Got myself a GameBoy Color and a copy of Pokémon Crystal Version here and at a reasonable price also! The employees are really really nice and they know a lot about the games. If you're looking for a specific game, then you might want to call ahead to ask if they have it before you go though. Just a pro tip. Definitely one of the best gaming stores around!! read more

Worst customer service. Claims they give more money back for games than game stop but doesn't reserve upcoming games. When talking to them on the phone they sound like they don't care about the phone call sinus like they are playing games with the kids thy go in there all day long read more

I have been to this place a couple of times now looking for vintage games and consoles. The staff are very friendly and quite knowledgeable about these systems. I've so far bought a couple of NES games and an Atari 2600 with a set of games and they have worked very well and been in almost perfect condition as they've been sold to me. I requested to be on a call list and they got back to me promptly as soon as they got in the new products. I haven't tried out the pinball games but being a fan of both pinball and AC/DC I imagine I should. :) The selection is decent, though not the best I've found in the area (they had few of the really classic games, and no Atari 2600 the first time I came in.) Nonetheless, they did have some nice oddities, including a Vectrex with I've been hardpressed to find anywhere else. The prices have been good too. I also appreciate that they allow me to test the game I want to buy before I buy them. They will take back any games or systems that are not working properly within a month of purchase. Overall an excellent video game store, especially for fans of vintage games and hardware as well as of course of pinball. Note that I registered on Yelp to submit this review. read more

This place is old school fun. It's not just a great place to find your retro games, it's a fun place to hang out. Check out their mini-arcade! It's RAD. read more

The dude kept cursing in every sentence I didn't like what he was saying and my ears started to hurt because of his foul language

Boring atmosphere, dirty, uninteresting selection, unhelpful employees. Not the greatest store I've been to.

I had heard one of my favorite pinball machines (Batman) was located here. When we walked in we thought we were mistaken... But as soon as you walk in the back, you're thrown back to the days of a classic 80's arcade (though most machines are now more than a quarter, which is true anywhere these days. Very clean, very well maintained, friendly staff, and a place I'd be perfectly comfortable bringing the family! Thanks for the experience! read more

I wanted to like this place, but their pricing on games is just way too high. At their best the prices are on par with the most expensive eBay auctions, and at their worst they can be almost double the typical price. For example, they were selling a copy of the original Mega Man for $110. On eBay, that game reguarly sells for just $60 (and there were plenty more examples of this sort of pricing around the store]. If you're looking for modern era stuff you might do okay, but if you're into older games it really isn't worth the trip. read more

I love this store. The store has an arcade pinball machine area in the back which is awesomely retro, and the game selection is something very hard to find nowadays. You can find games for PS4, Xbox One and Wii U all the way down to SNES, N64, Dreamcast, even Sega Game Gear (that one blew me away and was nostalgic for SURE.) For God's sake, I even found a Nintendo Gaming Glove. I swear this is just a gaming treasure cove for anybody that steps foot in this electronic heaven. The staff is extremely helpful. The owner Chris, his daughter Cai, Shawn and the other employees are VERY well-versed on their games and it's fun to even just chat with them about games. Any gamer should feel very at-home here. Their prices are great too, they match GameStop and other game stores as well. Trade in your games, get a different game. I bought a few games here, like Sonic Tennis for $4 on the 360 (woot) and they even have figures you can buy! I bought a Pokemon plushie that isn't even available on Ebay, so I was very lucky. But they usually have gems in here that you should check out. The store is organized too, it's easy to find anything you need. I was shocked to see the piles of N64 games and older games too, I mean usually you have to pay overpriced prices online or from collectors, so it was a fist-pump moment for me. Best gaming store hands-down. This store is your Up - Down - A - B - Start. ;) read more

I love this place. We can buy time to play any game console/game we want to. The world needs more places like this.

Awesome place for the nostalgic gamer to shop, browse and spend a few quarters at the arcade. Employees are always friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Prices are fair and they carry all the hits plus a few rare gems from time to time. If you're an older gamer like myself it's cool to see all the old tech and packing, brings back all the memories. read more

Amazing collection of games, all systems. Go here if you want to sell your old games also, you get way more than any other place will give you. read more

This place is right down the street from my house and I'm not a huge gamer but I was given one of those new Sega systems for my birthday and was very excited. I bought a game from Phoenix Games only to find out that some games don't work on the new system with this game being one of them. I went to return it or at leas exchange but the Manager/Owner refused to let me do either because I didn't have a receipt. He is literally the one who rung me up a week prior for the game but claimed he couldn't do an exchange without the receipt. The game was 5.44$ and he said to me that its like that everywhere you go. Well I've been to many places i.e. Best Buy, Walmart or anywhere not living in the stone age and if you buy something with a debit card all of the information is in their computer system but he wouldn't budge. I told him that if they are planning on expanding they should probably get with the times. My problem is gamers are like their own secret club and I am almost positive if one of his gamer buddies asked for the same thing he would have taken care of them. But because he sees me who is obviously an "outsider" now he wants to be a stickler about the rules. TERRIBLE customer service and that is just not how you run a business. read more

Absolutely the best condition pinball games I've ever played. Most games are from 90's to current and it looks like they just came out of the factory showroom. Only LE Metallica in the Bay area! All the new games only cost .75 and the older ones are .50. Killer deal if you ask me! read more

HI this Jason Dea from Cotati I always enjoy the trip to Phoenix games always outstanding service best selection I highly recommend this place to buy games I always been treated fairly. You are thee best. read more

Blown away. For whatever reasons, i've missed this place and recently visited. Very impressive that they even have all the various retro consoles and games. Very well organized and clean. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Love pinball too and was even more impressed with the passion these guys have with the machines and upkeep. Definitely best place in EastBay that i've seen. First class. read more

Great shop in the North Bay area, I have bought multiple games here, they have a great return policy, clean discs and games, have a very good mood/atmosphere when shopping, knowledgeable and attentive staff. One of the best video game stores in the bay area. My only complaint is that a lot of the popular games get bought pretty quickly, but they have a hold/reserve list for those games for whenever they get them in so it's due to that more then not having the inventory. read more

I was very impressed with this place. Not only do they have massive back-catalogs of all the standard retro gaming platforms to sell, but they've also gone the extra mile to put in a small arcade in the back of the store, fostering that hang-out-and-chat atmosphere that us gamers love so much. There is even a small area with two TVs where you can pay-to-play by the half-hour ($4/30 mins). They have an Xbox One, Dreamcast, N64, Genesis, and original Xbox available for play. Staff were knowledgeable and entertaining. Heck, they even have a working Vectrex available to play for free! If you're a gamer, you owe it to yourself to hit this place up at least once. You won't leave disappointed. read more

Love this place.... :) Every time I step inside this place it takes me back to my child hood. Best prizes, best games, and best ping ball machines. I defiantly recommend this place to all friends and family.. Phoenix games rules.... read more

After reading the reviews I decided to take a trip over there and it was worth driving 1 hour and some change to get there. That place had a nice selection of old school games and systems. The pricing of the games are pretty much the current market price. I will be going back there to buy more in the near future. read more

This place is amazing , They have great employees that know their stuff and are enthusiastic about sharing it ! These guys have a passion for games and it shows ! read more

I have been a patron of Phoenix games for over a decade now. I spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and sold many games at even with their crazy markup because I love small businesses. I went in today to trade in a couple games and a system. Immediately the owner told me they don't buy those back any more because "they don't work well and have a lot of problems" I said "I bought it here though, I don't understand?" He says "oh well the rules changed in the past year." And I said "then why was I sold faulty merchandise if you changed the rule a couple weeks after I bought it?" His response "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN FAULTY, works fine doesn't it?" Me- "yeah well why can't I sell it back?" Owner-"Oh well were overstocked at the moment" completely contradicting everything I said. In all my years contributing to their business I have never been felt so demeaned, offended, and treated as poorly as I was today. Which is sad because I loved their store and who I thought were very friendly employees. read more

Best place for video games cheap prices and everything you can think of . Better than some place in hayward I checked out

This is simply one of the finest examples of video game culture in the Bay Area. I have visited multiple times and enjoyed the visit as much as the products sold. In addition to offering a wonderful selection of games from Atari 2600 through Playstation 4, Phoenix has a selection of the best arcade machines ever created in the back room. Best of all -- you can play them! I found a Tempest machine in the back that was fully restored and wish I had more quarters! The owners and staff are true students of videogame culture and deserve props for putting this store together! read more

Great place and selection of games. I mean a GREAT selection of games especially PS 2. I bought a gameboy, 2 nes, and a n64 game from here and they were in great condition. The owner made sure they worked by testing them before I bought them. I think that is going the extra mile for your customers. The Owner was very helpful and courteous.I will definitely try to make it back again. read more

Very vast selection of rare consoles and games you will not find too often. Staff is well informed and not some dimwits like at Gamestop. They also will fix scratches on discs and other games you might have and have parts and memory cards for old and orphaned systems. With that said, it comes at a cost.......prices are really high. I would look at Ebay before dropping $60.00 on a N64 console. And that is a grey one and not a colored one. read more

Not a really big video game fan but the boyfriend loves them so we stop here as often as possible. Everyone is very friendly, well knowledgeable and will help you with anything. No joke my boyfriend will spend hours in this store! Check it out if you are in the area. read more

Great selection of older games from all systems. I bought an NES system from here, which my friends come over to use constantly. The staff is always friendly when I walk in, and they even have an arcade in the back! I hadn't been able to play Duck Hunt in a while. read more

If you were itching for more of a nostalgic trip in terms of gaming, look no further than Phoenix Games. They have what GameStop doesn't have, retro and old school games. They also sell accessories for older consoles, and some more obscure stuff as well. If that doesn't win you over, they also have pinball tables, and some classic arcade games. The staff is really cool and very helpful. A location every gamer, young or old, should stop by and give a look. read more

Great selection of new and retro games. They have a mini arcade in the back with a handful of pin ball machines and old school video games. Excellent service. I am a novice when it comes to video games and the were easy to talk to. Not intimidating and no question was a dumb question. I also have some old video games that i needed fixing and I asked if they knew anyone who fixes them. I left my contact and I was suprised that they gave me a call the next day with the information. read more

I've been going to these guys since they opened back in 2006/2007 (I can't remember). They not only have a large selection of Retro games, consoles, and accessories, but they also have disc cleaning services as well. Customer service is top notch, and they will call you when you next on the waitlist for a particular item. They also have a TON of pinball machines if you are into that. Can. Not. Recommend. Enough. read more

So after looking around for different classic game stores in the bay area, I would say this is one of those good stores to look for when collecting. The pricing here is very reasonable and they have a good inventory here. I also like the arcade machines they have for the public to use at the store. But anyways, I actually didn't buy anything at this store yet but a friend of mine came with me to find a copy of shining force 2 which they had but was out of his intentional price, so he ended up getting 2 genesis sidescrolling shooter games for under 20$ which was pretty cool. I would say if you are a beginning to intermediate collector, this is one place you'll wanna go to. read more

This store is a gem. Good selection of retro games and systems all the way back to Atari. Well-trained and helpful staff. I come mostly for the arcade in the back. There's 14 pinball machines and a bunch of retro arcade games. One of the best pinball lineups you'll find anywhere. All the pins are clean and play great. Home of the East Bay Pinball league which meets every Thurs at 7:30 and new members are always welcome. Whether you like console games, arcades games, or pins this place has you covered. read more

Awesome store. Wayyyyy better than GameStop. Aaron helped me this time. Respectful guy. Knew what he was doing. And the owner is the man. He will hunt down games for you if he doesn't have them in stock. Highly reccomend this shop. read more

Great store and very friendly service is what you are going to expect at Phoenix games. They are very knowledgeable and have a great variety of old games and new games. The other good thing is if they don't have the game your looking for don't stress they will contact you when they get it in. I highly recommend this shop if your a hobbyist gamer or even shopping for your child. It really is an excellent shop and gives ma and pa business a good reputation. read more

I would spend hundreds at a place like this if they only stocked what people want. I've been on waiting lists to never ever be called again. You can't find original controllers for any video game system but rather over priced knock offs. The prices are set in stone. You can't get that 1$ off a 35$ knock off PS3 controller in 2017. You will find all prices the highest it is found online really well and most the time it's pass that price. You will not want to sell your stuff here. You will get 3 times less than if you were able to just sell on eBay or Amazon. They will gladly take your super Mario 64 copy for 3.50$ off you and it's worth 18$ to 35$ without a box at the time of writing this review. This is a GameStop of Vintage gaming but vintage gaming is collectables and they hold prices better than year old titles. GameStop deals in that type of abuse a vintage collecting place should at least be honest and tell you what you have in worth and provide you a safe way to sell and or keep. They want your good stuff and have you walk away with a copy of wave racer. They don't carry games that are worth anything that you will find online for just the shipping price they are cheap. You won't find that special title or system you remember, you will be on a wait list to never be called again. It's not worth it go on CL and find you a cheap system with games from original owner at most times. I was faithful to this shop since it's opening in the old location way back when on treat. I don't feel like that matters much at this place. I bet they don't even want anything to do with old systems I have that I want to sell at times like Neo Geo with import Japanese controllers and such. Expensive vintage gaming hardware wonder what they would offer. I would pack that up to have them tell me it's not in demand or something to just get me out. read more

I love this place, it's like a trip down memory lane every time I walk in, and I try to make a trip to here every time I'm in the Concord/Walnut Creek Area. This place is awesome, they have a great variety, with great prices and pretty much all the equipment and peripherals you would ever need. The prices here are great, I bought an NES here (with new contacts, one controller and all cables included) with Final Fantasy, only for a little over $80. Staff here are also very knowledgeable and helpful, and will always open the cabinet for me when they see me eyeing their NES games collection. Their selection also really good, having picked up many games from here. Not only that, but they will also give you tips on cleaning your games and systems. The place reminds me a lot of Funcoland, which I have fond memories of. Overall it's a great place, and while I could just buy any NES game I want off eBay, I'm always way more excited to come here and usually finding something else I want like a controller or more games. If you are a retro gamer you must stop by here; they even have very old consoles and games such as the Calecovision and Atari 2600. read more

Pretty good selection of retro games. Pricing is great! Staff is really nice and they have boxed games too. Must check out.

I love this place they have a lot of games that I couldnt find anywhere else. The people are nice and dont mind when your just in there to browse they are always willing to help me look for a game and seem really fair priced. For everyone who thinks its more expensive isnt really appreciating what it is they do. Which is making sure the items you buy have been tested and cleaned before being sold. This is one of those places you wont miss til its gone like comic book stores and old fashion joke shops. Even if they are more expensive which they are not I would rather see my money go to people and places like this. I have never been treated badly and never been upset with there service. 5 stars for being wonderfully different and unlike gamestop even tho they recommend you guys very highly. read more

Great store! My only complaint is they do charge quite a bit to fix scratched DVD's but at least the job gets done to high satisfaction. What I loved about the clerk who assisted me (aside from her very amiable demeanor...the other clerk also was a gentleman and friendly) was she said one of the three DVDs I brought her looked fine but could use a little bit more of a touch up (this was after the initial cleaning). I told her to go ahead and she did and it did not take long at all for the entire process. On top of this, she gave me advice on what not to do in order to fix them (i.e. home remedies you read about on the Internet, like using furniture polish or mayonnaise). I'm glad they are that caring about their work and wanting it to be very flawless. Sure enough, I got home and all three DVDs work like a charm! If I ever need a scratched DVD repaired, this is the place for me! Thanks Phoenix Games! read more