If you’ve felt the itch to get back into classic games, but you want to do it using original hardware and media, then you may have experienced some sticker shock when browsing sites like eBay or just your local classifieds. Was it always this expensive to pick up an old console and some games?
The answer is no, but just like hipsters inflating the price of beard oil and flannel, people out to make a quick buck have taken notice of the interest in retro gaming—and the geeks with wallets itching to be emptied.
Retro Gaming Is More Popular Than Ever
OK, saying retro gaming is “more popular than ever” might not be the most nuanced observation. Obviously, since video gaming as a whole is more popular and accessible than ever, its various niches would also grow in proportion.
Yet, I can’t help but feel that even young people have developed an interest. Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox all offer substantial catalogs of past games from their respective retro console lines. So having a taste of what games used to be like is as simple as pressing a button on your current-generation console.
There’s also plenty of content online singing the praises of older games, and a thriving indie gaming scene that’s revived the graphics and playstyles of years past.
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There’s Sudden Interest in Original Games and Retro Hardware
So, I shouldn’t be that surprised that people are interested in retro gaming both because of nostalgia and as a way to try video games from an era they were never part of. If you start down that path, enjoying emulated games on modern hardware, then inevitably you’ll feel the allure of playing these games as they were at the time of release. The somewhat lackluster state of modern gaming isn’t calling anyone away from the good old days either!
Before you know it, you’re trawling websites for used CRT TVs, old consoles, and games on disc or cartridges. There’s no lack of people selling retro hardware and games online, and you can walk into specialized retro gaming stores, or just a Goodwill and see plenty of items on display.
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Sellers Are Exploiting the Word “Retro” With Sky-High Prices
The thing is, people have noticed this uptick in interest. While it used to be that someone would pay you to come take away their old CRT TV, now that TV is being advertised as a “retro gaming TV” even though it’s exactly the wrong TV you’d want for your NES. As soon as the word “retro” is tacked on to the item description, the price seems to go through the roof.
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I got my 34-inch Sony Trinitron for a measly $75, but if the seller had any inkling of what they had the price would probably have three digits instead. However, that was a TV worth paying for, whereas the low-end CRT from someone’s attic isn’t worth the gas to go pick it up.
It also doesn’t help that there have been collectible grading companies that have helped inflate the price of physical retro games to obscene levels. Yes, a pristine sealed Super Mario Bros. from the original production run should be worth a lot of money. However, by the start of the 90s there were around 20 million cartridges in circulation, and so, in the face of that massive supply, a typical copy of the game should only cost a few bucks.
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Retro Gaming Should Not Be an Expensive Hobby—Don’t Fall for It
The key point here is that while plenty of games and retro hardware are rare or special enough to warrant a bigger price tag, it’s important to understand that just because something is old, or even if it is rare, that doesn’t mean it’s worth a lot. Besides, collecting retro games and playing retro games are actually two different hobbies. It’s just that a lot of people do both, but collectors think about price differently to those who only want to play. Certainly the person dropping $1,000 on a sealed retro game isn’t going to crack that seal and play the game!
In my opinion, retro gaming is a form of cheap and fun entertainment. If it starts costing you more than contemporary gaming, something has gone wrong. It’s extremely important to do at least a few minutes of research before pulling the trigger on a retro hardware or software purchase, just to be sure that what you’re buying is really worth what’s being asked.
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Stay old-school with these system for the best results.
Check for Modern Re-Releases First
An even more important question is whether the asking price is worth it for you. What are you trying to get out of the deal? If you just want to play these games, you don’t need to buy the original hardware. Emulation has come along in leaps and bounds, and while there’s definitely something special about going for maximum authenticity, it might not be what you’re hoping for.
There are amazing emulators now that don’t have the issues with input latency that used to be the main criticism of playing emulated games. Emulators can be extremely accurate too, and although it’s best to play certain retro games on CRTs to really get the look right, there’s CRT emulation in many emulators that do a darn good job.
Analogue Pocket
- Brand
- Analogue
- Screen
- 3.5-inch 615 ppi LCD screen
Then there are modern consoles using FPGA technology, that accept original game media, and can play those games with virtually perfect accuracy, but also with enhancements and proper output to modern displays.
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Why FPGAs Are Amazing for Retro Gaming Emulation
The MiSTer and Analogue Pocket are two examples of FPGA hardware-level emulation you might have heard of.
Sure, these FPGA systems can be relatively pricey—usually a few hundred bucks—but compared to the price some people want for their vintage consoles, and that these FPGA consoles can often accept multiple system’s games, it’s actually cheaper than buying original hardware.
Finally, most of the best retro games have received pretty great ports to modern systems, without the need for emulation or where emulation doesn’t really affect gameplay, as with JRPGs in the vein of Lunar. Games like Diablo 2 and Soul Reaver have excellent modern ports that allow you to switch over to the original graphics,
Also, nothing stops me from hooking up my computer to a CRT monitor to complete the package.
While bad modern ports of retro games abound, there are plenty of companies that know how to game preservation right. Studios like M2 and Nightdive, to name but two.
So, don’t fall for the retro game tax. If you want to buy rare physical games as a collector, and resell them one day at a profit, by all means play that meta-game and enjoy it. However, if you just want to enjoy some of the best games from the short but wonderful history of the medium, you can satisfy that urge without emptying your wallet.
