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Does anyone know if Games & James, Game Express, and 32nd Street Games are still in business anywhere? They always had good markdowns on older games, and 32nd St. Games always had the best prices on new releases.

All the Chinatown shops are still around, I guess. But their prices are nothing to brag about.

I loved those stores except for Games & James (never been there, was looking for it till someone told me it wasn't there anymore). Game Express is still open, but not the one next to 32nd Games.

What's wrong with Chinatown stores? If you're talking about J&L and the store downstairs in Elizabeth Center, then I agree, their prices are nothing to brag about. If you go to other stores, their prices are great but you might not find what you're looking for. You can always haggle too (this usually only works if you're not white, since it's widely believed that Caucasians are rich).

Originally Posted by whitereflection ...(this usually only works if you're not white, since it's widely believed that Caucasians are rich).

I must be the exception. I can usually haggle them down $7-$10 dollars on preowned games.

Games and James is long gone. I think the Game Express on 32nd street is still there, but its a shell of its former self. It seems to survive mostly by selling anime dvd's. Theres always that great store on St. Marks, where you can get any game for any system ever made. Not the cheapest prices in the world, but not bad considering they full well understand the rarity and collectibility of old games. Way better than buying the same game on Ebay in most cases. And of course theres a couple good shops on Elizibeth street in Chinatown, where as others have mentioned, you can haggle. Im snowy white and I haggle with them, as long as you dont look and act like you just fell off the turnip truck you should be fine.

Game Express in Herald Square is totally gone; I think the building itself was torn down. What game stores are there in Chinatown other than J&L and the Elizabeth St. Mall?

Originally Posted by Puffa469 I think the Game Express on 32nd street is still there, but its a shell of its former self. It seems to survive mostly by selling anime dvd's.

Yeah, quite dead. They went out of business a week after I last visited it. Even then it really wasn't worth walking around. The only things they really had were new releases and anime DVDs and considering that anime DVDs have been much cheaper online over the past few years and in larger B&M stores...well, they didn't have a chance.

Oh well, at least it was better than when they tried to set up a cell phone section in the front of the store. I don't know what they were thinking but that was short-lived. They pretty much got rid of everything that made the store special, which was pretty much the art books, the imported games, systems, peripherals, and game music...oh, and their staff. Shame, that. They turned me onto Giga Wing, Giga Wing 2, Bangai-o and so many other now hard-to-find games just because they were amazing and nobody else was looking at them. They were amazing, especially when they would pop in videos of some of these games just to show you what the gameplay was like. Damned if they didn't get a good portion of my paycheck during my lunch breaks when I was working on 7th Avenue.

They will be missed...

Hey does anyone know where I can find a dreamcast cheap in the city? I'd imagine EBgames/Gamestop would be more than it was worth.

Game Express on 32nd is gone? I used to go there all through college ('92-'96) and for years after (whenever I was back in Manhattan).

Is Games N James the one that was next to Parson's School of Design? That was cool, too, but you couldn't turn around in that store if you had a backpack on, it was so small.

Originally Posted by Haggar Game Express on 32nd is gone? I used to go there all through college ('92-'96) and for years after (whenever I was back in Manhattan).

Yeah, pretty much. Shame, too. Save for two or three EBs, I've never met a more dedicated staff of workers in a game store before. Angel was the man, he really was. I still love the fact that they would push games by bringing them home, recording their progress on a VCR, and bringing it into work to show off to potential customers. Nothing better than being able to show off the hottest 30 titles or so at a moment's notice and making some major sales.

Another disappointment is what happened to the Manhattan Mall. I used to love hitting the gigantic food court and some of the stores on the lower floors when I walked around midtown or so. Now there's...well, there's nothing really worthwhile going on in there, although the EB there tends to get lucky with a few PO titles, both game-wise and movie-wise.

Man, I just wish there were more independent game stores around. I was sad when Game Express went out of business in Carle Place but I never expected the main store to go under as well.

I remember Manhattan Mall when it was called A&S Plaza. There were two EB's there- one on the lower level next to KB Toys, and one a bunch of floors up. That mall used to always be packed, now when I go there it's all boring. And they close at like, 7pm. WTF?!

Sorry to sidetrack the original topic. I'm not in NYC in a regular basis anymore, so all the stores are either closed or I can't remember their names.

There was one on Broadway, downtown, probably past Union Square. I can't remember the name (helpful, I know).

I just remember buying Dragon Ball Z Super Famicom games there around 1992 or 1993 and people around here were amazed I could buy Japanese games in NYC LOL.

Originally Posted by Haggar I remember Manhattan Mall when it was called A&S Plaza. There were two EB's there- one on the lower level next to KB Toys, and one a bunch of floors up. That mall used to always be packed, now when I go there it's all boring. And they close at like, 7pm. WTF?! Sorry to sidetrack the original topic. I'm not in NYC in a regular basis anymore, so all the stores are either closed or I can't remember their names. There was one on Broadway, downtown, probably past Union Square. I can't remember the name (helpful, I know). I just remember buying Dragon Ball Z Super Famicom games there around 1992 or 1993 and people around here were amazed I could buy Japanese games in NYC LOL.

Pretty much the only indy game stores left in the City that I know of are the one on St. Marks (the owner is a member here) and Chinatown. There may be some uptown, but I rarely venture up past the park.

Chinatown is also great cos it has one of the last independant arcades that I know of in this area. You can go there play many great 2D fighters and lots of other great old school games. Plus most of the games still cost only a quarter! Some of the kids that hang there are harcore fighting masters too. Ive gotten totally schooled many times by those guys! Its humbling to play at home, and beat up your friends, and think your halfway decent, then show up at that arcade and just get owned like you just started playing with that quarter.... lol

Game express is truely gone and so is the building like salmonaxxx said. Kinda sucks since it was so near penn station. Games and james is also long gone but I only went there once.
Back in the Dreamcast days when I used to pay $15 for burned copies, I went down to some weird little shop in chinatown that was next door to a massage parlor which was kinda creepy.
After that place closed down, there was another store, but whenever I went in they would tell me they didnt have copied games since they thought I was a cop or something.

Just in case no one noticed.

J N L have a website

http://www.jnlgame.com/

There was one on Broadway, downtown, probably past Union Square. I can't remember the name (helpful, I know).

Hey Haggar, are you talking about the on West Broadway, between Chambers and Warren Street. If you are, then I might remember you. I used to own that store with my friend from 91 to 2001. I wrote about it in some other topic a while back but no one remembered my store. Finally, someone who's actually bought something there. That is, if that is the store you are talking about. By the way, it was called Game Park.

Originally Posted by b52 Hey Haggar, are you talking about the on West Broadway, between Chambers and Warren Street. If you are, then I might remember you. I used to own that store with my friend from 91 to 2001. I wrote about it in some other topic a while back but no one remembered my store. Finally, someone who's actually bought something there. That is, if that is the store you are talking about. By the way, it was called Game Park.

I think that might have been it, the name sounds familar- although I only went there a few times, I guess it's possible you rang me up.

I know I bought 2 or 3 Super Famicom Dragon Ball Z games* (at different times) and I think I bought the Super Famicom version of Final Fight because Guy was in it (before the Blockbuster version came out).

I remember walking into the store, knowing next to nothing other than I needed a converter, and the people there were very helpful to a first time importer.

*And I just want to mention that in the early 1990's it was cool to like Dragon Ball Z LOL.

Did you have a lady working there? I know there was a woman there with another guy one time I went.

Originally Posted by Puffa469 Pretty much the only indy game stores left in the City that I know of are the one on St. Marks (the owner is a member here) and Chinatown. There may be some uptown, but I rarely venture up past the park. Chinatown is also great cos it has one of the last independant arcades that I know of in this area. You can go there play many great 2D fighters and lots of other great old school games. Plus most of the games still cost only a quarter! Some of the kids that hang there are harcore fighting masters too. Ive gotten totally schooled many times by those guys! Its humbling to play at home, and beat up your friends, and think your halfway decent, then show up at that arcade and just get owned like you just started playing with that quarter.... lol

Ahhh Ctown Arcade. yeah thats where most of the NYC tourney players play. i know Justin Wong played alot of MvC 2 there before he achieved worldwide success. i havent been there for 3 years though....wonder if it changed as in games wise...

Originally Posted by integralsmatic Ahhh Ctown Arcade. yeah thats where most of the NYC tourney players play. i know Justin Wong played alot of MvC 2 there before he achieved worldwide success. i havent been there for 3 years though....wonder if it changed as in games wise...

There used to be a game in that place where you could shock a real live chicken to death. It was gone by the time of me getting there though (1996).

You could be killing somone on street fighter 3 in that place and then this little 5 year old pulls up his milk crate and perfects you.

Ctown arcade is amazing - it's everything you'd imagine it to be, cheap, dirty, seedy and ridiculously hot. I was sweatin up a storm and I'm not even one of the fat kids.

Multimedia 1.0 is on saint marks - it's nice little place, I think the prices are pretty on par with the rest of the city and they have a real solid selection and good staff.

Originally Posted by b52 Hey Haggar, are you talking about the on West Broadway, between Chambers and Warren Street. If you are, then I might remember you. I used to own that store with my friend from 91 to 2001. I wrote about it in some other topic a while back but no one remembered my store. Finally, someone who's actually bought something there. That is, if that is the store you are talking about. By the way, it was called Game Park.

That game store is about 2-3 blocks away from my old HS, I used to stop by there every once in awhile.

For anyone that ventures up to the boonies(Westchester), there's a new indy store in Mt Kisco that I heard has a great import selection. I'll get back when I check it out later today.


It's a great time to be a cheap ass gamer.

My favorites (in the 90s) when I lived in NY were Video Gamesters (on 7th Ave just north of the villiage). And the Game Trade Center near South Street Seaport.