Best game store out there! All their games and consoles are reasonably priced based on the quantity…read moreof said product and its rarity/condition. Speaking of, almost anything you buy there works as if it's brand new, and they have plenty of options. It's also nice that they have modern game options too even if you're like me and are searching for retro titles. And on top of that they sell posters, figurines, accessories/toys, merchandise, and so much more. This place really has it all. They don't have everything right away which can be disappointing at times, but given they're primarily a retro resale store, I'm not gonna expect them to have every single gaming product to have ever been sold available and ready. I'm not just here to glaze though. It is a bit disappointing when they have an abundance of some console games like PlayStation and Xbox but don't have as much in stuff like Wii, GameCube and SNES/NES. If anything I'd say their retro Nintendo selection could use some upgrades. And while I normally hate when companies and businesses implement a bad "point system" that sensitizes you to buy more, having something to stack up on whenever you revisit would be nice. Other than that this is a fantastic store, and I highly recommend to anyone either trying to get into retro gaming and want a simple and affordable gaming experience (like me :D), or if you're a collector hoping to stock up on unique or select titles. Also: You can TRADE IN your gaming products for cash or store credit, both much better than however GameStop handles their stuff. You get a really good deal for whatever you trade in and it's almost always worth it. Their game to credit/cash ratio is a bit small compared to what you'd get for a console, which does make sense, but it can feel unfair to get 7-10 dollars on a 35+ dollar title you trade in. Otherwise? Absolutely worth it.

Calico games is a genuinely wonderful place. Joey and Czar are some of the coolest, kindest people…read moreyou'll ever interact with. They are knowledgeable, passionate, and respectful. They have a love for gaming as an art that is rarely seen these days. Every interaction with these gentlemen is an absolute treat, and you really feel like part of the team here even just as a customer. I've purchased many games here and two consoles thus far, most recently a PlayStation 4 Pro. This console is clean, pristine, and doesn't have a single speck of dirt in the vents. That is incredibly rare - especially with a used item. Calico clearly refurbishes and takes good care of their consoles, unlike most places who just pawn off whatever they take in. Their game discs are practically brand new, even used, all of the discs I purchase have zero scratches to the naked eye, and play flawlessly. The prices are incredible, you can get like-new premium games for $4.99+, and that is absolutely fantastic worth. The PlayStation 4 Pro I purchased was $180 - an absolute beast of a deal! Most of all, I especially love how Joey and Czar remember me by name whenever I enter the store, it just really makes me feel special and cared for as a customer. Concluding, I genuinely appreciate that Calico Games caters to people who respect physical media. The staff clearly understand the value of disc-based and cartridge-based games, and they make it easy to find complete, playable titles without relying on digital updates or patches. It's refreshing to see a store that honors the classic way of gaming--buy a game, play it as it was printed, and enjoy it start to finish. Calico Games feels like a haven for collectors and anyone who wants the authentic disc experience. Highly recommended for those who value physical media and the integrity of the original games. Happy to be a customer of Calico!

I like Sanctum Comics a lot, but I'm no longer into Warhammer, which they excel at…read more Sanctum is new, well lite and very spacious inside. All the employees who helped me on my quest for card boxes were great and friendly. They seem fairly priced. AND get this, they gave me recommendations on where I could find my boxes at other stores. Wow.

Been going here since it opened, great staff who have always been friendly and helped me figure out…read morewhat's happening with the MTG scene and what sets are worth getting into. Emily in particular is super knowledgeable what's happening each week, what events are going on, who the regulars are, and the manager Dan is a stand up dude who always makes sure folks are having a good time. Draft events are my jam, and they run good ones here with friendly (and well-bathed!!) players. They've got a bunch of packs from old sets too, so if you're building a commander deck they can totally help you out. If you're looking to trade or sell cards you'll get fair value for them, especially if you go in for store credit to use on future purchases. ps. they also do a bunch of warhammer, see photo!

This place is amazing! I've been to other retro stores but not ones with a Pokemon card section as…read morewell! Such a fun surprise to have come in and see that. Not to mention, the vibe of this place is great. When you first walk in, there's a huge section of old VHS and it looks like a living room. When you walk further in, that's where all the games and Pokemon cards are. I love that it doesn't feel cramped and it's actually a pretty decent sized store! The service has been some of my favorite. The owner and his staff are extremely kind and have never made me feel like I couldn't reach out if I had any questions. I also sold some games to them twice now and the pricing is always fair. Really appreciate this gem being around and excited to come back again.

Got to play some duck hunt with my son. Traded some games and cards. Had a fun time just talking to…read morethe owner too. Awesome place.

Finding a true hidden gem for classic gaming isn't easy these days, but this spot hits all the…read moreright notes. Upon walking in, you are immediately hit with an incredible wave of nostalgia. Collectors will lose their minds browsing the massive shelves of fully tested cartridges and rare hardware. Knowledgeable and passionate staff members are always on hand to help you hunt down obscure titles. Keeping prices fair seems to be a real priority here, which is a breath of fresh air compared to online inflation. Inside, everything is meticulously organized by console generation, making it effortless to dig through the inventory. Most retro shops feel cramped, but the spacious layout lets you browse comfortably for hours. Making a trip out to Pixel Vault Games is an absolute must for any local gamer or serious collector. Indie storefronts like this are precisely what keeps the spirit of classic gaming alive. Also Christine rules! I'm so happy to see the OG Pixel Vault Games back in action. Rock on! \m/ \m/

ALWAYS A NOSTALGIC EXPERIENCE…read more Here at Pixel Vault you'll find all sorts of things to reminisce about and perhaps revisit and relive. I've been a customer of Pixel Vault for the past 15 years now and they are ALWAYS my go to first physical shop to satisfy my retro game ventures. Whether I am looking for that classic, or looking to trade up or trade in, there are lots of options you'll encounter visiting here. Staying connected to their Instagram account helps too. Heck! Even getting a console serviced here or fixed here is an option. There is so much value with all Pixel Vault has to offer. They always do their best to win your business. Armando, when around, is my go guy for fast and friendly service. They have all the gadgets here and at a competitive price. Thank you for being around for as long as I've been a first time customer!

Calico Games Mira Mesa is easily one of my favorite video game stores in San Diego. I've bought…read moreliterally hundreds of games from Calico over the years, along with multiple consoles and other gaming stuff, and I can honestly say I've never had a bad experience. One of my favorite things about Calico is the staff. Everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and informal in the best way. It doesn't have that corporate retail feeling where you're just another customer. You can actually talk games with the employees, ask for recommendations, or just browse and enjoy the store. I've been to their different locations as well, and I have genuinely never met a bad staff member at any of them. The Mira Mesa location itself has a great layout. It's packed with games and other gaming-related stuff, but it still feels organized and fun to browse. I could easily spend a ridiculous amount of time walking around looking through everything because there's always something that catches my eye. I also think their trade-in values are very fair. I've traded in plenty of games over the years, and I've consistently felt like I was getting a reasonable amount of credit toward something else. Even better, the staff have recommended games to me that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, and I've ended up finding some really great additions to my collection because of their recommendations. At this point, Calico has become one of my go-to places whenever I'm looking for something for my collection. Whether I'm hunting for a specific game, browsing for something unexpected, trading in old stuff, or looking for a console, I know I'm going to have a good experience. If you're into retro games, collecting, or just video games in general, I highly recommend checking out Calico Games. Independent game stores like this are becoming harder to find, and Calico genuinely feels like a place run by people who actually enjoy gaming. Easily 5 stars from me.

I sold a gaming console here and had a quick and painless process (they checked that the console…read moreworked & asked for my ID). The staff is much friendlier and nicer than big chain gaming stores. Overall, better prices and experience than those larger stores.

Our family loves this store. Not only do they have retro games but really cool collectors items…read more Staff is always friendly and knowledgeable and our kids always leave feeling good.

I've spent hundreds of dollars at Throwback Gamez because I genuinely like supporting mom-and-pop…read moreshops, but today I learned apparently you need a bachelor's degree in Pokémon Card Sciences before you're allowed to negotiate here. I'm getting back into Pokémon cards after collecting as a kid. Now I'm grown, have some money to spend, and figured it would be fun getting back into the hobby. Obviously I don't know every single thing about card conditions, pricing, sets, etc. yet. They had a card for $52. I looked it up and found one for $33, so I offered the guy $45. Seemed reasonable to me. What I DIDN'T notice was that the $33 card was listed as heavily played. My bad. I didn't know. I'm still learning. Instead of just saying, "Hey man, that $33 one is heavily played, ours is in much better condition, that's why it's $52," this dude looks at me like I just tried trading him a Caterpie for a Charizard and goes: "Why would I do that? That's my price. That one is all fucked up." BROTHER I DIDN'T KNOW. Then he basically tells me next time I need to learn and do my research before trying to make deals. Damn Professor Oak, my fault. I thought I walked into a card shop, not my final exam at Pokémon University. The funny part is I WASN'T trying to lowball the guy. I legitimately thought $45 was a fair offer based on what I had found. All he had to do was explain the difference and I would've been like, "Oh shit, okay, that makes sense." Instead he made me feel like an idiot for not knowing something. Then another guy walks in who obviously knows his Pokémon cards and suddenly the employee evolves into his final form. Now he's friendly, talking cards, buddy-buddy, having a great time. I'm standing there like damn, apparently I need 8 gym badges before customer service gets unlocked. Maybe the AC being ass had him irritated. Maybe he was hungry. Maybe Team Rocket stole his lunch. I don't know. But the customer service today was TERRIBLE. And that sucks because I actually like this store. I've spent hundreds here and specifically come here because I want to support a local mom-and-pop shop instead of buying everything online. Not everybody walking into a card shop is going to know everything about Pokémon. Some of us are getting back into something we loved as kids and finally have adult money to spend on it. Instead of making those customers feel stupid, teach them something. I promise you, we're probably the easiest people to sell cards to.

Came across Calico Games from a local convention and was able to pick up 3 Gameboy games for a…read moregreat price! Was recently down in Vista to check out their actual store and browse around. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable! He recommended a cable converter for PlayStation 2 to work with HDMI ports. Super happy with the service and the pricing at this store! Even though this is a drive definitely would come back. Really recommend this store if you're ever looking for expanding your Original Xbox or PlayStation 2 game collections.

I've never been to calico games. I've had bad luck looking for retro games recently. And I'm really…read moreglad I ended up finding this gem. Customer service was awesome. I wish I knew the employees name to thank her. She was very knowledgeable about games. It was overall a great experience. She taught me the difference of fake and authentic games for gba. Prices are fair and they. I love the fact they buy and have store credit. All of great selections. I will be back again! Covid wise they wore masks. And it feels great to know I can be safe while shopping here. Thank you so much!

So my hubby kept his Xbox from years ago and hooked it up to a spare tv which now our son plays…read more They wanted more game selections aside from what we currently had. Typically we'd hit up game stop but those seem to be closing. Hubby found Calico and so we took a quick trip over. Wowzer! They practically had an entire wall of Xbox 360 games which was Perfect. Store is well organized and staff was friendly. This place is better than GameStop. We left with several games all well priced. I'm sure this won't be their last time visiting. The boys are happy to have found this little gem. Easy parking too in lot.

Came here for the first time and right off the bat you will see a very organized, clean store. The…read moreemployees were nice and asked if we were looking for anything in particular. Their air conditioning was working great on a hot day. We will be back!

Excellent place to sell your old consoles and games! I got much more cash then what I was…read moreexpecting. Staff is very friendly and was quick to evaluate all my stuff. They have some pinball machines and arcade games to play while I waited. Looking through their inventory was like a walk through memory lane. If you're looking for old retro gaming, this is definitely the place. Highly recommended!

Really cool environment and was even able to play some of the arcade games they let people play! I…read morehave the high score on pac man. Was happy with my store credit.

Love this music store! If Spindle's doesn't have it, they can get it for you. Excellent…read moreselection, fair prices for new or used vinyl and a knowledgeable friendly staff. I highly recommend this business.

Spindles is an interesting old vinyl record and Cassette Tape store. But I found it to be more of…read morea "Way-back Machine" * When you come here, it's like traveling back in time. Mind you, it's tiny inside. But it's chock full of goodies from yesteryear. Prices are fair and the folks who work here are helpful. The only downside was the plexiglass separating some of the employees. "Not Cool, dude. Totally not!" *Mr Peabody & Elroy