Gaming Stuff in Toronto?

S

Sho Nuff

Banned
I'm being dragged up to meet bor--I mean exciting relatives in Toronto. I have lots of plans to see all your exciting cultural whatnot, but anyone have any suggestions in regards to game shops/shopping? Are Canadian game prices ridiculously inflated compared to the US? Does it suck to be Canadian? Is Xbox illegal because it is not French enough? Etc etc etc.
 
I am not aware of anyting that you can find in Canada gaming-wise, that you can't find in USA or Japan. Prices are OK, about the same as in US, when you do a currency conversion.
 
I live in North Bay and that's about 4 hours away from Toronto. When I visit my cousin there he takes me to a Chinese mall where they sell lots of copied games and other illegal things. I also go to a gaming store on Yonge Street that's inside of a tiny mall. I think the store was called Game Centre or Game Shack but I don't remember too well. I miss Toronto. North Bay is soooo boring! :(
 
Yeah plus you get tax back on purchases.

Check out Pacific mall for sure though. There's plenty of VERY LEGAL merchandise from the VERY LAW ABIDING regions of Hong Kong and China.

Edit: You're talking about Pacific Mall GD and it's VERY LEGAL. I have no idea what you're going on about. Also the mall's arcade has Tekken 5.
 
Azih said:
Edit: You're talking about Pacific Mall GD and it's VERY LEGAL. I have no idea what you're going on about.
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Yes that's the place! :lol :lol :lol

P.S. He also took me to another one near Midlane or Midland Avenue?
 
Yeah, Pacific mall (in Toronto) rocks if you are into copied games and movies. There's also tons of computer hardware there that you can buy at ridiculously low prices.

Xbox is very popular here, btw. You should feel more at home than when you are in Japan!
 
Have fun trying to get parking at Pacific Mall. Definitely the WORST parking lot I've ever been to.

Pacific Mall consists of Video Game & Movie Stores that sell 95% pirated shit. Bubble Tea, Ricer Car Addons, HK Clothing.
 
Marconelly said:
Yeah, Pacific mall (in Toronto) rocks if you are into copied games and movies. There's also tons of computer hardware there that you can buy at ridiculously low prices.

Xbox is very popular here, btw. You should feel more at home than when you are in Japan!
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Nope. Pacific Mall fucking sucks.

I went there a couple weeks ago to get my Xbox modded, nothing. There was raids there recently so everyone has gone legit. dopey am sad :(

all i could find were stores selling PS2s, guncon and katamari damacy (that combination was the most advertised in every store)...
 
I went there a couple weeks ago to get my Xbox modded, nothing. There was raids there recently so everyone has gone legit. dopey am sad :(
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Well, crap. I was there couple of months ago, and all was 'good'.
 
maybe i'm not asian enough for them.

or maybe i was just asking the wrong questions.

... or is there another pacific mall that i don't know about? (it was in markham, and was huge)
 
Pmall is a good place to find pretty much any movie or game ever released.


The Arcade tho is the best arcade i have ever come across. ON saturdays the geek atmosphere is almost electric you will see ppl playing on DDR and DDR clones and a huge line of ppl copying their moves while waiting for their turns it looke like SPACE CHANNEL 5 REAL LIFE!!! :lol
 
DopeyFish said:
Nope. Pacific Mall fucking sucks.

I went there a couple weeks ago to get my Xbox modded, nothing. There was raids there recently so everyone has gone legit. dopey am sad :(

all i could find were stores selling PS2s, guncon and katamari damacy (that combination was the most advertised in every store)...
Click to expand...



umm Dopey its back to normal now
 
Since all the talk is about Pacific Mall (which is about as far away from downtown as Tibet is) I'll chime in with some mom and pop recommendations. Game Centre at Yonge and Charles (near the bloor/yonge subway stop) is a great little store. You'll find the best prices there, but unlike other countries (since we're just like you!) I doubt you'll find any canadian-exclusive items or anything like that. There's another place like that (Game Shack) that's on Yonge and Dundas, underground at the Atrium on Bay. If you're used to Japanese stores, you're going to seriously be let down, but hey, they're better than EB!

The prices aren't bad at all. Most games these days that sell for $49 US sell for $59 canadian......only real issue being the 15% tax that we pay..so a 59.99 game will cost you just under 70.
 
Well, whereever you want to go just go after boxing day if you want to avoid ridiculous crowds. It is impossible to find a parking spot anywhere right now.
 
Pacific Mall? That's the one is Markham right? That's no where near Toronto.

Canadian price are too high, and we never have sales... I may have to check these other locations out.
 
Luscious LeftFoot said:
Pacific Mall? That's the one is Markham right? That's no where near Toronto.
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Thank you! Long live real toronto, not the suburbs far far away that people call "toronto"

:p
Anyway, he was looking for good stores, not a place where he can buy burned PS2 games.
 
Heh, how ironic that I am in Toronto right now :D My 8:30 flight last night got delayed until 1 am this morning and fuck am I cranky.

Fifty said:
Since all the talk is about Pacific Mall (which is about as far away from downtown as Tibet is) I'll chime in with some mom and pop recommendations. Game Centre at Yonge and Charles (near the bloor/yonge subway stop) is a great little store. You'll find the best prices there, but unlike other countries (since we're just like you!) I doubt you'll find any canadian-exclusive items or anything like that. There's another place like that (Game Shack) that's on Yonge and Dundas, underground at the Atrium on Bay. If you're used to Japanese stores, you're going to seriously be let down, but hey, they're better than EB!

The prices aren't bad at all. Most games these days that sell for $49 US sell for $59 canadian......only real issue being the 15% tax that we pay..so a 59.99 game will cost you just under 70.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Pacific mall is way out ther and ther are tons LEGAL product there :P Seriously, the two stores mentioned above are pretty much the only gaming exclusive stores I would recommend. You could always try Chinatown around Dundas and Spadina, but unless you plan on looking for import titles, you probably won't find much. Even those titles will be few and far between. I would also recommend looking in the Yellow Pages (yeah!) under Video Games for specialty shops in your immediate area. But ma and pa stores are your best bet.

Oh and about GST and PST, you can at least the GST rebate if you are not a Canadian. You just need to keep your receipts and find out how to get your rebate from customs when you leave.
 
I haven't been to Pacific Mall in a while - anyone know how much it costs to get a PS2 modified so that it runs PERFECTLY LEGAL North American games?
 
Fifty said:
Game Centre at Yonge and Charles (near the bloor/yonge subway stop) is a great little store. You'll find the best prices there, but unlike other countries (since we're just like you!) I doubt you'll find any canadian-exclusive items or anything like that. There's another place like that (Game Shack) that's on Yonge and Dundas, underground at the Atrium on Bay. If you're used to Japanese stores, you're going to seriously be let down, but hey, they're better than EB!
Click to expand...

Yes those are the two stores he took me to! They also have great old used NES, SNES and other old system titles if you want for great prices.

PS. I emailed my cousin and the other place was at Midland and Sheppard he says and it's called Dragon Centre. It's on a side street off that intersection inside a small mall and they mod Xbox consoles too he says Dopeyfish. ;) :)
 
Fifty said:
edit: Once again, the futureshop sales look pretty weak.
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Yeah. Unless you want a receiver it's basically a non-issue over there.

Best Buy, on the other hand:

Far Cry = $10
Zelda 4 Swords + Soul Calibur 2 + Super Mario Sunshine = $50

Doesn't get much nicer than that.
 
Holy crap! This Pacific Mall sounds like a pirate-dise. AHRRR! Thank ye, mateys!

Anyone got instructions on how to get there from downtown?
 
DopeyFish said:
Nope. Pacific Mall fucking sucks.

I went there a couple weeks ago to get my Xbox modded, nothing. There was raids there recently so everyone has gone legit. dopey am sad :(

all i could find were stores selling PS2s, guncon and katamari damacy (that combination was the most advertised in every store)...
Click to expand...
I don't think they've EVER modded Xbox's there.

explodet said:
I haven't been to Pacific Mall in a while - anyone know how much it costs to get a PS2 modified so that it runs PERFECTLY LEGAL North American games?
Click to expand...
When I got it done 2 years ago it was $120 with 2 LEGAL PS2 games. Dunno how the prices have changed.
 
I have to plug Gamerama at Yonge and Eglinton again. It's the best game store in the city, hands down.

Way way better than the stores at Yonge/Dundas and Yonge/Charles.
 
Sho Nuff said:
Holy crap! This Pacific Mall sounds like a pirate-dise. AHRRR! Thank ye, mateys!

Anyone got instructions on how to get there from downtown?
Click to expand...

Take the subway to Kennedy station, then the kennedy bus north to Steeles. Hard to miss frankly,

If you drive, take DVP north to Steeles and then Steeles east to Kennedy.
 
Fatghost28 said:
I have to plug Gamerama at Yonge and Eglinton again. It's the best game store in the city, hands down.

Way way better than the stores at Yonge/Dundas and Yonge/Charles.
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I haven't been to Gamerama often...I'm not up there often, but I'll check it out again if you really believe that. My boys at Yonge/Charles hold it down, but I'm open to change.
 
Luscious LeftFoot said:
Pacific Mall? That's the one is Markham right? That's no where near Toronto.
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:lol If Toronto is nothing more then that decrepit little area in and around the downtown core to you, then I guess you're right.




GamerDiva said:
PS. I emailed my cousin and the other place was at Midland and Sheppard he says and it's called Dragon Centre. It's on a side street off that intersection inside a small mall and they mod Xbox consoles too he says Dopeyfish. ;) :)
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I was gonna recommend this spot as well...it's on the north side of Sheppard Avenue, right off the bridge. Might be tricky to find at first. Gamerama's a pretty cool store as well...another plus is that there's a Famous Players nearby with some arcade machines. There's also a TRU at that intersection, though needless to say their prices aren't exactly competitive. The Game Centre and Game Shack locations already mentioned are probably my two favourite spots, though I'd like to find a few more around town (there was one nice spot I went to in the west end back in '99, but I've forgotten the name of it).
 
Sho Nuff said:
Is Xbox illegal because it is not French enough? Etc etc etc.
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Wow, does it offend you? You're actually lucky that NA companies are so narrow-minded because EU games are in 5 languages minimum.

Sorry, it was a stupid comment.
 
I walked over to Game Centre & Game shack after work yesterday, quickly discovering they're not very close to each other :/,, but the prices are pretty good PoP2: WW & MGS3 were going for $15 dollars less than EB. Still not as good as US deals, but better than nothing. There was also a GameZone on Yonge, much smaller than the other two, but prices were good also.

I also came across a multiude of attractive girls, homeless people, a guy who may or may not have been drink a 2 litre bottle of liquor, and a porn shop(which there are many) advertising that there improved "special booths" now come with cable. O_o

Good times.
 
I wonder how many of you guys remember Video Connection ;)
 
olubode said:
I wonder how many of you guys remember Video Connection ;)
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I do! Their prices were usually 30% higher than other places. But they had a boatload of interesting imports tho.
 
jenov4 said:
I do! Their prices were usually 30% higher than other places. But they had a boatload of interesting imports tho.
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Heh..I remember when I went to purchase a Super Famicom from Andrew (owner)

--------------
Me: How much is it Andrew?

Andrew: $199.

Me: (preparing to pull out bank card to withdwaw funds) oh ok. Do you have any left?

Andrew: Yes, I have one unit. Ok, its $199 for the system, $25 for the connection to the TV, $40 for the adapter, $40 for each controller, and $100 for Super Mario World. So, that will be $465 plus tax.

Me: (Looking very annoyed) Uh, I think I will pass Andrew
-------------
 
jenov4 said:
I do! Their prices were usually 30% higher than other places. But they had a boatload of interesting imports tho.
Click to expand...


:lol :lol :lol My cousin remembers calling for game prices and having the Chinese guy say: "Just come down to 210 Yonge Street!" from Video Connections. He'd never give prices over the phone. My cousin is 32 so he's been gaming his whole life and even got me into it. He also says there's a Game Centre on Danforth Avenue.

Olubude my cousin is laughing at your post because he actually bought the SNES from there in August of 1991 for $550 CAD, about 2-3 monts before it came to Canada!


:lol :lol :lol

P.S. Also says the Gamearama place at Yonge/Eglington is more expensive thanb the other two Yonge St ones, probably due to it being in a more expensive/affluent area of the city.

My cousin is wondering if you guys rememer Video Connections selling Neo Geos games for $330+ dollars, having SMW on the SF and charging people $10 to play for a 1/2 hour, and selling the gold Zelda cart on N64 for $500 because they said it was so "rare" to find?


:lol :lol :lol
 
So I'm thinking this Video Connections place didn't so much go out of business as implode under the weight of bad karma?
 
Azih said:
So I'm thinking this Video Connections place didn't so much go out of business as implode under the weight of bad karma?
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Hehehe. He's getting so giddy talking about this. It's so cute. :) He says that the rent was quite high outside the Eaton Centre and then Video Connections moved inside the Eaton Centre when the Eaton Centre was being renovated along Yonge St and doesn't know what happened to them since.

P.S. He's wondering if anyone remembers a store on Yonge St called 110/220 and one that was close to it, a little north on the east side of Yonge St that was on a corner and you could walk downstairs to it. Forgets the name of it.

I want to get him to make an account here but he says he's "too told" for this now. :lol
 
Luscious LeftFoot said:
I walked over to Game Centre & Game shack after work yesterday, quickly discovering they're not very close to each other :/,, but the prices are pretty good PoP2: WW & MGS3 were going for $15 dollars less than EB. Still not as good as US deals, but better than nothing. There was also a GameZone on Yonge, much smaller than the other two, but prices were good also.

I also came across a multiude of attractive girls, homeless people, a guy who may or may not have been drink a 2 litre bottle of liquor, and a porn shop(which there are many) advertising that there improved "special booths" now come with cable. O_o

Good times.
Click to expand...

All of this, and you forget to mention the strip joints? :lol







GamerDiva said:
Hehehe. He's getting so giddy talking about this. It's so cute. :) He says that the rent was quite high outside the Eaton Centre and then Video Connections moved inside the Eaton Centre when the Eaton Centre was being renovated along Yonge St and doesn't know what happened to them since.

P.S. He's wondering if anyone remembers a store on Yonge St called 110/220 and one that was close to it, a little north on the east side of Yonge St that was on a corner and you could walk downstairs to it. Forgets the name of it.

I want to get him to make an account here but he says he's "too told" for this now. :lol
Click to expand...

:lol Video Connections was always a riot to check out, just cause the prices they had were so fucking ridiculous. On the plus end you could find all sorts of interesting games, be they 30 in 1 game carts, imports, or old games that were impossible to find anywhere else. Last time I went there was during their brief stay inside the Eaton Centre, which I'm guessing was in early '99. Too bad they appear to be gone now.
 
Agreed, Video Connections was horrible.

I only went in there to play their Street Fighter II machine. I beat M. Bison with Dhalsim on that machine, in front of a crowd of my school buddies. One of the finest moments of my gaming career.

But I actually never bought anything there.

EDIT: I think that place in the mall sells stuffed animals now.
 
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