Category: Retro Corner

As we settle into a new generation of Nintendo gaming, our team looked back at the moments from the past decade that defined our love for this hobby. Here are the ones we’ll never forget.

The Switch Reveal (October 2016)

When that first trailer dropped — showing someone seamlessly pulling the Switch from the dock and continuing their Zelda game on the go — the entire gaming world held its breath. It was such a simple, powerful concept. The hybrid idea seemed too good to be true, but Nintendo delivered exactly what they promised.

Breath of the Wild’s Great Plateau (March 2017)

The moment you emerge from the Shrine of Resurrection, the camera pans across Hyrule, and you realize you can go literally anywhere you can see. It redefined what a Zelda game could be, and arguably what an open-world game could be. Pure magic.

Animal Crossing During Lockdown (March 2020)

New Horizons launching during a global pandemic was serendipitous in the most bittersweet way. For millions of people, those virtual islands became genuine sources of comfort and connection during the most isolating period of our lives.

The Metroid Prime Remastered Shadow Drop (February 2023)

“Available today” might be the two most exciting words in gaming. Nintendo just casually dropping one of the greatest remasters ever made, with zero prior announcement, was an absolute power move.

Here’s to the next decade of incredible Nintendo moments. What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments or on our Discord!

We get a lot of questions about how we verify the authenticity of our retro game inventory. Given the increasing sophistication of counterfeit cartridges, it’s a fair question — and one we’re proud to answer in detail.

Step 1: Visual Inspection

Every game that comes through our doors gets a thorough visual inspection. We check the label quality, cartridge shell color and texture, screw type, and overall condition. Our team has handled thousands of authentic carts and can often spot a fake at a glance — but we never stop at just a visual check.

Step 2: Board Inspection

We open every single cartridge and inspect the circuit board. We’re looking at the ROM chip markings, PCB layout, component quality, and solder joints. We compare against our reference database of authentic boards. Counterfeits often use generic flash memory chips, incorrect PCB revisions, or tell-tale glob-top ICs.

Step 3: Functional Testing

Every game is tested on original hardware. We verify it boots, saves properly (for battery-backed games), and plays without glitches. For games with save batteries, we test battery voltage and note the expected remaining lifespan in our listing.

Our Guarantee

If you ever receive a game from us that turns out to be inauthentic, we’ll refund you in full, pay for return shipping, and send you a $25 store credit for the trouble. In four years of business, we’ve never had to honor this guarantee — and we intend to keep it that way.

Browse our authenticated retro game collection with confidence.

Five years ago today, Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched — and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Releasing just as the world went into lockdown, this gentle island life simulator became a cultural phenomenon that transcended gaming.

A Game That Changed Everything

New Horizons wasn’t just a game in 2020 — it was a lifeline. When people couldn’t see friends and family in person, they gathered on each other’s islands. Wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, graduation celebrations, memorial services — all held in Animal Crossing. It was a reminder that games can be so much more than entertainment.

The Numbers

New Horizons went on to sell over 44 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games of all time and the second best-selling Switch game behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It sold 13 million copies in its first six weeks alone — numbers that even Nintendo didn’t anticipate.

The Legacy

Five years later, islands around the world are still thriving. The 2.0 update and Happy Home Paradise DLC added enormous amounts of content. The terraforming and decoration tools inspired incredible creativity — some of the islands people have built are genuinely jaw-dropping works of art.

Whether you’re a day-one player or you’re just discovering it now, there’s never a bad time to start your island life. Shop our Animal Crossing collection.

The Nintendo 64 launched in 1996 and ushered in the era of 3D gaming. While its library was smaller than the PlayStation’s, the N64’s best games are among the greatest ever made. Let’s revisit the titles that defined a generation.

Super Mario 64

The game that proved 3D platforming could work. Mario 64’s analog stick controls, dynamic camera, and brilliantly designed worlds set the template that countless games would follow. Playing it for the first time in 1996 was a genuine “future of gaming” moment.

GoldenEye 007

Before Halo, before Call of Duty, there was GoldenEye. Rare’s FPS masterpiece proved that shooters could thrive on consoles. The multiplayer — four players crowded around a split-screen TV — remains one of gaming’s most iconic social experiences. No Oddjob allowed.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Frequently cited as the greatest game ever made, and it’s hard to argue. The first time you walked onto Hyrule Field, heard that music swell, and realized the sheer scale of the world ahead of you — nothing in gaming had ever felt like that before.

Other essentials: Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Majora’s Mask, and Paper Mario. We carry many of these in our N64 collection — just know that prices reflect the enduring love for this console.

In 1986, Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka released a small golden cartridge for the Famicom Disk System that would change gaming forever. Nearly four decades later, The Legend of Zelda is one of the most revered franchises in entertainment history. Let’s trace its incredible journey.

The NES Era: Breaking New Ground (1986–1994)

The original Legend of Zelda was revolutionary. In an era of linear, left-to-right games, it dropped players into an open world and said “figure it out.” The sense of discovery was unlike anything else on the market. Zelda II took a controversial detour into side-scrolling RPG territory — divisive then, but increasingly appreciated as a bold experiment.

The SNES and N64: Defining Generations (1991–2000)

A Link to the Past refined the formula into something approaching perfection. The dual Light/Dark World mechanic was mind-blowing in 1991 and the dungeon design remains a gold standard. Then came Ocarina of Time in 1998, which didn’t just define 3D adventure games — it defined 3D games, period. Majora’s Mask followed with a darker, more experimental take that’s aged like fine wine.

The Modern Era: Reinvention After Reinvention (2000–Present)

Wind Waker’s cel-shaded art style was controversial at reveal but is now considered visionary. Twilight Princess gave fans the “realistic” Zelda they’d asked for. Skyward Sword introduced motion-controlled swordplay. And then Breath of the Wild tore up the entire rulebook, delivering one of the greatest open-world games ever made.

Tears of the Kingdom proved the formula had even more room to grow, adding verticality and a physics-based building system that sparked limitless creativity.

What makes Zelda endure isn’t just nostalgia — it’s Nintendo’s willingness to reinvent the series while keeping its soul intact. We carry the full Zelda library across every era. Explore our Zelda collection.

If you’ve been eyeing a copy of EarthBound for the SNES, you’ve probably noticed the prices. A loose cartridge regularly sells for $200+, while complete-in-box copies can fetch $800 or more. So what’s driving these prices, and is it worth it?

The Perfect Storm of Value

EarthBound hits a rare trifecta in the retro collecting world: it was under-produced at launch (selling poorly in the West initially), it has an incredibly dedicated cult following that has only grown over time, and it’s genuinely one of the best RPGs ever made. Add in Nintendo’s reluctance to make it widely available digitally for years, and you have a recipe for high demand and limited supply.

The original run included the oversized box with a strategy guide, making CIB copies particularly scarce since many boxes were damaged or discarded.

Is It Worth Playing in 2023?

Absolutely, unequivocally yes. EarthBound’s quirky humor, memorable characters, and surprisingly deep emotional moments hold up beautifully. The combat system is unique with its rolling HP meter, and the soundtrack is legendary. It’s a game that feels timeless in a way few others do.

As for whether it’s worth the investment as a collector’s piece — that depends on your budget and priorities. Prices have shown consistent upward trends over the past decade. We currently have a few cartridge-only copies in stock. Check our SNES collection.