It's always sad to read these threads, but good to hear the memories.
I've listed these before, but here's a handful of arcades I remember going to as a kid that are all just memories now:
Rheem Valley Bowl (Moraga, CA) - Historic bowling alley in the heart of town. It was there for probably 30 years before it went out of business and got demolished. The walls at all three entrances were lined with arcade games. I believe that was the first place I played a Neo Geo machine and SFII. Demolished in the mid-90s.
Aladdin's Castle (Sun Valley Mall, Concord, CA) - The arcade I went to the most. A lot of great memories. It was the first place that I played Dragon's Lair. I remember losing in less than a minute and not wanting to spend another 2 quarters to play it. Went out of business in the mid-90s. I think it's now a fast food restaurant.
Starcade (Dome Theater, Concord, CA) - Another great arcade that went out of business in the mid-90s. It's now a fitness center.
Fudge Alley (Moraga, CA) - Historic local candy shop/diner. Owned by Frank Chow for probably over 30 years. He recently retired in 2009 and moved back to Taiwan. He always had an arcade in the back. It was the first place I played Double Dragon, Championship Sprint, Golden Axe, and many more games. I was very sad that this place closed down. It's now an empty business space for sale.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fudge-alley-moraga
And this was one of my old threads about a couple of these arcades :
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=93625
