New Billings gaming store brings nostalgia back to life | Montana News

BILLINGS, Mont. — A new store in Billings is taking gamers back in time, offering everything from classic consoles to collectibles.

Retro’s at 1343 Central Avenue is leveling up Billings’ gaming scene with shelves packed full of classics, collectibles and a little bit of everything in between.

“Well, the best way to describe it is we’re a nerd’s paradise, you know?” said Nate Machowski of Retro’s. “So, anything video game related, video game accessories, consoles, really… music as well.”

From retro games to trading cards and even Legos, the inventory is always changing. For customers, that’s half the fun.

“But just the vast selection of games is pretty, pretty insane,” Machowski said. “So getting that out and whatnot is yeah, definitely, definitely been a highlight for people.”

And it’s not just about what’s on the shelves. It’s about who’s walking through the door.

“That’s kind of the best part about this, is like, people who are even in like my age and whatnot, who are now, you know, parents, you know, with their own kids trying to show them, you know, the PS2 games of their era, the NES games of their era,” Machowski said.

“It’s, you know, keeping the legacy of, you know, just retro gaming and whatnot, you know, alive,” he said.

Retro’s sister store is Fun Trade, in the Rimrock Mall. Two small, locally owned shops focused less on high scores and more on good times.

“We’re really big about being, you know, we want to have fun with it and whatnot,” Machowski said. “That’s kind of the biggest thing, we’re all about positivity and, you know, just as long as everyone’s having fun and, you know, that’s really the main thing for us is just having fun.”

Retro’s is open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.