Aladdin's Castle: Acropolises of 1980s U.S.A.



URL: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/71938-flynns-arcade-opens-in-london

Like a good '80s child, a bike ride to the arcade was a huge formative experience.  Navigating our BMXs through trails, backyards and cut-throughs to go play Double Dragon, buy 10 cent soda and stay out from underfoot of bigger kids.  Inthe00s.com has a great history of reporting on this kind of nostalgia, where I've contributed some.  I recently unearthed a few AWESOME Aladdin's Castle token pouches , real relics, and having seen Tron:Legacy (2010) with the ghost town like images of Flynn's, I wondered if the preeminent arcade of the time was still in operation.
The corporate response:

Yes, we did acquire the Aladdin's Castle, along with several other arcade chains, many years ago. Unfortunately, most Mall Arcades have gone the same path as the dinosaur. As mall owners have doubled or tripled our lease payment, it has forced most arcade to become unprofitable, and therefore we have closed them up.

Currently, there are 3 Aladdin's Castle arcade left.

QUINCY MALL 3423 QUINCY MALL
QUINCY IL 62301
MAPLEWOOD MALL 3001 WHITE BEAR AVE. NORTH
MAPLEWOOD MN 55109
ST. LAWRENCE CENTER 100 ST. LAWRENCE CENTER
MASSENA NY 13662

Not sure I'll be lucky enough to swing by one of these... all kind of out of the way.  Back in Michigan, we had Pinball Pete's. 10 cent sodas.  I SAID TEN CENT SODAS.  Andy Capp hot fries for maybe 50 cents.  Double Dragon Arcade, Elevator Action.  High school "burnouts" on one side of the arcade that would beat your third grade body to a pulp if you looked at them.  Checkerboard pads on my bike, racing through vacant lots and dirt paths on construction sites (maybe a new Tarshzay going up?) to sneak in.  Now the place is a Sprint store :(



Update:  Found all this awesomeness on eBay:

Aladdin's Castle manager blazer

Token pouch - get medieval on that ___