The signs are up! After months of speculation, signage has gone up over two storefronts in the Pine Plaza shopping center in Coram, signaling the imminent arrival of the new Game On Retro Arcade location. In addition, in the space that once was home to Movieland Cinemas, the owner of Game On is bringing throwback and classic movies to the big screen with a new theater called Retro Cinemas.
The new location is taking shape in the Pine Plaza shopping center at 1840 Route 112 in Coram, 7 miles east from Game On’s former home at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove (a 20 minute drive depending on traffic).
From the looks of it, much like the 80s classic games found inside Game On arcade, the movies will be showing nostalgic fare like Back to the Future, Jaws, The Goonies, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, if the movie posters already adorning the outside are any indication.
The return of movies to the former theater space could be welcome news for local residents who remember catching films at Movieland before it closed its doors. The addition of Retro Cinemas appears to be part of Game On owner Tristan Whitworth’s larger vision of creating a full retro entertainment destination rather than simply relocating the arcade.
Generation X never had it so good! (Along with those later generations who have nostalgia for the bygone era of neon and Reaganomics.)
While Whitworth has not confirmed an opening date, things appear to be progressing well at both locations. Through the front windows, arcade cabinets can already be seen lined up inside the new location while work continues on both venues.
It’s only a matter of time before the 80s are back on the big and small screens. In an age of constant social media and so-called “AI slop” delivering every nuance of the world to our fingertips, the retro trend toward the decade that we used to think of as decadent is becoming a quaint escape – just look at movies and TV shows like Stranger Things and Stephen King’s It that have tapped into Generation X’s childhood for their settings and stories. Are big shoulder pads and acid-washed jeans far behind?
Earlier this year, Game On announced it was leaving its location in Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove citing increased rent. Game On Retro Arcade, known for its authentic 80s and 90s vibe and unlimited free-play model, was forced to leave its longtime home in the mall’s food court after the owner said rent demands became unsustainable.
The closure marked the end of an era for many Long Island gamers who had embraced the arcade’s authentic retro atmosphere and affordable unlimited-play model.
“At $15 for unlimited play, I would have had to raise the price and I just didn’t want to do that,” Whitworth wrote on Facebook, announcing the closing.
The arcade’s focus on original hardware and CRT televisions helped distinguish it from modern arcades built around redemption games and ticket prizes.
Signage outside of the new location also seems like the $15 price point remains intact.
Since opening, Game On Retro Arcade built a loyal following by offering more than 100 classic games, all running on original hardware with CRT monitors, for a flat $15 all-day play price. The experience was designed to feel like stepping straight into a 1980s or 90s arcade, a rarity in today’s digital-heavy gaming scene.
Whitworth promised that a new location was in the works, calling it “a major upgrade.”
He said the next version of Game On Retro Arcade would be in a roughly 28,000-square-foot space, a massive leap from the current 5,500-square-foot spot in the mall. He called his new venue a “Retro Heaven,” with expanded offerings that could include food, drinks, private party areas, later hours, and movie screenings.
If completed as envisioned, the new venue would be more than five times larger than Game On’s former Smith Haven Mall location.
The addition of Retro Cinemas suggests those plans have expanded beyond occasional screenings and into a dedicated movie-going experience.
It seems that the vision Whitworth had for his next chapter is starting to coalesce around the new Coram location. As a great 80s cigar-chomping character once said, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
We will update this story as additional details about Game On Retro Arcade and Retro Cinemas become available.
