A lot of gamers around my age have fond memories of a certain place on Kidder Street in Wilkes-Barre. It wasn’t a Chuck E. Cheese, but it was definitely a place where a kid could be a kid. I’m talking about Top Dog, of course — where a couple bucks bought a quick meal and a few rounds of your favorite arcade game. As a kid, it was almost like going to Disneyworld; later, it would be a nice place to take a date. They usually had a decent selection of games and, for the price, the food was pretty good, too. Unfortunately, it went away. Today, in the very same spot, you’ll find Mira Kuya — a Japanese restaurant that serves some fantastic sushi, but no video games. All across the United States, it’s a similar story: arcades — once the pinnacle of entertainment for video game fans young and old — are disappearing.
There was a time when arcade games were primarily the domain of adults in smoke-filled bars and the back rooms of pizza parlors. Soon, they found their way into amusement parks, stores and malls. From there, it was only a small step into the home, and that’s where things started going downhill. In a way, the downfall of the arcade was orchestrated by the same man who created it: Nolan Bushnell. The father of Chuck E. Cheese and the coin-operated video game, Bushnell was also the father of the Atari 2600 — and although the Magnavox Odyssey had it beaten by a few years, no one can deny the impact the Atari 2600 had on home video games. As the arcade evolved from the nickelodeons and penny arcades that skirted boardwalks and main streets nearly a hundred years ago, this form of entertainment was now facing stiff competition from the latest generation of consoles that could provide the arcade experience right at home. Yet, even though arcades may not be as successful or ubiquitous as they once were, plenty of them are still around.
The SkateAway Roller Rink on Blackman Street in Wilkes-Barre has always been a great place to spend a Saturday. In between “All Skate” sessions, the arcade machines lining the front wall provide a fun way to keep yourself occupied until it’s time to go back out onto the rink. There are the arcades at the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre, The Steamtown Mall in Scranton and The Laurel Mall in Hazleton. Further south, the Schuylkill Mall features a very nice arcade. Then you have the many family fun centers throughout the area. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the point is, arcades aren’t really going away — we are.
We talk about how arcades aren’t what they used to be, but neither are we. As we got older, it became easier to sit on the couch and flip on the TV to play a console game rather than go out for a night of gaming. Add in the awkward situation of being the only adult in a roomful of kids, and suddenly you begin to feel like you just don’t belong. It’s understandable, though — we lead busy, multifaceted lives. Squeezing in some game time with the family to unwind after work no longer has to involve dimly lit, noisy rooms crowded with teenagers. Home consoles have adapted in many ways to suit our changing lives — arcades haven’t. More or less, that’s just why we don’t go to arcades anymore.
It’s important to note that these things move in waves. In the beginning, there was “Pong.” About 10 years later, in the early ’90s, fighting games were all the rage. Then, about 10 years after that, it was “Dance Dance Revolution.” I’m not saying we should expect another resurgence, but if arcades are still around, I’d put my money on the next big wave arriving within the next year or so. Admittedly, that’s a big if.
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