I recently discovered that the Starcade arcade had closed its doors on October 19, 2025. I was shocked by that revelation so I did some research to find out what happened. It looks like it wasn't so much that Starcade was doing poorly in their business, but was due to the sale of the building that they were located in.
The one time that I managed to visit them, one of the co-owners of Starcade said he was trying to purchase the building that held their lease, but, unfortunately, the property's owners wanted too much. I would wager that the property owners kept holding out for a higher offer, and when it was not forthcoming, instead of making a deal, they said screw it and let the building close down.
My research indicated that the owners of Starcade were trying to find a new location. However, it has been over three months since the last post that I saw about it, and the Starcade website has been taken down. So, I don't have much hope for the return of Starcade. Which is a real shame.
I will miss the variety of games and the fun atmosphere. They had games I had not seen in decades. I tried playing Dragon Spirit, but I apparently had lost my mojo with that game. I did, however, get the high score on Dr. Mario. I tried some other games, but those were the two I remember most.
The loss of Starcade has gotten me thinking about the places that I used to go to and how a number of them no longer exist. Some of them I was like, "oh well, it was nice having X close by, but I can go to Y now." With others I have been like, "woah, I loved that place and now there are no places close by that are even close to that experience."
So, as a small piece of advice, if you enjoy a place don't take it for granted that it will always be there. If you are able, frequent it as often as you can.
Even if the place seems like it is doing well, you never know what will happen and what may be going on behind the scenes. Try and enjoy it while it lasts.
You Only Live Once.