By MARCUS McDANIEL
of the Forum
When it comes to video game retailers, everyone knows the big time players like Gamestop and Best Buy. While these are great stores, there are hidden gems here in St. Louis that are just as good and offer items for your retro gaming needs.
To start there is Slackers. Slackers has a little of everything and there are stores popping up everywhere. When I first heard of Slackers many years ago, I could only recall two locations, both of which were in St. Charles. But now we have one in North County inside The Mills Mall. Although it may not be as large as some of the other locations, it still has enough goodies for your gaming needs. Gamers can find new games as well as classic gems from yesteryear for systems like NES. You can also buy classic systems and it's great to be able to pick up something for those systems, like Dreamcast, here locally rather than shopping online. If shopping online is more up your alley though, slackers website is just as good. Both in store and online, you'll find more than just games. Shoppers can choose from music, movies, toys and other collectibles. This establishment doesn't disappoint. Now if you don't mind driving, there's another store I've come across that's pretty cool: Trade-N-Games on Gravois Road in Fenton. Just like Slackers, this store carries new games as well as vintage games. And the stock of vintage games is simply amazing. Everything is neat and organized and did I mention the selection of retro games?! Wow. Enough can't be said about this place if you're an old-school gamer like myself. The condition of the games are top notch and if the labels on the cartridges are a worn, you'll probably find them marked down in the bargain bin. The other great thing about this store is that they won't break the bank. You may go online to some place like Amazon to grab a retro game but you can probably find it in there store for around $10-$20 cheaper. And just like most retailers in today's day and age, if you can't make the drive to Trade-N-Games, they have a website tradengames.com. If you don't believe me, check out the virtual tour and interview with the owner on YouTube. This store is definitely worth the trek but if you can't make it, check them out online.
Last, but not least, we have Vintage Stock. Good golly miss Molly, this store has everything! Just check out the commercial. They're huge! And there are three locations: South County, Chesterfield Mall, and Mid Rivers Mall. Once again, when I say this store has it all, it has it all! You'll find movies, comics, of course video games new and retro, toys and collectibles, books, music and much more. Once you step foot in the door, you may not want to leave. Ever. This store is a one stop shop for everything entertainment.
So take a little break from the usual suspects like Gamestop and Best Buy. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
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