Gaming-related stuff in Chicago

[CIT]

Will be in the Windy City in October. Any game shops (preferably with a healthy retro section) or arcades or other places of interest that you can recommend?

Used to live there 10 years ago, but I have no clue what's going on there now.

[gabe]

Galloping Ghost (recently the center of a mild controversy on this board) is an arcade you should definitely check out, if only because you'll be hard pressed to find another arcade in the US with as big of an inventory. The only downside is that it's in Brookfield, IL... So you'll need a car: http://gallopingghostarcade.com/

Staying in the suburbs, NickelCity in Northbrook is a bit more "family oriented" but still decent (or at least it was when I was last there a few years ago): http://www.nickelcitygames.com

Finally, I haven't been there yet, but I've heard good things about Headquarters Beercade... Plus it's actually in the city: http://hqbeercade.com/

[jonny5]

http://www.logan-hardware.com/

The owner hosted the last couple chicago winter/spring carnivals with dr boom.

Awesome place, especially if you dig pinball and vintage games. Oh, and records.

[CIT]

Logan Hardware and the beercade look cool. Thanks for the tips!

I'll only be there for three days, so I'm afraid travel outside of the city center is out of the question.

[Some-Mist]

http://emporiumchicago.com/

craft beer bar/arcade that an old friend of mine works at. pretty cool place.

[beatsgo]

If you're around Wrigleyville area, check out People Play Games off of School and Clark St. Good selection of retro games to check out plus imports!

[EmperorIng]

I too go to People Play Games infrequently to check out the best Genesis/Saturn/Dreamcast collection in the city, as far as I know. I've bought many a game from there, though the prices are sometimes inflated to feed that bastard Adam's taco pizza cravings. I actually will be there on Friday, probably, to check things out and buy a game or two. They have some import shmups for the DC, PS1/2, and others that are outside of my price range (and to my knowledge the only shop in Chicago that has imports for sale). Close by that (off the Belmont Red Line stop) is the Exchange, a 'hip & cool' used game and movie store that has an impressive DVD collection, and an ok game collection (not a lot of sega stuff but an ok selection of everything else).

EDIT:

I went there today, and they have a handful of Cave PS2 imports, Under Defeat and Radiant Silvergun, and a shitload of PCE imports (more than I've ever seen in one place). I did neglect to mention that the TGFX/PCE library is quite good considering it's a small shop in Chicago. Also AES games for the crazy and rich. The import shelf is particularly stocked, but a lot of it seems like dating/My Roommate games. Still some good'uns there (soukyogurentai for $50). The DC library is a bit paltry these days... I really should have bought Bangai-O and Mars Matrix from there a year back.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Nice! Thanks for the heads up. I recently moved near Chicago myself. I'm betting this place is a goldmine for pinball since a lot of the pinball companies had headquarters and manufacturing in Chicago.