Fun N Games arcade, Willowbrook Mall 11/17/07

[yobaseen21]

Dance dance revolution is in all arcades i love it :D

[abcbatman1966]

Did anyone EVER play Big Buck Moose Hunter? When the pinball machines left, so did the grownups...

[MasterWok7]

My dad owned this arcade D:

[OniLordMiki]

@MasterWok7 If so then can you tell me honestly why it was shut down? I loved that arcade ;_;

[MasterWok7]

@OniLordMiki It was sad for everyone; that place had a lot of history. Unfortunately, over the years, as people began to play more home games (especially in the 90s), profits began to drop. Because Fun N' Games had their lease for so long, and because their rent increased gradually throughout time, rent was very high by 2007. Also, the lease expired that year.

[MasterWok7]

@OniLordMiki Fun N' Games was barely breaking even, and although they could have renewed the lease, it wasn't worth it to the owners (my dad, his brother, and another guy) to keep a business going that was struggling to make rent.

[SeventhSun]

@MasterWok7

You guys did your best, even though I have never been to this place. Take care.

[klisk]

@MasterWok7 Are you sure? I have been investigating the closing of FnG for years now, and have been led down many stray paths (like your father owning the Casey O'Tooles on Hamburg Turnpike), and have eventually hit many dead ends. However, when I finally did get in touch with Saif I was told that the arcade closed because the new owners of the Willowbrook Mall (which was sold just 2 years prior) wanted to eliminate the "unsavory crowd". Also that the arcade was still very profitable.

[klisk]

@MasterWok7 I am a published Journalist, btw. If you are telling the truth about your father owning FnG, then is there any way that I could set up an interview with him, his brother, etc? These are all people I am sure I have met, and spoken with, many times over the years while FnG was alive.

There are many unanswered questions. We, the community, love FnG. We want to know the truth, the full details. I would only write positively about it.

[klisk]

@MasterWok7 Still, the whole situation ended with such mystery, and I have been trying to hunt down this interview for years now. Why did FnG close so abruptly, right after getting new cabinets? Why did the website disappear, after getting many updates about relocating to a new place (Wayne Towne Center being one example. Unfortunately, reconstruction was halted due to land contamination.) What REALLY happened with the new owners/lease/crowd? Or are you just trolling?

[MasterWok7]

@klisk There were people in the arcade (employees) who were considering re-opening at another location. I think they realized after talking to the owners that it would be a terrible idea, since the arcade business was practically dead. On top of that, I'm not sure if they had the money or the time (many had other jobs) to undertake such a feat.

[MasterWok7]

@klisk The owners did not tell the employees that they were going to close until several months before it was actually going to happen because they didn't want all of them to all "abandon ship" and have nobody to work. They still gave the employees more than reasonable notice. I don't see any reason why they should have told all the customers far in advance that it was closing; it was their decision, and it was time to move on.

[MasterWok7]

@klisk I don't know what happened to a lot of the employees, to be honest. The only one I'm sure about is Hussein, who manages Subways. I was told once that Andy (the guy there on Sundays) is retired; he had a second job. As for the newer cabinets, I'm not sure. I could ask my dad, but they might have gotten some good deals on cabinets before the auction.

[MasterWok7]

@klisk There was no mystery, you guys just weren't told about it. The business had a good run, but it ended with a whimper. I'm not trolling, it's actually me. :p

[MasterWok7]

@klisk We live in Georgia now, but I don't see any reason why my dad wouldn't answer some of your questions. :)  It obviously wasn't my business; I'm just telling you what he told me.

[klisk]

@MasterWok7 I sent you private messages a while back, but you never responded. Shame. :<

[sumyumguy214]

@MasterWok7 This place helped defined my childhood I had been going to this place since 96 up until its closing in 07. Now Im 18 years old and see this vid and it brings back so many memories of when I use to rock all the rail shooters. I thank your dad and other people like him who owned this dying industry known as Arcades and wish a revival will happen soon

[klisk]

Why has a new one not opened? This lot is still empty...

It breaks my heart.

[JaymayxMidget]

Mallrat there since....jeez I don't even fucking remember...I miss it :( and hey Markie vv I saw you in this vid haha saw me too

[Morbidvengeance91]

RIP MY SECOND HOME YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED

[gsparkway324]

2 arcades that are left in Northern NJ are

In the Swing (Arcade & Batting Cages) in Waldwick, NJ

Rack & Roll (Aracde) in Passaic, NJ

[electronicmaster14]

lol i used to come and play here i live in fairfield 5 min away

[kismikola]

Daytona USA 2 and Indy 500 this place is a'rite for me

[in3eli]

I was DEF. one of the guys running the street fighter tourney.

[DanZero77]

Dude......

I knew it was gone, but wow, what a video for what was one of the hottest destinations for games in North NJ... along with Sportsworld in Paramus which closed in '06...

I moved from NJ in 2002, before I left I had the best score on the Crisis Zone machine (just cracked 5.6 million) and the Mocap Boxing machine (completed under 6'0")... initials were D.Z on both machines... nice to see the Daytona 2 and Indy 500 were still there... they had nice pinballs and Megatouch machines too!

[klisk]

It's sad that I watch this at least once every 2 weeks. This arcade needs to come back. Arcades need a revival in general.

I'm actually thinking about opening an arcade with my college savings. Do you think that WIllowbrook would actually lease this spot to another arcade? It seems almost like they don't want it there....

[freakyfornash]

I know how you feel, and it still hasn't quite hit me that this place closed down, as I've only been here once since F.N.G. shut down. According to the Facebook page, this placed closed down, mainly due to not making that much money (as most of the people who came here didn't spend any, but just stood and watched), and that there were drugs being sold around the arcade. The mall owners also wanted this location to be more "family friendly" as well. I so hope we'll get a new arcade here one day.

[freakyfornash]

I should also say that I saw one of the former owner's sons is interested in opening up a new arcade, though I don't know if it would be at the mall location, or not. It does seem that the mall doesn't want another arcade in it, due to the unwanted guests such places attract. I so wish we'd be getting a new location of this place before long, which was supposed to happen, but hasn't for some reason. I'd prefer a new arcade come back here, but anything would obviously be better than nothing.

[darkrocker246]

@klisk they don't and that spot has already been heavily remodeled (walls have been knocked down" and it looks like they will be putting a store there

[klisk]

I was there last week and it was still empty as ever since when the Halloween store was there.

Of course, I did hear that an art gallery is being put there, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone finally leased the spot for real.

[vgmaster9]

I miss this arcade as well. I remember going to an arcade called Sportsworld Indoor Amusement Park 10 years ago. It had such a wide variety of arcade games.

I wish that this one would come back. Even if it does, It'd probably majorly have redemption games and other useless crap.

[klisk]

I remember Sportsworld. It was great at it's opening, but then just degraded over the years as they refused to get new games and strictly focused on the "amusements".

Sportsworld did re-open, though. Well... kind of. Now it's known as SpacePort and it's in the Paterson Center City mall. You can google it, they have a site.

But yeah, it's arcade is painfully dated, and they focus mostly on redemption games and paintless paintball.

[vgmaster9]

I just wish that more people would realize that having a good arcade isn't just about making money, but also pleasing the people that go there. If I would own a huge arcade, the majority of games would be video games, mostly ones that not many people have played. There would also be pinball and redemption, but not a whole lot.

[Morbidvengeance91]

@vgmaster9 i remember sportsworld i miss both of em man

[hliu321]

Thx for the video, I heard there used to be an arcade here but didn't know what it's like. Anyways... I'm itching for some good arcade competitions in Northern Jersey... any suggestions on where to go? I like fighter games and racing games.

[klisk]

PLEASE RE-OPEN FNG!

[djshefu]

ahaha i was there for that night

i was hogging wangan 2 and kof xi.

[brianpicc]

im still hunting for an arcade in north jersey anyone know of any?

[PVS1]

there's the funplex @ east hanover. thats really all i can think of. i miss fun n games

[freakyfornash]

The only one that I know of in North Jersey is Eight On The Break in Dunellen. It seems like a cool arcade, and is pretty much the only known place in that area to get your arcade fix these days. Hopefully Fun N Games does eventually got a new location, which sadly I doubt will happen at this point. Anyone here know what will (or has) become of the Fun N Games location at the Willowbrook Mall, or if it'll ever re-open elseware?

[XXTWISTEDELEGANCEXX]

Right now they turned it into a Spirit Halloween, but there's talk about making it into an art gallery like the one in GSP. Bummer...=[

[freakyfornash]

That's kind of strange, and sad, but at least they're doing something with the place, which is better than nothing in my opinion. I guess pretty much all hope is lost of Fun N' Games opening back up anywhere, which sucks. Is there a possibility that a new arcade might open back up at the Willowbrook Mall? That would definitely be a plus, even if it wouldn't quite be the same, or as good as Fun N' Games ever was.

[mctroll89]

me and my friends use to love going there.....now we got shit to do

does anyone know the owners of fun n games? they should go and open up a new one at garden state plaza......it would be an EPIC WIN

[KungFuChess]

I remember going here as a kid, playing Punch Out, Street Fighter II, MOrtal Kombat...it was a classic arcade.

[sakon10]

damn, i used to go there to play the king of fighters XI

[cloudworri55]

i miss this place i used to be there every week end

[Meleon900]

I would hate it if that happened to. Nickel City

[brianpicc]

This was the best arcade EVER. I miss the GRID...does anyone know if there are any Grids around here? or good arcades?

[klisk]

I miss my arcade. :(

[vgmaster9]

I was actually there, and I played that too.

[goonies31]

wow nice arcade....hard to find good ones these days

[SonicPsycho]

Ew bar riders at 1:03.

[robokiss29]

why did it have to shut down

i loved going there to play DDR

but gawsh i miss that place :(

[TerryBogard675]

Why the fuck are those kids sitting IN THE ARCADE PLAYING THE INFERIOR VERSION OF THIRD STRIKE WHEN THE REAL THING IS TWO FEET AWAY FROM THEM?!?!?! Jesus, no wonder this place went under.

[Lawl]

That was a tournament, you ignorant fuckhead.

And the port to the ps2 version was actually VERY accurate.

You're a moron, end yourself.

[TerryBogard675]

They're playing on the Dreamcast, nice job though. Regardless, neither version is as good as the arcade and I don't see how having a tournament somehow makes them unable to use it.

[Lawl]

LOL. Were you even there? I'm the kid in the brown hoodie, so yeah, I think I have the right to call you an absolute moron.

They were using Dreamcast for MvC2, ps2 for 3s.

The sticks on the 3s machine sucked, so they used console so people would bring their own sticks instead of complaining about the fucked up ones on the machine.

You fail, good day, sir.

[TerryBogard675]

Yeah, they were using the Dreamcast for Marvel when there were two big screen Marvel cabinets in the arcade? My point still stands.

[remicxz]

youre a complete moron. dreamcast mvc2 is to this day used in all serious tournaments such as EvO etc and i'm the person that was constantly fixing the cabs there and i know first hand they werent as good as they should have been your point DOES NOT in any way stand so if you dont know anything please keep your mouth shut thanks i helped make the owner over 6000 cash profit that night alone by keeping the cabs open to play on along with our console tournament

[apestajimmy]

lol >.> the maximum tune and initial d machines were packed o_O

[Ozzyx84]

Went there for about 20 years before they shut it down. Best arcade hands down, gonna miss it. I don't know of any other arcades anymore. =(

[WrathOfGalerian135]

Ugh i miss this place i was a mallrat there for about 3 years

WHYD YOU HAVE TO GO!

[navyseal162]

I wish there was a way to save the dying arcade industry. At least keep the lightgun games alive! Thats all I ask.

[CJ101nicKA]

too bad they closed the goddamn place...usually it was a goth nd emo hangout hahah

[NONESOEVIL]

I'm from Toronto Canada and I visited this arcade several times on my way to N.J. I can't believe it is now closed. The place was always packed. sigh,,,I know how you all feel, our LAST arcade just shut it's doors(we used to have 10 within a 3 mile strip)

[xxxnarutoxxx09]

WTF ddr Extreme Plus?

[MRDOWNLOADS]

This arcade was the best.and close to home. Now what?

[hunteroftheodd]

I remember the old days when arcades kicked ass. Consoles at the time couldn't keep up with the graphics of arcade games. Not many people have the desire to visit arcades anymore with the power of home consoles and PCs nowadays. Arcade operators don't make money and either close their doors or look to "skill" based games like stacker to make money. However the arcade at my local mall is still going strong after 29 years. I actually won a PSP on the stacker machine just yesterday.

[getchabeeflookinass]

rip f&g

[ufo1216]

omg i remember this place. me and my freinds used to go every week. we came back about 2 weeks after it shut down and BAM!!!!! the place was cleaned out. there was absoloutley no warning. god i miss it.

[SteveNKirb]

I miss Initial D :-(

[woodsy10]

I'm in the video at 3:00 and from 5:10 to 5:20 (on the right).

It really sucks that there's no arcades in the area, besides Travel Centers and D&Bs.

[woodsy10]

I'm visible around the 3:00 and 5:00 marks. I would also the the guy moving out of the second seat at Derby Owners Club to the third seat.

I had a lot of fun there over the years, and it really sucks that there's no arcades in the area. I'm still searching for a place where I can play DOC.

[xdeathdefierx]

lol I'm in that video a few times.

[PATDRyansSpecialGrl]

Dude, everytime i got to willowbrook, i cyr now because that's where i met my old friends, and now i cant even see them!

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

SUCKS ALOT!!!

i foudn out 2 weeks after they closed...it really hurt

<3

[iilux3]

i loved that place

[beldugo]

is there another arcade place around northen nj? the only one i can remember is one in downtown passaic but that one sucks last time i was there (10yr ago).

[genci29]

yea good times WHY DID THEY EVEN CLOSE IT DOWN THEY HAD TO BE MAKING AMAZING MONEY

[Hanz213]

yea i was wonderin y they closed it but my friend said they were going to relocate but im not sure

[BrianDeCroce]

hey look for a video of mine from that night soon thanks