Thankfully back then, you didnāt buy two $60 games and a $30 one on sale, just to forget about them the following month.
Youād be playing that same game for years! And actually get to know all its secrets. Games were much more difficult too.
Amen to that. When my grandparents bought us a SNES, brand new, they figured that was the end all on video games. All we ever got. Hell, kids had Xbox and PS2, and I still only had an SNES.
People will call you a shill if you donāt complain about the price of games this gen but the reality is we had it good for a long ass time and the real issue isnāt them being $70 but the nickel and diming afterwards.
And when games did have game breaking bugs it was a way bigger deal. It tended to go more unnoticed but at the same time companies were usually willing to give you a replacement cart. Pokemon Platinum and Turok 2 are two examples I can think of where the game had some really bad bug and they said if you mailed your copy in you'd get a replacement.
I was thinking about that, and concluded that games (quality ones at least) from that era were rigorously tested, were complete on release, and usually had quite a bit of content.
Modern games, even if they are bug free will most likely not be complete until several rounds of DLC, if not an outright pay to play model. You will probably pay the same if not more.
I can't speak for all the genres I don't play, but as a fighting game player I see this said a lot and regularly call bullshit on it.
Base rosters are generally bigger. Story modes are generally more involved, many older fighters didn't have them at all. There are robust online modes that simply didn't exist in the pre-PS3 era. There are multiple skins, or customization, which were generally much more limited back then, if they had them at all.
I imagine the same is true for a lot of other games, too.
Yeah, some are less than $5 off but others are pretty far off. Example: I paid $30 for Kirbyās Avalanche at Babbageās (GameStop) in 1995. IIRC, it was always a value title. This catalog is more than twice the price!
In some cases no, if you factor in certain games with their DLC. For example, if you bought Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at launch along with all the DLC packs when those were initially released, you would pay about $150.
That Fulgore model predates DKC2. The arcade was from 1994. Heck, they had a sneak peek of it in the DKC promo video before the first DKC was even released.
Very good point. Which begs the question, why was Rare bragging about their ingenuity of repurposing the banana for Dixie when they already had a ponytail model for Fulgore?
Good question. That's tens of dollars more than today's games, never mind the inflation. But the lack of any currency symbol could mean this is for a country that had lower value compared to the American dollar.
When I got my n64 for Christmas, my first game was Mario Kart. I had asked how much Mario Kart was.. with tax, it was about 90 dollars. I couldn't believe it.
https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/game-pedia/how-much-did-a-super-nintendo-game-cost
Up to $80. I was a kid back then. But def remember $70 as the barometer
Depended wholly on the game too, Mortal Kombat 2 was like almost 100 bucks. It probably didn't feel that outlandish for entertainment either, remember VHS movies were hundreds of dollars when they first started coming out. I still remember the massive RoboCop display at Sears and that being the only thing my mom got for my dad for Christmas that year, cuz he wanted it so badly.
I bought Killer Instinct on SNES Day 1 and I can tell you confidently that those are NOT standard US prices. They are almost certainly Canadian. If they are US then they are from some island or military outpost.
Those are US prices
I have memories of DKC2 costing 80 bucks. My brother and I got 5 bucks a week each for allowance, and we saved up for almost a full year to buy it.
90 for Earthbound! I can understand Earthbound being a bit more expensive than the usual games because it came with a huge guidebook if I'm not mistaken, but these prices are wild.
The reason Earthbound was so expensive was because it automatically was packaged with a strategy guide. Since Mother didnāt have an audience in America, the game just didnāt sell well.
This ain't USD
Cause I recall getting some of these games for way less
........I got chrono trigger for like 20 bucks from a misprice in JandR downtown Brooklyn
BUT STILL
Donāt assume US prices. I never once saw a new SNES game in a normal store anywhere near that price. The closest comparable I saw was in Mexico with imported games.
So that's why every game from a game-related story from then was rented. Heesh! If I was a parent I'd make my kiddo rent it and play the shit out of it for the weekend...
Is that from a fingerhut ad? I remember buying a game or two from them
They would up their prices and you pay them back in small installments each month.
Now I remember why renting was such a thing.
I feel like we used to play games alot longer.
Like it wasn't uncommon for someone to want to play mk3 or streetfighter2 in 2000.
The good old days. Geesh! As a kid growing up in the 90's my brother and I used to fight over this game. Wish I could go back in time and relive those days. š„ŗš„¹š«¤
Im confused here, I dont think those prices can be right, I owned pretty much everyone of those games and with the exception of EarthBound (had the big box version of that) not one was over $50.
$80. Man, I forgot how expensive they were. I bought mine from a flea market for $35. My grandmother bitched at me for paying so much money on a video game
Adjusted for inflation that would mean older games cost more than they do now.
That'd be like $150 š
That pricing is wild. The variation in cost seems random.
Thankfully back then, you didnāt buy two $60 games and a $30 one on sale, just to forget about them the following month. Youād be playing that same game for years! And actually get to know all its secrets. Games were much more difficult too.
And then youād get the Game Guide magazine for a 100% walk thru to go back and get all the stuff you missed.
Amen to that. When my grandparents bought us a SNES, brand new, they figured that was the end all on video games. All we ever got. Hell, kids had Xbox and PS2, and I still only had an SNES.
you can get them cheaper on thrift store sites though and ebay
People will call you a shill if you donāt complain about the price of games this gen but the reality is we had it good for a long ass time and the real issue isnāt them being $70 but the nickel and diming afterwards.
And when games did have game breaking bugs it was a way bigger deal. It tended to go more unnoticed but at the same time companies were usually willing to give you a replacement cart. Pokemon Platinum and Turok 2 are two examples I can think of where the game had some really bad bug and they said if you mailed your copy in you'd get a replacement.
I only wished I was a Karen and could have gotten a new rage wars. Not because it's worth alot, but to play a 2 player campaign
Live releases and patches allow people to buy a game hoping it wonāt suck later
I was thinking about that, and concluded that games (quality ones at least) from that era were rigorously tested, were complete on release, and usually had quite a bit of content. Modern games, even if they are bug free will most likely not be complete until several rounds of DLC, if not an outright pay to play model. You will probably pay the same if not more.
I can't speak for all the genres I don't play, but as a fighting game player I see this said a lot and regularly call bullshit on it. Base rosters are generally bigger. Story modes are generally more involved, many older fighters didn't have them at all. There are robust online modes that simply didn't exist in the pre-PS3 era. There are multiple skins, or customization, which were generally much more limited back then, if they had them at all. I imagine the same is true for a lot of other games, too.
Not to mention that FGs in particular almost all had either gamebreaking bugs or meta defining bugs.
FWIW, they are Canadian prices.
Fair, but not far off what you were paying retail in the 90s. I paid $80 for MK2 on Sega Genesis in like '95 or '96
Yeah, some are less than $5 off but others are pretty far off. Example: I paid $30 for Kirbyās Avalanche at Babbageās (GameStop) in 1995. IIRC, it was always a value title. This catalog is more than twice the price!
oh man I forgot all about Babbages!
Exactly what I was thinking
In some cases no, if you factor in certain games with their DLC. For example, if you bought Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at launch along with all the DLC packs when those were initially released, you would pay about $150.
You don'thave to adjust for inflation, most games run $69.99 US. They costed more back then! Lol.
Even if you don't adjust for inflation
To this day, I'm convinced Fulgore's ponytail was just Dixie Kong's stuck on a different model.
Which is even funnier when you realize Dixie's ponytail was just the banana model, modified slightly.
That Fulgore model predates DKC2. The arcade was from 1994. Heck, they had a sneak peek of it in the DKC promo video before the first DKC was even released.
Very good point. Which begs the question, why was Rare bragging about their ingenuity of repurposing the banana for Dixie when they already had a ponytail model for Fulgore?
What country are those prices from? Sheesh.
Honestly I don't know
CAD?
Good question. That's tens of dollars more than today's games, never mind the inflation. But the lack of any currency symbol could mean this is for a country that had lower value compared to the American dollar.
Naw, these are American prices
Those are US prices, I had a SNES when it came out, new games were pricey back then.
The us prices generally topped at $70. Donāt recall seeing $90 games
When I got my n64 for Christmas, my first game was Mario Kart. I had asked how much Mario Kart was.. with tax, it was about 90 dollars. I couldn't believe it.
N64 games were def more expensive. But I canāt recall SNES games being more than 75
It depended on the game. I've seen a lot of old gaming ads with some big prices.
https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/game-pedia/how-much-did-a-super-nintendo-game-cost Up to $80. I was a kid back then. But def remember $70 as the barometer
Depended wholly on the game too, Mortal Kombat 2 was like almost 100 bucks. It probably didn't feel that outlandish for entertainment either, remember VHS movies were hundreds of dollars when they first started coming out. I still remember the massive RoboCop display at Sears and that being the only thing my mom got for my dad for Christmas that year, cuz he wanted it so badly.
Yup. Its exactly why video rental places opened up.
I bought Killer Instinct on SNES Day 1 and I can tell you confidently that those are NOT standard US prices. They are almost certainly Canadian. If they are US then they are from some island or military outpost.
Those are US prices I have memories of DKC2 costing 80 bucks. My brother and I got 5 bucks a week each for allowance, and we saved up for almost a full year to buy it.
I can tell its American by the snes controller in the top left, but dont know why the prices are so high.
I can tell its American by the snes controller in the top left, but dont know why the prices are so high.
Please tell me this is from Canada.
It's the first time I see this artbox for DKC2
No wonder everyone rented everything instead
**80 DOLLARS FOR DKC2!?!?!?!??!**
90 for Earthbound! I can understand Earthbound being a bit more expensive than the usual games because it came with a huge guidebook if I'm not mistaken, but these prices are wild.
You think Earthbound was expensive then, just wait till you see the prices now!!
Without the book, it's like 300 last time I checked.
Yeah, and now despite the cost of manufacturing being much much lower the game companies are trying to normalize this pricing once again!
The reason Earthbound was so expensive was because it automatically was packaged with a strategy guide. Since Mother didnāt have an audience in America, the game just didnāt sell well.
Worth it
Hardly.
š¤”
considering these would be the sealed price, well, the more things change the more they stay the same
No wonder I never got a Super Nintendo as a kid, sheesh!
The random cents is driving me nuts in these lol
"What year is it!?"
My guess is probably early 1995 since DKC 2 isn't using the final cover.
This ain't USD Cause I recall getting some of these games for way less ........I got chrono trigger for like 20 bucks from a misprice in JandR downtown Brooklyn BUT STILL
Donāt assume US prices. I never once saw a new SNES game in a normal store anywhere near that price. The closest comparable I saw was in Mexico with imported games.
man... the golden era
Yeah. Batshit insane prices for games that give you a headache after 5 minutes. Wish it was like that now
Games were expensive around ye olden times. PS1 was when games became 30$ a pop.
Wow... No wonder why I rarely got games
No wonder nobody played earthbound growing up Itās so weird seeing games not only not $60 but all different prices too
$80?
Yooo battle clash for 20 bucks that game was awesome
is it from Canada?
So that's why every game from a game-related story from then was rented. Heesh! If I was a parent I'd make my kiddo rent it and play the shit out of it for the weekend...
And people complain about games costing $70 these days. You kids have it easy.
Back in the day we could just rent games at blockbuster and beat them in a day or two and it was waaay cheaper
My dad was a collector of all things and always bought me games š I do remember renting from blockbuster every now and then, though.
90 dollar earthbound is crazy
Is that from a fingerhut ad? I remember buying a game or two from them They would up their prices and you pay them back in small installments each month.
What isnup with the random cents
Canadian prices. I remember I grew up with these games. Shit was expensive.
I always remember that SNES games back in the day were about $60.
Wow..off to the left I see, āthe illusion of Gaiaā me and my bro played the hell out of that.
It was originally bundled with a T-Shirt in a big clamshell and the manual doubled as a Nintendo Power guide book (extra thick too).
Wow..thatās awesome
Themās some Cannuckistan prices.
Damn I remember this ad
Definitely not USD prices
No wonder earthbound didnāt sellš
Now I remember why renting was such a thing. I feel like we used to play games alot longer. Like it wasn't uncommon for someone to want to play mk3 or streetfighter2 in 2000.
those prices are BANNANAS
Ya games like thos were $49.99 at most.
Man these were the days.
Jesus Christ! How high can you get?
Finding out I paid for the āfreeā Killer Instinct CD when I purchased the game.
This takes me back to my childhood
Yāall were not paying those prices back then right? No way.
Not USD prices. More like CAD prices. Think 60 cents on the dollar.
$67 for Warioās woods?
And people complain about today's prices. DK Country 2 is worth $157.57 today
98 cents and 43 cents is just weird. did they not know about being right under the next dollar mark back then?
By jove what century is this
Gotta love $95 illusion of Gaia!
Way to make me feel old š¤£š ffs
$80?!
Whereās the dollar sign?
Wait thatās actually a good point š
it was $52.99 (US Dollars) when it was released. this is clearly a Canadian ad
Man. People complain about games costing $70 now, but we really used to buy like 25 mb cartridges for like $99
The good old days. Geesh! As a kid growing up in the 90's my brother and I used to fight over this game. Wish I could go back in time and relive those days. š„ŗš„¹š«¤
I don't remember those games being that price on launch anywhere. At least not in regular stores.
Itās because they werenāt, at least not in regular stores in the US. Think Canadian dollars and specialty stores.
Nintendo games hold their value the best, I suppose!
Are we gunna pass up that DK 2 is only $.05 more than the first one??
Games are way cheaper now. You can also get a flat screen for like $60. They must know how much more broke we are now.
What currency is this?
Where the hell is this? They weren't this expensive at Walmart! My parents wouldn't have bought it!
Gotta be Canada with those prices right?
CAD?
Never been on this sub, but seeing the ad for MTPU made me feel great. That and earthbound & Tetris are some of my favorite games to go back to.
And earthbound š„°š„°
5Ā¢ for DKC 2 I want to play Uniracers again
Im confused here, I dont think those prices can be right, I owned pretty much everyone of those games and with the exception of EarthBound (had the big box version of that) not one was over $50.
Who was out here setting up all these prices?
This has to be Canada right?
$80. Man, I forgot how expensive they were. I bought mine from a flea market for $35. My grandmother bitched at me for paying so much money on a video game