One of the most joyful things about the retro video game community is the conventions and meet-ups that are put on to celebrate the classics and bask in the glory of those hidden gems.
In-person events are slowly starting to make a comeback, so leave it to the indomitable Zion Grassl, king of collectibles and physical media (and lovely Nintendo Life video producer), to come back from a local game swap meet in Portland with a plethora of weird and wonderful goodies. Where else are you going to find first-party titles like Steel Diver or peripherals like the uDraw tablet?
Yes, this video proves that the Wii is properly retro now. It's nearly 16 years old! Also can we have that CRT with EarthBound playing in the background?
Check out Zion's video up top to see what we're talking about, and let us know the best purchases or swaps you've ever made at a video game convention or event!
Comments 14
My favourite weird game is Muscle March
I wish there were some game swaps near me. I have a Gamestop but it's not really the same. Would love to pick up some older games.
One dollar is a great deal for the thing that killed THQ.
Man I wish that kind of stuff was closer to me…you don’t get that in Utah really.
I'm not quite sure what my favourite weird game is but Bonzai Barber was the first game to pop into my head. That is about as weird as weird games get and I really liked it.
This is the best part of collecting.
I have a complete Pal N64 collection all mint, all complete
It took me 10+ years but man I met some truly wonderful people doing it.
It is the journey that is the best part of collecting, oh that and finding a complete mint copy of Snowboard Kids 2 for $90.
The reason that we keep buying weird retro stuff is the same reason that anybody buys things they don't need for any other hobby... collecting is fun.
I have a bookshelf full of games, and the vast majority of them are games that I have never finished. Some haven't even been played. But.... I LOVE the collecting part of it.
Well, I know where to find Steel Diver.
In my collection because I'm one of the crazy people who bought a 3DS and launch and though that was going to be the pick out of the limited launch game selection.
I wish we had retro meet-ups in the south west of the UK. Seems to be nothing.
These videos are so much fun!
I always make lists with what I want from every system. And my GameCube library is almost complete! F zero GX, kirby air ride, Nintendo puzzle collecting and Wario world! Those at the ones I still need! 😁❤️
Idk, I won’t buy the Wii being retro until the Switch 2 is released. Right now the GameCube is just barely retro.
(And that’s me conceding to the reality of time… the N64 with its primitive graphics is the most recent Nintendo console that has really started to feel truly retro to me personally.)
I love living in the Seattle area as I have so many retro game stores near me. Literally one within walking distance from my house and about a dozen in a 20-mile radius. Then I can drive two hours to Portland and find another 6-8 stores in that area. I've built up my collection quite a bit over the last two years living here. I'm going to Sakura-con next month and they have a bunch of retro game booths with rare games they pull out of storage for lower than market value prices. I got some in 2019 and they're worth triple what I bought them for.
If anyone hasn't heard of it check out vgcollect.com. It's a great way to keep track of everything you have.
https://vgcollect.com/ivorysoul
Oh hey I have all of these games! Amazing how the internet works.
I too once collected pointless things that held little value outside of my own perceived value, beanie babies. To be fair I was like 12 though.
I love the super scope, Battleclash, Metal Combat & Super Scope 6 are so much fun, I am still hunting down Yoshi's Safari. Also I love a nice and helpful GameStop employee. The former manager at the store closest to me was so kind and helpful at all times, new my name and actually learned my interests and would have great recommendation, but wouldn't get pushy about it.
My favorite story about that store, when club nintendo was closing I was looking to pick up some used games with the hopes of getting some codes so I could get one last poster set. This manager just handed me a stack of some 50 codes (in varying states). That was one of my favorite experiences at any game store. Sadly since she left the store has gone down hill.
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