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What to do to Old Games You Can't Play Anymore

ZeekZeek
edited March 2011 in General Chat
I'm in a bit of a jam. I recently discovered that a lot of my older games I can no longer play for one reason or another. (Internal save batteries need to be replaced, DOS no longer exists and an emulator is needed, general console burn-out due to age, etc.)

Unfortunately, I can't sell these games as they are worthless on the open market. Maybe a few collectors would buy them, but I doubt I can get more than $15 for *shuffles through collection* Sewer Shark? Make that more than $5 for that title.

Anyway, what do you guys suggest I do with these games? The ones I'm emotionally attached to (LUNAR especially), I'm keeping as a display piece, but the rest? I just don't know what to do with them.

Comments

  • ShaggEShaggE
    edited March 2011
    Do you have a list of the games you want to get rid of? You'd be surprised what someone might give for seemingly worthless games.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited March 2011
    Replacing save batteries isn't that hard.
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    Rather Dashing wrote: »
    Replacing save batteries isn't that hard.

    So I'm told, and I've watched my fair share of tutorials on how to do it. Now tell me how to fix my SNES which apparently can no longer properly read the game cartridge.:p

    ShaggE, I have yet to make an inventory of the games I'm willing to part with, but off the top of my head, I have Silpheed (Sega CD), Sonic 3D (Genesis), and I believe Caesar's Palace (SNES). I have several Playstation games that I'm holding on to just in case I can play them on a PS3. (At least, I hope I can play the LUNAR series on a PS3...)
  • GeorgeCGeorgeC
    edited March 2011
    This is unrelated, but one of my friends managed to mod his GBC to say "you're a nasty pasty in may!" with a picture of mario wearing sunglasses whenever it booted. How?!?
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    Topic hijacker!!
  • RemolayRemolay
    edited March 2011
    Anything on CD, Find an emulator and put the CD in your computer. That's how I played GTA2 on my computer, seeing that the PS1 version is the only one my parents will allow me to get.

    For dos games, DOSBOX is awesome.

    Console cartridges I can't help with.
  • RibsRibs
    edited March 2011
    Random and sort of related, but my Pokemon Silver Game still works and I think I might need to frame it or something because of that reason.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    So I'm told, and I've watched my fair share of tutorials on how to do it. Now tell me how to fix my SNES which apparently can no longer properly read the game cartridge.:p
    While it's hard to say without directly investigating it or hearing a more detailed observation of symptoms, if the problem is "it won't read games" then my guess is that you need to adjust or replace the pin connector. It also is the part most likely to fail in cartridge-based consoles over a period as long as the SNES has been out, and as such it's one of the easiest parts to replace.
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    Remolay wrote: »
    Anything on CD, Find an emulator and put the CD in your computer. That's how I played GTA2 on my computer, seeing that the PS1 version is the only one my parents will allow me to get.

    For dos games, DOSBOX is awesome.
    So PS1 games can't be played on PS3? I'm told the PS3 is somewhat backwards compatible, with the major flaw being it can't play PS2 games for one reason or another (hence why they are re-releasing ICO and Shadow of the Collosous in HD).

    I've tried DOSBOX in the past, but it actually caused some problems with some of my games. At first I thought it was similar to what happened with SCUMMvm where the CD-ROM would just stop working once the emulator loaded the game, but that wasn't the case when I C&P'd the entire CD onto the hard drive. I can't remember if I ever solved that problem or not. All I know is that I was never able to get past the intro of Freddy Farcus when I tried it.
    Rather Dashing wrote: »
    While it's hard to say without directly investigating it or hearing a more detailed observation of symptoms, if the problem is "it won't read games" then my guess is that you need to adjust or replace the pin connector. It also is the part most likely to fail in cartridge-based consoles over a period as long as the SNES has been out, and as such it's one of the easiest parts to replace.

    It may be easy, but how costly is it? Replacing the internal batteries of a GBC game looks to only set me back a few bucks every 10 years since those games run on watch batteries. Given how old the SNES is, I doubt I would be able to find and replace whatever is broken very easily. Same goes for the Sega CDX I have, which is having signal lag between the controler and the games.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    It may be easy, but how costly is it? Replacing the internal batteries of a GBC game looks to only set me back a few bucks every 10 years since those games run on watch batteries. Given how old the SNES is, I doubt I would be able to find and replace whatever is broken very easily. Same goes for the Sega CDX I have, which is having signal lag between the controler and the games.
    A SNES pin connector? $15-20 max.
  • RemolayRemolay
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    So PS1 games can't be played on PS3? I'm told the PS3 is somewhat backwards compatible, with the major flaw being it can't play PS2 games for one reason or another (hence why they are re-releasing ICO and Shadow of the Collosous in HD).

    They stopped making them backwards compatible at some point, current PS3's can't play anything PS3 If I recall correctly.
  • GuruGuru214GuruGuru214
    edited March 2011
    All PS3s can play PlayStation games. For PS2 games, the easiest way to tell is that only old model PS3s with four USB ports are PS2 compatible. Old model PS3s with two USB ports and PS3 Slims can't play PS2 games.

    My goal at one point was to track down a good condition original PS3 that was backward compatible, but I think at this point I would just be better off getting a PS2 Slim and a PS3 Slim brand new.
  • waroftheworlds01waroftheworlds01
    edited March 2011
    If you still want to play your Snes and Nes games they sell this cool little thing called the RetroDuo. It's bulit like the super nintendo but has a slot for both the NES and SNES. I got mine off of amazon.com cause it's hard to find in stores. I payed around 50 for it I think but it was worth it. Now I don't have to give my games away :)

    Edit: And you can play PS1 games on the PS3. I'm not sure if you can play all of them on their but I think you can. Cause I've played PS1 games on there already. I have the original games of Metal Gear Solid, The Lost World Jurassic Park, and a few others and they all worked on the PS3. It's PS2 games you can't play on them.
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    It's a good thing I don't have any PS2 games.

    Thanks for the heads up on the RetroDuo. I'll look into it and add it to my WishList. Do you know if there's anything similar to that for the Genesis side? After playing Epic Mickey, I really want to revisit Mickey Mania somehow, but for now, all I can do is pop my Sega CD version into iTunes and play the soundtrack.:p
  • waroftheworlds01waroftheworlds01
    edited March 2011
    It's called the Retron 3 NES/SNES/Genesis Triple System.

    http://www.amazon.com/Retron-Genesis-Triple-System-Nintendo-Entertainment/dp/B003Y5AHPG/ref=pd_sim_vg_7
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    I love how my shopping list includes that, a gamebit screwdriver, razor blades, and several 2025 batteries since I posted this thread. :D

    BTW, that Retron3 is like a God send! Too bad I don't have $50 to spend on it right now, but given how many people still do retro gaming as a bragging right (I don't. I just like the older games.), I'm sure the company that makes those will be around for some time as those games get older.
  • doodo!doodo!
    edited March 2011
    People say too much about PS3...

    Older models can play both Ps2 and 3 games. Newer models can not. Check out ebay to quickly and easily find older models.
  • waroftheworlds01waroftheworlds01
    edited March 2011
    Yeah, but the older modles don't have enough space on them. I had to buy a newer 250GB so I didn't have to delete a game off of it everytime I got a new game. But why spend all that money on an old PS3 when you can just pay 50 bucks or less for a PS2? Which can play both PS2 and PS1. If you're just interested in the classics then just go with the PS2.
  • Banned UserBanned User
    edited March 2011
    waroftheworlds01 wrote: »
    Yeah, but the older modles don't have enough space on them. I had to buy a newer 250GB so I didn't have to delete a game off of it everytime I got a new game. But why spend all that money on an old PS3 when you can just pay 50 bucks or less for a PS2? Which can play both PS2 and PS1. If you're just interested in the classics then just go with the PS2.
    Because the PS3 upscales the PS2 games and they look much better. Plus some people, like me, can't stand having a bunch of consoles hanging around just to enjoy their library of games. Plus no memory cards needed as well.

    I always thought it was stupid for Sony to drop PS2 support. Atleast offer a PS3 premium package with the PS3 built in like the original 60 gig machines.
  • TomPravetzTomPravetz
    edited March 2011
    I'm going to skip to the bottom, not read anything, assume that somebody already said this, ignore that fact anyway, and say...

    Give them to me. :P
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited March 2011
    waroftheworlds01 wrote: »
    Yeah, but the older modles don't have enough space on them. I had to buy a newer 250GB so I didn't have to delete a game off of it everytime I got a new game.
    1. PS2 games are way smaller than 60GB
    2. The PS3 hard drive is user-replaceable. The original model PS3 is perfectly capable of utilizing not only a 250GB hard drive, but drives of far higher capacity than that.
  • Secret FawfulSecret Fawful
    edited March 2011
    TomPravetz wrote: »
    I'm going to skip to the bottom, not read anything, assume that somebody already said this, ignore that fact anyway, and say...

    Give them to me. :P

    I kept thinking about saying this, kept going nah, there's too much good REAL discussion on here, which would make me a dick if I did. Congratulations, you dick.
  • TomPravetzTomPravetz
    edited March 2011
    Secret Fawful wrote: »
    I kept thinking about saying this, kept going nah, there's too much good REAL discussion on here, which would make me a dick if I did. Congratulations, you dick.

    Good conversations never end well. That's where I come in. I'm a HERO!
  • RetroVortexRetroVortex
    edited March 2011
    NEVER GIVE AWAY/SELL YOUR OLD STUFF!!
    (Well you can sell it if you can get a good price for it)

    At least thats what I say.

    When my parent sold our Super Nintendo so that we could get a N64, I was fine with it as a child, but now at 20 I'm absolutely kicking myself.

    I had some pretty Rare games too. Super Probotector (Contra 3) and Megaman X are worth a considerable amount considering how old they are.

    I'd suggest you look after your stuff too. In the Case of the Snes, Nintendo was stupid enough to pack everything into cardboard, so the cases and the manuals are normally either missing or damaged, (turning the old snes into a collector's market).
    When you compare gensis games to Snes games, you see a very big difference in price.

    So yeah, keep it, and if you want to play it either repair or emulate the game.
    If its a console replace it (that 3-in-1 thing looks pretty good, but I already have a functioning Genesis, hopefully a functioning Snes, and no Nes carts, so its not all to useful for me, plus the price is too high for us in the PAL region! XD)
  • GuruGuru214GuruGuru214
    edited March 2011
    Generally, those generic consoles are pretty much junk. Even the positive reviews for that thing list numerous problems with it. Yeah, it's probably better than nothing, but I wouldn't buy one of those unless it was a last resort. They're not as well-constructed as the original consoles, and they tend to do a poor job of emulating them.
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    RetroVortex wrote: »
    NEVER GIVE AWAY/SELL YOUR OLD STUFF!!
    (Well you can sell it if you can get a good price for it)

    At least thats what I say.

    When my parent sold our Super Nintendo so that we could get a N64, I was fine with it as a child, but now at 20 I'm absolutely kicking myself.

    I had some pretty Rare games too. Super Probotector (Contra 3) and Megaman X are worth a considerable amount considering how old they are.

    I'd suggest you look after your stuff too. In the Case of the Snes, Nintendo was stupid enough to pack everything into cardboard, so the cases and the manuals are normally either missing or damaged, (turning the old snes into a collector's market).
    When you compare gensis games to Snes games, you see a very big difference in price.

    So yeah, keep it, and if you want to play it either repair or emulate the game.
    If its a console replace it (that 3-in-1 thing looks pretty good, but I already have a functioning Genesis, hopefully a functioning Snes, and no Nes carts, so its not all to useful for me, plus the price is too high for us in the PAL region! XD)
    Trust me. I'm babying my N64 right now in the hope that some day I will have the courage to swap out the cartrages so I can play Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That is, if I don't get a 3DS and the ported version of it by then.:p

    My GBA SP seems to be a tank as long as I keep it charged, which I like. And I just ordered a 3rd party Mega Memory Card that has been getting a lot of positive review from Gameboy users who still play the old color games but have to deal with swapping out save batteries.

    So, yeah, I'm taking care of the systems and games that work.

    That said, I don't care about the rarity of the games I own. I'm not one to sell my games based on their rarity, unlike those dicks I saw over the course of last weekend who were trying to sell Pokemon Blue for $200 brand new. There's no way that game could have gone up in value that much over the last 15 years!
  • RetroVortexRetroVortex
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    Trust me. I'm babying my N64 right now in the hope that some day I will have the courage to swap out the cartrages so I can play Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That is, if I don't get a 3DS and the ported version of it by then.:p

    My GBA SP seems to be a tank as long as I keep it charged, which I like. And I just ordered a 3rd party Mega Memory Card that has been getting a lot of positive review from Gameboy users who still play the old color games but have to deal with swapping out save batteries.

    So, yeah, I'm taking care of the systems and games that work.

    That said, I don't care about the rarity of the games I own. I'm not one to sell my games based on their rarity, unlike those dicks I saw over the course of last weekend who were trying to sell Pokemon Blue for $200 brand new. There's no way that game could have gone up in value that much over the last 15 years!

    Yeah, I'd rather give some of my stuff away to a friend then sell it.
    (But I would sell it if I really did need the cash (and trust me, I have over 80 xbox games, and the Snes games I just bought are highly resellable! :D), so it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on the values)

    And if Pokemon blue was worth that much. I wonder how much my fully boxed Pokemon Blue, Red, Yellow (2X), Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, and Fire Red would be worth.
    (I had Leaf Green, but it seems to have gone missing)

    Yeah....
  • GuruGuru214GuruGuru214
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    My GBA SP seems to be a tank as long as I keep it charged, which I like.

    I take it you didn't carry it in your pocket much. Both my original GBA and my SP had the shoulder buttons crap out on me. Thankfully, my sister got both of those systems at the same time I did, hers are practically pristine, and she doesn't care about them anymore. I'd be eagerly awaiting the day that she gets tired of her DSi, but 1. it's pink, 2. her boyfriend got it for her for her birthday, so fat chance of that happening, and 3. I'll have a 3DS by then and it won't matter anyway.

    Actually, I need to go back and get a Hot Rod Red original DS. I had one, but I put it in a bad part of my backpack and the top screen cracked. I sent it in for repairs, but they didn't have the parts for it anymore. (My guess? If they don't have the parts to fix one system, they cannibalize it to fix others.) So they sent me a DS Lite instead. I love it, but not having my old one feels like a part of my past is missing.
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    GuruGuru214 wrote: »
    I take it you didn't carry it in your pocket much. Both my original GBA and my SP had the shoulder buttons crap out on me.
    I only pocket it when I used to go on long road trips. But even then, the pocket I shove it in is a backpack pocket.
    RetroVortex wrote: »
    And if Pokemon blue was worth that much. I wonder how much my fully boxed Pokemon Blue, Red, Yellow (2X), Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, and Fire Red would be worth.
    (I had Leaf Green, but it seems to have gone missing)

    Yeah....

    From what I saw, the Gen. 1 games are bordering $200 while the Gen. 2 games are still available for about $50 to $90 depending on condition. I didn't bother checking the Gen. 3 titles.
  • RetroVortexRetroVortex
    edited March 2011
    Zeek wrote: »
    I only pocket it when I used to go on long road trips. But even then, the pocket I shove it in is a backpack pocket.



    From what I saw, the Gen. 1 games are bordering $200 while the Gen. 2 games are still available for about $50 to $90 depending on condition. I didn't bother checking the Gen. 3 titles.

    Heh. Those games aren't worth no where near as much over here in the UK.
    (I just checked on ebay)

    Oddly enough, looking back at the carts, we actually have the American versions of Pokemon Gold and Silver.
    (I think we got the games from a local shop who did imports, and we got to play it quite a bit earlier as well. Aaah, good times! :D)
  • ZeekZeek
    edited March 2011
    You know, this thread has been mostly about my cartridge games.

    Does anyone know what I should do with my Sega CD games? Mickey Mania is the only one I really want to play again, but I also want to revisit Ecco now that I'm older and have more patiance for that kind of game.

    Can anyone recommend a good emulator that I should try?
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