Next Level Games and Cards — Attraction in Everett

EDIT: 1/20/2019

We returned to this game store 11months later to see how things have changed (plus were really in the mood for a good Coop VR game).

Needless to say the service today was worth 5 stars. The guy working today was very charismatic and helpful, instantly acknowledging us when we walked in the store and getting to us quickly when we expressed interest in the VR systems. I believe his name was Damien.

We were able to play two VR multiplayer games which he helped us select and he offered support during our time when we needed to connect to the friends game.

Personally the store came off as more clean and streamlined. I would definitely return in the future.

Only suggestion for future improvement would be to have a binder with available games since not all the multiplayer games show under the multiplayer filter (both the games Damien suggested were not shown originally) and it would cut down on wasted VR time as people try to figure out what to play.

Would definitely recommend this to friends now.

Original review:

Customer service experience: I hate giving low stars to local businesses but boy did our experience stink. My partner and I came in on a Thursday night ~4-5pm to try out the VR systems. We were promptly ignored for 15minutes by the staff member there as he tried to work on an N64 that two other customers were attempting to play. The staff member did say hello during that time period and we said we wanted to play the VR system and was told it was 20$/hr but then he went back to working on the N64. Eventually he gave up and the customers played an Xbox 360/one (can't remember exactly system) game instead.

VR experience: If your system cannot perform for an hour without constantly crashing you probably shouldn't be offering it. Multiple games froze or went full on black screen.

Suggestion: Have a list of available VR games and summaries (A lot of VR shops that I have previously been to offer these and I have found them to be very helpful so a customer doesn't waste 5-10 minutes going through them while the timer is on).

Have more seating. My partner and I traded out at the 30 minute mark since only one Vive headset was available. There was no seating other then the couch that the other customers were using available so we hand to stand for the rest of the time.

Stock experience: Holy retro game selection Batman! Probably the best retro game selection for multiple systems I've seen in awhile. The downside is the price...the majority of game systems I am familiar with (N64, GameCube, PS1) had extremely overpriced games vs quality.

Overall: I was initially excited to know that there was a VR rental place in Everett so I didn't have to drive to Federal Way for a fun date night but as of right now I would not recommend this shop. Maybe in the future things...

Don't shop here! My first experiences with the store went really well. I bought games and traded in my entire collection of super nes games (50 plus titles), with good service and an overall good experience. My last couple experiences have been horrible. The ever shifting employees that work there don't seem to know the policy's of the store and I find I get different answers depending on the random employee I ended up coming across. My most recent transaction was the final straw. I went in to buy a game and explicitly asked the employee about the store's return policy. His answer was the stipulation on whether or not I would purchase the game. He claimed that there was a 2 day return policy for full money back and I would have nearly a month to exchange if the game happened to be defective. On THAT information I decided to purchase the game for a little over 40 dollars. That night I found that I did not receive acceptance from my wife in the purchase and told her that I would just return the game the next day. Again, on the word of the employee I had made the purchase from. In trying to return the game the following day (it hadn't even been removed from the case), I encountered another new face. This gentleman explained to me that I could not return a used game. That the only return available were for if the game was defective. In which case I could only exchange it for the same title. I explained what I had been told and that it was the single reason I purchased the game in the first place. He showed little empathy and continued to repeat himself, claiming there were nothing he could do. He said I could speak to the owner and that would be the only person that could rectify my situation. I do plan on talking to the owner but do not expect much given some of my previous experiences at this location. I basically feel like my money was stolen through false information. Needless to say, after speaking with the owner in the next couple of days I do not plan on returning to this location.. I like to support smaller game location rather than the larger retailers such as GameStop, even if the prices are a little more inflated. However, given this circumstance, I would rather drive 15 to 20 minutes out just to get accurate information and good customer service. I do not recommend this store to anyone, and pray that no one else has to go through the frustration that I just...

I do extensive local market research throughout the greater PNW, including King, Pierce, Lewis, Snohomish, and Kitsap Counties, specifically focusing on retro games and Nintendo products such as Pokémon, Zelda, and Mario. Based on this experience, this establishment consistently carries some of the highest resale prices for these titles while offering comparatively low trade-in values—typically up to 60% in store credit or 40% in cash.

For example, Pokémon FireRed is priced at $155 before tax here, which is about 55% higher than the average price at most competing stores. When asked, the justification given is that the store is “mom and pop owned.” While that may be true, it’s worth noting that nearly all competitors in the area (excluding GameStop) are also locally owned and still manage to provide more competitive pricing and trade-in offers.

The store itself has a slight musk, which fits into the stereotype often associated with older retro gaming shops. This may be due to the small size of the shop, the age of the building, and limited ventilation. Because of its compact layout, the store can feel cramped with more than five people inside at once, though I understand they are planning to relocate to a larger space.

On the positive side, the employees are personable and professional, though they have little flexibility on pricing compared to other shops in the area. The store does maintain a solid selection of games and manuals, which can be difficult to find elsewhere.

In summary, if you’re looking to recapture the nostalgia of the late ’90s and early 2000s or introduce a child to the classics, there are better-priced stores in the region that are more willing to work with you. However, if you’re an enthusiast with a bigger budget and you prioritize selection and convenience over price, this store does offer a quality inventory—albeit at what I would call an inflated “mom and pop” rate, driven by low trade-in payouts and higher resale margins than...