Control Freak Video Games — Local services in Pigeon Forge

My recent visit to Control Freak Video Games left much to be desired, and unfortunately, I cannot rate this establishment higher than two stars. Several aspects of my experience contributed to this less-than-ideal review.

First and foremost, the lack of quality inventory was a significant disappointment. The selection of games and accessories seemed outdated and limited, and it felt like the store hadn't kept pace with the latest releases. For a video game store, the lack of a diverse and up-to-date inventory is a crucial letdown for customers seeking the latest and greatest in gaming.

The state of the store's cleanliness was another noticeable issue. The overall appearance was far from inviting, with disorganization and messiness prevailing throughout the space. Navigating through the cluttered aisles made the shopping experience more frustrating than enjoyable, as it was challenging to find what I was looking for in the chaos.

Equally disheartening was the lack of attentiveness from the employees. Throughout my time in the store, I did not receive any acknowledgment or assistance from staff members. It seemed as though the employees were disinterested in engaging with customers, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. Customer service is a fundamental aspect of any retail experience, and the absence of attention was a significant drawback.

Additionally, the presence of knock-off merchandise further diminished the store's credibility. Authenticity is key in the gaming community, and encountering knock-off products only served to undermine the store's reputation and trustworthiness.

In conclusion, Control Freak Video Games fell short of expectations on multiple fronts. The lack of quality inventory, messy store conditions, inattentive employees, and the presence of knock-off merchandise collectively contributed to a subpar shopping experience. It is my hope that the store addresses these issues to provide a more satisfying experience for customers in the future.

I lowered it to 1 star after the owner denied everything in this review. Im sure they have cameras and can reach out to me to show I was never greeted. Also its not video games that are knock of its other various merchadise including...

worse experience ever at a store. Went in with my 2 children and was shopping for over 15 minutes and had taken our merchandise to the front counter to check out..employee who wasn't wearing a mask at first put his on then asked if we had mask..I said we don't wear them..while he stood behind plexiglass and his mask on..yelled, cussed at us to leave the store and had a complete "meltdown". I told him he isn't going to speak to me like this..you don't talk to adults like this and told him I would call the police for his behavior towards us..I said you want someone to do something..you ask them..you say please leave the store..which he finally did after I said I was calling the police.I had over 50 dollars in merchandise at the counter..I had no problem leaving it behind. I hope others will "BOYCOTT" stores like this who think they can disrespect you and go into complete snowflake meltdown. I will spend my money at stores who "appreciate" my business..just like the one that was next to his store who had no problem taking our money at Gigis cupcakes. Bought 8 cupcakes and a brownie. Awesome cupcakes!! We enjoyed them..Also spoke with the GM Seth Myers. of the video store. He had the same "attitude" on the phone that the guy had behind the counter with the purple finger nails who screamed and cussed at me in front of my children. ..hopefully everyone will "BOYCOTT" Control Freak ...

I stopped here on a cross-country drive based upon the high praise I read for it on this page (someone said it was “the absolute best retro game store” he had ever been to in his life).

The staff was friendly and I thought the prices were fair. However, the store felt very picked over, with not a lot of interest for sale. I do seem to remember the guy working there saying something about them having a big NES collection, but I don’t collect for that system so I can’t honestly comment on it too much.

I wrestled with what to score this place. This seems like a store that would appeal to a more casual retro gamer than a hardcore elitist collector dork like myself (I know my faults…). That’s certainly not a bad thing, and it’s entirely possible they occasionally have more in stock of the kind of thing I’m searching for (I still picked up a relatively uncommon Saturn game). I also thought the custom buttons made from old magazines were really cool.

In summary, I can’t say I’d ever go out of my way to visit Control Freak again, and definitely would not characterize it as the best retro game store ever. That said, I’d still give it another go if I had business in the immediate area, and I’d recommend...