[How Much Would You Pay for an NES Classic Edition?]

2 minutes ago, derFunkenstein said:

Unless you're going to have it in the background of a video, I don't think the NES classic is a worthwhile investment. It's cute, for sure, but I don't like playing on it. The shimmering video (if you play in 4:3 mode) and audio lag are enough that I don't really care for it. I've owned one and sold it twice now. The first time I was not happy with emulation quality, the second time I thought "well it's the rerelease, maybe it's better now." I was wrong. The SNES Classic fixed a lot of this and it's much nicer, IMO. 

 

RPi 4 running Lakka still has a little audio sync problem. It's close enough I wondered if it was my receiver lagging. But then I fired up a real NES connected via RetroTink and the audio sync issues went away. It's most obvious when you do things that make sound effects happen. Firing a weapon in Mega Man or jumping in Super Mario. You'll fire the shot or leave the ground before the sound effect happens. I'm a little more sensitive to it than some, though; I also have issues trying to play guitar through a USB audio interface while recording in a DAW. The solution there is direct monitoring. The solution here is to play on a different device.

 

edit: My Life in Gaming's review covers both issues in depth so you can see it for yourself. 

 

 

I have that video in my "Watch Later" for a few days and for whatever reason I haven't watched it yet. I'll do that now for sure! I knew about the cute factor, but I definitely intended to own the console for the purposes of playing (I don't have much space in my entertainment center, but me and my family have some plans for the future when it comes to out house). I feel like I'm not that sensitive to lag as long as it's not obvious, but then again, my entire childhood revolved around jumping over goombas. I'll watch the video and see that for myself, but that's definitely a bummer! I really wanted to get the system to play games on it.

[How Much Would You Pay for an NES Classic Edition?]

Hi everyone! It's that time of the month again when I have the difficult task of deciding what I'm going to buy for my collection (a good problem to have, I know.) For the past few months I've been trying to focus on Nintendo stuff and an item that I've been meaning to get ever since it came out is the NES Classic Edition. I already have the SNES Classic and I think the NES one would be a fantastic addition to my collection. But I can't really find a reliable source when it comes to price. I checked eBay, Game Value Now, Price Charting, GameStop and a few more. Thing is, prices vary a lot and I have no idea how much the system really goes for. eBay prices in particular go for $100 or more for the used/incomplete system, so I have no idea if that's fine or not. The cheapest one I found where I live is around $65 with free shipping and it comes in the box, but not manual/poster, unfortunately. I'll include pictures below for reference. Can you help me out? I don't know if that's a good deal or not and I hate overpaying. Also, do you think the system will become more expensive/collectible as time goes on? Thanks in advance and I'm really looking forward to what you guys have to say about this!

 

 

[How important to you is getting CIB games?]

Hi! I've been collecting games for years without knowing it, but I really started getting into collecting properly for a year or so. I have a general questions for all of you, since I assume most of the people on this forum know a lot about collecting. So how important is it for you to get CIB games? Do you mainly care about acquiring games to play them and getting them CIB is secondary or is it the other way around? I just bought Kid Icarus: Uprising without the stand and I'm just wondering if I should have been more patient to get the game, plus the stand and cardboard box. Nevertheless, I'm just super excited to be able to enjoy that game since I've been meaning to play it forever, but I couldn't find it at a fair price. Just wondering how you guys feel about this. Thanks!

[Should I Get a NEO GEO-CD?]

Long story short, I found someone who's selling a Neo Geo CD on Facebook Marketplace. The guy's selling it for pretty cheap and according to him it works perfectly. It comes with two controllers and two games (I didn't bother to ask if they are the real thing or backups, though it can always ask). So the thing is: is it worth getting an uncommon console like that taking into account that most games are extremely expensive, the console weighs a ton and the loading times are abyssmal? Oh, and I'm pretty sure my girlfriend will kill me if she sees that massive hunk of plastic around. I've never seen a Neo Geo CD where I live, I'm pretty sure I won't see another one ever again. I know they can be quite expensive and the guy's selling it for not a lot of money so that's definitely not the problem. Maybe it's worth getting if the games are genuine? Maybe I can get it and if I don't use it I can trade it for some thing cool? Anyway, I'm just interested in hearing some opinions from people who might be familiar with the system, since I don't know anything about it and people like Metal Jesus or the guys at My Life in Gaming haven't made a video on it. Looking forward to seeing what you have to say about the Neo Geo CD.

 

PS: I wanted to include some pictures, but Facebook didn't let me see them, so sorry about that.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Best N64 Games to Collect for?]

I recently started paying more attention to my Nintendo 64 collection. I had a bunch of games that I bought with with system years ago, but I recently found out I can get some games for pretty cheap where I live. So before the local market changes, as it often does, I'll get as many N64 games as I can. At this point, I pretty much know what to look for: racing games, Mario, Zelda, Super Smash Bros. and some of those rare and elusive titles everyone pretty much knows about, but even if I have some experience with N64 games because I used to play a lot of ROMs on an emulator growing up, there are a lot of games I might not know about. I recently watched a video about Chameleon Twist 1 and 2 from My Life in Gaming and I'm definitely getting those because they look pretty good even if they didn't get glowing reviews back in the day. Also, I'm super excited because I just got a copy of International Superstar Soccer 2000 which can be quite expensive. Maybe I can get another cheap copy for the purposes of trading... I have to say I just have around 15 titles and none of them are extremely special, so I won't bore you with a list. But is there anything I might be missing from? Maybe a bunch of games that were ignored back in the day because the critics weren't very kind or something that arrived late in the system's life cycle? Thanks!

[What Should I Know before Getting a SNES?]

On 7/20/2019 at 1:39 PM, cybercylon said:

I think the $50-$60 price range is about right for one that is good condition and comes with OEM accessories (power brick, av cable, controller). As an earlier poster mentioned, you will pay more going local, but you can see it and have someone to yell at if it doesn't work when you get it home.

 

While I don't think this was brought up much, what kind of games are you interested in? The major 1st party titles can be expensive due to demand (even they had a high print run). Something like SuperMario Kart can fetch stupid prices. On the game front, be patient and what for a good deal. The days of Super Mario World being $5-$10 are probably long gone, but don't pay $30 for it.

See if you can help me here (of course, this is for everyone): I found a SNES with two original controllers, no AC adapter and no games for pretty cheap. The system costs $35, but the only caveat is that the power jack is busted. According to the seller it works perfectly, but I know I need soldering skills to replace the jack which costs around $10 + shipping. I don't know if it's worth it, but that's the only system I found at that price. The guy sent a video with proof it works and was more than willing to tell me all the "problems" it has. Do you think that's a good deal or I should pass?

[What Should I Know before Getting a SNES?]

On 7/16/2019 at 5:11 PM, 0078265317 said:

What country do you live in?

Argentina, the market's really weird over here. Especially when it comes to Nintendo which doesn't really have a presence here in South America and everything that you get comes from importers. I get super excited whenever I get a Nintendo game or batch of games at a good price because that's a rare sight over here.

[What Should I Know before Getting a SNES?]

1 hour ago, 0078265317 said:

And super expensive.  Probably more than the OP wants to spend. 

I don't think I can get one here unless I import it from the US and if I can actually find one here, it would be super expensive. They look really cool though. I also thought about getting a Retron 5, but it would cost me 4 times as much as a SNES does... so at that point I might as well get the consoles it plays individually and play on the real thing. I don't know, there are way too many options to play retro games these days. Too many, haha.

[What Should I Know before Getting a SNES?]

2 hours ago, KeeperofLindblum said:

I'd definitely search around on eBay if you want the best pricing... I found the following while just looking at the first page. (Shipping puts it a bit over what I quoted.)

Random eBay Auction - $85 + Shipping
 

If you try to buy it local at a game shop... You're gonna overpay, but you'll be able to see it in person. ?‍♂️

 

 

EDIT - I only linked that auction because the system isn't yellowed, no obvious cracks, and it comes with (what appears to be) all OEM except the one third party controller. Games are okay but would get you started with 4. 

Thanks for providing some prices to at least know what I should expect to pay for the system. I found a SNES Jr. CIB for $90 (that's including shipping), two controllers, no games. I'm not crazy about collecting console variations, even if I ended up with some of those, but I kind of like the design of the Jr. But maybe I should get a regular SNES with no cables, no nothing and start from there. I found one locally for $50, but that feels like a lot for something I'm buying online and I can't really test and open until it gets here.

 

I used to have a CRT, but I gave it to my kid to watch his DVDs. I'm pretty sure I can convince my wife to get at least a 14-inch just for the purposes of playing retro games.

[Which Nintendo 64 Games Should I Add to My Collection?]

15 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

You already have a good set of games to figure out if you like the machine or not. 

 

Fighting games on the N64 are pretty poor unless you really like Killer Instinct. 

 

Dunno if you like racers, but these are good:

F-Zero X (one of my all-time favorites)

Wave Race

Star Wars Episode One Racer

San Francisco Rush (and 2, and 2084)

Beetle Adventure Racing

Ridge Racer 64

Wipeout 64

 

Only the first two are strictly necessary IMHO, the others are done OK in other formats. 

 

I also really liked Star Wars Rogue Squadron

and Doom64, Blast Corps, Tetrisphere, Robotron 64, Starfox 64 are all unique and fun. 

 

Goldeneye 007 was fun but probably doesn't hold up. Same for Banjo Kazooie. 

I really like the system itself, but some 3D games look horrible, some amazing games have aged poorly (I can't play Super Mario 64 past the fantastic first level) and the controllers are the worst. I have two controllers and the sticks are loose to the point I'm considering new ones. Apart from that, the N64 has some unique experiences no other system really offers. I like N64 racing games and I'd like to get more of those, also Pokemon games have a special place in my heart even if I don't plan to play Stadium for more than a few minutes. Other than that, I don't really remember anything that stands out. SO I turn to you guys...

[Which Nintendo 64 Games Should I Add to My Collection?]

17 minutes ago, GoldenWheels said:

WCW vs. NWO Revenge. Can be had for a $5 spot normally. I mean, I guess you have to like wrestling/fighting games, but.....it's tops.

I really like fighting games and I couldn't care less about wrestling games. Maybe this one will change my mind?

[Which Nintendo 64 Games Should I Add to My Collection?]

I'd like to get at least an N64 game this month and I have some options. To make a long story short, I own a Nintendo 64 that I bought from my cousin years and years ago fro pretty much nothing. These are the games that came with the system: Super Mario 64, Bomberman 64, Quake 2, Automobili Lamborghini, Chopper Attack, ISS 98, Duke Nukem 64, Space Station Silicon Valley, Star Wars Shadow of the Empire and Turok.

 

Some of the options I have include in my immediate wish-list include Diddy Kong Racing, Mickey's Speedway USA and Pokemon Snap. Am I missing something? I don't know that many Nintendo 64 games because everything that I played was on emulators more than a decade ago and I just focused on Super Smash Bros. and the Zelda games that are hard to come by here and extremely expensive.

 

Also, a copy of ISS 2000 recently surfaced, I thought that game was one of the rarest of the system and the seller is offering for not that much (around $34 to be more specific). Should I go for it? Is that game that rare?

 

Thanks in advance!

[What Should I Know before Getting a SNES?]

I've been trying to get a console this month because I'm in possession of some disposable income. As usual, I have a ton of options and one of the possibilities is getting a SNES. Thing is I've never even touched one. I have a SNES Classic Edition which I loved and has an amazing selection of games, but I'd like to own the real thing just for the purposing of collecting and also to play on the real thing. So how much should I pay for the system? Also, I've seen the original SNES, as well as the SNES Jr. I know the former supports S-video and the former doesn't, but I also know that the Jr. tends to be more collectible. To sum up: 1) Do you think it's worth getting a SNES if I own the Classic Edition, 2) Which version should I look for? 3) How much is an acceptable price for the system in case I decide to go for it? Thanks in advance!

[Can You Help Me Before Getting a Sega Genesis?]

2 hours ago, derFunkenstein said:

The Genesis II always had the US-shaped cart slot. This has a big flat square one. That means this one has been modified for region-free gaming, which is cool. 

 

You can see from the underside pic that the motherboard extends the full width of the system meaning it's an older model 2 that won't sound very good. It's also obviously missing the RF shield under the motherboard, which probably doesn't mean a whole lot but I wouldn't buy a Genesis without all its innards intact, and I wouldn't buy a VA 1.x or 2.x Genesis 2 at all. Even for $15 I think you can do better with some patience. Don't forget to include an extra $20-30 to get a replacement AV cable, power supply, and controller (variable cost because controllers range from OMG awful to pretty decent if you get a Retro-Bit Sega repro). Complete Genesis systems with all of that usually go for around $35, so that's what I'd be looking for.  

 

Used SNES consoles go for considerably more. More than likely you'll be paying 50-65 for a complete system, at minimum with AV, power, and one controller.

Thanks a lot for the comprehensive reply. A few questions about SNES systems because I've seen a couple of them at a reasonable price (around the price you suggest). Basically, I've seen two kinds: the one some people call the Junior and the regular one. What's the difference between the two? From what I've heard, and maybe this is anecdotal, the Junior is more collectible and cool if you're playing on an CRT TV because it only supports composite. The regular SNES, on the other hand, some people think is better because it supports S-video. Is that assumption correct? Also, I have an SNES Classic Edition which I really, really like, so I have a way of playing SNES games. But which games I need to look for? Any recommendations apart from the Mario, Zelda, Metroid trifecta?

 

Thanks again!

[Can You Help Me Before Getting a Sega Genesis?]

16 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

It looks real enough to me, but someone else would know better. Is it selling for a lot of money? It really shouldn't. 

It costs less than $15 with free shipping, but I don't think it's the real thing, though I'm really interested in what other people have to say about that. I honestly have no idea what I would cost in the US. I don't know what anything would cost in the US. I usually use pricecharting.com for reference, but some people say that site is woefully inaccurate. How much would you pay for a used SNES? I'm looking for one of those as well.

[Can You Help Me Before Getting a Sega Genesis?]

26 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Start here, look at the other "guides" about the Genesis.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega-genesis-megadrive-101-a-beginners-guide

 

The AV is generic. The power supply is not "standard" like a PC cable but it should be easy to find a modern remake in a place that sells retro games. 

 

Flash cartridges work fine on this. 

 

These are super common and cheap in the USA. I wouldn't jump on a loose one here because there are lots of others out there. 

I'll definitely check out the guide, but first I'd like to know if this is fake or not. Shouldn't the Model 2 have metal plates behind the vents at the bottom? I don't have much experience with the system, thata's why I'm asking so many questions. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Can You Help Me Before Getting a Sega Genesis?]

Hi everyone, I have some money to spend on a system this month and I'm interested in getting some of the classic ones. I saw that someone nearby is selling a Sega Genesis Model 2 for little to next to nothing and apparently it's the real thing. I'm saying that because I live in a country where the Sega Genesis is one of the most pirated consoles ever (I live in Argentina), so I want to ask a couple of questions before actually buying it just to double check I don't have to return it. The person selling it only has the system, so that means: no power supply, no composite cable and no controllers. Are the power supply and composite generic? What I mean is, can I go to an electronic store and just buy those things or are they specific to the Sega Genesis. I do have a new controller someone gave to me years and years ago, so that's not a problem. And finally, no games. I have no real experience with the Genesis, so can you recommend at least one or two cheap games I can get to test the system? I only know the well-known games like Sonic, Phantasy Star and Contra: Hard Corps, but some of those can get extremely expensive. Do you think getting repro carts for some of those games is worth it? Because I can get those for pretty much nothing.

 

Here are the pictures the seller posted.

 

 

 

 

I want to say thanks in advance. It's always extremely exciting to get a new system, but I have to say I don't have that much experience with Sega systems and I really feel like I'm missing out. Really, thanks guys.

[Cheap Japanese Game Recommendations]

Hi! I recently made my first eBay purchase. I live outside the US and in my country we have another online company that's much more popular than eBay and that's what I've used so far. I was looking for some games on eBay and I realized that a few Japanese sellers have a bunch of games for $5 and with free shipping, so this made me wonder what are some cheap Japanese games I can get for my collection. It really helps if the games I get can be played on region-free consoles and if I don't need to know anything about the language to play them, but to be honest, what I want is a sort of general list of games that are extremely cheap in Japan. I know Monster Hunter is extremely popular over there, so I assume most of those games are cheap on eBay. So can you help me out find some cheap Japanese games on eBay that I can add to my collection? I don't know much about the prices of Japanese games, so any resources you can point in my direction will be more than welcome. Thanks a lot!

[Is Kinect Worth It?]

My questions are simple really. I have a chance to get a Kinect for the 360 and I was wondering if that particular piece of hardware is worth it or not. I remember years ago going to a friend's house and playing a bunch of minigames, but I didn't spend enough time playing to make a purchase decision. Also, how much would you pay for it? I don't want to spend too much money on a thing I don't see myself playing all the time. I know some games are cool, like Kinect Sports or Dance Central, but other than that nothing comes to mind. Are some of the "better with Kinect" labeled games any good, like Skyrim or Forza? Or is it just a dumb gimmick? I did some research online, but there are barely any video reviews out there. Finally, can you control the console using voice to turn on/off, launch games and apps and other things? I assume you can, but I don't know if it's responsive or just old tech that sometimes works and it's kind of cool but that's it. Thanks in advance!

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

I'd add 4GB to make it 6GB and leave it at that. Try the integrated graphics, it's probably fine for your needs. The computer should take graphics adapters with 2GB and probably more.

Just out of curiosity, integrated graphics are part of the motherboard or part of the processor?

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

How many slots are there?

 

I like to populate all slots with the same spec modules across the board..

 

There are 4 slots.

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

I'm assuming it has 2x1GB, it could have 4x512MB; 1x2GB is possible but unlikely. You'd likely have to buy 8GB ram to upgrade to 8GB and remove what's currently installed. Specs say it does 1920x1200.

It's 4x512MB. So I should install 2GB per slot ignoring the ones that are there? It's great to know it supports 1080p right out of the box.

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

I'd add 4GB to make it 6GB and leave it at that. Try the integrated graphics, it's probably fine for your needs. The computer should take graphics adapters with 2GB and probably more.

Thanks for the advice, I'll probably try with 6GB of RAM, but adding 6GB for a total of 8GB shouldn't make that much of a difference in terms of price. I'll definitely try the integrated graphics, but I wanted a graphics card is so that I can take advantage of the HDMI port and use a big ass TV instead of a smaller monitor. HDMI carries both audio and video signals, so that's more comfortable for my setup I believe. Also, I assumed a newer graphics card supports up to 1080p and I also assumed that old integrated chipsets don't. Is that the case or my assumption is incorrect? I'd really like 1080p, because my current TV, laptop, phone and even tablet, all go up to 720p and I'd love it if my new computer (well, old computer that I'm upgrading) would support 1080p for movie watching and video.

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

A Dell Optiplex 745 is only worth about $75. I wouldn't spend too much on upgrading the memory as it can't be used in a newer computer.

 

Upgrading to 4-8 GB if you want to run Windows 10 is a good idea. An SSD isn't really needed on such an old machine.

 

Note the Dell Optiplex 745 is available in 4 sizes. The Minitower can accept a full-size graphics card up to 75W, while the Desktop and Small Form Factor can only accept a low profile graphics card. The Ultra Small Form Factor cannot accept a graphics card.

 

A new graphics card won't make any difference in viewing video's or web browsing.

 

If you want to do any gaming, I would start with a newer used computer such as Dell Optiplex 790 with a i5-2400 Quad Core, 8 GB and 500 GB Hard Drive for $170 and add a graphics card.

 

I already have a 240GB SSD on my laptop, so I'd probably exchange it with the HDD on the Dell PC. I have the minitower, so I need a 75W graphics card, but what I don't know is if it supports any card or a specific one, since this is the first time I'm upgrading a PC.

 

[Need Help Updating a Ten-Year Old PC (Dell Optiplex 745)]

TLDNR

 

What processor, RAM, and GPU are in there now?

 

Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, integrated graphics