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Old-school gamer. I started gaming with the Atari 2600. I became an addict with the arcade release of Street Fighter II at my college. The SNES release pushed me into buying that system and a lame arcade stick. I haven't looked back since then. I still consider the 16-bit to be the Golden Age of gaming. The current generation is keeping me pretty happy, especially with the fighting game renaissance that's happening lately. And, yes, I'm old.

Proud owner of: Kiwi Gameboy Color, GBA SP, GBA Micro, PSP 3000, White DS Lite, Silver NeoGeo Pocket, purple SwanCrystal, SNES, Genesis, N64, purple Gamecube, slim PS2, Dreamcast, Wii and PS3.

Favorite Games: Last Blade 2, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Mark of the Wolves, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Zelda: Minish Cap, Dark Stalkers, King of Fighters, Mega Man ZX, Ikaruga, Macross: Do You Remember Love, Raiden Trad, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Valkyria Chronicles, Professor Layton, Killer7

Games on my mind:
Super Street Fighter II HD Remix (PS3)
King of Fighters XII (PS3)
King of Fighters XIII
King of Fighters 2k2: UM (PS2)
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (PS3)

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The end of an era
nilcam \| 10:03 AM on 01.13.2009	17 comments

I received word from a friend that the Metairie, LA Fun Arcade is closing. Even though I no longer live in the New Orleans area, this saddens me. This is the place that I really grew into being a gamer. Sure, I spent countless hours in Chuck E. Cheese, Showbiz Pizza, Shaky's Pizza Parlor and this unnamed smoky arcade near my grandparents' house but this is the place I frequented from the age of 19 until I moved away from New Orleans in 2005. This was the place I went to after class as I was initially learning how to play Street Fighter II. I spent countless hours hanging with friends here due to its central location and Capcom's 4-player AD&D side-scroller cabinet.

Beyond what this closing means for me personally, this closing signals the end of a gaming empire. The owner of this arcade, is also the same man who owned most of the other arcades in the New Orleans area. In the mid 90s, he owned 5 arcades - the arcade in Lakeside Mall, the Penny Arcade in the French Quarter and Fun Arcades in Metairie, Kenner and Marrero. The Penny Arcade was a magical and dangerous place that was dimly lit and filled with shady characters. It was the kind of place that fights over Street Fighter happened. The Fun Arcades were brighter and cheerier places with lines forming at the SF machines and a certain level of courtesy toward other gamers. The Fun Arcade in Marrero closed years ago. The Penny Arcade closed after Hurrican Katrina. The arcade in Lakeside has been closed for several years. The Fun Arcade in Kenner is now an internet cafe. On Sunday, January 18, the Fun Arcade will close its doors for the last time.

http://www.funarcadelive.com/

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16 comments | showing # 1 to 16

nademagnet

D: D: D: D:

Rifter01

Damn, that sucks.. Sorry to hear that.

Our local (south side OKC) arcade closed down a few months ago, and even though it was video game related, I didn't have the heart to even c-blog about on here, since I couldn't keep typing about it.. (fingers wouldn't work) but I did take a couple of snapshots..

Places may change, but at least our memories remain. My dad (now passed away) took me to this one wayy-back when I had to have a booster step (back when they used to have booster steps) just to play.

Usedtabe

When I saw your blog title, I thought you were going to be talking about the amazing Hopesfall song of the same name. This is very sad. I hate going back to places I used to live and finding that all the mall arcades have closed. I used to have birthday parties in the arcades, now I fear whenever I have kids that won't get the joy of being the birthday kid who gets 200 tokens.

doc love

These closings are always depressing. Toronto's been in the same boat. There's a Playdium still nearby, but meh, just doesn't compare with the arcades I remember and mourn.

tazarthayoot

holy crap, i spent a lot of my childhood going back and forth between this place and celebration station. more of my home state hang outs dying makes me a super sad panda

nilcam

@Rifter: I found out about the southside arcade when I was going in to ask if they were going to get SFIV. The answer was no, apparently.

@Tazar: Are you a former New Orleanian as well?

Haxan

I'm sorry for your loss. That's horrible. If it makes you feel any better, the place where I cut my teeth of Street Fighter I and II is still around but only has Crane Games and some driving game.

Gen Eric Gui

Yeah, the final arcade in my area closed down a little over a year ago. It was a traumatic event D:

Excel-2011

Some years back (I think five or six now) the closest arcade to me (Aladdin's Castle) closed down. A Johnny Rockets opened in its place. If you aren't aware, Johnny Rockets is supposed to be a 30s-style themed hamburger joint. This is not the kind of retro I'm into, incidentally. Plenty of people were saddened at its closure. For me, it's the place where my brothers and I learned DDR. It was also home to several light gun games (if I ever see Teraburst again so help me I will finish it no matter how many coins it costs me).

Good times.

Kyousuke Nanbu

To many arcades closing. :(

Rider Chop

I remember going to an Aladdins Castle in a mall about 45 minutes from where I live. They had sit down cabinets for MvC2, Metal Slug 3, SF Alpha 3 and a few others. not to mention The Simpsons, Xmen, ummm I think Daytona or maybe Nascar, Crazy Taxi and a few other great arcade games. then when I came back the place was practically empty, only half the games remained, maybe less. the sit down style cabinets were gone completely

back when they were filled with games the place was actually pretty busy, most games were occupied. but when I returned it was like a ghost town. I asked the guy working there "hey, what happened to all the games?!" and the guy made some "pft" noise and gave me a smirk as he ignored me.

it has been at least a year since I went to that mall, I highly doubt that they are still in buisness though. Arcade closings always kill something inside me, I cant stand to see those games with nobody to play them.

EightBitMav

Augh, that sucks to hear...I always hate seeing an arcade back from the heyday go out of business ):

I remember being able to go to one place for my gaming needs, rather than scouring random-ass pizza parlors and university gaming rooms for any arcade cabinet ):

Edco

Another lost... soon will be the day when we tell tales of such fabled places, where giants strode and pixels danced in the screen-lit halls of high scores.

JRisJunior

sniff... another gaming great goes to gaming heaven. may its memory be remembered until we forget.

Artemus

Arcades are part of a dying breed, like people who can name all fifty states.
=`(

Cowboy TTop

Sign of the times. Yes, a grim sign.

I think the only way arcades could survive would be to have regular competitions, like Video Armageddon or something for prizes. Only by offering something like this, will gamers turn up, and take a break from their consoles.

The only real arcade I visit is what used to be Segaworld at the Trocadero in London. Because of the huge place that its in and the tourists, its lucky to be still there. Ah, much fun was had there, on 8 player Daytona (still a classic) and Aliens vs Predator and Xmen Children of the Atom.

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