On a recent drive through Southwest Detroit, the colorful, Kobie Solomon-designed mural wrapping this building with our favorite video game characters called out to the inner geek in us, drawing us in like a tractor beam. Inside, we found a quirky little nerd's paradise featuring both old and new consoles. Game Lounge has quite a few major differences that set it apart from generic chains — like a sizable comic book collection, for instance.
Another nice feature here that you won't find at the likes of GameStop is the lounge, featuring several couches paired with flat-screen TVs and the latest consoles. Not to sound like Mom, but kids, hit the books — if you bring in a report card with a 3.0 GPA or higher, Game Lounge lets you play for free. Otherwise, you can rent game time for $5 an hour for store demo titles, $10 an hour to test-run new, unopened releases before you buy them, or $25 for the whole day.
It's not all fun and games at Game Lounge, however. They also have cellphones and service plans for sale, as well as computer repair and anti-virus assistance. There's even a "Smart Pay" loan payment option if you find yourself a little short on cash.
Retail Detail: Old school video games
Boy, has video gaming gotten high-tech. The latest generation of consoles boasts unprecedented computing power, making for mind-boggling graphics and realistic gameplay mechanics. It can be a bit of an overload, though, and sometimes we yearn for simpler, 8-bit times. Fortunately, Game Lounge has plenty of classic titles to browse, from consoles like the original Nintendo Entertainment System to multiple incarnations of the Game Boy, the Sega Genesis, the Super Nintendo, and the Nintendo 64. Game prices range from a mere $1.99 on the low end up to $65 for the coveted Nintendo 64 James Bond title Goldeneye 007.
