When Ashtabula Mall launched in 1992 the developer carved out a high‑ceiling space for Aladdin’s Castle, giving northeast Ohio teens a neon‑lit alternative to Lake Erie winters. Bally kept the brand on the masthead until the early 2000s, when Namco’s post‑merger realignment re‑signed the room as Tilt. That incarnation limped through 2008 before shuttering—only to be resurrected a year later as an independent “free‑play” arcade where half the cabinets were set to courtesy mode.
A 2023 Flickr gallery shows the storefront still sporting the trademark gold turrets, even though most of the mall’s other tenants have evaporated. Local nostalgia groups swap stories of birthday parties fueled by Slice and greasy tokens, and several ex‑employees confirm that Street Fighter II and Daytona USA were permanent fixtures until the very end.