Game Trader

Like most other game stores, you are pretty much shopping on ebay. The prices are bad and there are enough sports games in the store to send you out with a bad taste in your mouth. If these stores in the Northwest expect to keep surviving they need to offer better deals to their customers to keep them from just buying on ebay.

Oh how I love thee, Game Trader! You have all my favorite games from childhood and my more modern loves as well. I love coming in and finding awesome new games and having the clerk’s very experienced opinions to help me decide. The staff are quite knowledgeable and always very helpful. You can also have them help with broken systems or to find old memorabilia. Mine and my man’s favorite place to nerd out.

I’ve been going to Game Trader since 1997. They’ve always had a stupid-​good selection of games for literally every system that’s been released. Most non-​chain game stores around here sell the basics like Atari, NES, Genesis, SNES, N64, PSone, Dreamcast, etc. These guys? WonderSwan Color, 3DO, you name it. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been here and overheard customers ask «what is that??» when looking at an obscure system that did poorly when it was released. The place is practically a gaming museum, full of promotional posters and displays all over the place from decades ago. It’s kept the same look for the most part, only with more cases and cabinets added for the growing inventory.
Prices on games and systems are very fair. Don’t go in here planning to get a good deal on Super Mario RPG or Radiant Silvergun– they know what they’re selling, but don’t have the prices marked too high on the rare stuff. Plus they tend to have some really great sales where you save x percentage off used games if you buy more than one or throw in a game if you buy a system. I’ve never felt ripped off, and if something seems to be priced too high for what it is (like an old game for a current console), there’s a good chance they’ll mark it down since it may be an old price tag. And of course, they have some good import titles available. They also sell game-​related toys and collectibles now and then. A while back, they started getting in gashapon/​blind box toys for Phoenix Wright, SoulCalibur and other games. Now they’re up to stuffed Pokemon. There’s a good chance that you’ll find something you won’t want to leave without when you come here.
Over the years, the staff has been great. From who I refer to as the original dream team of CK, Danny and T-​Pain (aka Toun), to Kevin, Antonio, Teea and Kim. They’re people, first and foremost, and you can talk to them about anything and get good, friendly replies. Everyone knows their stuff, and this is one of those places you can’t go, thinking you’re Mr. Gaming History, trying to act smart by asking if they knew Final Fantasy III for SNES was really Final Fantasy VI in Japan. There have only been a couple of employees I didn’t care much for, and they only lasted a short amount of time. As long as T-​Pain is still around, I’ll always be a regular, even if I’ve lost interest in games big time over the last year.
Look, I’m a cheapskate and always try to get deals on things. If there’s something I want at a store, but I can get it for even three bucks less on Amazon, I’ll get it off Amazon. But with Game Trader, I’ll always go there first and I feel good when buying from them. It’s amazing that the place is still around, considering how every single other store within that mall has went out of business (aside from the shirt shop next door), and yet it’s not amazing because it’s such a great place. I love taking my daughter here so she can see all kinds of stuff that was before her time, and she can actually play games on the systems to try them out if she wants. I can honestly say that Game Trader is one of the very few places I go to where if they went under, I’d be devastated. I even had a nightmare about it once! Unless there’s something like a stupid Amiibo that’s exclusive to GameStop, there is absolutely no reason for me to go there over Game Trader.
Oh and did I mention their trade-​in prices are way better than anything you could ever get at GameStop? I remember taking in Marvel vs Capcom 2 for Xbox after it went out of print. GameStop was going to give me all of $ 8 for it. I got $ 30 at GT.
The only thing the store needs is a mascot. I nominate CK in a costume of himself.

The clerk was rude to my kids. She acts as if you are bothering her to ask about the availability of a game. Good thing she has a link to the store catalog uploaded to her head since she was too busy to look. Granted the store was empty and sure standing around doing nothing was more important. Judging by the declining ratings and the empty store coupled with the cost to operate it, this place is living on borrowed time. RIP.

Was told that the return policy was within 15 days, was not told that you can only return for store credit

Terrible customer service! I dropped my Xbox 360 off to be fixed on a Tuesday, the guy said it would cost me $ 75 to fix and that he should be done before the weekend. Well Friday comes and I haven’t heard anything so I call, the girl that answers tells me that it won’t actually be done for 3 more weeks, totalling almost a month including the week I waited already. Now in thier defence the guy did say it’s not 100% that it would be done by the weekend, but if I had known the alternative was a month I wouldn’t have left it. Now to top it off, I went in on Friday to pick it up, only to br told by the very rude little girl behind the counter that it wasn’t there, I would have to wait until tomorrow to pick it and that she «doesn’t know what else to tell me»! Why wasn’t I told this on the phone, or at least given a call so I didn’t waste my time, driving there, again! I will never do business with this company again! In fact I found a place close by that did it under a week for only $ 45!
Communication is key people remember that!

Terrible customer service with a little racism to boot. I entered the store just a four Caucasian kids were looking at some of the games at the center of the store, the young petite sales clerk after a beat asked the kids if they needed help and when they said no, immediately went back to watching her animé show on the TV and completely ignored me, although I was clearly standing near her and searching for games.
Minutes later, another Caucasian couple walked in and she immediately rushed over to the front of the store to ask them if they need assistance. They said no, and she went back to her TV, again disregarding me.
Finally, I did walk over to her and ask if they had the GTA San Andreas game, she shot me a dirty look, begrudgingly walked over to the section, took one look and said «No, were out.» and immediately just walked away without trying to assist me further. She looked as though I was interrupting her peace by asking her.
So, maybe the key to receiving better customer service is to have lighter skin?
Game Trader itself is great. If you’re looking for that old Sega game system or that old school game you can’t find anywhere else, this is the place. Which is why I gave it two stars instead of one… but maybe they should step up their customer service a notch. Like hiring sales clerks that are less prejudiced and more courteous… just a thought…

Poor customer service. Walked around the empty store for 15 minutes waiting for help while the two workers talked about relationship drama with a friend. It was only when I stood infront of them for 2 minutes they acknowledge me.
Game selection is pretty good. It helps if they could help you with the games rather than walk behind the counter and grab it yourself

Well, I really don’t fit in here but when I’m looking into getting older games for my older systems me and my husband have I go here.
Not all of the employees are knowledgeable on their policies or let alone listen to their manager on what they need to do on the paperwork for a return. The manager had said what the employee needed to do and they wanted to give me a store credit when I was returning the items because I needed to replace the whole system I had. And the items were being returned in the 30 days that the back of the receipt said you had. I was returning them in less then 10 days of getting them. REALLY! But the manager got it all figured out and corrected the employee.
One down side of here is it’s so GEEKY and I just don’t fit in at all. I love my games but wow is all I can say. I understand the employees need to know the systems and some games or whatever but when they are sitting there getting so technical about a game or recommending a game that you just told them you have no interest in because you don’t play that type of games is so annoying. It would be different if I was like, «Hey can you recommend a game for my husband? He likes playing…» Than them saying, «Well I’d recommend…» and recommending something that is close to what the person already plays.
But Game Trader is awesome for caring games for my old systems which I LOVE so much. Thank you for being around and having games for a good price and not to much.

Set up sucks big time if you want a PS3 game no way to see the games. Staff was everywhere and un helpful. They seem to have a great selection but to much was not accessible, more like a warehouse than a retail store.

This place is Geek HEAVEN…
Every game you can possibly imagine, for every system. Even Atari! It’s so awesome
Danny and his staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
Prices can’t be beat, and the warranty is awesome. This is the only place I will shop for console games and accessories!

I think this place is pretty cool.
I’m not a huge game nerd but I like a couple different games. And my dude… boy does he love his games. So we come here pretty often. There’s always new stuff and lots of it. The décor is getting cooler and cooler and I love that they have all the old gaming systems on display.
I don’t mind wandering around this little store ever.

This place gets rave reviews for a reason. New and used games, systems and some of the friendliest, most knowledgeable sales staff around.
I am NOT a gamer, but my kids have gaming systems, so when I shop for them, I need advice on age/​skill appropriateness and plain old fun. What I love about Game Trader is the individual attention the staff provides to each customer — clueless mom or avid game-​geek. They helped me rock my kids’ Christmas this year.

Game Trader is tucked away inside the Cedar Hills Crossing. Yes, there is an inside. I was drawn there after a Google Offers special and have mixed opinions. The selection of older games is pretty great and they even have quite a few hard-​to-​find games and some random imports. For the collector, it’s a pretty amazing place.
Where it fails is as a legitimate alternative to a place like Gamestop or Best Buy. The selection of newer games is lackluster at best — it can be very difficult to find a game released within the past year.
The layout of the store is a mess too — it feels very tight and cluttered due to all the stock, like a pawn shop for video games. The games for newer systems are on shelves behind the counter. This makes coming in and browsing extremely difficult, as the sides of boxes are not very easy to read, nor are the prices readily visible. It’s next to impossible to browse without going through an employee.
The employees didn’t seem particularly upbeat, but they were attentive and helpful given the crowd.
It’s a nice place to see some interesting games, but there are better places to buy games for the current generation.

I went to this store all the time like 15 years ago, back when it was Beaverton Mall, or more commonly known as the dirt mall (gotta give this place a Mallrats shout-​out because it always reminded me of the dirt mall in the movie).
Fast-​forward and now the mall’s been overhauled but Game Trader’s stil there and still has everything from my past. And I mean that. NES, SNES, Genesis, and even further back with Atari games and such — these guys have just stockpiled gaming history into this little store and it’s a beautiful thing.
They primarily focus on retro games and systems but they have a variety of new games as well, often at cheaper prices than the main stores. Used games are mostly all cheaper than Gamestop. Plus they’ll still buy anything you’ve got from the ‘80s and ‘90s if you’re like me and have been gaming for 20+ years.
This place is pretty much retro gaming heaven. It’s sexy.

What do I do with all those xBox 360 games laying around? Finally I found a place to trade in games. I can buy new, used, and hard to find games. This place is the bomb, so glad I stumbled upon it.
Drop by the store, you’ll be blown away at how much inventory they have. It’s amazing, they had everything I was looking for!
They even took a list of what I was looking for and said they would give me a ring when it came in. Done and done.

This is not your average, mild-​mannered Unilocal review. Oh, no. This is a harrowing tale of tragedy and triumph, the story of a broke college student with dreams of owning a PS3 and the obstacles that stood in her way.
The long and short of it is this: I had a brand new flatscreen, a slew of media to play (Hulu, Netflix, CDs, DVDs, Bluray) and not the first clue what machine could accomplish all this (Xbox? Tivo? DVD player?) Enter the PS3, which becomes my new Holy Grail. I stop buying groceries, become a part-​time nanny and start saving. I am well on my way to becoming a proud new PS3 owner. Enter the parking tickets, vehicle registration renewal and class fees that quash my dreams. Enter my father, who first, in a chivalrous display of generosity, offers to sell me his unboxed PS3 for $ 199 and then, in a horrendous display of Indian-​giving, reneges on the deal.
I am about to give up hope when, all of a sudden, I remember that I have credit at Game Trader from quite a few years back. When I called up to ask just how much, I was given the surprising sum of $ 125. I mentioned that I was looking for a PS3, and the man on the other end told me «used or new?» What! «There’s no way you have a used PS3, is there?» Sho’nuff, one had come in just a few hours earlier and was being sold at the low low price of $ 240. (For those of you not familiar with PS3 prices, they are fixed and almost impossible to find, even used, for below $ 270).
The gears started turning. My dad was preparing to move and my mom was cleaning house, so I gathered up all the forgotten DS and PSP games I could find (we’re five kids, between the various families) and headed over to Game Trader.
The store was surprisingly busy, and this is my only gripe about the experience. About twelve people must have been milling around, and with time-​consuming needs and only three staff, things moved slowly. However, I chatted with Danny and Tia as I waited at the counter, and found them friendly and knowledgeable. Tia convivially discussed Fables III with me and Danny let me play with his personal 3DS. We continued the engrossing conversation as they rung me up. In total, I made another $ 100 (off of about 10 cased DS games).
A third employee, Kevin, who had just tested the PS3 hours before, told me in earnest that there was no difference between buying the used 120G and the new 160G, aside from memory and warranty, even though I told them I was willing to pay the $ 75 difference. Danny tested the system there in front of me, and we decided not to reset the system, as a number of worthwhile games had been downloaded by the previous owner. He set about cleaning the controller and tower, while Tia let me come around the counter and pick out a complementary (under $ 20) used videogame. The pair made recommendations and discussed the pros and cons of a few titles before I settled on «Best of PS2 God of War I and II.»
After making sure I knew how to set it up, they packed my cleaned system, complete with AV cable, power cable, controller, USB controller cable and sent me on my way.
I would recommend Game Trader to absolutely everyone — their prices may be a bit steep for some things, but their service is above par, they have taken and paid top dollar for everything I’ve brought in, and they have never had trouble recalling my credit, even when it’s been years since my last visit.
All in all, I paid $ 15 for a Play Station 3 and got a $ 20 game for free, which means I actually game out $ 5 ahead. How can you beat that?

So I accidentally found this awesome game shop after searching in vain for some long lost and forgotten NES games…
E bay is cool but you have to pay shipping and you know its not local.
Garage sales are alright but there are all sorts of funky people you hafta deal with and you can never be sure of the quality you are getting.
But, man let me tell you this place rocks!
Hundreds of titles for all those old game systems with none of the creepy crawlin nickel and dimers.
The staff is very knowledgeable on all sorts of geeky stuff and will be happy to tell your more than you ever wanted to know about any of the games or platforms you happen to fancy.
Prices are great. Selection is good. People are friendly.
Customer service is good unless there is a cute girl around in which case you might need to hit reset as the workers tend to get stuck in pause.
But, hey video game chicks are hott.
So just take a moment to oogle the Atari games and make your final selections, cause there is just no way you are going to leave here empty handed.-Unless your trying to pick up on that gamer chick–

I recently purchased myself a PS3 — primarily to use as a Blu-​Ray player (I don’t have a ton of time in my life to play video games), but since it doubles as a gaming system (or vice-​versa) I figured I should pick up a game or two to have on hand in case I found myself free on a rainy afternoon, so off to the highly-​recommended Game Trader I went…
and went…
For someone who lives out near SE 82^nd, this place is kind of deep, but I can’t dock any stars for that. It sits inside this odd hybrid mall on Cedar Hills, and is just what you expect — a small store crammed full of new and used games for every gaming system imaginable, with a couple of guys hanging behind the counter and a squad of dudes poking around, playing games on the system they have in there, and generally geeking out.
They have a pretty good selection of games, both new and used, but didn’t have the game I went there for (FIFA 10), so that was kind of a disappointment. What they did have, though, was a specific used cable that I was looking for, and it was offered at a good price and in good condition. Between paying used price and not having to ship (or pay some exorbitant price to purchase the cable from a local retailer), I saved some decent cash… enough to cover the cost of gas to drive out there and then some.
Overall, I’d recommend spending your money here on games vs. at the big box stores. They guys who work there are nice and helpful, and you never know, you might find a few gems in the used bin (like I did) and save yourself some bling.

I’ve been a gamer for years, and never have I found a shop that is staffed by such awesome people. Danny and his crew are the best — super friendly, never too busy to talk shop or play a game of 3^rd Strike, and always happy to help you out. On top of that, it’s the one store in the area where I really feel I can go treasure hunting — you know, looking for rare titles, consoles, or even finding imports — it’s a dream come true, and when you find the right oldie, it beats eBay or play-​asia for convenience and price.
On top of that, system repair and NES/​SNES battery replacement can be had for a nominal fee. These guys REALLY know games, and it’s apparent from even five minutes in the store.
Seriously, I cannot recommend this place with enough empahsis or urging — if you need a video game (or in the case of my first visit, $ 500 worth) then go to Game Trader. There is little to no excuse to shop anywhere else!