As retro gaming enthusiasts and nostalgia hunters, we make it our mission to try and visit as many retro gaming stores around the world as possible. Here's something that you don't tend to think about when you're a young kid playing Banjo-Kazooie for the first time while in your living room; at the exact same time in a different country or even continent, there was someone else having that exact same experience in a different language, fighting Gruntilda, Ganon, Dr Robotnik, Andros, Baron Dante, and all the other characters we've come to love over the years and making the same core memories.
I've spent some time in Vienna, Austria over the past couple of years and was having this exact conversation with three fellow nerds at a garden party, discussing all of the old games that we used to love and pivotal Zelda moments that defined our childhoods. It prompted me to seek out the best retro gaming shop in the city, to discover a hidden gem that acted as a hub for all of these nostalgic memories, bring gamers together from across the world, and act as the ultimate ice breaker when you're at a garden party with a bunch of strangers.
My search led me to Play Hero, a genuine tardis in the Third District about a 10-minute walk from the Schlachthausgasse tube station or a short bus journey from Landstraße Wien Miitte, and the 90 minutes I spent there made me feel like I was flicking through copies of Nintendo Official Magazine and PlayStation Official Magazine all over again, a kid with an adults wage and a business bank account, and I loved every minute.
Checking Out Play Hero Vienna
You really aren't prepared for the sheer number of games on offer when you first walk into Play Hero. The first thing I saw was cabinet after cabinet of boxed games all in incredible condition. The amount of stock is incredible, something that owner Ilan has been working to build over the past few years. 'People just bring me new stock all the time' he explained, 'it's a full-time job and there's only me, so if there's no price on the item it's because I've just not got around to it yet!'.
Spread over three main rooms with cabinets around all of the walls and central displays crammed full of games and toys, the shop has something that evokes a nostalgic memory wherever you look. Power Rangers figurines, GameCube controllers, a giant Luigi, rare Amiibos, boxed Game Boys, WWE playsets, rare Dreamcast games - you name it, and you'll find it in Play Hero. I enjoy the fact that, like Forgotten Worlds in Scotland, you have to have a bit of a search around to try and find some of the hidden gems Ilan has on offer. The unit behind the counter had some incredibly rare gems hidden amongst toys and loose games in a kind of 'organised chaos' that I thrive well in.
I don't think I've ever seen as many boxed Pokémon and Zelda games in my life in one place too. Considering it's a second-hand shop, it felt more like walking into shops like Woolworths and GAME back in the day and picking up Game Boy Color and Advance games to take to the counter on release day. There were also a tonne of brand-new and sealed games that had never been opened that I didn't dare pick up and look at!
Rare Finds & Boxed Consoles
Ilan was keen to show me some rare and hard-to-find pieces he had in stock such as this boxed Donkey Kong 64 N64 bundle and a boxed Pokémon N64 in great condition, along with boxed GameCube's of every colour. They're all consoles that you don't see that often in such good condition and something that wouldn't look out of place in Console Variation's collection. He also had Rule of Rose taking pride of place behind the counter, a game that he's admittedly made a loss on with the fluctuating market but is still an incredibly sought-after piece.
'Sometimes I buy games and they go up in value,' explains Ilan, 'and sometimes it goes the other way. I bought Rule of Rose for £300 and now it’s worth 200. That’s how it goes, but I don’t let it bother me. There are other games that go up in value so it all evens out in the end. You've just got to trust the process.'
An International Gaming Hub
Obviously, we all have some SNES games and PS1 games in our collections, but to see the sheer volume of boxes and cases all in one place, opening cabinets to sift through games in stacks and moving boxes out of the way to find games that you've not laid eyes on in years or titles that you only ever read about in magazines is amazing and there's something truly special about the whole process. Sega Mega Drive titles sitting next to PS1 games in neighbouring cabinets, all in a room with more Xbox 360 games than you've probably seen in a lifetime - it's shops like Ilan's that literally take you back in time in the blink of an eye provide gamers from all over the world a chance to fill in gaps in their collections or to replace games they stupidly sold when they were younger. I bought Holy Magic Century and Croc 2 on the Game Boy while here as I've played them many times but never owned them, and now I've righted that wrong.
On that note, I was surprised to see so many English versions of games in the store as well as German titles. 'I always try to get the English versions in because Vienna is such an international city,' said Ilan, 'I used to go to England a lot before Brexit and buy games in London because it’s important to have games for all the English-speaking people who come into the store - I try to cater for everyone'.
As I've already said, one of the things that I love the most about entering stores like this is the treasure hunt element, exploring like I'm in an RPG and tracking down a collectible that, while won't help me in any quest, will definitely make me feel a lot happier with my day. When there are just as many items piled on top of the cabinets and Kallax units as there are inside them, you know you're in the shop for the long haul. Ilan has even added a chair for the partners of browsers to kick back on - this is not a shop you 'pop in and out' of!
Something For Everyone No Matter Your Gaming Past
It's important to me that retro gaming shops cater to everyone and not just focus on a couple of consoles. There's no point having thousands of PS2 games and a couple of Game Boy titles; they have to capture the thoughts and feelings of everyone's childhoods and not just cater to a few. I flicked through Master System games and PS2 classics, rifled through rows of Game Boy games, and picked up GameCube titles that I've never even heard of before. It doesn't matter whether you grew up with the Dreamcast or the DS, Ilan has something that everyone can pick up and smile at, games that can take you back to a special place and time, and that's the true magic of Play Hero.
Some of the rarer games are priced a little more than you might find in the UK, but that's very common for retro gaming shops in mainland Europe and highlights the costs involved with acquiring and shipping some of the rarer or more popular titles. That being said, Ilan is very fair with his research and prices accordingly.
I asked him about his future plans and what is in store for Play Hero in the future, and he's hoping to make a museum of Retro Gaming for people to flock to from across Europe. 'If I was in my 20's I might do an online store too, but there's just me and it's a lot of work just looking after the physical sales in store,' said Ilan while showing me a WWE playset, and to be honest, I think it's just fine the way it is. Play Hero isn't the kind of store that you browse online; we've got eBay for that. This store captures the same feel of heading into a vinyl store and chatting with the girl behind the counter about the latest records - it's a full experience from walking in the store to leaving with a copy of Holy Magic Century and Croc 2 in your hand, and if you're planning a trip to Vienna, I urge you to go and check out the store. Tell Ilan Retro Dodo sent you!
