With 'MobileGameStop,' Bayview Residents Take Classic Video Games On The Road

With 'MobileGameStop,' Bayview Residents Take Classic Video Games On The RoadMaurice with the MobileGameStop at 16th and Mission. (Photo: Meaghan M. Mitchell/Hoodline)
Meaghan M. Mitchell
Published on September 26, 2016

Every night, Bayview residents Maurice and Star power up their SUV, driving through the streets of San Francisco and parking in different neighborhoods.

Once the husband-and-wife team, who are San Francisco natives, have settled on a spot, they open up their trunk, displaying a giant flat-screen TV, along with four different Nintendo game consoles and a classic Sega Genesis. And with that, the MobileGameStop is in business. 

The MobileGameStop is battery-operated, and anyone who stops by can play classic games like Super Mario Bros., Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Donkey Kong and many more. It's free to play, but there's a donation cup between the consoles for players to chip in towards the costs of the battery and gas. 

MobileGameStop in the Castro. | Photo: MobileGameStop/Facebook

“We’ve been doing this for about eight months," said Maurice, who declined to share his last name. "We only do it to have fun. As long as we get a smile from everybody, we’re happy."

While the game stop's many consoles don’t all work at once, the couple plugs them in and out, according to what people want to play.

"It’s really fun," Maurice said. "We get the after-work crowd that’s looking to take the edge off, we get kids, and then the late-night crowd—which is different, of course, but still really fun."

MobileGameStop at 16th and Valencia.

Before they go out, Maurice and Star often announce where they plan to park on their Snapchat account (@MobileGameStop). Frequent locations include the Castro, the Haight, and the Mission. Star said she especially likes coming to the Mission, as “I spent a lot of my childhood between here and the Bayview."

"My philosophy is simple," Star said. "People are in such a bad place right now, and I want to bring them back to a happy memory. Happy memories equal happy people. Even if they enjoy this for the moment, at least they had some joy for the day. I keep it old-school, because that brings the nostalgia."