Still remember when that space was occupied by one of several Timezone video game arcades operating simultaneously in the CBD in the 80s.
As a teen it always felt great to descend into the then dimly-lit subterranean space, anticipating what new games might be on offer. Sigh.
Its transformation into the long-running 'Arfur Daley' status quo was, to say the least, disappointing. I think I've been in the current establishment twice, both times looking for cheap Halloween tat.
Ooh... That rings a bell, and now I'm wondering if it was a McDonalds after, Timezone, or if I'm remembering it wrong and there were two large subterranean places in that section of Swanston BITD, and Arthur Daley's was the Maccas (your tiling note makes me think so) and TZ was at a slightly different address a couple of doors away...
I remember Timezone was carpeted - black I think, with stairs partway down to a landing with a railing before continuing to the floor.
Ah, I haven't been in the CBD for a couple of months cos reasons (though my day job in-house location is literally on Swanston) so not sure which place that is - the only underground clothing shop I can think of off top of head in that stretch is/was under the Capitol Theatre.
There also used to be an underground Hungry Jacks in the section between Collins and Bourke - for some reason was thinking that's where a discount chemist is now, but again not sure.
Quick update! Just found some info on an old arcade game forum, turns out we were all correct about Arthur Daleys!
That staircase split halfway (at the landing I mentioned) and down the left went to McDonalds and down the right went to Timezone!
Reading that brought memories back, both of that layout and also when Arthur Daleys first opened I recalled thinking, "Oh, they made it all one thing..." 😂
Aha, thanks for that confirmation - totally Maccas flooring (and the carpet in the arcade I vaguely remember would have been ripped up long ago). 👍 🏆
Oh yeah definitely! One of my favourite CBD arcades was on Bourke in the mid-80s to maybe early 90s. I think (having just done some searching) it was called Orbit 130, at 130 Bourke, between Russell and Exhibition.
It wasn't that big but their selection was top-notch and often a bit niche. Was the only place I ever saw Marble Madness in the wild and also had a ride-on hydraulic Space Harrier machine, amongst more popular stuff like a sit-down Star Wars cab, Tron, etc. 😎
I think the one you mentioned with the sit-in car racing stuff might have been one of the last #arcades in the CBD - I remember a place on Bourke just next to the now-gone Hungry Jacks on the corner of Russell, which had mostly arcade experiences that weren't easily replicable at home and more social, so the linked car racing ones, dance machines, a taiko drumming machine near the front. Maybe the same place?
Also remember one of the larger arcade franchise places on Bourke in the 80s - on the opposite side to others mentioned. A three-story place, either a Timezone or Flashback, near a McDonalds that also isn't there anymore.
We'd get the train in to see a movie, then use whatever money we had left mainly at the Swanston and Bourke streets' arcades, but also recall another place on Elizabeth, and a really dodgy-seeming underground one on Flinders Street, I think called "Invaders".
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