Ian Clark is a normal human who likes long, moonlit walks on the beach -- as long as there is a hovercraft involved. Clark owns Ian's Game Paradise, which has been doing swimmingly since it opened a little over a year ago. Ian's Game Paradise is located in the Northway Mall, across from Urban Vibe.
Clark said he had always been disappointed with all of the other game stores in Anchorage, and, after a midlife crisis at 29, he decided to open his own business. Ian's Game Paradise started out small, as a kiosk in the Northway Mall, but he was finding that he was running out of room. So he moved the shop to where it is now.
The shop caters to the older gamers, ones who grew up with the original Nintendo as well as the ATARI 2600. Due to the fact that older games are hard to find, Clark special orders the games that customers want on demand.
Since he sells older systems as well, Clark always gives a bit of instruction to those who buy them. And he'll often refer them to other outlets. In fact, on his website, he hunts down all the local deals he can find and lists them.
Contact Bryan Dunagan at bryan(at)alaskadispatch.com.