Best Consoles to Collect For (That Are Still Affordable) - Retro Bird

At one point or another, most game consoles have been relatively affordable. However, this changes as time passes and the supply/demand chain gets further strained. The result? Games getting more expensive. In this video, I go over some of the consoles that are still affordable and consoles that I'd recommend collecting for.
Best Consoles to Collect For (That Are Still Affordable) - Retro Bird
If you'd like to gain access to my retro blog or just support the channel - you can find my Patreon here: / retrobird
New videos uploaded every Friday! Be sure to ring the bell if you subscribe!
Follow me on Twitter here: / retrobirdgaming
or on Instagram here: / retrobirdmatt
#retrobird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Here are the videos covering the "Best Switch Games for Retro Gamers" that I mentioned in the video: Part 1 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iofUp5iKn7qppac / Part 2 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2aUZJ-Me9JsgLc

[@Gruntvc]

I think the original Xbox had the best controller for FPS games. But GameCube did get a bunch of FPS games. Turok Evolution plays best on GC. Go figure.

[@karimcheese7257]

The cheapest consoles to collect for currently are previous generation consoles (particularly Xbox One and PS4 games). To be honest Microsoft consoles have always been affordable even going back to the OG Xbox and 360 (as you've already stated). I imagine 10-15 years from now that will change. Most of us never thought GameCube and certain PS2 games would be so valuable today

[@supermonk3y07]

Actually you took those words out of my mouth except for PS2 a lot of games for PS2 are still quite affordable as are PS2 consoles. I think because they produced so many of them and the demand isn't so high or its rather low compared to what it used to be. It's only some rare or uncommon PS2 games that are expensive

[@karimcheese7257]

@@supermonk3y07 I was referring to only specific PS2 games, especially the survival horror titles which were usually never popular at the time, but now people are snatching them up left and right because the genre has seen a resurgence

[@supermonk3y07]

@karimcheese7257 ah makes sense like the silent hill games on PS2. Even some which were even on Xbox are expensive on PS2 and even on Xbox like Silent Hill 2 and 4. Also Silent Hill Shattered Memories and Silent Hill Origins even though they were on the PSP and Wii. I just was surprised how expensive they are. And I remember they were on clearance like around 2008 or 2010 at Toys R US and Walmart for even 8 dollars or even 4 at one point. Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Weird how the PS2 versions of games are more expensive even though there's superior versions like the Wii or Xbox versions available or Arcade in the case with Marvel vs Capcom 2.

[@stephenthomas1492]

@@karimcheese7257 - We've had different experiences. Survival horror was HUGE for me and my friends back in the PS2 days.

[@SteveBrandon]

I have a PS4 but I've never bought a PS4 game used and I'm someone who loves buying old games from thrift stores. What stops me from buying PS4 games used is that the PS4 was already in the era when a used copy of a game might not be playable right off the disk (and the servers hosting the files that'll make the game playable might already be offline) and I'm always afraid to roll the dice on a thrift store PS4 game, not wanting to just own a shiny disk that's no longer has any use besides being a beer coaster.

[@KingC89]

Crazy how expensive these old consoles and games are now. They used to be so cheap once the newer consoles came out. I remember buying a NES for $5 shortly after the N64 came out and I bought my N64 for $20 just shortly after the GameCube came out. etc. I rarely paid more than $10 for used games on those consoles back then.

[@רןטרודלר]

Xbox 360 is pretty cheap

[@craigdavidson5613]

Well, I happen to find consoles cheaply. I once found an original Sega Mega Drive console, at a local Charity shop for $5AU. Then I found at the same charity shop a few weeks later, an Atari Lynx Model II, also for $5AU. Given their cost online nowadays, I consider myself lucky! 😅

[@charliehustle2591]

I’ve been collecting a lot for the original Xbox and PS2 lately. Tons of great games and still affordable for now.

[@HollowRick]

Same tbh especially ps2

[@tom13king]

I’ve been on a PS2 and Wii spree lately.

[@Vara91391]

Why you all collecting these ugly ass plastic CD-cases? A Big Box I can understand, but in a world full of free .rom files, you need plastic CD cases? Just print out the cover in high-quality, buy cheap plastic CD-case for under 1$ each and use a rom. Fun to play PS2 games in 4K these days.

[@HollowRick]

​​@@Vara91391i have a pc capable of running every retro console out there including modern systems such as the Nintendo Switch But it doesn't feel the same... I have all my retro consoles hooked up to a CRT TV playing the system on the pc at 4K can't replicate that experience plus a lot times they look worse than you remember due to the textures not being made for that resolution Edit: also I collect games because I enjoy physical media

[@TwoGendersOnly]

I got shadow of the Colossus two days ago in basically new condition for like 15 bucks. It's weird how one of the best games on the console is dirt cheap. Got soul reaver 2 for 15 also. FFX-2 for 8 bucks. FF12 for 10. PS2 games will not be cheap in the next few years. Us buying them up for these prices now will inflate the price lol

[@NoMereRanger73]

Remember, buying one $40 game you love is smarter than eight $5 games you don’t care about.

[@tonyp9313]

True. Especially when 8 physical games take up more shelf space.

[@HippieMumboJumbo]

How about eight $5 games you love vs one $40 game with good graphics and frame rate?

[@tonyp9313]

@@HippieMumboJumbo The 8 games that you love for $5 each. 1 thing is for certain, gaming & how you do it is a lot better now than 80's & 90's.

[@sabin97]

or you can just get ALL the games, for zero.

[@Wil_Dsense]

Obviously

[@bmwolgas]

There's one game cart that elevates the Sega Genesis on this list and that is the 6-Pak cartridge that goes for like $14 loose. It includes Sonic, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Revenge of Shinobi, Columns, and Super Hang On. AT barely over $2 a game on an official release, that's a great deal.

[@ksciaa0103]

I had the 6 Pak myself back in the day, and it was my 2nd most played cart, right behind Vectorman. Such a banger for both fun and value.

[@nickparsons337]

I definitely agree about collecting for the original Xbox. So many exclusive great games. Two Sega produced games come to mind (which I thankfully own) Otogi: Myth of Demons; and Panzer Dragoon Oorta; which to this day, is still stunning from a graphical standpoint. It's just beautiful.

[@DrazenX195]

Orta is wonderful. Being able to play it on Series X in 4k60 is wild.

[@nickparsons337]

@@DrazenX195 Oh man; I can only imagine. I

[@moonstone9292]

Does the series x play the original discs or do you need to pay for digital versions?

[@DrazenX195]

@@moonstone9292 you can use the disc but it does have to download it. It essentially just uses the original discs as a license key to download the emulated version of the game.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

You pop in the original game discs and it downloads a digital copy of the game for you that has all the enhancements.

[@benaiahburns4046]

I bought all of my Genesis games except for the last 176 for 5 cents to 2 dollars. For the last 176, it wasn't like I spent a ton with most being around $3.50 or so. I only spent a descent amount for a few... Crusader of Centy $136, MUSHA $150, and everything else was far below $100, with about 20+ being around $50 or less, and the rest landing around that $3.50 to $5 or even $7 mark. I would up paying $2,499 for the entire Genesis library and I haven't regretted it since. Moreover, I now have 44 complete console libraries. The Genesis happened to be the 6th library and at the time, the largest library I had ever completed.

[@tomlion0116]

In my country (Hungary) PSP games and consoles are nowadays dirt cheap. Great system to collect for.

[@olesideburns]

Wii u has been great to collect for. If you missed it like most people it was actually a great system and the games go for cheap now.

[@tonyp9313]

Yeah played Wii U. Now it's obsolete because of the Switch.

[@PoutingTrevor]

Prices are creeping up, and there are some expensive titles, like Game and Wario for instance; but because the console didn't sell well and it's only a last gen system, you can still find brand new copies of games from online retailers, either at MSRP or less.

[@ArcadeRave]

problem is I don't really know what to get for it now that most of the library is ported to Switch. I mostly bought a Wii U last year for the two Zelda remasters.

[@Gruntvc]

Not all are, Devil's Third has become too expensive especially as you can no longer buy it digital and it had a low physical print in the US. I'm hoping Nintendo ports Xenoblade X to the Switch. Only one not available on there now.

[@dapperfan44]

​@@tonyp9313No it isn't, you actually _own_ the VC games on it unlike on Switch.

[@ArcadeRave]

NES is surprisingly affordable, even the more sought after stuff like JRPGs Sega Systems with the exception of the Genesis require taking out a loan or winning the lottery

[@TEBLify]

I usually recommend the Sega Master System from the 8bit era. It has quite a selection and apart from a select few games, most loose carts are affordable. For the later systems, a PS2 will give you tons of enjoyment - especially as boxes of the stuff can still be found here and there.

[@tonyp9313]

Well for the Sega Master system you can just buy the power base converter that goes with the Genesis 1 model. It'll play all the Sega Master system games. Yeah the top tier Sega Master games are excellent. I recommend the Wonder Boy 1-3 series on that console.

[@rockguitarist931]

@@tonyp9313 ah yes, the Sega power base converter, one of the few add-ons they produced that actually was worth buying

[@sabin97]

i think i have all the sms games, but not certain.... i never finished miracle warriors, lord of the sword or zillion

[@prefeitobear9209]

Bananas 🍌 are cheap.

[@Ichabod_Jericho]

Not after I contact the president and make him make it illegal for anyone but me to sell bananas. Then I decide when banana is cheap or not 🫤

[@DP12321]

​@@Ichabod_JerichoBegun the Banana Wars have. 🍌

[@thesultrystrangerdanger6824]

Oh you just reminded me I've got some bananas I got to go collect from the yard thank you good sir you've done a gift 😁

[@thesultrystrangerdanger6824]

@@Ichabod_Jerichomighty or regular?

[@TechHouseVids]

Oh i emulate my bananas

[@aaronhumble4772]

1:03 - 1:10... truer words have never been spoken before!

[@davethewastelander8326]

In my grandma's house there's my father's NES, I hope to find it for now, I found the manuals of the games and the poster with the games on it, my father had games like super Mario 3, boulder dash, star wars and others, I seriously hope to find it

[@Marc_Araujo]

I've never cared for hand-held consoles but the few Game Boy games I own are played on my Super Game Boy, which is def my favorite console accessory of all-time...it's the optimal way (imo) to play Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Metroid II: Return of Samus, and the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. P.S. I have a "modded" Super Game Boy, by which I mean I put a Super Game Boy 2 pcb board inside of an original Super Game Boy shell...optimized!!

[@Mike-B-Jackson]

Can confirm that NES peaked probably around 2021 - prices stopped going up and even started dropping. The SNES has continued to go up so I'm confidant it's not the general retro market but instead the "nostalgia gap." The roughly 25 year rolling gap between when a console was new, to when it’s owners are old enough to start wanting to reclaim that childhood AND have the disposable income to afford it. This seems to happen when people hit their mid 30’s, meaning consoles that were popular roughly 25 years behind the current date are in demand. That puts us at about 1997 right now. That having been said, I really do wonder if CD based consoles will ever average as high as cartridge based consoles; CD's were incredibly easy to produce, printed in droves, and often cost half as much as of carts, all leading to (what I'm sure was) many times more sales and a fully saturated market. Tl;dr: they’re much less rare. Not only that, it's much easier to play pirated games on original hardware - a simple Free McBoot and a burned CD, with no need for expensive Everdrives. Even now that the nostalgia gap is hovering right over the PS1, prices remain incredibly low (barring of course the few high-demand gems and obscurities like Tron Bonne). And honestly, there's something about CD's that just don't FEEL the same as carts; I'm okay with paying $80 for a beloved Zelda cart, but I'd never pay that for a cd. They just seem..uninteresting. Not even sure why lol. Actually, I could see that being a good idea for a video - what are YOU thoughts about the value of CD games vs Carts?

[@danielespeziari5545]

I only buy cartridges, I love them as objects (their different shapes, touching and holding them) and they are more solid and durable. CDs are just boring to me, and it's a format that isn't even exclusive to videogames (whereas cartridges are true videogames for me). So I only collect games from the 80s and 90s, from the Atari 2600 to the N64.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

A part of me thinks that the Super Nintendo will just always be a more well-liked console than the NES too. Obviously not everyone agrees with that, but I've consistently seen an overall preference for the Super Nintendo.

[@shaggymcdaniel3216]

I’ve definitely gone on the “cartridge only” route for my Game Gear and Neo Geo Pocket Color games. Something about being portable makes me want to keep a portable profile. Who totes around boxes for portable gaming cartridges?

[@stweedy]

That smile... 🤣 great vid, keep it up Mr Bird!

[@Slystral]

I collected for the GBA recently, outside of a few particular titles it was pretty much $12 a cartridge. Almost all of the 50ish titles i bought were under $50, aside from Final Fantasy 6 (which i got from a friend for free but totally would of been like $80 or more) and Ice Nine. Waiting and finding a ebay listing for the UK versions of rare US GBA games really pays off.

[@cor4ormer834]

I've been collecting for PS3 recently. Many great games like Skyrim and MGS 4 for under $10.

[@mausmalone]

One system I'd recommend as inexpensive SORT OF is the Japanese PC Engine. It's interesting and you can find a bunch of stuff that you've never tried before and it also kind of works as a conversation piece. But the catch to this is international shipping. My entire PC Engine collection cost me something like $300 for a working system and like 40 games. But about $100 of that was currency exchange and shipping. If you can bundle purchases together it saves a lot of money.

[@ThatGuy-vo9os]

Great video as always! You listed a great selection of consoles but the one I will always recommend is the PS2. There are just so many different quality games for the system. While some genres are certainly more represented than others, it’s almost impossible to not find something you’ll enjoy. Most of the best games are also pretty cheap. Sure, there are exceptions (for example, many of the best horror games can get pretty pricey), but most of the best games will run maybe $30 max. This makes it a great console to collect for, especially for beginners who are just dipping their toes into retro games.

[@scrilla4047]

Perfect vid for me! Love your channel but don't have a collection yet myself(mostly due to finances). I wish all the best for the creators of emulators

[@tonyp9313]

Yeah, expenses get in the way

[@Zahir658]

This is really a great info for someone wanting to buy some retro games at a decent price. Thank you very much 👍

[@shanepedersen883]

I only just stumbled upon this channel recently. With most collector channels, I only watch the videos pertaing to consoles that i collect for. With this channel, ive been watching them all because this bloke is hillarious and entertaining.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad to hear it my friend!

[@megamob5834]

Finally got myself a CIB copy of Rocket Knight Adventures. Payed a little more than I would have liked, but don’t regret it for a second 😉 incredible game

[@Nightowl1981]

Generally, the PS2 and Wii have some great games for cheap. The mass produced games are always easy to purchase.

[@nealdavis7276]

I’m okay with just cartridges for my other consoles, but I want my Genesis games to be CIB.

[@TwoEyesOpen]

I never realized how bad aiming was on the GameCube version of Timesplitters 2 until I revisited it recently. Oh man.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

To be fair, TimeSplitters 2 has sort of a weird control scheme compared to "TimeSplitters: Future Perfect" that followed it. But yeah, I went directly from the GameCube version to the Xbox version and it was much better on Xbox to me.

[@rotallyPumpered]

This varies a lot by region. Xbox games are frequently relatively expensive in Europe, where it had a smaller market, but outside of a few big franchise representatives and rare titles, PS2 games are typically very affordable. I'm sometimes surprised to see modest prices for N64 games here, after seeing them featured on US KZbin channels. If you like regionless systems like the Game Boy and DS, it might be worth looking at import copies before buying something.

[@pauljacob99]

Don’t sleep on Japanese versions. Especially for consoles like SNES and Dreamcast. Translation patches can be used on SNES with Analogue or other systems and some very expensive US games can be bought at a fraction of the price.

[@DadDude]

I used to have Kid Dracula for Game Boy. It was one of my favorites. I can't believe how expensive it is now. 😭

[@Xero36]

Lately I've been playing ps3 rail shooters more than usual. Been collecting them more over the last while and I'm having fun with them. Love the show!

[@HaloTropical]

ok but the real question is what do I name my lots of kids.

[@3dmarth]

Zelda, Luigi, Kratos, Ash, Blaze, Lara, and Geralt. And Matt, of course. (Or Bird.)

[@cd5sircoupe]

My buddy recently got really into the Gameboy. He's got a Play It Loud DMG that he put an IPS screen into and has been buying quite a few games over the past couple months. Took after what I did to one of my Glacier GBA tacos with an IPS, LiPo battery, glass screen, buttons, stickers, etc. I'm tempted to do it again on a GB Pocket, not decided on whether it's my original childhood Blue one or the Arctic Blue (?) one that I got a little while ago. Though to be honest I'd probably trick out my og DMG first, since it's in pretty rough shape. Definitely agree with the original Xbox, that platform's a steal for 6th gen stuff. I been telling people this for awhile, usually they don't listen. At this point I think my xbox library is almost as robust as my ps2 library. And tbh I was kinda surprised I didn't see PS3 (or XB360) on the list, they're both insane value for the games right now. Give it another 5 years and I suspect it'll be a different climate for those platforms.

[@koalakoa]

A great console to collect for I think is the Neo Geo.....pocket color. Great little console and highly underrated.

[@brendanroberts1310]

I don't know about that,some of the titles are really expensive.

[@marccaselle8108]

Love your facial expressions retrobird. 🙂

[@joeyfarris2543]

Floppy eared dogs on the Gameboy, now I'd buy that👍👍

[@MoshTheHomosapien]

One console that i think doesn't get enough credit for being pretty cheap is the game gear. Most titles will run you around 20-50 dollars witch is suprising considering it didnt sell all to that well.

[@thingnumbertwo2]

I'll sort of hesitantly second this. The Game Gear is mostly cheap to collect for, and many of the games are surprisingly good, but the best games do tend to be a bit pricey (like any other system to be fair). The Game Gear also tends to have issues with the capacitors failing, so you have to be financially prepared for that as well.

[@erneststackhouse1133]

Just the other day my son wanted me to get him an original XBox for Christmas. Now after watching this video looks like its in my price range! If your my son reading this...act surprised on Christmas! I was late in the game for the Switch, but I did notice how many retro games they release, so I had to buy me a Switch Lite. My biggest collection is by far my Game Boy hands down I have the most games for that console! It's my hidden jem at home as the green screen scares off modern gamers! Here's a cool catch phrase for ya..."I'm Bananas for Retro Games!"

[@MySplatterhouse]

The Switch's library is almost as large and varied as the PS2's and im here for it!!! 👍🏿👍🏿

[@ChampionOfSkyrim]

If we bring imports into it, that boosts the Switch substantially. A lot of limited run games or digital only have wide releases in Japan that automatically play in English (Atlus excepting). Imports actually make the Saturn pretty affordable. You can often find a bundle with the console, a bangin' roster of games and the controllers needed for $150 or less and a lot of arcade perfect ports can be found for $20 or less - even games that never came out here. I should do a list of Saturn games that you can get from Japan and don't need to know Japanese to play...

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I like how you think. Importing games really is the answer to so many collecting conundrums.

[@ChampionOfSkyrim]

@@RetroBirdGaming All told, after Shipping, I've probably only spent around $300-350 on a saturn, two fight sticks, an extra saturn pad, a light gun, and 44 games

[@jacobbaranowski]

Yeah some times when you are lucky enough to catch the sail, got several for $0.03 before On the E-shop side.

[@Chris-techgamesfood]

Great video! For me, I’ve found the Megadrive isn’t too expensive and most Saturn games aren’t bad either. 32x can be really expensive and N64 is hit and miss based on box condition etc. PSone are insanely cheap, as is PS3 and PS3, even PS4. Personally I really like collecting Megadrive, Saturn, a few Sega CD and some N64x

[@coolnath99]

personally i think it’s a great time to collect for wii, although the best affordability was probably a few years ago. You can still get great games and hardware really cheaply. It is easy to find games complete with case and manual. Probably because the cases are much more durable than the cardboard boxes that older games came in and most people would have just kept the game and manual in the case when they weren’t playing it. I expect that it will go up in value soon. Just look at how much more expensive Gamecube games are now. I expect that Wii will go up a lot in value in a few years. The downside is that it doesn’t have the same online functionality that it used to due to the servers being shut down. In terms of Gameboy, I found that one exception to affordability is if you want to collect Pokemon games and accessories. They are so expensive these days. In my country you rarely see pokemon games for less than about $100 just for the cartridge. Sometimes the CIB are listed for about $300.

[@MattKimura]

I think collecting for the gameboy is a win just because I love the cartridges so much. It brings back so much nostalgia.

[@milp00l]

Glad to see you mention Battletoads in Ragnarok’s World 👍 it was one of like five games I had on the Game Boy growing up. Still have it to this day; never beat the turbo tunnel and never will, but the first couple levels before you get to the tunnel are honestly super fun lol

[@minusp895]

Just picked up a PS2, Valkyrie Profile 2, and a memory card for like $120 total (shipped). Not bad imo for a pretty rare game and a console. Also, so many games are less than $10 now.

[@blackcelneet]

how do you like it so far?

[@danielgerry6374]

I am one of the weirdos who love the duke controllers… I have large hands, so big controllers like the duke and Dreamcast are really comfortable for me

[@wettuga2762]

My "one everdrive cartridge to rule them all" mentality allowed me to buy and play consoles/games I had never played before, while skipping the game hunt all together. Some prefer emulators + roms, others prefer original consoles + games, I comfortably sit in the middle with original consoles + roms, it's the closest to the original experience without spending too much money.

[@brisingr14]

Pretty cool picks, retrobird.

[@COIFISHGAMING]

I died not drinking water. Watched this video and came back to life. Thanks Retro Bird! Also I saw Ninja Gaiden Black did you beat it on Master Ninja yet?

[@sonic4482]

I have been collecting for the original xbox since about a year ago, and it has been such a surreal feeling collecting all the games I use to see for rent as a kid. The prices now are MUCH cheaper than how they were during release, so I would be stuck browsing the early internet with envy or watching X-Play reviews of all the games I wanted to play.

[@Xyspade]

As much as I like floppy ear dogs, I think CD ear dogs are where it's at.

[@RetrofIex]

I love this channel

[@Ty-douken]

Very happy my Gameboy boxes (games included) are near mint & I've even got 2 megaman games. Also I've gotta say the only issue with the xbox controller is not having shoulder buttons, that's where the 360 beats the original for me. Very fun grabbing games for xbox because you can just take a chance on so many things.

[@jaxxonvideogameresale]

Right now I'm collecting for ds and switch 😊

[@DaddyTai]

I've always said the slim Xbox OG Controller was the best! Glad to see someone else mention it!

[@PolybiusArcadia]

ive been watching retro bird one video after the other. keep it up!

[@MaryTownsendRyokansDomain]

I've been building up my PS2, Switch and my PS1 games at good prices because I'm a bargain hunter. Old school Xbox and my Series X I don't have to get to many because I have the game I wanted

[@ShooterMcgavin6]

I found this after finding my old cdx and game gear in my parents house. Now I’m looking to find out what will increase over time that I can grab now

[@mattb6522]

That's a very solid list! I'm not as familiar with collecting retro games anymore, but I was surprised to not see the SNES on the list. Are SNES games just more inherently expensive than the NES or Genesis? I figure the demand for SNES games has always been pretty high, but I would have thought games like Super Mario World or Super Mario All-Stars can be found at a reasonable price (cartridge only)? The Switch is actually a retro gamers' dream! Not only are the modern games fun, but it has a ton of retro games available! You can play the NSO games, there have been wonderful remasters and collections of many classic games, and there are a metric ton of good indie games that perfectly capture that retro feel!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, unfortunately a lot of the games people would want to have for Super Nintendo are kinda pricey .

[@mattb6522]

@@RetroBirdGaming That's a bummer, but completely understandable. A lot of classics seem to never lose demand or value. The SNES was just super popular.

[@bohdaniatsenko8428]

Great video! May I ask what was that drifting racing game you were playing on xbox?

[@ShinSynZero]

Great vid, and I wouldn't take anything off of that list. I think having the OG Xbox is really cool, I think it's a console a lot of people still sleep on. I would add the PS2 to your list, provided a person is just getting into classic gaming. It has a large library to choose from w/a lot of reasonably priced games that are very solid, and it plays all of the original PS stuff as well...so it's a win-win.

[@yup8865]

So glad my first Gameboy game was Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. Man that game is awesome. Well actually it was Caesar's Palace.. came in the thing when I found it at a garage sale and begged my mom for it. Don't count that one though. I was just happy to have a cool portable system. Good times

[@tonyp9313]

I'll play Super Mario land 3. The 2nd one was terrible for the last level & boss. Hope they made this one easier.

[@user-pv9pv4xf9c]

I would say just try out the retro game options on the modern consoles on their streaming services and see what you like. And maybe get your hands on some of the mini consoles too. And if you end up really liking a certain console then maybe collect for that. But everyone is going to have different interests. There were a few Sega Saturn games on the Playstation streaming service, such as Knights into Dreams and Super Puzzle Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2. And I believe a few Dreamcast games. And if you like 16 bit games then buy the PC Engine mini console, it's totally worth it and much cheaper than the TurboGrafx Mini. Ys 1 and 2 is in English on the PC Engine mini, so no fears there.

[@MidnightGeek99]

Nice! In my country, PS2 seems to be the one to buy, a lot of consoles, a lot of games, and somewhat cheap...for now at least.

[@Riz2336]

I think a sega Saturn and an action replay cart flashed with pseudo Saturn is an awesome way to play an amazing library for cheap. It n the end though if you want to be a serious collector and buy legit games don’t go retro because you’ll be broke in no time

[@HesarealNoWhereMan]

Ex Mutants and Boogerman are all ya need for the Genesis.

[@astrozork321]

Alright, you've convinced me to get a Genesis, despite it's lack of banana-colored cartridges. A console I only played at friends houses and at a really cool daycare I went to as a kid.

[@jeremyo3823]

This guy reminds me of comedy legend Super Dave. Good vids.

[@BlankSpacePub]

The Wii is still very affordable and has lots of great games.

[@64-Bit-Gamer]

This comment. I bought all the great light gun games last month for next to nothing, plus a couple of decent zappers

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Sin and Punishment is one of my favorites!

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

You know who else is in love with the letter X? Elon Musk. Man, that dude must be a huge Xbox fan.

[@Nightowl1981]

Or for the PSX...

[@Nightowl1981]

I'm looking to buy a used NES for cheap now. Hoping that the seller can throw in Little Samson along with it.

[@Dinodan3]

I've recently started collecting more games for the OG Xbox and I am pleasantly surprised by the price tags on the games I want. That being said, it isn't as cheap as I would like, as I've found you can sink a lot of money into the hardware itself. I pulled out my old Xbox to play my newly acquired games only to find that the disk drive didn't work. Apparently, the lasers in the Xbox's disk drives are notorious for dying even after moderate usage. Based on the price listings I've seen, buying a new disk drive costs around $80. You might as well get a new console at that point, as those usually cost $100, but there's no telling how long the disk drive in the "new" console will hold up either. The only other option I have is to play the games on my 360, but OG games don't run perfectly on that thing and more than half of the games I want to play aren't supported. Playing OG Xbox games has become a bit of a problem for me, as I have a limited budget. Makes me thankful I don't collect for older consoles!

[@DP12321]

The clock capacitor is another major issue with the Xbox.

[@gravitywaves2796]

Wii U is cheap right now and there is some cool stuff on it that never came to switch. I think its a great one to collect for now with a real chance of the games going way up in value in the next 5-10 years. Its probably a better investment strategy than 3/4s of stocks.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Nintendo Land!

[@klocks2543]

Mr. RetroBird, do you ever buy your current generation games used? I feel like your retro games always appear in pretty great condition. Maybe minus Timmy’s cart. Was jc cus I keep holding out for that Luigi’s Mansion 3 sale again too lol

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Haha. I usually buy them brand new because of how poorly most people take care of their games. Like, what on earth are they doing with them?

[@realguitarthur]

The Sega Master System is definitely great to collect for...just picked up Wonder Boy III CIB for a pretty good price! Great video as always!! :)

[@Marc_Araujo]

Power Base Converter for the "W"!

[@tonyp9313]

Wonder Boy 3 is awesome. I beat that when I was a kid.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I did consider the Master System for this video! The Power Base Converter is definitely a really convenient way to get into it too.

[@sabin97]

i have an atari 2600, a nes, a snes, and a tandy extended basic color computer 2(yeah. i learned the name by heart). and some miscelaneous cartridges and controllers that sometimes dont even match any console. they are all collecting dust in a room.....in the hoarding room. i do my retro gaming in retroarch. the space saved and survivability of the roms and saves is awesome.

[@cultivatedgamer]

Another great Retro Bird video! Thanks for the great content. I can only hope my own channel grows into this someday. Have a great day Retro Bird!

[@MagiCarson08]

PS3/4 and Xbox 360/One are really cheap right now, I would recommend them as well.

[@tonyp9313]

We stay away from X-box. First one had problems reading the discs. It would always say can't read disc or it's dirty etc. When it was Super clean no scratches.

[@3dmarth]

That's a valid point. A lot of the early models failed within a decade. I even encountered a later one from a "good" manufacturer (Samsung, IIRC), and its drive had also failed somehow. Depending on your model, its days may be numbered. (Replacements should be fairly cheap, though.)

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Surprisingly, the original Xbox is the one console I've had the most issues with in my lifetime as well.

[@SteveBrandon]

My OG XBox has some trouble reading disks but that was somewhat to be expected because I bought it from a Value Village thrift store (a.k.a. Savers) in "as is" condition for around $10 Canadian back in 2011. (I had to spend another $25 Canadian on a controller and power cord.) However, it at least still plays games which is more than I can say for my second XBox 360, which died last year after around 12 years of service.

[@ShonenJump121]

I will always advocate for the original Xbox because it does not get enough attention compared to the PS2 or GameCube. Of course it was also a great Sega console in a way as well considering the many games that made their way to it after the Dreamcast's demise. Otogi, Craxy Taxi 3, Jet Set Radio Future, OutRun, Panzer Dragoon Orta and, House of the Dead III.

[@apexanomaly]

It's been a while since I checked but PS4 games tend to be fairly affordable too.

[@ben501st]

The OG Xbox is also modifiable to play ROMs straight off the hard drive. If there's an expensive or unfindable game, the Internet can fill in the gaps of your collection.

[@Shishkebarbarian]

I got into CIB Genesis collecting in the mid 2000s cause I couldn't afford CIB SNES lol. Around 2015 I decided to collect Game Gear (very underrated console.... A+ games on F- hardware but the LCD mod fixes all that). These days.... Yeah loose Genesis and OG Xbox are great budget picks. Stay away from 360 and onward because servers aren't forever and most of those games need patches to play right

[@Greg_Huff]

Thank you! Looks like I'm going to start collecting OG Xbox lol.

[@Kingsleybeard]

Very few people go up to bat for Xbox anything, let alone the controller of the OG! Mad respect. As a lover of all video games, I've always been the odd one out that prefers the xbox controller (I'm even a DUKE fan, if you can believe it). Racing and shooters were just *chefs kiss* on that controller/console combo

[@officegossip]

Collect for the Switch while you can because this console is gonna be one of Nintendo’s biggest hallmarks since the Super Nintendo imo. Also, the console isn’t region locked so half of my games are from Japan due to sometimes having the cheaper options online. Just got the japanese import of New Pokémon Snap from ebay for $25.

[@reubendensmore4648]

Although I'm not very fond of figuring out consoles with expansive libraries to collect, I do have a suggestion for a future video: thoughts on the Nintendo Wii. You don't talk about it very much, so it would be interesting to hear what you have to say. Perhaps you can even suggest your ideal library of games to get for it for those who are looking into adding one to their collection.

[@The8bitFighter]

The OG Xbox controller was much hated back in the day... unless you're talking about the Controller S, which was pretty alright.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, a huge difference between the two imo.

[@brendanroberts1310]

If you had big hands it was great I still prefer it for driving games.

[@marcobaltodano3196]

N3ds and ds are usually decently priced. Sometimes the consoles are pretty cheap to buy

[@IAmAnEvilTaco]

Only trick to the xbox is you pretty much have to replace the clock capacitor or you've got a time bomb on your shelf. I adore mine. It was some work to set up, though.

[@BrandonArnold0]

Please start selling Retro Bird merch already, so I can buy a “Get On My Lawn” baseball cap!

[@dariusq8894]

In the present, I definitely recommend the Switch as the console for new collectors.The huge library offers an amazing range of titles which are still attainable & affordable. My personal Switch collection has easily become my largest with +200 physical copies. And since the system is region free you can import games with little to no hassle.

[@rockguitarist931]

I think the Wii is a criminally undervalued console, the games are cheap and the console itself isn't too pricey.

[@SmithBluedevil8]

Agreed. I’ve been rebuilding my collection I sold away as a kid and it’s been a blast

[@realjaytruth]

Genesis, Xbox, and Gameboy are my top for good prices. You're right on the switch. Any modern game worth buying should be bought on the switch. I believe the switch in 10 - 15years will be the most valuable collector console ever. If you have the finances to buy certain games twice on it, I would do so.

[@dahjord]

the best console to collect for for me is the ps4 probably it has the most good games i think

[@SaturmornCarvilli]

You'll find no arguments with me on your list. I've often considered getting the switch due to all the older games, and more importantly to me, the older game genres I like. This works well as I'm not interested in hunting or collecting these games, just playing them. I hope they make a comeback, but I found the mini consoles to also be a good way to get a plug-n-play, well curated libraries of classic games. Including a lot of arcade games. But unfortunately, too many aren't available anymore.

[@tonyp9313]

Just buy ever drives for the said consoles you like. It'll solve the collecting issue.