The Oaks Mall in Gainesville, Florida, opened in 1978 with anchors Sears, Belk, and JCPenney. Its Aladdin’s Castle arcade, located near the central fountain, became a hotspot for UF students and local teens in the ’80s and ’90s.
Forum posts recall birthday‐party packages that included free tokens, and reports of weekend tournaments on titles like Street Fighter II and NBA Jam beneath the neon AC signage.
The arcade closed around 2004 during a mall renovation; the space now houses specialty retailers, but Gainesville nostalgia blogs continue to celebrate its arcade era.