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The feeling was magical and probably a bit difficult to grasp for generations that grew up with a GameStop or four in every city. Walking through the front door of FuncoLand circa 1993 as a child was like being transported to a place of pure bliss and joy. A place that seemed custom tailored to send surges of dopamine through a ten year-old’s brain.
Starting in late 1980s as mail-order video game dealer, founder David Pomije opened the first FuncoLand retail location in 1990, which sat conveniently next to his office. This single store branched out into a thriving chain within just a few short years. At its peak, there were 406 locations across the United States, serving up pixelated euphoria to countless eager game fans.
It wasn’t a particularly large or overstuffed store. Locations typically sat in assuming strip malls and were tidy with plenty of room to walk. Nonetheless, visiting a store dedicated exclusively to video games was a distinctly joyous occasion for gamers at the time. Most often, video games were purchased from department or toy stores, making them far from the main attraction. Places like Blockbuster did offer the alternative to rent games alongside their movie selection, but that’s a tale for another time. When you were at FuncoLand, you were there for video games, and that’s all!
Source: Imgur | http://www.imgur.com
Hands down, my favorite FuncoLand memory was when dad loaded my brother, my sister, and me into the car on a random weekend. To my surprise, we were headed to buy a secondhand Super Nintendo and some games for it! We already owned an NES and Sega Genesis, so the addition of a SNES put us into a different social class as far as I was concerned. I’m still not sure what prompted my father to commit such an act of badassery, but it was simply heroic. Maybe he got a raise at work and wanted to do something extra. Maybe one of my other siblings had some dirt on him. Maybe I’ll ask him after I write this, but he may not remember the trip. I sure do though, and I’m sure lots of people have equally fuzzy memories about trips to FuncoLand.
Increasing competition from other retailers along with plummeting stock value prompted FuncoLand to merge with Babbage’s (a Barnes and Noble company) in 2000. The two separate companies formed GameStop, which maintained strong leadership in the retail game industry until its sharp decline in 2016. FuncoLand locations were converted into GameStops, though many kept the FuncoLand branding until 2003. The FuncoLand in Mesquite, Texas, which I personally have the most memories of, kept their signage until at least 2015. This simple logo served as a warm reminder of a simpler time each time I passed by.
