Some of these prices are depressing!

[Andromeda Stardust]

Welcome to the club Waffles! Despite prices going up in general with retro gaming, Genesis hasn't been hit as hard as SNES as far as pricing goes. When I picked up my Genesis in 2011, I noticed many multiplatform games were cheaper on the Genesis than the SNES. If the Genesis cart is say $3.95 and the SNES version of the same game is $12-14.95, I'll pick up the Genesis version because it is cheaper. I don't care too much about collecting CIB as it just raises the price and takes up valuable shelf space.

 

Nintendo is definitely hotter than Sega in terms of collectability, but I see Genesis and other Sega consoles going up in the coming years. Stone Age Gamer released an SMS adapter, the Powerbase Mini, which lets you play SMS games. So I have a small handful of SMS that I play on my Genesis Model 1 from time to time. Sonic 1 SMS isn't rare at all and can be had cheaply from Europe.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

It is unfortunate that Genesis (and most other retro game cartridges) just keep going up and up in price, but luckily the vast majority of popular Genesis games are still quite cheap to pick up and can be found for $10 USD or less. There are a few cartridges I want and have yet to acquire that have gotten pretty high up there in price (Castlevania: Bloodlines and Contra: Hard Corps.), but they're both still less expensive than buying a new game for a current generation console; and I think I'll enjoy them a heck of a lot more than any current gen stuff.

 

Another thing about the Genesis that I like to keep in mind when buying expensive games is "At least it's not the Super Nintendo". What I mean by that is that almost every popular title on the SNES is going for $30+ these days, and there are only a handful of Genesis games that command those kind of prices. Yes, I still winced a bit when I paid $40 for Truxton, but I felt a lot better about it when I remembered that nearly every well known SNES game costs that much or more now. It's some small condolence.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Jin

[WeWantWaffles]

It is unfortunate that Genesis (and most other retro game cartridges) just keep going up and up in price, but luckily the vast majority of popular Genesis games are still quite cheap to pick up and can be found for $10 USD or less. There are a few cartridges I want and have yet to acquire that have gotten pretty high up there in price (Castlevania: Bloodlines and Contra: Hard Corps.), but they're both still less expensive than buying a new game for a current generation console; and I think I'll enjoy them a heck of a lot more than any current gen stuff.

 

Another thing about the Genesis that I like to keep in mind when buying expensive games is "At least it's not the Super Nintendo". What I mean by that is that almost every popular title on the SNES is going for $30+ these days, and there are only a handful of Genesis games that command those kind of prices. Yes, I still winced a bit when I paid $40 for Truxton, but I felt a lot better about it when I remembered that nearly every well known SNES game costs that much or more now. It's some small condolence.

 

I agree to pretty much all of what you said xD It is incredibly tempting to buy a game for extra money sometimes. Look at Mega Turrican; I only ever see it go up in price. If I get it for 50$ now (unlikely..) I might avoid buying it for twice as much in about five years from now. Trouble Shooter is also a game I'd like and it hasn't gone down in price in the past 2 months, but it does float around 40$ as well. Ultimately, 40$ is alright for the odd game, though I can't see myself spending more than 60. The sad truth is that even if there was a listing for Truxton at 10$, someone would buy it just to sell it for a 30$ profit anyway.

 

Maybe my own views are a bit unpopular, though! I replace my labels and make custom boxes/cartridges. None of the games I have will have their original look purely because I give them all a custom box, cover and label. Though for me it's not just about having games. I want to play them, and I want my future children or nieces and nephews to play them too. My custom look is mostly there to make everything look clean and inviting, and it's my attempted tribute to the old console. Technically a reproduction game would fit in perfectly because I can easily label them and make them fit in, though I haven't gotten any of those yet and I do try to get original copies unless they're just too pricy. I just got done with my last labels not so long ago:

 

 

Oh, lastly.. My logic for buying genesis games is this: I can spend 400$ on a ps4, and pay about 50-80$ per game.. or I can spend 400$ on a completely fixed, custom painted, two-controller genesis with 23 games and the ability to output pictures beautifully on an HDTV. I think I'll pass on most games of this gen and wait until the games cost a meager 10$ instead xD

Edited July 18, 2015 by WeWantWaffles

[Andromeda Stardust]

My local game shop has Megaman 5 for $79.99. It was $20 a couple years ago. Genesis may be next, but nowhere near NES/SNES prices.

[zylon]

 

I agree to pretty much all of what you said xD It is incredibly tempting to buy a game for extra money sometimes. Look at Mega Turrican; I only ever see it go up in price. If I get it for 50$ now (unlikely..) I might avoid buying it for twice as much in about five years from now. Trouble Shooter is also a game I'd like and it hasn't gone down in price in the past 2 months, but it does float around 40$ as well. Ultimately, 40$ is alright for the odd game, though I can't see myself spending more than 60. The sad truth is that even if there was a listing for Truxton at 10$, someone would buy it just to sell it for a 30$ profit anyway.

 

Maybe my own views are a bit unpopular, though! I replace my labels and make custom boxes/cartridges. None of the games I have will have their original look purely because I give them all a custom box, cover and label. Though for me it's not just about having games. I want to play them, and I want my future children or nieces and nephews to play them too. My custom look is mostly there to make everything look clean and inviting, and it's my attempted tribute to the old console. Technically a reproduction game would fit in perfectly because I can easily label them and make them fit in, though I haven't gotten any of those yet and I do try to get original copies unless they're just too pricy. I just got done with my last labels not so long ago:

 

 

Oh, lastly.. My logic for buying genesis games is this: I can spend 400$ on a ps4, and pay about 50-80$ per game.. or I can spend 400$ on a completely fixed, custom painted, two-controller genesis with 23 games and the ability to output pictures beautifully on an HDTV. I think I'll pass on most games of this gen and wait until the games cost a meager 10$ instead xD

 

In looking at the prices of many gen titles, I leave them to the collectors. I have found many other ways to just play them and still use original hardware. Emulation can be nice, but does not have the same feel. Most titles beyond 5 to 10 usd I pass on and just get repros from China for about 5 shipped. This is fine for games not using a "save feature" and they work just fine with a little dremeling of the console opening or some sellers have the US/EU style shells as an option.

below is the Truxton I bought and play. I do have an original sealed one I bought from Sega's parts division around year 2000 for 20 usd. I will never open it due to current value and play the repro instead.

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/16-Bit-MD-Cartridges-Brand-New-Support-Mixed-Orders-TRUXTON/32314104831.html

[mehguy]

retro gaming pricing is ridiculous. Its BS when people who have no knowledge on retro gaming that dig into their closets and find an nes and think its gold.

 

 

 

basically this is the kind of garbage that the retro gaming community has to go through.

Edited July 19, 2015 by mehguy

[BillyHW]

If there is a bubble, it will eventually pop.

[+Cafeman]

I agree that retro games like Genesis carts get really overpriced, but its been that way for a while, and like food & housing keeps going up. I'm glad I snagged a bunch of Genny carts while they were still fairly cheap. For example I picked up Michael Jackson Moonwalker for $10, and Batman (the movie game) also for $10 or $15. I saw a boxed Batman for $50 yesterday! Personally, I buy games to play them. So, I will definitely pick the nicer label if there is a choice, but I really don't mind it if the label is ripped or faded a bit if the game WORKS. And I don't care about boxes. Mostly because they take up space and I don't have it.

 

The inflated cost of Genesis games is one reason I have a Raspberry Pi and tons of Genesis ROMs. How else am I going to play Ninja Turtles Keystone Heist? I never see it , and refuse to pay what it goes for online!

[WeWantWaffles]

That video made me cringe so much.. Pretty much my point in the end; the games don't matter, it's just people digging through crap and trying to make money off our childhood games. I hope the SNES bubble pops! It's only been about five years since the prices have skyrocketed after all. Now, Everdrive stuff is pretty cool for SNES, but I really do like having a copy; it feels like the game has more value because it's there physically, I bought it, cleaned it, made its little spot in my closet! To suddenly have all sorts of games right away diminishes its appeal to me somehow, though a 5$ Truxton reproduction won't feel like much of a lesser purchase compared to the original, especially if I can get a label and box to make it fit in.

[+wongojack]

retro gaming pricing is ridiculous. Its BS when people who have no knowledge on retro gaming that dig into their closets and find an nes and think its gold.

 

 

basically this is the kind of garbage that the retro gaming community has to go through.

 

Ha! The whole time I was thinking - yeah maybe $10

[Opry99er]

Video is awesome... Thanks for posting.

[Thekng123]

i especially hate these prices:
musha: $190

phantasy star iv: $60

michael jackson's moonwalker: $50

gunstar heroes: $45

streets of rage 3: $45

sparkster: $50

[Austin]

phantasy star iv: $60

At least it's not Earthbound for $200+.

 

[mbd30]

Holy crap, are "Truxton" and "Mega Turrican" worth that much these days??? I also checked the prices on Amazon and they're priced high there as well.

 

I'm glad I have "Truxton" in good condition with original box and instructions, and "Mega Turrican" with the box. I bought them in the early 00's for $5 each from a video store that was getting rid of them. I don't plan on selling them.

[Thekng123]

At least it's not Earthbound for $200+.

 

yeah, don't expect me to ever buy this game, i hate spending more than $20 on a retro game. that's why virtual console, xbox live arcade, and psone classics are a thing.

[karokoenig]

It seems like the price explosion on Sega games hasn't reached Europe - yet. While everything Nintendo is madly overpriced (someone honestly wanted to sell me a Gameboy Tetris cart for 30 Euro), you can still find Mega Drive and Genesis games for a few bucks each all over the place. At least on flea markets. The good old trick to check out boxes of VHS tapes also still works now and then.

[WeWantWaffles]

 

i especially hate these prices:

musha: $190

phantasy star iv: $60

michael jackson's moonwalker: $50

gunstar heroes: $45

streets of rage 3: $45

sparkster:

 

At least it's not Earthbound for $200+.

 

 

 

I got Phantasy Star IV on Ebay by winning an auction last month! Glad to say it only cost me 26$ with shipping! It shows that if you're patient.. like, really patient.. and wait for auctions, you might score a game for 40% of the price ^_^

[karokoenig]

Patience is the biggest of all virtues on ebay. If you jump on the next best auction or BIN offer, you're paying too much. But if you wait, it'll pay off sooner or later. Every once in a while, even the most sought after items slip under the radar, and you can grab them for cheap.

 

This situation has another angle affecting the flea markets, which I like to call "The Ebay Problem". Sellers (especially those who clear their attic of basement) tend to check their crap on ebay before they sell it on the flea market. And most of them have no experience with ebay. Of course they want to charge way too much, because all they see when they check are the asinine BIN sales, which are there for years already, and which will stay there for years. And OF COURSE they don't believe a word when you tell them that you saw that particular item on ebay for half of what they want to charge.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Patience is the biggest of all virtues on ebay. If you jump on the next best auction or BIN offer, you're paying too much. But if you wait, it'll pay off sooner or later. Every once in a while, even the most sought after items slip under the radar, and you can grab them for cheap.

 

This situation has another angle affecting the flea markets, which I like to call "The Ebay Problem". Sellers (especially those who clear their attic of basement) tend to check their crap on ebay before they sell it on the flea market. And most of them have no experience with ebay. Of course they want to charge way too much, because all they see when they check are the asinine BIN sales, which are there for years already, and which will stay there for years. And OF COURSE they don't believe a word when you tell them that you saw that particular item on ebay for half of what they want to charge.

Learn how to do a Sold Listings search. Then take off 15% because eBay is not robbing them of the fees. N00bs.

[Thekng123]

for some expensive games, the japanese versions are cheaper. like truxton (tatsujin) and moonwalker. games released before 1993 are region free (in this case both of the games i mentioned are region free), but you need to cut the tabs on the cartridge slot with a hot knife in order to fit japanese mega drive cartridges in an american genesis. i did this on my model 2 and puyo puyo plays perfectly. however, games released after 1993 are region locked.

[zylon]

for some expensive games, the japanese versions are cheaper. like truxton (tatsujin) and moonwalker. games released before 1993 are region free (in this case both of the games i mentioned are region free), but you need to cut the tabs on the cartridge slot with a hot knife in order to fit japanese mega drive cartridges in an american genesis. i did this on my model 2 and puyo puyo plays perfectly. however, games released after 1993 are region locked.

 

That's what i do, only i used a dremel. I do intend on getting a JP megadrive top and using that for the future.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

retro gaming pricing is ridiculous. Its BS when people who have no knowledge on retro gaming that dig into their closets and find an nes and think its gold.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95eUhuR8_ps

 

basically this is the kind of garbage that the retro gaming community has to go through.

 

Isn't he dead now?

[Thekng123]

retro gaming pricing is ridiculous. Its BS when people who have no knowledge on retro gaming that dig into their closets and find an nes and think its gold.

 

 

 

basically this is the kind of garbage that the retro gaming community has to go through.

yah, that's why i use a retro duo instead of original hardware

[Andromeda Stardust]

for some expensive games, the japanese versions are cheaper. like truxton (tatsujin) and moonwalker. games released before 1993 are region free (in this case both of the games i mentioned are region free), but you need to cut the tabs on the cartridge slot with a hot knife in order to fit japanese mega drive cartridges in an american genesis. i did this on my model 2 and puyo puyo plays perfectly. however, games released after 1993 are region locked.

I've heard it is fairly easy to install a toggle switch to play Japanese carts. Fun fact, some games were the same ROM in both Japan and US. On some of these games, toggling the region switch will change the text to Japanese or display altered graphics!

 

I can't be bothered to install the switch though since my Super Retro Trio can do this for me.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

I got Phantasy Star IV on Ebay by winning an auction last month! Glad to say it only cost me 26$ with shipping! It shows that if you're patient.. like, really patient.. and wait for auctions, you might score a game for 40% of the price ^_^

 

Great score! My usual strategy for acquiring the more expensive titles I want is to keep an eye on eBay auctions and wait for one to fly under the other watchers' radars too, but every now and then if I stumble across a game I want locally for a fair price I'll just bite the bullet so to speak and pick it up. This happened last week with Castlevania: Bloodlines, which I found in absolutely perfect like-new condition for $40 at a local game store. The label was so perfect that I actually had the store clerk get out the Genesis security bit and open up the cartridge to confirm that the board inside was original and not a reproduction. It was the real deal, so I spent the money, picked it up, and haven't regretted the decision one bit. Castlevania: Bloodlines has been tons of fun to play, beautiful to look at, and the music is pretty fantastic too. I can definitely understand why this game commands such a high price! Now the only expensive games I still need to tick off my Genesis wants list are Contra: Hard Corps. and M.U.S.H.A., and I'm pretty sure the latter of the two I'm just going to buy a reproduction cart of. My cutoff limit for how much I'm willing to spend on any game is $60; any more than that and I'll get a reproduction cartridge instead if it's a game that I just have to add to my library.

 

Anyway, much like you I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to the condition of my hardware and cartridges; but in my case I just hunt around for however long it takes to find perfect near-mint condition games at their http://videogames.pricecharting.comprice rather than making new labels for them. I do think it's really cool that you put so much work and creativity into making new labels and box art though! It's a great way to not only personalize your collection, but also add a whole new dimension to collecting and show your favorite games some love.