I really wish I liked this store but I just seem to always walk out disappointed. I found a game that was a great price and brought it to the counter and the guy working started looking up the price and changed it right in front of me. I told him "isn't it the price that's marked on there?" And proceeded to point at his sign that basically said he could change the prices at any time without notice. It seems like he goes on eBay and doubles whatever he sees. I get that places need to make a profit but tripling the price from what's on the sticker is a little misleading because you're pretty much running a gamble if it's going to be cheaper online once he looks it up at the register. If he listed a game for $20 and then found it online for $5, would he lower the price? Yeah, I'm not holding my breath. read more

Apparently getting pokemon stock at distribution isn't enough for this store and its greedy owner. The owner with the beard and ponytail spends his days off memorizing the refill timers of the local pokemon vending machines so he can pop in the minute they refill and take the product to resell at scalped prices in his store. Incredibly rude/cold to anyone and everyone, a couple of the people in my friend group have had the exact same experience with him. Would be nice to be able to get a pack or two for retail every now and then. Don't buy here, don't support him. He's not in it for the love of the hobby or community, he's in it for the money. read more

This shop has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it feels more like a storage space than a curated retail environment. The mass of clutter makes the space feel disorganized and uncomfortable, and most items aren't priced, which makes browsing weird and difficult. Another weird aspect is that access to the arcade room is restricted unless you pay upfront. It's puzzling from a business perspective , having an arcade that potential customers can't even see before paying seems counterintuitive and off-putting. Weird on top of weird Overall, the store and its policies give a somewhat confusing and unwelcoming impression. With better organization and more friendly and open business model, it could be a much stronger and professional experience. read more

What an awesome place! While some enjoy their antiques, this place offers an opportunity to discover treasures from decades of gaming. Not only that, but next door offers an opportunity to play to your hearts content! Michael the owner has kept these places alive and thriving even during the hardships of the pandemic. Come support a small business while enjoying the thrill of reliving your childhood wins. read more

Nostalgic gem in our community. Really appreciate the investment made to the hobby and passion shared with those that walk in. I had a really cool time and my son loved it! read more

Edit: I came back here after a bit of time had passed, and wow their stock has increased. It's claustrophobic for me, but glad they're doing well. They are trying to open another location, so that should fix the space issue. What I noticed this time around is they tend to look up prices when someone asks to purchase, which can be time consuming to wait for. I get why. Prices are always fluctuating. For what we got, the prices were fair. I was looking them up while they were, cause there were some other items we had asked about previously that they were asking way more than listed prices online (we did our research on the quality, edition, etc.). Overall, I do think they're worth supporting, just make sure to do your own item research. You could be getting an item there that is equal or more than the value, but rarely at a bargain. What I ended up purchasing was not listed anywhere. read more

store is amazing, what a gem. my childhood has come back to life. my son with special needs loves this place and the owners give him amazing customer service. I love supporting a mom and pop shop and appreciate how thoughtful the staff is here! highly recommend read more

Place is horrible bad service and making up prices wouldn't recommend going was trying to trade in games and they where lowballing me

Really poor customer service from owner and his employee. Very condescending attitude.

Notice how all the good reviews only mention the arcade and don't really mention the store itself. Meanwhile all the negative reviews talk about the store and don't mention the arcade. This review is about the store. The pricing policy is terrible. They come up with prices after you take the games to the register. That would be fine if prices weren't listed on the games already. At that point it's just a total tease, and with the ridiculous markups I might as well buy the games on eBay myself If you want to buy old video games shop at Mero Games at the collection. At least there the prices listed on the labels are what you pay. Pasttime is scummy read more

Went today to check out the store. Store is really cool, lots of different items. Ended up playing in the arcade. It costs $5 but you get $5 in tokens. Most games are are one token, and its mostly retro games, street fighter, tekken, mortal kombat, crazy taxi and puzzle bobble. This place brought back awesome memories. The employee there was super cool. I am assuming he is the owner. Very knowledgeable and helpful. read more

Is this place real or a legend? It is a real legend!! They have a great selection of video games and collectibles! I bought some games from them a couple of years ago and I sold them some PS3 accessories I had and they gave me a good deal on both things. They have action figures, mini arcade machines, decorations, as well as used and new consoles for sale. They have an arcade next door and it is a heaven of fantastic stuff! They even have some cool Dragon Ball collectibles!! Kakarot!!!! read more

My son and I had such a great time here. We started by using the quarter machines in the store area and the store owner was great about giving us a few extra coins as needed. He also gave us tokens to play next store. He was really knowledgeable and helpful and was genuinely excited when my son beat The Simpsons Arcade game in his store. We did buy a used game from him. It is true that he checked the going rate, but he explained that it is not ebay but a universal site. Please remember that this is a small business. They are not going to compete with other large box store prices, but they provide a personalized service and a fun and affordable place to hang out for the afternoon! read more

This place is so rad. Tons of old school arcade games. My wife and I came here tonight and played some marvel vs capcom, mortal kombat, and afterburner. I miss playing these games. And the people who work here are really cool as well. They asked how everything was as we left and genuinely seemed to care. And best part, masks are optional. #mybodymychoice read more

Pastime Legends - These people are some of my favorite people now! - Arcades Near Me - Ventura, California

Went in for a good 20mins picking out games only to find out that they could not be sold to me because they're worth more graded. Like what? I spent my time looking through everything only to be met with the guy "price checking" eBay to see if it's more valuable now. Pretty much did his job for him. Should've read past comments to avoid this place. Wanted to sell me a $20 game for $60 read more

Most amazing mom and pop video game shop in town! I highly recommend if you are a collector or just getting into gaming. Staff is always beyond helpful . read more

Pastime Legends - I purchased a cord for my originally Xbox at a very fair price! Now our Xbox can hook up to our tv once more! Yay - Arcades Near Me - Ventura, California

Just Awful, I've never been to a place that changes the marked price once you are ready to checkout. They doubled the price on all the games I was purchasing. Insane how they conduct business. read more

Pastime Legends - Terrible service, changing the prices when you checkout and just try to cover it up. - Arcades Near Me - Ventura, California

Cool way to pass some time with the kids. It really wasn't that expensive for about an hour of entertainment.

Pure nostalgia! Walking in here brings back memories. Came to get a PS1 for my sons and was surprise to see how many cool things I saw. From the original Street fighter II arcade machine to a sega dream cast console. The owner was working the counter and was extremely attentive even though his store was packed with 10 other people. This is what American small business is about! For older folks like me this is a must! Even my boys ages 13 & 14 liked this place. read more

Pastime Legends - Original SF2 ! - Arcades Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

There aren't too many places left where I can go to satisfy the random "I need to buy a super nintendo TODAY" urges. Chances are good, if you loved playing it growing up, they have a copy. This shop is packed to the brim with love and attention that you only get from a proprietor who truly loves what they do, and Pastime Legends definitely loves gaming. read more

What a cool place to visit! If you're a gamer or not... I dare you to stop by. You can find cool old school games and new ones. If you collect figurines they have them here too! I love how small the store is and it's ORGANIZED. The place is real chill and we met the owner Michael who has the chillest personality. We were given quarters to play those old cool arcade games. I LOVE that they have big t.v.'s where you're able to test the game before you buy it. Michael mentioned he has great sales-he's creative! Look out for the sales around Halloween and Black Friday! If you are in the area of Ventura and have little ones-STOP BY! read more

This place was great! Brought back some memories of the 80s and 90s for arcades. The arcade is a little small, but if you get there when it opens its not bad. Most of the games are a quarter up to 4 quarters from what I saw. They have a lot of early 90s fighting games like street fighter and mortal combat. Next door they have a game and repair store where you can buy old gaming systems like Nintendo and Sega. They also do repairs. Overall I need to go back without my kids lol. read more

See all

A very fun little shop in my opinion. I was surprised on how well they were pricing some of these games that I can't even find on eBay anymore. The people who work there are very nice. I found out that they did trade-ins and they offer the same price as GameStop For most trade-ins. read more

Today I purchased a Nintendo Gameboy Advance here with several games: Two Mario games, Simpson's road rage, & Bomber man :) I really have to thank RAY for all his help today in helping me choose the right game system and games! He is the kind of employee that takes his job seriously and knows how to provide excellent service. Ray took time to show me a couple different game boys and explained to me the differences with each. I also inquired about the older Nintendo System and he was able to answer my questions right away. He also proceeded to show me a TON of games (all organized in binders alphabetically!) and made sure the games I chose worked. He also went over their warranty and return policy, as well as the fact that once you purchase a console, they give you 10% off games for that console. I'm very happy with my purchase and will visit again. It is such a FUN store, their selection of retro games and items seems endless! My kids had a blast playing some of the games in store also, like Pac-man, Mario, and Sonic. Definitely love the throw back video games from my childhood!!!! read more

See all

My sons favorite place to shop. They have a mega selection of all the classic games. The staff is friendly and are very knowledgeable, which my son loves just talking to them. Michael is great. Nice and very smart when it comes to the games. They give you an honest trade, and from our experience....they will not rip you off like GameStop. It's really fun going in there and checking out all the retro systems. They have TV's hooked up to lots of cool consoles. Fun place for sure!!! We need to support this independent business! Ventura is lucky to have it. read more

I had a friend buy a Sega Genesis mini with 300 games on my belhalf. I started playing Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter series games only to find out I can't switch between hi and low kick/punch. I called and asked if I could return it and purchase a regular console with the game cartridges instead. They said no, they don't accept returns. They said they would allow me trade it in. I was thinking okay fair enough, I'll take a small hit on it and get the actual console. Less than half of what I paid for it is what they offered. Then they said you need a 6 button controller to play those games. I asked if they have a 6 button controller. They said no, they're all out of stock. Then I asked if there was anything he could work on with me since I was more than happy to spend money at his store. He said he didn't have time for this because he was extremely busy. I thanked him for his time regardless but was extremely disappointed on my interactions with them. I understand buying a game and not being able to return it because "I didn't like the story" but I couldn't play 2 of the biggest and most popular franchises to their full extent and they were not willing to accommodate me at all. Needless to say I won't be supporting this local "mom and pop" anymore. read more

This is by far my favorite place in Ventura right now. The arcade is full of so many classic games and is typically not too packed with people (almost empty). The staff here is also the best and most helpful people. I brought in my Dreamcast which I thought was broken and he (forgot his name) helped me fix the issue and made sure it worked for me. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who has a passion for video games or just wants to go into an old school arcade for a fun time. read more

Best arcade in Ventura! Perfect walking distance from my house which I'm very thankful for because golf n stuff is really far from where I live. They have all the retro arcade games from the 80s and 90s which reminded me of how arcades were growing up in the early 2000s. The thing I like the most about this arcade room is that it has an adult friendly vibe to it unlike places like Chuck E Cheese or even golf n stuff where you feel awkward walking into. I Definitely will be coming back again soon! read more

Pastime Legends - Retro arcade! - Arcades Near Me - Ventura, California

I had accidentally purchased a dysfunctional guitar hero guitar off offerup. I asked if they could fix it, but they weren't currently doing repairs due to reduced staff. So i inquired about purchasing a guitar from them. Despite the guitar being overpriced at $70, i bought it. I told him (who i presume is the owner) about my purchasing of the broken guitar and inquired about being able to return it. He mentioned that the store has a 30 day warranty. The blue button on the guitar i purchased wasn't working, so i went to return it. Upon doing so, I was told to read their return policy that was posted near the register. They don't accept returns on hardware, but could fix it for me. Store credit was not an option. When i purchased the guitar, there was no mention of not being able to return it. Also they could somehow all of a sudden fix the guitar, when before that wasn't an option. This makes the owner, in my eyes, a dishonest business man. Better off buying from an online dealer. read more

Cheap disc resurfacing!!!! They saved my game cube copy of the legend of Zelda the windwaker for about $5. Considering what it's selling for used on eBay right now, I'm totally thrilled. They support a lot of the older systems and have everything from games to accessories. It's a great store for retro gaming needs. I'm going straight home to play Resident evil the original remastered for the Wii. Not a bad purchace at all for $14. read more

My two boys ages 6 & 10 have been begging me to take them here. I finally gave in and we walked. They had their bags full of quarters they had been saving and we were off! Upon arrival and not knowing the "rules" other than signs on the door. The place being empty not even an employee in sight my kids proceeded to play a few games. After about 5-10 minutes a man comes barging in asking if they each put $5 in the machine for tokens and pointed to a sign on the wall! I said no they had brought their own $. He proceeded to tell us to leave immediately because I had my dog with me. Very very rude! I would never spend another quarter in this place!! Not kid or dog friendly AT ALL!! read more

Browsing heaven? Absolutely! Lose several hours in nerdgasm conversation with staff and customers alike? Be prepared! Nostalgia City? No, not really. Okay, I'm lying about that one. Expert advice? Check! Repairs and services? Only the best! Try it before you buy it? Yep! 10% discounts on games for any system you buy from them, for life? Fo' sho'! Complaints? Only one: This store existed for nearly two years before I learned of it. Damn the Gods for that. If you don't love Pastime Legends, you're doing it wrong. read more

Not worth it. They make you pay $5 for a ticket and in exchange give you tokens for the games, however if you walk in with a spectating friend they charge $5 for spectating. Go to golf n stuff, being around kids and loads more of games that work is better than coming here. read more

Love these guys, it's been my go to retro spot in Ventura for the last 3 years. how is the retro scene not valued like the olden days?! Michael is a level headed guy who will reason with anyone, really cool owner. Wish I could stop by more, they treat people fairly and have a lot of knowledge to offer when it comes to display, repairs, game hunting and more. Derek, Kevin and Rey and pretty dope too. All knowledgeable about their products. read more

Easily the best gaming store I've ever been to. Michael the owner is super knowledgeable on all consoles and games and very friendly and took the time to answer all my questions and gave me great deals on my purchases they offer 4% off if you pay cash and Michael threw in Guitar Hero 3 for free when I grabbed the guitar. 10/10 if you're an old school gamer would highly recommend for fairer prices than GameStop and you'll get more bang for your buck. read more

Very cool spot! Love that they have old and new used games and a large variety to choose from. You can tell that the guy there(I'm guessing he is the owner) is very passionate about what he does. I'm glad there are places like this in ventura. What a gem read more

The guy that runs this arcade is a jerk. I've been going to Koba sushi (next to his arcade) for a year and I have been parking at that lot for a whole year. I never been into that arcade so I wandered in. A man popped up and said I had to buy tokens before coming in. He didn't let me walk around and so I didn't end up going. I proceeded to eat at Koba sushi and that jerk put a sticker on my window while I was enjoying my dinner, the sticker was a warning sign that said my car is going to get towed next time I park there. He walks up to me and harassed me about it like he owned the parking lot. I don't if that parking lot was just for the barbershop, abuelitas, and past time and it didn't include Koba Sushi. But he didn't need to petty and put that sticker on my car. Like I said I've been going to Koba sushi for two years and never had a problem before wandering into that arcade. I never usually give bad reviews to business because I love supporting small businesses, but if this jerk took the time to peel a sticker and slap it on my window while he watched me clean it. Now I'm going to take the time and give him a bad review and report his business to the BBB. If any of you like great food. I highly recommend Koba Sushi right next door and order the sweet shrimp with miso soup. Abuelitas also has great Mexican food if you are looking for good Mexican food. read more

This place is NEVER open! I've stopped by here 4 times now at the hours posted and no ones ever here. Not sure what's going on.

So much fun. The store has a good selection and excellent customer service. The game room was a great family outing for our family. It is very small, but pretty much had it to ourselves because we went early. I definitely recommend having fun playing the old arcade games and shopping at the store. read more

I love this place! It's in walking distance of my house. The staff is very knowledgeable. Prices are reasonable and they have stuff no one else has. Yes you can order online but to have a face to back up the quality of the product and service is very important in my book. read more