Even though retro-styled games are making a comeback of sorts, important establishments that are part of retro gaming culture such as arcades and stores that stock retro games and gear are still on the decline. Since these establishments are becoming such a rarity, we need to keep retro gamers educated where existing places are located and make sure they are supported sufficiently.
We just started taking nominations for the best remaining arcades in the world, but for this post, I wanted to highlight our community’s effort to document all the game stores that sell retro games. RB Forum member, lisalover1 started our Retro Game Store Directory over a year ago and other forum members have shared the names and locations of their local shops to be added to the directory. We now have hundreds of stores from around the world listed. (If your local shop is missing, please post in the forum thread)
In addition to rounding out the Retro Game Store Directory, I wanted to take nominations for the very best of these Retro Stores so we can build a Best-Of list and I can try to set up tours and/or interviews with the top selections.
So, if you have a retro game store that you think is especially impressive, please post your recommendations in the comments below. Please include some reasoning for your selection (what makes the store so special). If you have links to photos and/or video of the store, please share those as well.
If you’d like to see some examples of what I think is important in a good retro game store (and my two personal nominations), check out these two reviews.
I look forward to seeing your nominations – thanks for your help!