Let’s talk about history for a little bit, okay? When you’re “in the moment” of certain things getting released, you see them for what they “are in that moment.” As in, “This is something great and I’m going to enjoy it right now.” Then, as time goes on and other things start to come out, you look at those things you enjoyed before in a different light. You see them as a testament to what came before, while also seeing how things have progressed to now. In gaming, there are many who want to get the “latest and greatest” titles, but then, there are also those who want nothing more than to get the great games of the past and either relive them, sell them, or keep them. The question many of you have is…why? Why do people do that?
#1 – The Memories Are Powerful
We’ll start this topic in a different way than you might think. Specifically, we’ll talk about how there have been a TON of remasters and remakes in the gaming industry recently. Have you wondered why that was? The easy answer, and sometimes the right answer, is that gaming developers and publishers aren’t above making a “quick buck” by remaking/remastering something that they KNOW people will buy. Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and if you do a remake properly, you’re not only getting the people who love the game with all they’ve got, but you also get those who couldn’t get the game when it first came out, and thus can see “what all the hype is about.”
The other side to this particular coin, though, is that there are those who don’t mind the “newer versions,” many want nothing more than to enjoy the classic versions so that they can relive what it was like in the “olden days of gaming.”
One of the ironies there is that there have been plenty of releases over the years that have collected those retro/classic games and allowed players to enjoy them in their original form on new systems. Mega Man is a perfect example of this, as his franchise has had multiple “Legacy Collections” come out, so you can see what it was like playing the truly retro titles from NES and SNES, while also playing the titles that came out on certain Nintendo handhelds.
You might also remember that Nintendo had their NES and SNES Classic Edition systems, which were limited-time buys that featured the best games from those systems all in one convenient place for you to play them, no cartridges needed.
They sold out so fast that even Nintendo was blown away by this, and it’s arguably the biggest mistake they’ve made in a while that they didn’t keep selling them or do one for the N64.
The point here is that when it comes to memories, they give us more than just nostalgia; they remind us of simpler times and the games that helped make those times special. However, there are those who don’t collect games for the “purist” reasons out there…
#2 – Retro Game Collecting Can Make You Money
Yeah…you all had to know that greed would come into play eventually, didn’t you? Here’s the thing: gaming is an expensive hobby. It’s been that way since things truly went popular in the late 70s and 80s, and that’s partly what led to the crash of 83. Even when things came back, you had to be selective of what you bought so that you didn’t go broke. Money doesn’t grow on trees and all that.
However, much like with all sorts of other industries where older items have value, there are those who collect retro games solely because there are certain titles that can sell for a lot of money if you either have them or have them in great condition.
When doing research for this piece, we did a simple search for SNES cartridges, and we were shown some store tabs that featured games of all types and prices, one of which was over $100! And it wasn’t even a truly well-known game!
That’s the nature of the beast when it comes to things like this. Because people didn’t understand how big the gaming industry would be in the NES/SNES/Sega Genesis days and so on, they didn’t hold on to the games that could’ve been worth a lot of money down the line. Not unlike how various comic readers didn’t know at the time that certain issues and arcs would be legendary and worth a pretty penny if collected, protected, and signed by those who made them.
For gamers, it’s often about getting the rarest of the rare title-wise. We’re talking about the games that didn’t necessarily sell the best, but had a unique impact on the industry, and thus, can be sold for a high price because there’s legitimately so few copies left.
Petty? Maybe. Greedy? In a certain way, yes. However, it’s a standard business model across many fields of fandom, and it’s not illegal, so that’s what truly matters.
#3 – Honoring The Past While Acknowledging The Future
Here’s the thing. Retro game collecting takes on many forms, and there are many who likely collect a certain series/franchise that they love for the simple reason that it resonates with them in one form or another. To that end, they might go and play the games that they’ve collected, if they’re able to, and enjoy the past that they get to relive.
Another way of looking at it, though, is they get to view how things have progressed, and whether the games of today hold up to the games of yesterday. That might be an “odd take” to have, but when you look at the gaming industry as a whole, just because there’s a long-running franchise going on still…doesn’t mean that it’s exactly worth your time with every new entry.
Sadly, there are huge dips in quality for certain franchises that make many wonder how they strayed so far from the path that helped get them to where they are now. It’s truly a sad thing to see, and yet, it keeps happening.
Thus, being able to play the games of the past can be a godsend for those who want quality titles that they know will make them FEEL something. And gaming is all about making players FEEL enjoyment or fun, even when things around them aren’t the best.
The flip side that we’ve also seen from certain companies is the expansion and true growth of certain series that takes them to new heights and makes players wonder what will happen next. Baldur’s Gate 3, Breath of the Wild, Donkey Kong Bananza, and more fit that mold and then some. Sometimes you’ll want to play those old games and then the new ones to witness just how far gaming has come over the years.
No matter what, there’s no “wrong reason” to collect retro titles. Do it because you want to, or because you feel you can get a few extra bucks for selling them. It’s all up to you.
