Perched in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Mall of the Bluffs location of Aladdin’s Castle opened during the arcade boom of the 1980s. It was a small but mighty site—boasting cabinets packed shoulder-to-shoulder and a blaring soundtrack of chiptune and pop echoing down the food court.
Local kids recall the staff’s generous approach to extra tokens and free play events during school breaks. It wasn’t unusual to see a queue for Dance Dance Revolution wrap around the racing game pods on a Saturday night. Even mall walkers sometimes dropped a coin or two into Galaga before continuing their route.
The mall itself closed in 2019 and was partially demolished—but to many who grew up in southwest Iowa, this dimly lit haven of joysticks and redemption tickets is still vivid in memory.