Throwback Gamez

Fantastic experience: Drove an hour and was not disappointed! They had the exact handheld I was looking for in amazing condition. I’ve been playing non-stop, and haven’t had any issues. It was well tested! Thank you again and I hope to stop by soon <3

Fantastic experience: All around awesome shop if you’re in the market for older games/ systems. I’ve bought multiple systems and games from them. On my most recent purchase there was an issue with one of the systems needing a factory reset with a password the previous owner had. They quickly fixed the issue and even threw in a gift card for my troubles. Staff is also super nice and helpful.

Fantastic experience: This place is simply the best. Manny and his staff are kind, knowledgeable, and patient! Such an easy experience; they offered me a more than fair price for my Pokémon cards and video games. It was such a pleasure going there that my wife and I went back to purchase our favorite N64 game. Don’t go anywhere else this place is seriously the best ! Thanks Throwback Gamez

Fantastic experience: If you have any rare video games or Pokemon cards you are looking to sell, this is the place to do. If you are looking to purchase rare Pokemon singles or old video games, this is your place. As long as the stuff you are bringing in is in good condition, they will get you a good deal for your goods. The staff here is super friendly, and very helpful. I came initially to sell some old Wii games and my PS4 games. I'm used to selling stuff at GameStop and getting back hardly anything. Not the case here. The owner even bumped up the selling price for some of the games I was selling, cause he said they didn't have as many in stock. Once I saw they sell Pokemon cards, I came back with some singles I had in a binder when I used to play, and Manny gave me a great price for my cards. Even gave me some top loaders to store some cards I decided not to sell. If you are into classic video game collecting, they have an enormous selection for just about every classic game console. They even have some classic Nintendo 64 consoles, and sega genesis games. Super cool store, super cool staff, and a super cool and friendly owner. Definitely give this place a look!

Fantastic experience: One of the best quintessential retro video game establishments in North County San Diego. I would highly recommend it. And I will continue to revisit this location over and over again.

Fantastic experience: Great prices and Manny was super helpful and knowledgable ! Got a PS3 console for the grandkid, very clean and no history on it. Highly recommend Throwback Gamez !

Negative experience: Bought a Nintendo Ds said everything was fine took it home the mic doesn’t work Bout some games to for other systems only about half work out of 6 they do not test all their games before buying and reselling they do a terrible job of cleaning them as well Obvious scratched games they try to just buff out Rip off

Negative experience: Terrible store they sell games that hardly work sometimes Bought a few older Nintendo nes game popped it In btw they cleaned it right before so I figure all is good with it I didn’t notice how badly it had crap built up inside there they just brushed all of it to the sides Game didn’t work nes flashed red Popped in the other one same thing I put in my own games I had nes kept flashing at this point I thought something was wrong with my systems took it in to service paid 60$ for them to tell me my system was fine the games they had were so badly dirty Bought Xbox games prior they use a cleaning machine to buff out scratches but some of those games still don’t work n they just recycle them out n give u a new copy if you want still selling bad games Would not recommend purchasing games here at all

Fantastic experience: A great help and friendly. Very good establishment. Top service.

Fantastic experience: Banger store, gots tons of classics, thete dsi lites are a good price!

Fantastic experience: I recently had the pleasure of visiting this establishment with the intention of expanding my N64 game collection, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed. The extensive selection of classic games available is truly remarkable. I was particularly struck by the sheer volume of Sega Genesis titles on offer, an uncommon sight these days. Browsing the store evoked a strong sense of nostalgia, reminding me of my past experiences renting console games from Blockbuster. Furthermore, I found the prices to be quite reasonable, and the customer service was exemplary. I fully intend to return on my next visit to the area.

Fantastic experience: Amazing service highly recommended

Fantastic experience: Hello the store is five stars the people also five stars Manny is a chill cool dude I traded/sold items to his store and they gave me a better deal then any other place around the area and there prices to me are fair and are really fair when they do a game sale I always feel welcome at throwback gamez and I will be going back for sure

Fantastic experience: Manny and the other guys there are always so welcoming and willing to help you find what you need. It's cool that they post new game tade- ins as soon as they get them in on their Instagram page, so you always know if the game you've been looking for is there. They are always willing to put something on hold for the day if you call and ask. I always want to support small businesses where I can. These guys run pretty much solely on game trades which is cool. I'd rather sell to them so someone else can easily enjoy games. Love going here and I hope they stay around for a long time.

Fantastic experience: Been coming here since the opening and it’s still the best retro store I’ve been to in North County. Fair prices and epic game finds from my childhood. Posted a pic of just the few games i purchased here! Highly recommend coming here!

Fantastic experience: Awesome

Fantastic experience: The games were reasonably priced, there’s a good selection as well. I am very happy with my purchases, I even got stickers and a cute tote bag!! Definitely recommend checking it out :)

Fantastic experience: Great shopping experience - throwback throws it back!

Fantastic experience: The best video game store in San Diego. These guys play test all of the games they sell and have a great warranty policy in case something doesn't play right. They know what they're doing and always deliver. Plus, they have an awesome selection. 10/10 would recommend.

Fantastic experience: Love this place. Well organized and the owner is great. Came all the way up from San Diego to deal with him.

Fantastic experience: What an excellent experience! The shop is conveniently located, kept exceptionally clean and in everything is in PRISTINE condition! Stellar customer service too. An exciting array of new and retro games and cards- merch- really everything cool that you can think of! 10/10 highly recommend this gem!

Fantastic experience: The nicest and most helpful employees. My husband is a huge retro game nerd so we are here a lot! I myself have even gotten a few nostalgic Wii games that I play every so often. My husband can talk to the employees for hours, we love stopping here❤️

Fantastic experience: Super friendly crew that have helped me get my N64 working. Great selection of old game systems like Gameboy color and Gameboy Advance. Carry a few dozen pokemon cards too. Vintage (my fav), mid era as well as modern. Great crew in here, stop in and see what they got! Get that wallet ready because there's going to be something cool in here for you!

Fantastic experience: Jesse was the sweetest and friendliest person I have come across in a while. He acknowledged me, greeted me, and let me ask him all my questions with a smile. Jesse keeps the store very clean and Very organized. I really appreciate his help and he made my store experience extremely lovely and pleasurable. Because of him, I do not feel like an outsider and I will return! Thank you Jesse!

Fantastic experience: I’ve lived in a dozen cities over the years, and this is by far the best retro game store I’ve been in!

Fantastic experience: Love this place and the Owner Manny! Sweetest guy and always willing to work with you on prices or selling items to him! Also the selection of old school and collectable games here is outstanding! Love this place definitely a go to for me.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly owner and staff! Always have what you are looking for at a great price!

Fantastic experience: This is the perfect place to come if you're into Gameboy, Playstation, Nintendo, Xbox, and Pokémon cards. I thought it was going to be a little more of mix of throwback things, but it's still a sweet place! The guys working here are really nice, too.

Fantastic experience: Very Friendly , they work with you , overall the shops is awesome!!!

Positive experience: Great selection, friendly staff. Clean and well-organized. If it had a little less dark and narrow storage-unit feel, more bright and fun retro atmosphere, would be 5 stars.

Fantastic experience: One of the best video game / card shops you will ever visit. Not only do they have a huge collection of amazing new and old games, they have a variety of handheld systems and trading cards at reasonable prices. The staff is also very welcoming and knowledgeable when it comes to their variety of items they sell. Shout out to my guy, the owner Manny for opening this hidden gem in Oceanside. I highly recommend you stop by and get your collectibles at Throwback gamez and feel free to give Manny a two sweeeet!!! - RoD

Fantastic experience: Friendly and helpful staff! Great old school game selections too!!

Fantastic experience: Had such a nice experience at this game store. Bought a copy of super castlevania in box and owner was nice enough to give a discount since the box was in rough shape. Owner is also so nice and down to earth. Will definitely hit this place up again next time I’m in Oceanside! Support local!

Fantastic experience: I visited Throwback Gamez today, and Manny, the owner, was working the front desk. He evaluated my gaming system, gave me an honest assessment, and offered the best price he could while still maintaining his business. I had an overwhelmingly positive experience—he was incredibly honest and transparent. Letting go of things we once used or cherished can be tough, but Manny made it a smooth and positive experience. I’ll definitely be returning in the near future—and if I can talk my wife into it, maybe I’ll even be walking away with an old Nintendo and Duck Hunt! :-)

Fantastic experience: They were willing to work with me on a price when I brought my video games and Pokemon cards in to sell. They have a good selection of Pokemon cards and figures at a decent price as well as a wonderful selection of used video games. I love going in to browse their new product as their selection is always changing. The employees are very friendly!

Fantastic experience: Great location for hard to find chase cards. Manny was awesome and helpful. If on the hunt for Pokemon singles, don't skip over this location! Thanks for help, will be back.

Fantastic experience: Over the past few months, I’ve gone to every card shop/game shop in San Diego, Vista, Escondido, and San Marcos and this shop is by far the best one I’ve been to. I’ve come back about 4 times and the workers are super kind and always remember me. They sell just about everything you could be looking for if you’re a collector.

Fantastic experience: Jesse, Manny and the others are all amazing people! Me and my Partner always come here for Pokémon cards! Make sure to stop on by if you guys are around the area

Fantastic experience: Outstanding card shop, all of the best vintage and modern video games. Consoles for better prices than GameStop. And just a whole lot of other collectibles. You didn’t know what you needed until you walk into the store.

Fantastic experience: The workers there are really nice. I loved the store in there!

Positive experience: I’ve had a few experiences here. Only one weird one. Overall. Very cool small niche retro gaming shop with a combo of trading card selections (Mostly Pokemon from what I’ve seen). For the trading cards side they are a bit low on sell value and high for buying. But the game side I was given a very fair deal in cash. I will continue to do business here for both categories.

Fantastic experience: AWESOME TCG ITEMS AND GREAT STAFF! AMAZING STORE, DONT MISS OUT!!

Fantastic experience: This place is great. Friendly staff, great items, and excellent service all around. Definitely shopping here again!

Fantastic experience: This place is SO COOL if you're into games and stuff like that! Great selection, and I find the location to be convenient, with good parking. My kids can always find something and so can I for my husband since he's a gamer. The people that work there are very knowledgeable about their products and they have a great additude! If you're near make sure to stop by there because I promise you will find something and have a bit of fun searching!

Fantastic experience: Love stopping in to check out the new games! Good customer service too, will be back!

Fantastic experience: I sold 3 ps2 games for $7.00, it’s not a big deal it’s only close to $10.00.

Fantastic experience: Friendly and some decent prices and a lot of handy stuff

Fantastic experience: Best game store EVER!!! Manny and Jessie are the most helpful friendly people you will ever meet! I don’t shop for games anywhere else!!

Negative experience: Store is clean and neat. They have a lot of Pokemon cards and video games (retro and new), but it’s just to bad that they are all over priced and not the current value on any of the top sites. Most people compare prices with Price Chart, TCG player and Ebay, however this store makes up their own prices and gets insulted when any reviews state they are “OVER PRICED.” I wish the owner would learn to buy items such as cards and video games at better price, in order to sell them at a competitive price to the public. Due to the over pricing and the facts that you can buy all these products cheaper elsewhere really doesn’t give me hope that I will shop at this store anytime in the near future.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic place for og and newer games, the staff is crazy knowledgeable and super friendly. Best place in Southern California to get modded consoles of all types hdmi out and what not WITH WARRANTIES they even take custom orders for custom modded handhelds and consoles . I buy all my games from this place and when am done I trade them back to get more games or consoles for the future. It’s also the only place I go for Pokémon cards , graded or sealed packs new and old and well pretty much all my collectables to. If you go somewhere else for anything of these things your making a mistake

Fantastic experience: Very well stocked store with a large selection of old games. The two employees were very friendly and helpful and made my visit a pleasant experience. Although I didn't find what I was looking for, they gave me tips on where else I could look for it. Service 10/10.

Fantastic experience: Great People, Great Prices, And will answer any questions you have.

Fantastic experience: This is THE place for your game needs past and present. Manny and the crew are the best and the selection is STACKED every visit you’re gonna find something you want; only rating 5 stars b/c 20 wasn’t an option!

Fantastic experience: I've been shopping at Throwback for years and consider it to be the best retro shop I've been to in Southern California. The employees and owners treat their customers like family, their cases and cartridge games are always cleaned, discs are always buffed clear of scratches, and their selection constantly stays interesting. Trade in prices for both cash and store credit are extremely fair, they're honest about everything up front, and I've never felt like I could have gotten a better deal somewhere else. They blow local competition out of the water with their knowledge and care.

Fantastic experience: Staff and prices are AMAZING! I highly recommend coming!

Fantastic experience: As a gamer myself bringing my children into the hobby as well, the staff and stock at this shop are perfect, they have everything I’m looking for including great suggestions for gamers of every level, along with a fun revamped front from the shop I grew up with here, it’s awesome to be able to bring in the next generations as well!

Fantastic experience: Quality people and great selection of nostalgic classics. You can really find hidden gems here!

Fantastic experience: Just started coming here this year and I always find something awesome to pick up. I also appreciate that they are willing to replace batteries on gameboy cartridges for a pretty affordable price! If your in north county then make sure to check this place out!

Fantastic experience: This is an incredible local business! The owner and his employees take such good care of their customers and provide an exceptional warranty on all their inventory. They are truly the best game store around and cannot recommend them enough!

Fantastic experience: Awesome experience and very informative Employees! Highly recommend them for any of your Retro Game needs!

Fantastic experience: Great for collectors. Manny and his crew are super knowledgeable and kind. Whether you're a tourist or a local, if you enjoy video games they're worth checking out!

Fantastic experience: Love this store so much. Great staff and an amazing collection of games.

Fantastic experience: Got some cool cards for a good price.

Fantastic experience: Great place. I picked up some wii games and controllers. They have a lot of stuff in stock so you’ll probably find everything you need here

Positive experience: Good

Fantastic experience: Cool atmosphere everytime I go and they take a Good Care of all their games

Fantastic experience: My Unforgettable Place Of Gameboy Advance

Fantastic experience: My favorite game store of all San Diego county! Very good prices, employees helpful and friendly. Can't recommend this place enough!

Fantastic experience: Manny and the team are awesome. Always take care of me. The best in Oceanside for your retro/throwback/vintage video game needs. They also do disc resurfacing which has saved so many of my old games. I’m constantly taking the family in just to show my kids “all the games dad grew up with”. They also support military and give a great military discount. Support local business, especially ones like Throwback Gamez! Check them out! (Photos of a few of the awesome items bought from them.)

Fantastic experience: Love this place. I came here to get some disk resurfaced for a great price everyone was friendly and I love how they take care of their games. If you are looking to buy some retro games in good condition this is the place

Fantastic experience: A spectacular game store. Easily the cleanest used game store I've ever been in. The fellows running the place are awesome and super knowledgeable. I rarely buy games - the ones I want are hard to find - but they had so much goodness, for the first time ever I had to decide which games I would leave behind. And gentleman, don't forget to look us up the next time you're in Vegas. The Dark Tower awaits!

Negative experience: We tried hard to support our local shop, with three boys ages 8 -11, spending several hundred dollars each year on retro games and Pokémon, despite items being available way less online. Bought two DS’s in August, today one of the screens went out. They absolutely were abiding by their fine print in not replacing, fixing, or compensating, but what’s the point of shopping local, if they’re going to sell faulty merchandise, and do nothing about it. Going forward we will just save money on the front end by ordering online. It really sucks, because we loved the idea of the place, but they just lack the local vibe. Shoot, even a small store credit and we would have bought a new one. Super bummed, I really wanted them to be cool and succeed. Now, not so much. *edit* The owner claimed in a response to my post that it was abused, so I’ve included pictures. My kiddo loved the thing and didn’t physically damage it in anyway, the top screen simply ceased functioning. It was most definitely purchased 6 months ago, and again the owner technically abided by the fine print.

Fantastic experience: Throwback Gamez is an adventure, the literal translation of “size doesn’t matter. Though the store may be small, they have the items you need/want! If they don’t, they can help you find ways of obtaining them and or obtain it for you themselves and they will let you know. For example, Im a vintage PC game collector, I express my interests and they take down a number to keep a look out. The feedback is full of knowledge and enthusiasm for your hobbies. A nerdy, quirky, vibed out staff is just the group of people Id love to hang out with! If you are ever coming through town, just stop by and check it out! (Ive spent plenty of time and money here, but the prices were the best I could find and they compete! They know their stuff!)

Fantastic experience: They had good prices and were nice

Fantastic experience: Can't wait to go back

Fantastic experience: Great place, they all types of old school games

Fantastic experience: Try to get in and out, unless with the wife. Too many stuff to buy

Fantastic experience: Cool little spot to pick up retro games. Anything from super famicom to Xbox one and everything in-between.

Fantastic experience: I've been a frequent customer for Calico Games for a number of years and decided it was finally time to check out Throwback Gamez for the first time since Game ADX had closed. I honestly didn't think I'd find much, but boy was I wrong. The staff there are all great to talk to and also fairly helpful. The store is, for the most part, highly organized with only a few shelves having games set apart from where you'd think they'd go. Not a problem really, the store clerks even encourage you to browse so you don't potentially miss anything. Pricing for some of their products is ever so slightly more than what you may find at Calico but honestly its nowhere near enough to turn you away. It's like paying $22 instead of $20, and since their inventory is really nice and varied plus the condition of most games as a whole are nice its very much worth your time. Either way you're still going to get a good deal compared to places like eBay and especially compared to what Game ADX used to have. Speaking of what you can find, almost nothing is off the table for these guys. Like riding the pipes with the Nintendo fans? Check. Does Sega still do what Nintendon't? Check. Itching with nostalgia with Sony's products? Check. Feeling edgy on the side of Xbox? Check. Looking for a real hotdog with the... Neo Geo?! Uh... yeah, unbelievably, check! I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much they had even for a guy like me who's collected for years and owns some pretty weird or obscure stuff, it was just far more than I had anticipated. Admittedly, the way they store games on the shelves was a bit odd though, nearly all of them have a plastic sleave over the entire case. A good way to keep games and cases in good shape without keeping them in a separate drawer behind the counter for sure but it makes it a bit harder and cumbersome to check how complete it is on the inside. Luckily, they were more than willing to let me open them up to see for myself. They also offer disc refurbishing services to your private collection as well as using it for their own inventory, so you know the disc is going to look quite good and function well. I walked in initially thinking I wouldn't buy much or anything at all, instead I dropped around $200 for a nice fat stack of awesome games that I'd been looking for to add to my collection. If you're a local looking for a good place to buy games new and old, give them a shot. If you're like me and already have a seasoned collection while also having shopped at other places like Calico for much longer, I'd still recommend adding Throwback Gamez to your list of places to visit for games. Hope the business flourishes because they're doing a very good job with it.

Fantastic experience: ultimate. thats all i can say. ultimate experience. so many old games and stuff its so good. like on 9/15/23 i bought super mario land 2 and no defects or anything! would reccomend.

Fantastic experience: Very nice people. My first time visiting this store and I liked it. The employees are so friendly and helpful. 10/10 a must visit shop

Fantastic experience: Fricken sweet. eBay pricing with game store quality.

Fantastic experience: This is a really cool shop. They have tons of old school games and systems! Staff is knowledgeable and very helpful. I'd recommend this place to anyone.

Positive experience: As a long time gamer and collector , when I first stepped into this retro store back in 2020, I fell in love with it, as oldies are hard to find now days at good prices , and this store had it right and had everything. Key word : “HAD”. This store still good, but not what it once was. Although I’m happy stores like this are expanding as it opened in another location, this business can’t even be considered as Quality over quantity. It has less in quantity and lacks in quality. I recently went back to trade some oldies stuff, and I understand small business are different from corporations, and for that same reason , these business have to make sure they appeal their costumers. The owners customer service is beyond excellent, but at one point I was sure he thought we were dumb for receiving Pennies for a small trade bundle. Finally, after going through every console’s catalog, there was nothing “I” could find that thought was worth my money. After checking the ps4/5 section, I noticed some games that you could find on GAMESTOP, were more overpriced than a corporation!. How can you sell a $20 on GameStop for $30-40 bucks?. Don’t you want people to help family business ? We understand the gaming hobby is an expensive one, but if you want support from the community , you gotta be fair and be current with me market. In conclusion, I wouldn’t “STAY AWAY “ from this store, but rather “BEWARE” of the prices. So make sure you look up prices and educate on the current market before spending hard working money in this economy. The store is still great, but make sure to check out others before you make a decision. P.S. I will go back in a few months not to buy anything , but to see if it has gotten better, or gotten worse. Thank you ! EDIT: replying to the owner’s response , I would like to clarify and hopefully clear the misunderstanding since the reply gives off an offended vibe. One thing you “Throwback Gamez” need to understand is that reviews and criticism isn’t about it trying to “tarnish” reputation. The way you guys react to the critics can be tarnishing to your own judging by other replies. I never stated I would come back to do business in your business, but I do encourage people to continue buying, they just have to “BEWARE”. Lastly, none of my points were INCONSISTENT, as you just mentioned to people, to buy at your price without looking at other options if they are more affordable, making it seemed as you don’t care for their money and only your convenience which is understandable. I’ll go ahead and give another star due to 2/5 seems unfair. Hopefully you all can make a change , instead of making more excuses , again, by judging at the way you reply to all negative comments!

Fantastic experience: Cool little local retro videogame shop with a big selection, fair prices, and friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Great selection of throwback games. From old game consoles to the modern. A large selection of games to purchase or trade. Fair and balanced trade in value for your new and old used games. Definitely a blast from the past. Check it out and see what treasures you might find for yourself.

Negative experience: Products are not returnable. Exchange price is not fair. Item was not defective, took out of box and put right back. Didn’t even use product. Receipt says exchanges only but when asked about this they wanted to give us 30 to the 140 dollars we paid for the item. Unfair exchange policy.

Fantastic experience: Helpful patient staff. Decent selection. I had a game I bought not work at all. Brought it in, replaced instantly with brand new copy. No questions asked. Any GenX or GenZ must visit here.

Fantastic experience: Such good selection and quality. The staff is always really helpful and friendly. Love going to Throwback Gamez!

Negative experience: Came in and asked if they would price a game they sold for 20. Which calico had for 12.99. They responded saying if we did we would also have to price match there high priced games. Came in another day to trade in some games. They offered me 25 store credit , i went to calico after and they offered me 45 store credit. Another visit i saw they were selling mario for 35 and calico had it for 25. In conclusion throwback gamez will offer less than than calico for store credit . And will sell games to you higher than calico.

Fantastic experience: Just left Throwback Gamez. I love the nostalgic vibes, great prices on the games, great selection and the staff was super friendly and funny :) I'm definitely coming back when in need of video games or accessories.

Fantastic experience: Throwback Gamez! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Plus!!!!! I found this Hidden Gem about 2 months ago! & I was blown away with their inventory,Good Prices on their Pokemon Cards! Deals on every tag in their shop, worth the 1 hour drive to Throwback Gamez!

Fantastic experience: This Place is AWESOME! Retro games, all kinds of POP's and collectables. it's in a beautiful location. Owner and staff are welcoming. We have bought several games here and prices are all fair. When we are in town, we like to shop here get food go by the beach. Perfect day trip.

Fantastic experience: Throwback games have the best retro games and more recent games. They have always been really cool to me, and when I need replacement parts or controllers for my Nintendo 64, or GameCube, or even when I've been looking for a game and finally found it after years, I couldn't have been more excited. Jesse and Manny are the two that usually help me, and they always make my visits fun!

Positive experience: Used to come in here as a kiddo when it was under different name and ownership, but still has that retro feeling! Prices are a bit eBay priced but treasures can still be found.

Fantastic experience: Old school game store. You can buy all your old favorites here. My son's love the throwback games, game boy, snes,3ds. If you want to play the classics go shop here.

Fantastic experience: Always great, helpful, and knowledgeable!! Service is amazing!

Positive experience: Pretty cool spot. The guys are knowledgeable and they've got lots of everything. My son likes the place so I'm not sure what "everything" in tails but it's why I drive him to the shop and he always leaves happy.

Fantastic experience: I visited the store in the summer, all the way from Sweden, and I was not disappointed! They have an amazing selection of games, and very friendly staff!

Fantastic experience: Under new ownership since 2020, stop in and say what's up to Manny. Really cool stuff to see, wanna make your man cave cooler? How about a few copies of Nintendo Power magazine on your coffee (err beer) table or an arcade machine? This isn't GameStop, it's more.