Lost Ark Video Games

Reviews 5

BR

Brent Taylor

Okay, so...where to start? First, Ill talk about the game selection. Its more like a classic gaming museum with things you can buy, worth it just for the history. The place is pretty aptly named that way. Its like youre at a booth at a con, but imagine that its all the best things youd see there all rolled into one store. No shoveling through mountains of crap PS2 games and sports titles to find something interesting, its all out there in the open. And not just games, amazing figures (lots of Gundam stuff if youre into that), Magic cards, plushes, Nintendo Power mags and classic guides, etc. Might find something cheaper on eBay? Thats certainly possible, but the last thing I bought from eBay I didnt get. Your shopping experience there is a picture and a promise. Too often, the shadiness of dealing with individual craigslist/eBay sellers is underestimated. Here, seen physically, and face to face with the collector, you can make an informed decision, and thats worth a not insignificant amount of money in itself. Now, the arcade. Im pretty sure theres not a comparable arcade for fighting games (or for anything, for that matter) that you could get to without flying across the States. Theres a current culture developing of arcade bars and while thats cool and all, they generally just have worn out, older 90s bat top games at best...and are more or less a larger collection of things you could expect to still see at movie theaters or hotels in the throwaway "arcade" section. Lost Ark has things like sit-down Japanese candy cabs, games that are actually NEWER than 15 years old, a machine running Guilty Gear Xrd (yes, that one that came out on PS4), Cave shooters, Tetris Grand Master Challenge, Psychic Force, Samurai Spirits V %$#@ING SPECIAL. The odds of you seeing any of that at Hipster Retrocool Barcade is incredibly low. And its $5 ($8 on Saturday, since theyre open later) to play all you want! You can be bad at space shooters like me and still sit there and act like you know waht youre doing. All this to say, basically: if you had enough interest to read this review, you should go. Its not unlikely Ill see you there ;p

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KH

Khang Trinh

Made a detour here while on my way to Asheville from MD. Absolutely worth the trip. While the store itself is but a few aisles wide, there is a treasure trove of collectibles to browse and buy. The games are all in great condition, and the memorabilia ranges from classic Nintendo collectibles to Gundam kits to Hello Kitty plushes to anime action figures and on and on and on, an extremely refreshing sight to behold, since stores of this nature are extremely rare in the states. The owner and staff are among the friendliest Ive encountered, and you can tell they are extremely passionate about their goods. If you live around here, I cannot recommend supporting this small business enough. Daniel and his staff definitely deserve your patronage, as they love the same things you love, and work to keep this niche culture alive and well. My most favorite part? In the back room of this beloved store sits a one of a kind arcade room, hosting over a dozen arcade machines that give you a taste of the arcade video game culture in Japan. Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, pinball machines, beatem ups - Its absolutely incredible how much effort Daniel and co have put into this place. Arcades in the US have more or less died out as a result of the advances in home gaming - personally, this small room not only allowed me to experience a rush of memorable experiences of my childhood, but also temporarily sate my rather insatiable desire to play 3rd Strike on a head to head cabinet. The only thing upsetting about this store is that it is 350 miles away from my home.

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MA

Martin P

i have to say, this place is amazing. although, yes it is overpriced, it is for good reasons. they are all cleaned and in good condition for the most part, arcade is $5 entry, and they have very generous deals. sometimes i go to cheaper stores first, and if i cant find it there, i just go to lost ark, even though it is a bit more. i recommend this store to gamers and collectors, as they have some neat and rare stuff, but dont expect an outstanding price, expect retail price, but its not a bad thing. another thing, is that they dont give you a lot for your games, but they topple over gamestop, which would give you much less. edit: i am an nes collector attempting a near complete collection, so i was the one who bought most of their 99 cent games, which was fair but now their all 2 dollars, which may not seem like a big deal, but when i come to the store with that in mind, i get a lot less for my money. a lot of their nes games now in perspective, are at or above ebay/amazon prices, which if you are a collector, you know that its pretty pricey, and much over a good price. if you are a collector planning to come often, your out of luck in this store, but if you want to come every once in a while, its worth it; great looking store, decent selection, cheap arcade with great games, and REALLY awesome staff. i have kind of become friends with the workers, and one woman in particular always brings a smile to my face. great prices?no great staff?ABSOLUTELY would i recommend this place? of course!

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DE

DeMorris Edberson

As an avid collector of all things video gaming, this store is a god send to me. Its a bit of a drive for me, but knowing theres a place I can go to pretty much find anything I am looking for instead of having to get up to play the flea market and yard sale lotto is such a good feeling. Yes, sometimes the prices are a bit on the high side, but I personally dont mind because of the aforementioned convenience of being able to find the rare pieces I am looking for. Also I know without a shadow of a doubt that when I purchase something from LAVG, that I am getting a quality piece. I dont have worry about switched boards or poor condition. That piece of mind is worth the extra costs. But above all else, the atmosphere is just top notch. Yes the space is packed sometimes, especially in the absolutely awesome arcade in the back, but the staff members are always pleasant and truly make me feel like a part of the family when I am there. I have even taken my young daughter there and just the small things they do to make everyone feel welcome dont go unnoticed. Things like putting little Japanese candies in the bag, and offering free stickers and such. This place is a true gem to this community. Highly recommended.

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BL

Blake Mansour

This place is awesome! As an older gamer who grew up in arcades and as a competitive fighting game player who always used to marvel at stories of Japanese arcades, the fact that a place like Lost Ark even exists is such an amazing thing to me, and I feel super lucky to be able to go there. The price for playing is really great, especially if youve been to one of these establishments that passes for an arcade these days, such as Dave&Busters. Only 5 dollars for what is essentially unlimited play. While the selection of games to play most definitely skews more towards fighting games, there is still a good variety of other machines to play on, and the owner is adding more games regularly. They also have a nice selection of drinks and snacks, and awesome apparel you can buy to rep the store. Theres also plenty of rare and classic games to be found for purchase in the store, as well as cool toys and models. The owner, Dan, is super cool and always friendly, as are all the staff. If you have any issues, they are ready and willing to help at all times. This place is truly a gem and worth visiting if you can!

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