Patrick “Pac-Man Pat” O’Malley is the owner and “Keeper of the Flame” of Star Worlds Arcade, 1234 E. Lincoln Highway.

O’Malley has operated the business through two locations and nearly three decades. Originally owned by his mother, O’Malley took over Star Worlds in 1985 and eventually moved the business to its most recent location, where it has resided for more than nine years.

The walls of Star Worlds are lined with late 80’s-style gaming advertisements that show Donkey Kong and Q*bert, as well as photographs of the caesars of the arcade gaming world.

“This sense of familiarity is an important part of the business,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley’s arcade aims for a retro feel.

“It’s difficult for some of the adults to relate to the newer generation of video games…,” O’Malley said. “They can come in here with their kids and have a bonding experience playing the games they grew up with. Star Worlds has even become a place for college kids to come on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays before going out on the weekends.”

Gamers can see retro titles every time they go into Star Worlds, but also in a variety of restaurants and hotels stretching from DeKalb to Chicago and the Wisconsin Dells. He leases these titles to businesses that put them in their arcades.

“We have such a large collection of games that customers are guaranteed to see something new every time they come in,” O’Malley said. “It’s especially important that customers see our titles outside of the arcade and in other locations.”

O’Malley’s sense of duty in preserving the history of gaming has attracted the attention of people in the arcade industry. Not only did Eugene Jarvis, multi-millionaire and developer of Smash TV and Robotron, come and visit Star Worlds, he gave O’Malley signed editions of Target: Terror and Smash TV.

Twin Galaxies, an international arcade leaderboard company, has even dedicated a card to him: The Keeper of the Flame. O’Malley has much more than preservation plans in his future, although he plans to keep growing his collection of more than 500 titles.

“I also want to provide a safe, clean environment for kids, adults and families to have fun,” he said.

O’Malley plans to continue giving back to the community by working with local charities like Feed ’em Soup and hosting food and clothing drives.