Best Places To Buy Vintage Video Games & Accessories In New York City
If Sept.12 is your kind of Christmas, you already know that this date annually marks National Video Games Day. Whether you're participating in a tournament or planning on spending the day (or any day) indulging in your favorite, throw-back games, you're in luck. These five emporiums to retro video games are well-stocked with every console, game and accessory you remember and some that may even predate your birthday.
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Video Games New York
202 E. 6th St.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 539-1039
www.videogamesnewyork.com
The epicenter of New York City's gaming community, Video Games New York is as much a happening as it is a store. This is where you'll find a well-stocked variety of the first families of home video gaming systems through to today's international best sellers. Video games of all kinds are priced according to condition, not barcode. An uber-knowledgeable staff can recite the history of video games backwards, from 2000's Sony PlayStation 2, to 1972's soundless Magnavox Odyssey console.
8 Bit And Up Video Games
86 East 3rd St.
New York, NY 10003
212-674-0201
www.8bitandup.com
If it's old school, hard to find and your deepest obsession, you'll most likely find it at this astonishingly well-stocked store. A wide selection of retro games, including Atari, Gameboy and TurboGrafix are available in good-to-great condition. Repairs of discs and consoles are expertly done in-house and re-sold at great trade-in prices. Looking for a tournament? Look no further, 8 Bit and Up hosts battle circuits regularly.
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J&L Game
1026 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10018
(212) 233-3399
www.jnlgame.com
Large by gaming store standards, J&L is filled to the brim with new and retro classic consoles and systems, including Nintendo Gamecube, Sega Dreamcast and Neo Geo. Open 365 days a year, J&L features a friendly, hands-on staff and locked-in repair costs, so there's no need to worry about inflated, at-the-cash-register surprises on broken items.
Gotham City Games
503 84th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11209
(917) 246-2935
www.brooklynvideogamestore.com
If you're feeling lazy but can't go another minute without your favorite vintage game, this is your store. Gotham City Games picks up and delivers throw-back gaming consoles and classics like Mario and Pokemon, as well as action figures, comic books and vintage gaming memorabilia. A collector's playground, Gotham City features special edition releases and unsealed games. If you don't see it, ask for it. The friendly, knowledge staff at this small store has as many games in storage, as they do on the floor.
Game Champ
1420 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York, NY 10033
(212) 928-6778
www.thegamechamp.com
With locations in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey, Game Champ features a well-stocked inventory of retro games as well as the latest and greatest, including specialty items like throwback toys and specialty headphones. Earmarked by outstanding customer service, Game Champ is highly interactive and engaging for gamers.
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
