If you ever recalled fond memories of games you used to play but sadly due to reasons I’ll be describing shortly, you got rid of those older games and their systems. Maybe you were like me and traded the previous generation console with all its games to GameStop so that you may acquire the latest system from your favorite manufacturer. That’s what I did when I traded in my entire PS2 library so that I could afford the Metal Gear Solid 4 80GB PS3 bundle that had to be at least $500 at the time. Or perhaps you traded in or sold all your video games on eBay so that you can focus on things less important, like Med School, significant other, family.
But seriously, everyone has a different reason for selling their games, not knowing that they could have kept them or even just one or two systems that they really liked in a dedicated gaming area like a garage or basement. If you ever recalled fond memories of games you used to play but sadly due to reasons I’ll be describing shortly, you got rid of those older games and their systems. Maybe you were like me and traded the previous generation console with all its games to GameStop so that you may acquire the latest system from your favorite manufacturer. That’s what I did when I traded in my entire PS2 library so that I could afford the Metal Gear Solid 4 80GB PS3 bundle that had to be at least $500 at the time. Or perhaps you traded in or sold all your video games on eBay so that you can focus on things less important, like Med School, significant other, family.
But seriously, everyone has a different reason for selling their games, not knowing that they could have kept them or even just one or two systems that they really liked in a dedicated gaming area like a garage or basement. Old games can be worth a lot if you have something that is more rare. That said, if you have ever had regrets about selling your older games, not to worry, I am here to help. Here, I will list the top five consoles/handhelds that are more affordable to collect for then you might think.
5. NES
While it’s true that the NES has some of the most expensive games on it, those typically are the more complete copies which included the box, manual, inserts and of course the game. But if your on a budget like most of us these days, then getting a loose copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt is actually a far more reasonable price. If you buy just the cartridge or disk only of a game, then more often than not with the older systems especially, they will cost significantly less money. The thing about the NES is that 50% of households had one back in the 80’s and early 90’s. What that means is that the most popular games like Mario, Zelda, Metdroid you know the most common games will be much cheaper than something like Little Sampson or Mighty Final Fight.
Just going on eBay or eStarland which is where I like to get my games, you’ll see some of the greatest NES games that are under $30. Games like Metroid, Dr. Mario, Excite Bike, Final Fantasy just to name a few. Unless the games are sealed in their original packaging then expect to build or rebuild your NES collection from the ground up for a reasonable rate. Another thing to keep in mind is if you get a 60-72 pin adapter for your NES then you can play Japanese Famicom games too. The Famicom for those who are unaware is basically what the NES is called in Japan. The system looks quite a bit different as well, I personally prefer it’s looks to the North American NES. The bottom line is that Famicom games are actually cheaper than NES games generally.
You can grab a lot on eBay for garage sale prices, like a dozen for $20 or maybe $5 each depending on the seller. The NES console itself isn’t too expensive, but it is over thirty years old, so I would opt for a refurb one unless you are comfortable with opening one up yourself to do major surgery.
4.Super Nintendo
Next up is the follow up console to the NES, the SNES. Much like its older sibling, the SNES has a big library of games with the most popular being obtainable and the obscure ones being out of reach for most gamers on a budget. The best games for the system that are affordable are Super Mario World, Street Fighter II: Turbo, Donkey Kong Country, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super Mario All-Stars. All these for under $30 typically, although Link to the Past is closer to $40, all loose carts of course. And much like the NES, you can get an adapter that allows you to play Japanese Super Famicom games like Super Metroid for $25 versus $60 plus for the US version.
The Super Nintendo has some of the best RPG’s of all time for fans of the genre. Games like Earthbound, Chrono Trigger or Secret of Mana. These typically are quite expensive though in the English version, and unless you speak or understand Japanese, then you probably won’t fully get everything that is happening with the plot. However, there are a couple of solutions for this. One is getting a flash cart that has multiple games on a single cartridge like the ones mentioned. Two is getting an Everdrive where you can acquire roms from the internet, flash them onto an SD card and pop that into an Everdrive and play, easy Peezy. There’s also a third option of having a Retron 5 or a Retrofreak and putting a translation patch on a story heavy RPG in Japanese that translates it all to English. The overall library of games on the SNES is so solid, that whether you play it in English, Japanese or PAL region, you’ll surely find an instant classic among the 1,700 plus games.
3. PlayStation 2
With undoubtably the most massive and diverse catalog of games for any console out there is the mighty PS2. For fans of platformers (me raising hand) there is Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, and Jak just to name a few. For fans of RPG’s (not me) Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest. And for fans of a good old hack ‘n slash titles, you got God of War, Devil May Cry and many more.
If you never grew up with a PS2, then you either weren’t born yet or perhaps was more of an X box person. Either way, the PS2 is at the time of this writing the best-selling gaming console of all time. What that means for you if you’re looking to collect for the system is that the games mostly are common, easy to acquire and thus cheaper than something more rare. Yet of course, PS2 games are no longer being made, so I’d say if you want to collect for this system, start now before the passage of time makes these games unaffordable.
The good news is that many of the before mentioned games can be acquired for under $30. As a system having as many as the kids would call “Bangers!” on the PS2, there are plenty of hidden gems here as well. Games such as Beyond Good and Evil, Okami and Dark Cloud. Although Dark Cloud was the only game here to never leave the PS2, there are plenty more to find with a quick Google search. There are more expensive ones to be sure such as Blood will Tell and Gitaroo Man, which go for over $300 on eBay, but if your looking for affordable, then go with games from the greatest hits collection. These are some of the best games on the PS2 that may include extra content and are for sure cheaper than the original release.
As far as PS2 consoles go, there are a few variations to choose from. The original PS2 3000 series or PS2 Fat as it’s commonly referred to, the PS2 Fat 5000 series which has a quieter fan, and the PS2 Slim model which has less fan noise but because the disk drive sits in the front instead of the rear, it’s a bit noisy during loading screens. Personally, I would choose the PS2 Fat 5000 because of the quieter fan and better reliability than the Slim. Plus it looks cooler than the boring flat black Slim in my opinion, so what if it takes up a bit more space. This system will seem small in comparison to the two consoles to collect for coming up.
2. Xbox 360
And now, we enter a place where game consoles have never been before, High Definition. I mean sure, the Sega Genesis may have said High-Definition Graphics on its face, but trust me, it wasn’t. The Xbox 360 is part of the 7th generation of consoles which include the PS3 and Wii. But the 360 came out a whole year before those systems did, not that it makes any difference now, but just worth mentioning.
The Xbox 360 has a large catalog of games, both third- and first-party titles such as Halo 3, Gears of War and Fable 2. If you’re a fan of shooters, then the 360 was the system of choice for Call of Duty and Ghost Recon series. Part of it is due to the controller which I think was better than the PS3 Dual-Shock 3. It felt smaller than the original Xbox Duke controller but had a nice comfortable texture and buttons that’s better than the more recent Xbox line of controllers for Series X/S in my opinion.
As far as games, I will say that there aren’t as many first party game series as with PlayStation, but stuff like Forza and Alan Wake and the before mentioned main series’, there is a lot more in the weight of third-party support, and their cheap. How cheap you ask. You can get The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for $5 all day on eBay, Facebook Marketplace etc. Many awesome games like Call of Duty, Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed can be bought for under $10 complete in box (CIB). First party titles can be bought complete for under $20 pre-owned, about $30 new depending on the game. But overall, if your not sure what games to start with collecting, you can buy a sizable used lot of 360 games on eBay. Even GameStop has been known to have 360 games behind the counter if you just ask.
Now onto to the multiple variations of the Xbox 360 you can get. Theirs the original Xbox 360 Core with a 20 GB detachable hard drive. The 360 Arcade which replaced the Core in 2007 was similar in many ways to the Core except it had an HDMI port. The 360 Elite, which had a much larger 120 GB and later a 250 GB hard drive and came bundled with a headset and different games depending on if you got it on the holiday seasons of 2007 or 2008. The 360 S or Slim which was quieter and more efficient than the original models. And finally, the 360 E which has a more rectangular design like the later released Xbox One, but otherwise similar to the S minus a couple of ports.
Personally, if I had to get one, the S is the way to go. The older models have been known to overheat, the green power ring turning red and shutting down otherwise known as “the red ring of death.” With the S or Slim model, the heatsink is in a different position to keep things nice and cool under the casing, thus quieter and longer lasting if you plan to keep this thing for years to come. One thing that is worth mentioning no matter what model you have; is the custom faceplates you can get to personalize your 360 to whatever you desire. So, if your looking for games that are mostly under $10, and a console that can be plugged into any modern HDMI display then get a 360, their still cheap and easy to find for the time being.
1. PS3
Out of all the great choices here, my number one console to collect for as of this moment has to be the PlayStation 3. Released a year after the Xbox 360, the PS3 was also more expensive, although there were two versions to choose from at launch a 20GB and 60GB. The cool thing about both early variations is that they were both backwards compatible with PS1 and PS2 games right out of the box. So, if you had one of these back in the day or are looking at getting one now, you can collect for three different consoles and play them all one system. It’s worth mentioning that no matter which PS3 model you have or want, all models of PS3 can play PS1 disks, the black and the normal silver ones.
Although if your just looking at the core PS3 games and not interested in the backwards compatibility, you have plenty of excellent choices. For first-party releases, you have God of War III, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, The Last of Us, the Uncharted series, the Little Big Planet series, and there are much more within the first- and third-party realm. Games that can be acquired for under $10, again some first party titles like the Last of Us are going to be more, like around $15-$20 on eBay. Still better than paying $60 plus for a game nowadays though.
As mentioned with the 360, there are many of the same third-party titles and their dirt cheap, but the PS3 has the edge when it comes to having more HD remasters of games from generations past. If you missed out on the Sly Cooper series on the PS2 like I have (don’t hate me) then you can have all three classic stealth platformers in one package for around $50. The same goes for past series like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, God of War, Devil May Cry and many more classic series you might have missed. The ones to look out for if you’re a fan are the God of War Saga Collection which includes 5 full God of War games including 1-3, and the PSP games and goes for about $30 which is an absolute steal of a deal. Also, the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, which is usually a little pricier at around $55, but includes Metal Gear Solid 1-4, Peace Walker and the original MSX Metal Gear games. The only bad thing I can say about this collection is that it doesn’t have the first Metal Gear Solid game on a physical disk, but as a digital download to your PS3. Not a dill breaker for most, but something definitely worth noting.
Now that your familiar with all the games that the PS3 has to offer, it’s time to discuss which variation of the console is right for you. First, there are the ones at launch the 20GB and 60GB which can play PS1, PS2 and PS3 games. There was a later 80 GB PS3 which came bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4, (the PS3 I had originally) and even later a 160 GB model. These are all referred to as the PS3 Fat, but only the first two are backwards compatible with PS2 games (although the 80GB can play some PS2, but not most like 20GB and 60GB). If you buy a PS3 Fat secondhand and are not sure if it’s a backwards compatible one, then check how many USB ports are on the front of the console. If there are four, congrats, you have found a backwards compatible PS3 which can play PS2 games. If you only see two USB ports then nope, that can only play PS1 and PS3 games.
The Fat PS3 was great for backwards compatibility and playing Blue Ray and DVDs, but were prone to overheating issues much like the launch Xbox 360’s. So then of course comes the PS3 Slim. Available in 120 GB, 160 GB OR 320 GB, the Slim had a better fan and heatsink and was quieter and not prone to shutting down like the Fat models. Then even later came the Super Slim which I can only describe in a word, “weird”. The Super Slim’s had a disk tray at the top which slid across to open. And the system itself had a funky look but did come with either a 12 GB (Sony why) 250 GB or a 500 GB hard drive. When Choosing Which PS3 model to get, you should ask yourself if you care about playing PS2 games, if so then go for the PS3 Fat with the four USB ports. If you mainly just want to play your PS3 games and your Blue-Ray/ DVD collection, then I would recommend getting the Slim model. And if you don’t mind a weird looking PS3 with a lot more hard drive space then go with the Super Slim.
End Game Credits Bonus: Where to Acquire Retro Video Games
In closing, I believe any one of these consoles are great to own and to collect games for. The thrill of collecting is the hunt. Sometimes you can go to a pawn shop or thrift store like a Goodwill and see only a handful of used games for sale. But if you find something that you either really want or something that you never heard of, make an offer if it’s a pawn shop. And if you don’t have a Goodwill or even a retro game store (i.e. not GameStop) in your area, then theirs a few online retailers of video games I would recommend.
The first one is probably pretty obvious, eBay. A place that’s tailor made for people selling anything that’s considered vintage or old, like retro video games. You can buy a bunch of games in a lot or individually depending on what your looking for. The next is Facebook Marketplace where you can find older systems and games for decent prices like eBay, only you can meet with the seller face to face. Also garage sales or flea markets can be a goldmine for finding old games in person and without paying costs to have it shipped to you.
But if you would rather search and buy your games online, then there are a few places besides eBay to consider. eStarland, and Lukie Games are both online merchants that will sell and or trade video games old and new. And if you have bought an older console but are afraid that it may not be working like it did thirty years ago, then eStarland has a repair service of experts to diagnose and fix your old NES or other console. And finally, if you don’t live near a Goodwill or simply don’t like the vibe, then ShopGoodwill is a good place for retro games on the cheap. You can place your bid like eBay, or you can search for buy it now options. The only caveat with ShopGoodwill is that rarely is anything tested to work, so even if you can get a PS2 Fat for under $50, the system may not work. In that case, you can send it in to eStarland to have it diagnosed, like if the disk drive doesn’t read the games.
So, there you go. Many great options to consider when purchasing older game systems and games. Something to bear in mind is that not everything you buy secondhand is guaranteed to work, unless you see it for yourself or if that eBay seller shows video or at least pictures of the games and console in action. My best advice if your new to game collecting, start slow, and cheap. Set a monthly budget aside for retro games and stick to that budget. If that budget is $100, then keep track in paper, a notepad app on your phone or something like an Excell spreadsheet on a PC or other device. Only spend what you can afford. And most important of all… have fun in your game hunting journey.
Comments