THE BATTLEBOX VIDEO GAMES — Attraction in Milwaukee

Absolutely phenomenal store with a fantastic owner who is passionate about gaming and collectables. I was looking around for some N64 games and controllers and was not liking the options for purchasing online, lots of fakes and unreliable controllers, expensive shipping, ordering from multiple sellers, etc., that's when I found The Battlebox. 100 times cooler than Gamestop, prices on par with purchasing online/@Gamestop, but you get the massive benefit of seeing the merchandise in person, supporting a local business that makes it it's business to support the local neighborhood/youth, and spending time talking shop with the owner. He's a hilarious guy with the gift of gab, and really knows his stuff. Totally worth the trip and every penny. I was able to walk away with a couple of the games I was looking for, a new controller, and some great info about N64 specific collecting and gaming.

I'm really looking forward to the pandemic ending and checking out the gaming lounge and bar areas they has set up in the same location. They run tournaments, events, etc out of the space and it's such a welcoming community I think I'd really enjoy it.

Folks who didn't like the store experience are looking for a generic retail experience. Folks who felt items are overpriced don't understand collectables and accrued value, this is quality merchandise at a fair price for authentic defect free goods available on hand, with a great customer experience to boot.

CALL...

Very strange place. Stopped in and the door was locked during business hours. Owner opened the door and let us in. He asked if we called before coming. Made it seem like we had to make an appointment to come look at merchandise. Nothing was priced, which as a consumer, I find annoying. Owner said it was because the stickers can damage the product, which does make sense to me. When asking him prices, he said the prices fluctuate, because he goes off eBay prices. This was an immediate turn off for me. Why support a local business, that is going to charge the same as every place ever. I would rather sit in my underwear at home, and buy stuff online for the same price, than walk into this store. Owner also said that he would rather trade merchandise than sell for cash. Seemed odd to me, that he didn't want to sell merchandise for money, only wanted to trade and "keep merchandise on the shelf, because that's how he stays in business". What??? You stay in business by selling stuff for money. Also seemed hesitant to give prices. Kept asking us to look it up on eBay ourselves. All in all, it was a strange and confusing experience. Never going to make an appointment at this place where they may or may not let you in and may or may not want to sell to you. The guy was at least friendly though and the store itself looked good. So,...

Stopped in here from out of town. Had to call the shop and was asked to park in the shop's parking lot (so the security camera could watch me) before even being allowed to enter the store. It was very off-putting to a new customer. The shop owner then explained to me how the store "works" and tried to convince me it is the reason why his business is doing so well. I didnt even question him on the rules, nor did I really care, I just wanted to waste some time and look at some video games.

While the shop did have a really nice collection of games including some rare stuff, none of the games or other items had any price tags so I had no idea what I could afford. I was also told not to touch any thing and that even a game box would be grabbed off the shelf for me. Some of the "collection" was even behind a glass wall including boxed Sega genesis and Sega CD games which customers were not allowed to look at up close. I ended up leaving without purchasing anything.

Afterwards I was so put off by the whole thing I had to write this review. It seems to me it's just the shop owner's collection and he has a business behind it to sell and trade. There's also a "members only" portion of the store which just sounded like a club for the owner's friends.

Casual buyers beware - this place is...