Anybody here got a good grasp of prices for vintage game stuff? I'm interested in what would be considered a typical price for buying an NES or Super-Nintendo.
NES (toaster) = Maybe $30 tops if it has a new connector, 2 controllers, maybe a game or two.
NES (top loader) = easily over $100. Although the market may have dropped out on them since the widespread release of famiclones.
Neo Fami (brand new) = $30. Has some compatibilitiy issues, but will play most NES games without too much trouble.
SNES (original model) = $40 seems about fair for a complete console.
Because of your post, I just discovered THIS (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120053242359&category=62054) which you may be interested in. I predict these will be quite widespread over the coming year. Sorry, I don't know anything about them, but I imagine they're SNES clones with a famiclone chip included as the original SNES design was supposed to feature.
I wish we'd had those back in my early college days. We used every technique known to man to get our carts working in aged, decrepit NESes.
Holy crap! That dual NES/SNES thingy would be flat-out perfect for me!
Quote from: jrientsHoly crap! That dual NES/SNES thingy would be flat-out perfect for me!
Like I said, I don't know anything about it. I just learned of its existence today. I have no idea as to the compatibility it would have with SNES games. I'd bet cash it uses the same Famiclone on a chip that the Neo Fami does, and therefore has the same problems with some games as that unit does. Hopefully it would be able to use regular SNES controllers, but there's no way of telling.
Hey, I just thought I'd share what I've learned about this system here.
From reports so far the NES compatibility is exactly the same as the NES on a chip machines which have been popping up for the last few years. Most of these problems are well documented, so hunt around on the internet for compatibility lists. The only one I know offhand that won't work is Castlevania III.
The main issue with SNES games will be the lack of a lockout chip on what is suspected to be a reverse engineered SNES2 board. Not many games require this, but a few do. Mario RPG is one that comes up as requiring a lockout chip to work properly.
The unit accepts normal SNES controllers. The bad news is that original SNES controllers won't work when playing in NES mode. You'll have to use the packed in controllers for that.
Sound may not be right. Apparrently SNES sound was a tough thing to emulate, and if this SNES on a chip doesn't do it exactly right, then some games are going to sound horrible.
IIRC the SNES and its carts had pretty funky chipsets that were all about musicking.
Makes sense that it would be a bitch kitty to emulate. (If I can dig up an ancient issue of Gamefan, I might be able to remember the name of those chips.)
jrients, have you considered getting a Wii? Its Virtual Console allows you to play games from several old consoles: NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Genesis, Turbo Grafx, Neo Geo, etc...
Quote from: JongWKjrients, have you considered getting a Wii? Its Virtual Console allows you to play games from several old consoles: NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Genesis, Turbo Grafx, Neo Geo, etc...
Of course, that's $250 for the console. If he doesn't have a GameCube, $20 more for the controller. NES games are $5 per download. SNES games are $8 a download. Downloads are also tied to the console. And the game selection is pathetic.
If you're interested in the kind of gaming experience Wii offers, and occasional retrogaming as a side order, it might fit the bill. If your looking for mainly retrogaming and a large variety of games, I really think the original hardware (or reasonable facsimile) would be a better option.
For $300, I'm fairly certain you could get a real refurbished NES and SNES and quite a library. In comparison to a Wii, one controller, and maybe 4 downloads.
The Wii's selection isn't great now, but they're adding games as fast as the ESRB will let them. So far the average is at least three games a week, and I suspect that rate will climb.
You could, if you were inclined, get emulators and play them on a pc.
Quote from: JongWKjrients, have you considered getting a Wii? Its Virtual Console allows you to play games from several old consoles: NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Genesis, Turbo Grafx, Neo Geo, etc...
Yeah, the more I hear about it the more I like the Wii. But I'm always a bit skittish about getting the new top-of-the-line consoles. I wouldn't even own an X-box right now except that my wife won one.
Quote from: ZalmoxisYou could, if you were inclined, get emulators and play them on a pc.
That reminds me, I really need to order a Super SmartJoy SNES to USB Adapter...
http://www.dreamstation.cc/reviews/computer/super_smartjoy/index.shtml
Quote from: GabrielSNES (original model) = $40 seems about fair for a complete console.
Was that an actual price you saw or just an estimate? I've got two (always have a spare), one my original (them consoles lasted), and the other I paid like $5 for at a junk store.
Quote from: lordhellionWas that an actual price you saw or just an estimate? I've got two (always have a spare), one my original (them consoles lasted), and the other I paid like $5 for at a junk store.
It was an actual price I saw a while back on ebay.
Thrift stores are iffy. Some have much cheaper prices and don't know what they have. There are tales of people buying "broken TV sets" for 25 cents, and taking their minty Vectrex video game system (not a broken TV at all) back home. Others THINK they know what they have due to antiques roadshow or ebay and charge $300 or other insane amounts for a broken toaster model NES without any cords.
Quote from: GabrielOthers THINK they know what they have due to antiques roadshow or ebay and charge $300 or other insane amounts for a broken toaster model NES without any cords.
Yep. I see a lot of that. They have a weekly fela market here, thgough, too -- and those folks have crazy good prices on old consoles (no collectible prices). Naturally, it's closed for the blizzard season, but come Spring I'm going to hit that sucker and load up on Atari 2400 carts ($1-$2 each).