Story about old video game console, a yard sale, and giant robotic cockroaches?

Question

I read a ebook story once, it was pretty short I think, but it was pretty funny. I think the cover had some sort of 8-bit type art on a white background but I might be wrong. I read it a few years ago but I'm not sure when it was published. Here's what I can remember;

• Starts with a kid who wants to go buy a video game, but he's short $20 because somebody took some
• So he starts a yard sale and sells his dads old video game console
• Jump ahead some, as he leaves the video game store his dad runs up to him and says something, then gets pulled into a car with some evil guys who drive away
• I think he meets his friend about this time, who has braces and there was something about rubber bands, I think?
• His friends dad also had an old video game console, which he needs for something
• Somehow ends up inside the game console which is some government computer dealio thing
• Gets some sort of secret information, then gets out somehow
• Needs to be hypnotized for some reason
• Starts seeing words scroll on walls
• President does some kind of secret code speech
• Battle against a robo cockroach, a weird dog thing hybrid and their owners
• Something about magic string?

And that's all I remember right now. Any idea what story this is?

Answer 1

Game Over, Pete Watson by Joe Schreiber

When videogame obsessed Pete Watson discovers his dad is not only a super-spy but has been kidnapped and is now trapped inside a video game, he has to use his super gaming skills and enter the game to rescue him. Will he be able to save his friends and family and the entire world from giant mechanical cockroaches and a massive cyber attack set to take down the world's network? And if he succeeds, who will save Pete from his massive crush on Callie Midwood?

This review mentions the salient details of the console sale and the president getting involved.

There was a lot to like -- a sort of mystery/adventure when Pete has a yard sale to raise money to buy the newest and greatest video game, which results in selling a special piece of equipment his dad uses that could have worldwide consequences -- even the President of the U.S. is affected! The conversational style made it easy to read. Pete Watson is writing it all down, and even says that the full electronic version will have clips and videos. It is accompanied by black and white hand-drawn kid-style illustrations as well. There's a fun flip book at the bottom as well.

Found with a search for novel father's "video game console" trapped inside