Level Up Video Games

These dudes literally made Christmas miracles happen. This is the only store to go out of their way to find me the vintage game I so desperately wanted. Officially a customer for life. Thank you for having great customer service in a time when customer service is virtually non existent from most retailers. I will be telling everyone I know to order from this store.

well, here we are, long after the first review… and they’ve only gotten better! Having gotten to know the staff fairly well, I can still say these guys are a class act. Truthfully, this store and all the folks who work there, deliver a spectacular customer service experience. the overall stock is interesting, the music is fun and fits for a video game store. A great shopping experience with generous trade values, and a friendly attitude. highly recommended.

Good spot just bought a N64 good price too a lot of vintage consoles good prices too bought super Mario with it good price would recommend this spot for vintage games n consoles

Great place. They have a lot of older games that you can’t find anywhere. The owners are chill and down to earth.

Very well maintained store. On display is a history of gaming attraction that had some very rare finds (all for sale too!) Staff was very helpful and the prices overall were good. Much much better then gamestop. Cool memorabilia, older gen games, and super cheap accessories. Cashier signed me up for an account in seconds and we even had the same birthday. Would frequent the store more often if the city of Santa Cruz didn’t screw the entire local population up with paid parking.

*** nostalgia central alert ***
If you grew up playing Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Battle Toads, Contra, Dr. Mario, Tetris, and the likes then this place is for you.
Came here because I need to get a PS3 controller for my kids. No, they do not play video games but the console acts as their Blu-​Ray player. They had plenty of used PS2 controllers on sale but none for the PS3. I bought a generic one for about $ 35. It is clear and is wireless and is working perfectly! Gavin likes it that it lights up blue every time I use it.
I need to get Call Of Duty | Black Ops sometimes. I remember forgetting to eat because I was too busy trying to be a sniper. Resident Evil for the PS1 had me scared to walk through my grandma’s hallway alone. This place has it all; NES, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Play Boy, Nintendo 64, etc.
For this thanksgiving, my kids will watch me play on the NES. I bet I can beat Super Mario Bros 3 (raccoon tail) w/​o using a life line.
Friendly guys. Reasonable prices.
I will be back!

Great selection. Various game systems (unnofficial and official) and adapters to make the game systems work for today TV’s. Lots of games as well.

Awesome mom an pop video game store in SC! Place puts game stop to shame! Great events great customer service people are easy to talk to! If they dont have it they’ll find it! Gets no better than that!

Awesome local store. They are involved with the community and host tournaments once every few months. Also the trade in value blows GameStop out of the water. I will definitely continue shopping here for all my gaming needs

The first thing I saw when I walked in was «A History of Videogames,» which was a display of everything from XBOX 360 to Pong Machines. They had a $ 2 rack and $ 1 shelf of Videogames. After much gawking at Dreamcast consoles and old N64 titles, I finally got 3 games, and walked out happy with my loot.

Cool shop in downtown Santa Cruz that Is full of nostalgia! They have a bunch of classic game consoles, as well as the newer ones. I was looking to trade/​sell my boyfriends PS and this was the only place in town that would buy it. They gave me a decent amount for it and even more when I chose store credit. I made an account for next time we come in. Customer service was awesome and the game selection was pretty good.

Cute video game store in Santa Cruz. The prices seemed pretty reasonable. Their variety wasn’t too bad either. They also had some vintage games up for sale too which were a treat to look at.

Awesome selection of retro and new video games. They’ve got 3DO, TurboGrafx, Sega Saturn and other rare stuff in stock. Always find awesome stuff here. Today, I saw an LCD-​modded Sega Nomad. They are super friendly here and always willing to help!

Their prices are reasonable if not a steal for a physical retailer! Their museum right near the entrance is packed and is filled with things such as signed games from local developers and old promotional items like a vhs for Donkey Kong Country.
What really shines is their customer service. The employees are enthusiastic, respectful, and honest. As a plus, as I was browsing, three of the employees were being very patient and caring for the three kids who wanted to try out games at their booths.
This is an example of what a gameshop should be. It’s half an hour away, but I will surely be coming here over any GameStop or BestBuy.

I have NEVER had a bad experience with these people. I love that they have a wishlist and keep you up to date on the progress of your wish. Everyone in the store has a vast knowledge in the items that they sell. Cannot wait for them to open new section of live gaming!!!
Great Work Guys and Gals

Real cool environment for gamers!
Its hard to find ps2 and the first xbox games and older system and gear
Theyve got it all!
Plus an awsome shrine with all the old game systems i played as a kid

I accidentally discovered this place through one of those coupon book things full of local deals that they give to every naïve college student on the first day of the quarter. What began as a casual stop turned into a long conversation about the pros and cons of past and present games, and ended with them getting me a great deal on a hard-​to-​find used game.
To top it all off, as I was leaving I remembered an obscure cable adapter I needed, and they found it in the back room for me (it works perfectly), and even gave me the discount even after I’d lost the coupon!
Better deals and waaaaaay better customer service than any major video game retailers (I’m talkin to YOU Gamestop). Level Up Video Games is a perfect example of why it’s still worth walking down to the brick and mortar store instead of just ordering online.

I discovered this place 5 months ago I was simply amazed on everything they had. They literally have the best selection from classics to new releases! They have a variety of different consoles from any generation. They are fast and do a great job fixing old and broken stuff and its very affordable although I live in San Jose I defiantly think the drive is worth it!

As a (happily) ex-​Gamestop employee, it’s so nice to see a local video game store in the community. The owner is friendly, honest, and super knowledgeable, and the rest of the staff are pretty great. I like the attention to retro gaming — since I was never one to buy the latest and greatest anyway, I stuck to GameCube and PS2, which I don’t think GameStop even carries anymore. I’ve found some great gems here, sold back old games and hardware, and I love their wishlist service, meaning if you want them to keep an eye out for something, they’ll call you when it’s in. I got a flawless copy of Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker that way, and will definitely take advantage of that service in the future.
The best part, by far, is their glass bowl of shredded/​destroyed GameStop loyalty cards at the sales counter.

A great place when you’re just feeling nostalgic or want to fill in part of your retro collection.
Before I give the impression that this place only has retro, it has a lot of modern gaming as well. However, what makes this place stand out (for me) is the selection of retro games and their occasional events. I’ve purchased several games here and they occasionally get a few gems (I bought an amazing Zelda in box from them). Great for show pieces as well as game play!
The staff is knowledgeable and accommodating. They usually remember who I am (even though I’m not there very often) and I love the option for adding games to my wishlist and getting calls when they come in.
Overall, the best retro gaming store I found in the south bay.