Merry Christmas to one and all!
What to spend all your lovely Christmas money you have acquired? Skyrim? Battlefield 3? Modern Warfare 3? Or a lovely Mega Drive game? For the most probably not but for me, who knows!
Being the slightly sad retro game geek I am, I have bought over the years quite a few different games for several different consoles and have been amazed and intrigued at some of the games from yesteryear that have kept their value or indeed added to them. Whilst games even in the nineties were still selling for around the forty pound mark especially for the consoles such as the SNES and Gamecube, it is interesting to see the titles that have increased their value.
There are a couple of good reasons for why a game could command a higher fee for the retro-seeking purchaser. The most successfully sold games, although very good, will usually due to supply and demand be worth very little. A good old copy of Super Mario Bros for the NES can be picked up for as little as five pounds. Surely a tragedy! A game could have be released so close to the end of the console's life that not many were sold as people had moved on to the newer hardware and now trying to acquire it is certainly no mean task. A non-release in Europe as well could result in envious eyes from across the pond and push up a game's price or quite simply a game over the course of time has received cult status that it did not get back in its day.
Some of the games I have found that command a hefty price tag:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – Nintendo Gamecube – Circa £50
Released in December 2006, towards the end of the Gamecube's life, this was the proper Zelda, none of this Wii nonsense (horse, nun chuck, enough said), not many had it for their Gamecube and it was underrated and almost lost in the gaming world as a consequence. It has kept its resell pretty well since due to the rarity of the Gamecube version and the fact you can play it on the Wii.
Knuckles Chaotix – Sega 32x – Circa £70
Released in May 1995, this game is helped, price wise mainly due to the fantastic flop that was the Mega Drive add-on, the 32x. This mushroom-shaped piece of hardware fitted into the top of the Mega Drive so juice up and revilalise the aging console. Knuckles Chaotix is the only Sonic-based game released for the 32x, which helps its value as well. A Marmite kind of game where Sonic hardcore fans will probably love it but casual gamers may pass it over for Sonic 2. Still classed as a gem for game collectors.
Phantasy Star IV – Sega Mega Drive – Circa £60
Released in December 1995, yes a successful line of Japanese style RPG games on a Sega platform, I remember buying the first Phantasy Star for the Master System but could never imagine how much the forth in the series could set you back. Seen by many as the best and biggest effort, this game had the cult status and the "console life-ending" reasons for now costing an arm and leg to keen retro buyer.
Harvest Moon – Nintendo SNES – Circa £50
Released in June 1997, certainly all too late for the now dying SNES console simply down to the March 1997 release of Nintendo's new shining console the N64. A farm-based story that most have experienced (not on the SNES) at some point, even though a very decent game it was just too late and hence has kept its value, my copy came from the Gold Coast in Australia.
Earthbound – Nintendo SNES – Circa £100
Released in North America in June 1995, this classic and now cult NTSC series is in high demand. You will have to be lucky to find a working adaptor for a PAL SNES, this story turn-based RPG stunned me when I realised how much the asking price was, I bought mine with the Big Book Guide as well and with no box, eventually gave in and bought a newly printed box for it.
Forget all the College Mario Nintendo Championship carts that you hear about costing thousands due to their slight alterations and extreme rarity and enjoy the games that are rare and loved. Some people call me mad, I probably am but if the worst comes to the worse I can at least sell some of my games and recoup my money or even make a little more back mainly due to the sheer quality and fun these games have given us.
