Want to relive your childhood memories by playing some awesome retro games? If you are stuck thinking about where to buy original and used retro games online, let us help you with this detailed guide.
Although there are several sites where you can easily buy retro games, fake ones and counterfeit copies are everywhere. And one must be very careful when purchasing video games online.
Therefore we strongly recommend buying from a genuine retro games seller like retroliogames – They are trustable and best in the business.
Are You Relatively New to Retro Gaming?
Don’t worry – We have got you covered with so many resources to make you fully prepared to create a stunning retro games collection.
It’s hard to select the best gaming store or marketplace to buy gaming consoles and stuff like that – Especially when you’re a newbie.
For that, you need a complete guide or resources like retro games blog from a trustworthy retro games seller. The resources can be about the best games to play on different gaming consoles, spotting fake cartridges or DVDs, and the honest reviews of gaming experiences.
Is Retro Emulator Enjoyable as Much as Physical Games?
Need a short answer? – ‘Not at all.’
Although emulators are very cheap and sometimes almost free to play (especially when you want to play the rarest games), they do not offer the same graphical quality as a physical game copy. You’ll also experience lag and lack of fluency which is a nightmare and indeed not pleasant for a gamer.
From Where Should You Buy Retro Games?
A fundamental question that can’t be summarized precisely – So, we will cover that in a few sections and will analyze each seller by discussing the pros and cons.
Should You Buy Retro Games from eBay?
It won’t be wrong to say that eBay is a BIG FISH when it comes to selling old and classic games. You’ll find almost every game on the eBay store for sale.
But we aren’t only concerned with the numbers as the gaming collection isn’t about filling the showcases and library with ordinary cartridges. The game collectors have to cautious when buying games online because the quality is really messed up.
Some eBay sellers are cheeky and not trustworthy. And we all know that these marketplaces always support buyers in most cases, so your money is on the safe side.
Even though eBay has a good customer support and will help you in the time of disputes, you wouldn’t want to lose your precious time in solving these disputes instead of playing the game sitting on your couch.
eBay Affiliate Listings
Some bloggers and online publishers will push you to buy from eBay because of their affiliation with the platform.
It’s not wrong to make someone purchase by the affiliate link, but sometimes content makers are too pushy and hide the cons and bad quality of the products, eventually pushing you to make bad decisions and buying bad-quality game copies.
Beware!
Buying eBay Retro Games – What’s the Risk?
Since eBay is an online eCommerce listing platform, eBay isn’t responsible for sellers’ listings. eBay isn’t specific to retro games and stuff related to that. Therefore, quality can’t be assured on this platform, and this is the reason many gaming enthusiasts turn away from eBay.
There’s no testing, quality check, or sometimes no guarantee for the products – This is risky when you’re buying gaming accessories from eBay.
Buying retro games from a trusted source like retroliogames is a good decision if you don’t have to waste your money or time or both.
On the other side, if you trust sellers who have a brand image outside eBay, you may comfortably buy from them.
Does eBay Sells Counterfeit Retro Games?
Not in every case – But yes, some sellers on eBay sell repros, and they don’t even mention that thing in the description.
Some sellers mention the items listed as “New” upfront, and some call it “repros” in the product description. It’s necessary to check these signs before adding items to the cart.
But is it really worth buying a cheap bootleg copy of your favorite game?
It hugely depends on your preferences.
Unless you’re a gaming geek and love quality over quantity, cheap games won’t be harmful either.
But the problem arises when you get a counterfeit game at the price of the original one – It’s almost a heartbreaking experience, and you would never want that.
It’s the sellers’ greed or ignorance that makes them sell fake games by tagging them as original and genuine products.
It’s not always the sellers’ fault either. Sometimes sellers don’t even know that they have a fake copy, but they keep calling it genuine and original. So you must be able to distinguish a fake cartridge/DVDs from the original one.
If you need something cheap and affordable to play, then it’s safe to buy bootleg games only when the prices match the quality.
How to Detect Fake Games by Prices?
Simple and straightforward – When you see that the prices are too good to be true, the listing is fake.
In most cases, the prices may differ a few hundred dollars. For example, a game that is sold for $299.99 will be available for $19.99, and this is a clear sign of a counterfeit or fake game copy.
You need adequate market research before judging a situation like this.
How to Find the Difference Between Fake and Original Games?
If you’re a gaming enthusiast who wants to collect a huge number of games, it’s better to know what are the differences between an original and fake game and how you can identify them.
You might already have seen a lot of videos about identifying fake games and avoiding online shopping scams, it’s not a new topic, but it’s indeed a very important one.
By analyzing the listing, it’s not so difficult to spot if the game is counterfeit or not.
Commonly, we see the fake copies only of the games that are rare, and their demand is much higher, to meet the ever-growing demand of those games, we see new counterfeit copies in the market, and it is entirely understandable.
Here are some useful tips to go through if you want to play safe when buying original retro games or accessories.
Check the Listing Label/Tag
Simple as that, you just need to see the listing and watch out for the “new” label or tag since most sellers tell this thing upfront, but we don’t usually pay attention to it.
There is a whole majority of retro games sellers that are honest, and they aren’t scammers, which is still a good thing.
What if the seller hasn’t mentioned that? Check the next tip.
Analyze Seller’s Reviews
Reviews are an easy way of judging a seller’s reputation and quality. If you clearly see some bad reviews that sound genuine and worth noticing, drop that seller immediately because you’ll be the next one to post a similar review like that if you buy the product from it.
In contrast to this, there is a loophole in that too. We also witness fake reviews to boost sales, and this thing can’t be avoided. To identify fake reviews, they are either very expressive or don’t have text at all.
Unless you see the concrete history of good reviews on the seller’s profile, don’t go for it.
Ask the Seller
Well, you don’t see the “new” label and the reviews seem confusing too.
Why not ask the seller directly?
Usually, every online retro games seller is available through the customer support (email, phone, live chat or message box)
There is no need to feel shy in asking if the game is genuine or fake. It’s your ultimate right to know about the product that you’re buying.
You don’t always get the correct answers from the sellers, though. Some say that the game is “untested” or they don’t really know about the copy if it’s fake or genuine.
If the seller doesn’t correctly satisfy you with a reliable and straightforward answer, avoid shopping.
Check the Pictures
A bit more technical inspection of the cartridges or DVDs is necessary for the final identification of fake games.
Although many sellers don’t post pictures of an inside view of the cartridges and this makes their listing suspicious or fishy. But at the same time, some sellers do. And by looking at the cartridges, you may quickly spot the differences.
Thanks to YouTube channels, Reddit and other useful Retro games blogs, who have told us apparent differences about original and fake games.
What Gaming Consoles are Prone?
Nintendo DS, SEGA, and Game Boy Advance games are more likely to be fake because of the easy bootlegging procedure, and we still see a massive demand for their games.
They also have relatively cheaper production and shipping costs which makes them more vulnerable to forgery.
Testing and Cleaning of the Retro Games
It’s almost a tragedy to buy a retro game without it being tested.
Since testing is a quite generalized term, when someone puts the game into the console and runs it, we simply call it testing.
So it’s obvious and best to check if the product is tested or not.
But whatever the listing tells you, it’s your job to clean the cartridge and test it as soon as you receive it. Not because you don’t trust the seller, due to the reason that you want your game to be working and playable.
One more phrase we usually see on the listing is “cleaned” which is quite normal but isn’t implemented as said.
Cleaning cartridges is a difficult task, and sometimes sellers send the product without cleaning it properly.
You can ask the seller what to do if the game doesn’t work properly because of improper cleaning. If the seller is credible, he will replace the product or give you a refund.
Therefore, Retroliogames is our personal favourite because they provide 90-days money-back guarantee and free-shipping so win-win situation for the gamers!
You can buy retro games here.
What if the Game is Not Tested?
It’s often mentioned in the listing that the game isn’t tested and there is no guarantee for the product. Consider it a red flag and avoid the seller at any cost.
Do NOT buy from the seller because you don’t know if the game will work on your console.
Where to Buy Retro Games Online?
So, we have covered quite a bit about buying retro games, its precautions and essential terms related to it.
But the question still remains the same – Where should you buy retro games?
It’s easy to say that Retroliogames is a decent gaming retailer in the US that sells used games and consoles at extremely affordable prices.
Retroliogames provide fully-tested gaming products, and therefore it makes them the number one retro game store.
They also offer 90-days money-back guarantee and free shipping along with that. What else would you want?
Not only that, but you also get a 10% off on your first purchase – You can avail it right now by clicking here.
The customer service is always available for your queries, feedback and returns 24 hours and 7 days a week. Sounds impressive, right?
Go For It!
Buy your first classic game now and be the next retro games collector in town – Enjoy the days of your childhood again!
We wish you all the best in your fantastic gaming journey, and we hope it will be full of adventures and action-filled with joy and happiness.
Happy gaming!
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.