Game Wizard owner Jerry Coblentz, seated, and manager Nolan Hofferber pose at one of the arcade games in their new store. - World Photo by Lou Sennick

Good friends, Jerry Coblentz, of North Bend, and Mel Neff, of Myrtle Point, were sitting around talking one day, when they decided to open a business together.

They thought combining a place to play video and board games with a locale to purchase games was what the area needed — hence came Game Wizard.

“We were talking about what would benefit the community and came up with this,” Coblentz said, from behind the counter in their store that opened in November at Pony Village Mall in North Bend. “The area needed someplace where people can come in and have fun.”

“And a safe place for children,” Neff added.

Coblentz said they have accomplished what they set out to do. With 10 arcade games and a table spanning half the room to accommodate board and card game players, parents can bring their children in to play — arcade games cost 50 cents to $1 — while they shop in the store.

“It kind of makes it fun,” Coblentz said. “Moms and dads can come in and shop and the kids don’t see what they’re getting because they’re too busy playing.”

And teenagers can come in for some after-school and weekend wind-down time. The store sells snacks and drinks they can consume when they’re not playing video games.

“There’s no other arcade around,” Coblentz said, on a recent busy weekday afternoon at the store, when several people of all ages were visiting the store.

Jourdan Ackerman, 20, of North Bend; Cody Rood, 17, of Coos Bay; Matt Malone, 17, of Coos Bay; and Steve Fields, 17, of Coos Bay, shouted as their group gathered around an arcade game, Gauntlet Dark Legacy.

“We finally have something we can do,” said Ackerman, following the game.

Rood agreed.

“I’m glad they have this establishment,” he said. “It’s a good hang out — fun activities.”

Fields said he had come to play the games the last few days.

“It’s great, that DDR (Dance Dance Revolution Extreme) is finally here!” said Malone enthusiastically.

Coblentz pointed out that the store is not dark and dingy like most video arcades.

“We wanted something bright and family friendly. We wanted to make sure it was well lit,” he said.

Jerry Coblentz said he and his wife and owner, Tania Yang, partly thought of opening a game store because of their 5-year-old son, Vincent Coblentz.

“We’re always looking for things for him to do,” Coblentz said.

Coblentz is also an ordained minister, a notary public and a tai chi and kung fu instructor, who has been practicing martial arts for 44 years, earning grandmaster status. He was signing the paperwork for a couple, William Sanders, 26, who is in the U.S. Coast Guard, and Miranda Geranian, 18, a Bay Area resident, to be married in the store that day. Their marriage would be official in a few days.

Regarding being based in North Bend, Sanders, a petty officer third class, said, “The only thing I don’t like is having to drive two hours to get to a place like this ... and now I don’t have to.”

Customers have been coming in to find a specific type of Monopoly, according to store manager Nolan Hofferber.

“Duckopoly is on its sixth order,” Hofferber said.

He said Game Wizard carries board strategy games, cribbage boards, role playing games, miniatures, chess boards, backgammon, dominoes, card games, poker sets, video game and console systems and is “the largest jigsaw dealer on the Oregon coast.”

“The sales go across the board,” Hofferber said.

“It runs the gamut,” Neff agreed.

Groups have been using their store for tournaments, such as Dungeons and Dragons and the Myic card game, and they welcome others who are interested.

“Before us there was no place to play games and buy games,” Coblentz said. “The idea was, kids have a place to play after school. It gives them a place to play.”

— For more information, those interested can call Game Wizard at 751-1948.