinnati (68 lanes)

Here's a image from 1983 (opening year):

 

I've been to Western Bowl several times but only over the past 12 years or so. Doc Holiday was long gone and I never got to see it but I recognized the bowling alley immediately when I saw your first picture. Wish I was able to visit back then!

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As a kid, every arcade in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. That's where we went in the summers because we could afford to go to a real beach. This was the 2000s, so they were all redemption at this point. Went there a year ago, some still there, some gone, new mini-DNB style barcade, but it has UMK3 so I still give it a pass.

 

The one place which forever sparked an interest and love of arcades was when I was a senior in high school, 2015-2016 school year. Me and a friend went to a free play arcade in the Westminster, MD mall. I loved the free play model, felt like I could try every game, stayed there for hours, never had gotten to see real modern arcade games before. But the game which really caught me was a rhythm game called Neon FM. It clicked for me and I liked the track, I actually looked it up afterwards and was stunned to discover it wasn't Japanese or Korean, but American, and made in Baltimore less than an hour from the arcade where I played it. In retrospect that was probably one of the first units of Neon FM ever produced. That game and that arcade forever sparked interest in arcade gaming.

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