Seattle Video Game Stores GUIDE - PAX PRIME

Metal Jesus

If you are visiting Seattle for PAX Prime or just for vacation, we have a bunch of independent locally owned retro video game stores for you to shop at. Here is a quick visual tour of them. Questions? Comments... Let me know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGnS9UfMqJY

Plan your Trip - Google Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209344313848039568880.0004c6ae81d2e7d3db7e0&msa=0&ll=48.050546,-122.283325&spn=1.086928,2.463684

Seattle:
Pink Gorilla International District
601 South King Street
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 264-2434
pinkgorillagames.com

Al's Games & Music U-District
4547 University Way Northeast
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 547-3870

Pink Gorilla U-District
4341 University Way Northeast
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 547-5790
pinkgorillagames.com

Game Gurus Aurora Ave
9901 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 524-6566
seattlegamegurus.com

Game Gurus Lake City
12350 Lake City Way Northeast
Seattle, WA 98125
(206) 588-1154
seattlegamegurus.com

Another Castle
23303 Highway 99 Suite A
Edmonds, WA 98026
(425) 967-3740
anothercastlegames.com

Amazing Heroes
11232 120th Avenue Northeast #101
Kirkland, WA 98033
(425) 889-5999
amazingheroestoys.com

Play N Trade
11308 Northeast 124th Street
Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 242-4544
playntradekirkland.com

Pink Gorilla West Seattle
6053 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98136
PinkGorillaGames.com

Elsewhere:
Reset Games
8825 34th Ave NE
Tulalip, WA 98271
(360) 653-8580
resetgames.com

Next Level Video Games
1913 Hewitt Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 374-7395
nextlevelvideogames.com

Game Lobster
32610 Pacific Hwy South A-2
Federal Way WA 98003
www.gamelobster.com

Monster Gaming
239 Southwest 152nd Street
Burien, WA 98166
(206) 244-7364
monstergamingstore.com

Al's Music Games & Dvds
2020 South 320th Street
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 839-0649

Metal Jesus

I wanted to add, that public transit in Seattle is pretty good (and relatively stress free). I actually commuted back & forth to work via bus for several years. So any of the stores with a Seattle address you can get to for a couple bucks.

Outside of a Seattle address, I would recommend teaming up with somebody on a car rental or taxi.

Also, only Pink Gorilla will have a booth at PAX, and even they are not emptying their stores for the show. I spoke to the manager and he said serious game collectors will still find plenty-o fun stuff at their retail locations. Hope that helps!

hyrulehero96

Another Castle is probably one of, if not the best game store I've ever been to. Every time i go in I find something amazing, all the employees are super friendly and the arcade is simply top notch! Highly recommend this shop!

DuelLadyS

Just a quick added mention... there's a shop up in Bellevue called Video Game Era. I believe they're fairly new, about a year old if I'm remembering right. It's not the biggest selection around (although I haven't been in for awhile, could be better now), but the owners are really nice. They do sell retro, and they'll let you play any title before you buy, so it's a good place to try a titles you're on the fence about, or just make sure your retro game works right.

Metal Jesus

I was tempted to add Video Game Era, but last time i was in there the selection was very small. Literally one shelf...but you are right, I should visit it again. Also to note that across the street from Video Game Era in the Crossroads Mall is a Half Price Books, and they often have a bunch of games.

sanovah

If you had to chose lets say just 3 or 5 stores which would you recommend? This will be my first PAX and I will be relying on public transportation so unless you think they'll have what I'm looking for I'd like to try and limit to to stores that aren't super far away. I'm really looking for any game of the following franchises, but obviously the older the better.

Looking for:
Any Zelda game
Any kingdom Hearts game
Any Fire emblem game
Any golden sun game

DuelLadyS

sanovah wrote: »

If you had to chose lets say just 3 or 5 stores which would you recommend? This will be my first PAX and I will be relying on public transportation so unless you think they'll have what I'm looking for I'd like to try and limit to to stores that aren't super far away. I'm really looking for any game of the following franchises, but obviously the older the better.

Looking for:
Any Zelda game
Any kingdom Hearts game
Any Fire emblem game
Any golden sun game

Stick with what's in Seattle- you can take buses for free within a large part of the city, so you'll save money (and they're changing the rules on that, next PAX it won't be free anymore.) The games you're after are popular amongst anime fans as well, so I'd definitely hit the King Street Pink Gorilla... it's walking distance from a massive Japanese grocery store that popular with the anime fans in the area. Cross traffic, y'know.

Do keep in mind, a lot of these places are gonna ship stock to PAX, so the in-store selection will be a bit down from normal.

sanovah

DuelLadyS wrote: »

sanovah wrote: »

If you had to chose lets say just 3 or 5 stores which would you recommend? This will be my first PAX and I will be relying on public transportation so unless you think they'll have what I'm looking for I'd like to try and limit to to stores that aren't super far away. I'm really looking for any game of the following franchises, but obviously the older the better.

Looking for:
Any Zelda game
Any kingdom Hearts game
Any Fire emblem game
Any golden sun game

Stick with what's in Seattle- you can take buses for free within a large part of the city, so you'll save money (and they're changing the rules on that, next PAX it won't be free anymore.) The games you're after are popular amongst anime fans as well, so I'd definitely hit the King Street Pink Gorilla... it's walking distance from a massive Japanese grocery store that popular with the anime fans in the area. Cross traffic, y'know.

Do keep in mind, a lot of these places are gonna ship stock to PAX, so the in-store selection will be a bit down from normal.

buses are free? what?

mbannick

sanovah wrote: »

DuelLadyS wrote: »

sanovah wrote: »

If you had to chose lets say just 3 or 5 stores which would you recommend? This will be my first PAX and I will be relying on public transportation so unless you think they'll have what I'm looking for I'd like to try and limit to to stores that aren't super far away. I'm really looking for any game of the following franchises, but obviously the older the better.

Looking for:
Any Zelda game
Any kingdom Hearts game
Any Fire emblem game
Any golden sun game

Stick with what's in Seattle- you can take buses for free within a large part of the city, so you'll save money (and they're changing the rules on that, next PAX it won't be free anymore.) The games you're after are popular amongst anime fans as well, so I'd definitely hit the King Street Pink Gorilla... it's walking distance from a massive Japanese grocery store that popular with the anime fans in the area. Cross traffic, y'know.

Do keep in mind, a lot of these places are gonna ship stock to PAX, so the in-store selection will be a bit down from normal.

buses are free? what?

Certain stretches of the downtown route are free (I remember using this about 4 years ago when visiting a friend) but not everything. This should be the map with the ride free area: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/system/2012/june/pdf/system-map-jun2012-page3-downtown-seattle.pdf

Metal Jesus

sanovah wrote: »

If you had to chose lets say just 3 or 5 stores which would you recommend?

It should be pretty easy to find those common games you are looking for. I would take the 20 minute bus ride up to Game Gurus on Aurora and then hit up Al's Music & Pink Gorilla in University District on your way back.

itchbay

hyrulehero96 wrote: »

Another Castle is probably one of, if not the best game store I've ever been to. Every time i go in I find something amazing, all the employees are super friendly and the arcade is simply top notch! Highly recommend this shop!

Would any of y'all be interested in doing a loosely-organized meet-up at Another Castle, and have fun in the Arcade? We're flying in on Tuesday, and could easily set something up for Wednesday or Thursday, mid-day.

Metal Jesus

itchbay wrote: »

Would any of y'all be interested in doing a loosely-organized meet-up at Another Castle, and have fun in the Arcade? We're flying in on Tuesday, and could easily set something up for Wednesday or Thursday, mid-day.

Are you renting a car? It's about 15 miles to Another Castle from Seattle...so taking the bus would be too long. But I would be interested in meeting there, maybe on Weds. Another option is to meet in the University District where Pink Gorilla & Al's Music & Games is located. More people could attend, and there are places to grab a coffee, etc... Just a thought.

hyrulehero96

itchbay wrote: »

hyrulehero96 wrote: »

Another Castle is probably one of, if not the best game store I've ever been to. Every time i go in I find something amazing, all the employees are super friendly and the arcade is simply top notch! Highly recommend this shop!

Would any of y'all be interested in doing a loosely-organized meet-up at Another Castle, and have fun in the Arcade? We're flying in on Tuesday, and could easily set something up for Wednesday or Thursday, mid-day.

Id be down to get in some good arcade action, be it at another castle or somewhere closer to downtown!

JKwon

Thanks for the list of all the video game stores Jesus, I had no idea Seattle housed so many!

Metal Jesus

BTW: For those planning on riding public transit to a gaming store, here is the Metro bus Trip Planner (Link).

For instance, to ride from downtown to the U-District for Pink Gorilla & Al's Music, would take about 15 minutes & cost $2.25. To ride to Game Gurus on Aurora would take about 25 minutes and still only cost $2.25

vgc

sanovah wrote: »

buses are free? what?

Not for much longer. They're either discontinuing it or will be doing so shortly. I don't remember when they said they'll stop doing the ride free zones. If you do utilize the ride free areas, be prepared for the likely possibility that you will sit next to a smelly hobo.

Metal Jesus

vgc wrote: »

Not for much longer.

Free Ride for downtown ends Sept 29th, so PAX visitors this year are fine.

LexiconGrrl

Metal Jesus wrote: »

vgc wrote: »

Not for much longer.

Free Ride for downtown ends Sept 29th, so PAX visitors this year are fine.

For future years tho, they're adding a free 'circulator bus' downtown as a replacement.

http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/ride-free-area/changes.html

itchbay

Metal Jesus wrote: »

itchbay wrote: »

Would any of y'all be interested in doing a loosely-organized meet-up at Another Castle, and have fun in the Arcade? We're flying in on Tuesday, and could easily set something up for Wednesday or Thursday, mid-day.

Are you renting a car? It's about 15 miles to Another Castle from Seattle...so taking the bus would be too long. But I would be interested in meeting there, maybe on Weds. Another option is to meet in the University District where Pink Gorilla & Al's Music & Games is located. More people could attend, and there are places to grab a coffee, etc... Just a thought.

I'm sure we could rent a car if needed. If there's enough interest in making a trip up to Another Castle to play in a real arcade, it would totally be worth it. Plus, if we got a SUV or a van, people could split the cost.

sanovah

I o v don't have any idea how nice authentic theirs is. But there was enough interest why not just do something at say gameworks? Its supposedly has an arcade and is close enough people woujld really have to try and fimd a bus or rental car up there. Plus it would allow more people to possiblt go since it could be held during the convention and not steal like an hour travel time

Initialdor

With this rising interest in the U-District, I thought I would share my University Way Food Map to aid anyone making the trip. I live in the U-District and I make these maps to help me decide what to eat. Sharing my downtown map went well in the other threads, so here's 'The Ave' (our name for University Way) with Al's and Pink Gorilla highlighted:

Legend:
Green - The video game stores
Yellow - Food
Yellow with Red - Highly Recommended Food!

Recommendations:
Drinks:
-Earl's on the Ave (just a few doors south of Pink Gorilla) - Biggest, strongest drinks in the city! My regular bar. Damn fine burgers and pizza, great pub grub all around, but the strong drinks are Earl's hallmark feature. (I will actually be there in costume the evening of Wednesday August 29th for the end of the Giants preseason game; come join the pre-PAX pre-funk!)

Thai:
-Thai Tom (just south of Al's) is legendary! The waiting time is usually legendary as well, but everything there is great!
-Thaiger Room (south of 43rd) is my personal favorite. I go for the wide-noodle dishes: Phad See Ew, Phad Ki Mow, and Chef Special #17.

Teriyaki,Katsu,Etc:
-Hawaiian BBQ (north of 50th) is legendary! Big plates of awesomeness! I always get #56, Alpha Sig Plate: Spicy Chicken, Chicken Katsu, Fried Rice, Fried Egg.

Pizza:
-Paglliacci (south of Al's) - Hands down, the best pizza in the city! (There are several equally-awesome locations throughout Seattle but this one is ours.)

Gyros:
-Alladin's (just south of Al's) - My favorite Gyro/Falafel joint; ask for the Jumbo Gyro.
-Gyrocery, Cedars (on 43rd), and Samir's are all excellent as well, but Alladin's takes the top spot.

Notes:
-The SureShot (just north of 45th on the Ave; no dot) is coffee house that has three pinball machines and a few arcade games in the back.
-Ignore the faded arrow-fied 'outside of the map' listings... except Dick's Burgers! Seattle's legendary burger drive-in's original location is just six blocks west off of the map on 45th.
-Pam's Trinidad (just north of 50th) is famous from various Food Network shows, and I've heard good things about it, but I haven't been there yet; no red dot.

Getting to the U-District from Downtown by Bus:
-Take the 71, 72, or 73 from the big bus tunnel station across the street from the Paramount (it does not matter which one; even the 'Express'-marked busses make all stops in the U-District.) These routes are the fastest.
-Or take the 49 from in front of the Convention Center. This route is a little slower; it goes through Captiol Hill, and then north on Broadway. (The 43 is really slow, it travels a big round-about route before getting to the U-District; don't bother with that one.)
-In all cases, the stop you want is "University Way and 45th".
-Schedule Warning: On the Saturday of PAX, there will be a UW Husky game at 7:30 PM at Century Link Field... All of the buses from and to the U-District before and after that game (respectively) will be full beyond capacity and won't be of much use. Plan accordingly.

hyrulehero96

sanovah wrote: »

I o v don't have any idea how nice authentic theirs is. But there was enough interest why not just do something at say gameworks? Its supposedly has an arcade and is close enough people woujld really have to try and fimd a bus or rental car up there. Plus it would allow more people to possiblt go since it could be held during the convention and not steal like an hour travel time

gameworks also has a great deal on Thursdays, unlimited play from 7pm-12pm for $10! (after 10pm is 18 and over though)

olanmills

I've lived in the area for about 17 years, and even I found this video really useful. Thanks!

Metal Jesus

olanmills wrote: »

I've lived in the area for about 17 years, and even I found this video really useful. Thanks!

I'm glad you found the list useful. It's amazing we have so many great stores (and developers here). Most people don't realize that Nintendo's North American headquarters are here too. If only they would do tours for the public

olanmills

Well a lot of people here also were not aware that Nintendo has a service center here open to the public. Aside from being able get your Nintendo stuff serviced without shipping, etc, they also sold some unique merchandise that you couldn't get anywhere else outside of the employee store. They also had some really cool Nintendo memorabilia displayed there, though when ye Nintendo World store opened up in New York, they moved some of it there. The store/service center used center to be in Redmond, but they moved further north somewhere, I don't remember.

Kwisatz Haderach

olanmills wrote: »

Well a lot of people here also were not aware that Nintendo has a service center here open to the public. Aside from being able get your Nintendo stuff serviced without shipping, etc, they also sold some unique merchandise that you couldn't get anywhere else outside of the employee store. They also had some really cool Nintendo memorabilia displayed there, though when ye Nintendo World store opened up in New York, they moved some of it there. The store/service center used center to be in Redmond, but they moved further north somewhere, I don't remember.

That's a "had" scenario, unfortunately - I too remember a repair/service/store center up in Redmond, then it moved to Kirkland, then (according to the tech I spoke with a few days ago for my Wii) the center shut down a while back due to too few repairs coming in. Now WA State repairs are apparently shipped to California, which is a bit of a bummer.

RealPlumpBox

if anybody wants a ride to any of the stores i will be around saturday in the am to afternoon. I cant get into PAX untill 2-230 so if anybody wants to check them out pm me with info!! ( also i just moved here from Connecticut and only lived in the area (Seatac) for about two weeks so i may be rusty on the driving. But I got a GPS!!!)

RealPlumpBox

if anybody wants a ride to any of the stores i will be around saturday in the am to afternoon. I cant get into PAX untill 2-230 so if anybody wants to check them out pm me with info!! ( also i just moved here from Connecticut and only lived in the area (Seatac) for about two weeks so i may be rusty on the driving. But I got a GPS!!!)