The Classics Never Die

By Adam Hunter, special to MSN Tech & Gadgets

'Pac Man,' 'Super Mario Bros.,' Other Old Games Making a Comeback

When 22-year-old Silver Spring, Md., native Zak Santucci recently spent $30 on a video game, he considered it a bargain. After all, it was almost $20 less than the average cost of a new game for Nintendo Wii. Except Santucci’s purchase was far from new — it was "Q-bert," a puzzle game for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, a game console that first arrived in the U.S. in 1985 and was discontinued in the mid-1990s.

The Classics Never Die // Q-bert (© Columbia Pictures Industries)

Thirty dollars for an ’80s-era game? “"Q-bert" rocks,” Santucci says.

Video games have come a long way since "Q-bert." The latest game systems — Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 — boast features like motion-sensitive controllers, online play with others, and games so realistic the U.S. Army even uses one to help train troops. So one might expect yesterday’s games and game systems to share the fate of eight-track tapes or typewriters: quaint relics gathering dust or going cheap at flea markets and yard sales. But in fact, classic video games are enjoying a rebirth — in some cases, selling better now than they did back in their heyday. Casual gamers, dedicated collectors, even the major players in the video game industry have given these old games an “extra life.”

The Collectors
Santucci isn’t the only one paying top dollar for old games. In February, one eBay bidder paid over $6,000 for a complete collection of Nintendo games and accessories. Passionate online communities have sprung up — like DigitPress.com, where more than 19,000 members discuss everything from how to find the rarest games to the subtle differences between protective dust sleeves. Even Mario and Luigi might find some of these collectors to be a bit … obsessive.

The Classics Never Die // Jason Smith (© Jason Smith)

Take Jason Smith, for example. The 26-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., postal service worker has spent 4 1/2 years amassing every NES game ever released in the United States — more than 400. “I’m working on getting all the Nintendo games from other countries — all of Europe, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, Canada and Brazil,” he says. Smith even built a 400-pound, 8-foot-by-3-foot replica of the original Nintendo to house his collection, pictures of which he displays on his Web site. “I also have a 7-foot-tall Game Boy,” he says with a laugh. He sells games on eBay to help fund his collection.

“I prefer the NES because that is what I grew up with. It was my first system, and has always held a special place in my heart,” Smith says. “I only had a few games when I was younger, because my parents couldn't afford them. So when I got older, got a job, I started buying the classics.”

Chris Zasada, a production specialist from northwest Ohio, was 6 when he got the original Nintendo. He started collecting old Nintendo games again in 2002, when a local store began selling them cheap. He’s hunted down rare and unusual games at stores, garage sales, flea markets and on eBay. “I’ve cooled down in the past couple years,” he says. “I have to start pondering other expenses, like a house to put all this stuff in.

“A heavy factor is nostalgia,” Zasada says. And he misses the simplicity of the older games: “Newer games take days and weeks to complete; classic games take all of an hour or two.”

Smith agrees. “Most of the newer stuff is all about graphics and who can build the most powerful PC into a gaming console.”

CONTINUED: Nostalgia? Or Something New?

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