It’s Game Over for Funland Arcade in Toronto
By Syd Bolton - July 7th, 2008
For 46 years, Funland was the place that many people got their first (and continued) taste of arcade gaming. Located at 341 Yonge Street (across from the now-defunct Sam the Record Man), Funland is set to take its last quarter on July 24. While this is unfortunate for the Toronto gaming scene, this means there’s still time for you to go check it out before it’s gone forever.
At its peak, Funland was home to 225 games. Now, there are only 81. But that’s still impressive. Many of the classics have been maintained, and anyone that owns an arcade game knows that there is nothing quite like the experience of standing at a cabinet.
When the home experience (think Atari 2600) couldn’t come close to the arcade games at the time, arcades flourished. Games like Dragon’s Lair raised the price to 50 cents but offered something you could just not duplicate at home. Today’s technology is quite different and arcades have tried to adapt by offering a more physical experience; however, it looks like products like the Wii and its accessories are perhaps putting an end to even that. Social gaming is still alive in the form of game parties but the arcade experience really seems to be dying this time, perhaps for good.
Are you going to visit Funland for one last time, before the fun runs out? I know I will. For more information, read June’s original post here.
