Buying old game systems

Lach

So I've been looking into buying some older game systems and of course games and accesories for these systems. My plan is to set up a separate gaming area next to my HDTV with a smallish 4:3 CRT TV to enjoy some older games on older systems. I'm pretty much only interested in the systems I played with when I was a kid: NES, SNES, and Genesis.

I already found a Genesis with two controllers, but I need to find the SNES and NES.

Do yuo guys have any advice for doing this? Do you recommend a small cheap TV (like a 20" CRT) that I can use to play on. Should I shop on eBay? How do I avoid the yellow SNES?

Is $40-$60 a good price for an SNES?

Any help would be great.

Veevee

If $40 to $60 is good, I've got a store near me that has 8 of em for $20 that will shortly have none. And only 1 of them is slightly yellow, the rest are nice and gray.

Lach

It's not anywhere near Miami, FL is it?

TubularLuggage

Veevee wrote:

If $40 to $60 is good, I've got a store near me that has 8 of em for $20 that will shortly have none. And only 1 of them is slightly yellow, the rest are nice and gray.

There's absolutely no chance you're anywhere near Halifax NS then, is there.

tony_important

i am
where's this party at?

Veevee

Seriously $20 is cheap? Wow.

And no, its Madison Wisconsin. And its actually 2 locations with 4 each. Also has genesis for $10 to $15 (can't remember). I always thought that was normal as I never looked since I already have a snes and genesis+32x+CD.

Lach

It's probably a decent price, but I see it go for $40+ shipping on ebay sometimes without a game.

TubularLuggage

They used to have them at the local Microplay (SNESs) for $25, as well as used N64s for the same price. I got an N64 to mod it at the time so I could play lag-less Perfect Dark.
I went back a few days later for an SNES, and they were gone. I miss that store.

h3ndu

so, like, dreamcast ... fair price? thought you guys were talking about nes's for some reason.

But seriously $20.00 for an snes? that's fucking awesome.

bruin

If you want to buy a NES - http://www.buymessiah.com/store/

I just got one and it works great.

Daedalus

bruin wrote:

If you want to buy a NES - http://www.buymessiah.com/store/

I just got one and it works great.

The NEX has compatability issues with some games. Just be warned ahead of time.

Substance6

TubularLuggage wrote:

They used to have them at the local Microplay (SNESs) for $25, as well as used N64s for the same price. I got an N64 to mod it at the time so I could play lag-less Perfect Dark.
I went back a few days later for an SNES, and they were gone. I miss that store.

Lagless Perfect Dark? Modded N64? Does not compute. How?

Also, is 40-50 dollars (can) a good price for a used Dreamcast, two controllers and one VMU? I think I might get one, to play Shenmue and some others, but I don't know if I could find it cheaper somewhere else.

Daedalus

Substance6 wrote:

TubularLuggage wrote:

They used to have them at the local Microplay (SNESs) for $25, as well as used N64s for the same price. I got an N64 to mod it at the time so I could play lag-less Perfect Dark.
I went back a few days later for an SNES, and they were gone. I miss that store.

Lagless Perfect Dark? Modded N64? Does not compute. How?

Also, is 40-50 dollars (can) a good price for a used Dreamcast, two controllers and one VMU? I think I might get one, to play Shenmue and some others, but I don't know if I could find it cheaper somewhere else.

Sounds good to me.

zero_bit

There's an awesome used game store here in Austin called Game Over; my wife gave me a gift card and I spent an hour just looking at all the stuff and talking to the employees.

Within this hour at least 5 people came in and at least 20 people came in asking for "anything Mario". The game store is completely sold out of anything with "Mario" in the title. That is nuts.

EggyToast

Crap, you guys are making me want to clear out my old games and systems.




I could make a lot of money!

Daedalus

EggyToast wrote:

Crap, you guys are making me want to clear out my old games and systems.




I could make a lot of money!

You'd regret it for the rest of your life. I had a huge genesis collection that I just got rid of when I got my Dreamcast. I still wish I hadn't.

Lach

The Warlock wrote:

EggyToast wrote:

Crap, you guys are making me want to clear out my old games and systems.




I could make a lot of money!

You'd regret it for the rest of your life. I had a huge genesis collection that I just got rid of when I got my Dreamcast. I still wish I hadn't.

Yeah, don't do it. Or else you'll be creating a thread called "Buying old game systems"...

EggyToast

The Warlock wrote:

EggyToast wrote:

Crap, you guys are making me want to clear out my old games and systems.




I could make a lot of money!

You'd regret it for the rest of your life. I had a huge genesis collection that I just got rid of when I got my Dreamcast. I still wish I hadn't.

Nah, I'm not that sort of gamer. I own Secret of Mana, booted it up a year ago. Still enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as I remember. Same with ChronoTrigger. Lots of these older games, especially ones that I played to death when I was younger, feel less like I'm actually *playing* a game, and more like I'm just going through the motions. It's like playing chess with the same person for years -- after a while, it's just the same thing over and over again.

Still, it's a pretty good assortment of games still. Mario Kart, Super Metroid, DKC, TMNT, some others. And some real duds too, like Clayfighter and Faceball.

I got a dreamcast with all the good non-shmup games too; I don't think I'd miss it that much. Playing dual-thumbstick games really makes you like it over older controllers

RainbowDespair

Whether or not you regret selling a game generally is based on your motive in selling it in the first place based on my experience. If you're selling it because you need or want the money then yeah, you might regret it later. However, if you're selling it because you're trying to declutter and you really don't think you're ever going to want to spend the many hours replaying that old RPG that you beat 5 times in your childhood, then you probably won't regret it.

Yeah, I loved Chrono Trigger as a kid. Yeah, I played through it many times. Do I regret selling it? Nah. Between all the new games that come out and increased adult responsibilities like a job and family, I really don't think I want to spend the 20+ hours I would need to play through the game. Best to just have fond memories rather than replay it and see that it isn't as fun as it once was.

Plus if you really regret it later on, chances are you'll be able to find a copy for cheap, on the VC (or similar download service), or in an anthology.

FatmanGames

Regarding setup - I have a separate "game room" which contains all of my classic systems, with my high-def systems upstairs.

My game room also contains darts, air hockey, an arcade unit, and fooseball.

So, my game room is all about "tha partay." I find that separation is good. Having classic games is a celebration of times gone by, and nothing captures that like playing together.

Just a thought.

Other thoughts:

1. eBay is good, collector sites are better. (my site, Atari Age, Digital Press, etc). Better quality.

2. I think by the time the SNES version 2 came out (it's a bit more rare), they had the "yellowing" problem solved. Frankly, I've never minded.

3. Eh, it's a decent price.

Finally -

Try hooking your classic systems to your HDTV. You might be surprised by the quality / size. I have heard of "timing issues" with rear-projection, but I haven't noticed too much. If you have LCD or CRT HDTV, you're probably fine.

Marlor

The Warlock wrote:

The NEX has compatability issues with some games. Just be warned ahead of time.

Agreed.

Buying a NES and replacing the cartridge connectors is a cheaper and more reliable option.

tony_important

someone just gave me their old genesis!

Revenge of Shinobi here I come