Are Gamecube Games Quickly becoming the Next Collector IT Items?

I am not sure if this is a local thing, or if its going on everywhere but it seems the further we get away from the date that Nintendo cut support for the Gamecube the more costly even some of the more basic titles are getting.

I saw a pre-owned copy of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance selling for $79.99 at one of the mom and pop gaming stores I visit, and the more I think on it the more I wonder when the last time I saw a copy of that game anywhere was?

It seems that Twilight Princess at least in my local EB stores are selling whatever new copies they have left for 59.99, and used for 54.99 (20 bucks more then the Wii version)

The Baten Kaitos RPG's which used to flood use game shelves are becoming hard to find, with the second one harder then the first but copies of the original starting to thin out,

Even the Mario Parties seem to be holding their resale value?

So the question I have is should I be scouring all the pre-owned stores and loading up on games for Nintendo's least successful non-virtual reality based home console now, while the prices are at least in the retail realm, or am I just in a part of the world where the cost of Gamecube games is inflated?

Late last year Gamestop started marking their new GC titles as used and selling them at a deep discount to clear shlef space -- which I thought was crazy because I felt that GC titles would be in hot demand for Wii owners who had skipped over the Gamecube and wanted to take advantage of the Wii's backward compatibility.

Which appears to have happened. Even though I am on a triple-lockdown in terms of games buying, while we are on the topic, if anyone has any GC reccommendations for me (in terms of essential owns) let me know (collection link). The last time I asked I got some good suggestions.

Also, is Wii availability still low in the states? I know when I was there I did not see a single one in retail, but here (in AU) they are all over the place.

Yeah you're right aspro. Too many Wiis out there and not enough solid core titles mean the demand for these games are just going to keep going up. Those fire emblem games are kinda pricey now, but imo they aren't worth the prices they are demanding atm. The stories are still kinda weak, and I haven't seen any huge difference in gameplay since the GBA games. If you've played one, you've played em all.

F-zero gx(7$), pikmin 2(45$), and star fox adventures (6$) are potential must-haves. Edit: Sorry I just noticed you don't live in the US.

I saw that you have Super Punch-Out for SNES. If you're having to pull out your SNES to play it, you should try to find Fight Night Round 2. It has Super Punch-Out as a playable bonus. Prices on Ebay are 2-15$ for that one. They might release it on Wii VC at some point too, so /shrug.

I feel this. I've literally just started collecting for GameCube. I thought I would be able to at least pick up the core titles for a cheap price, just like you can pick up most core PS2 and XB games for next to nothing. Wrong! Never mind stuff I really want like Baten Katos, even games that must have sold a gazillion copies aren't cheap. The easiest way to see it is with multi-plats. A single game will cost on average £5-10 more on GC than PS2.

Twilight Princess on GC is like £40+ used here. That's at least $80. Nobody bought it new because they released it when the big game stores had already stopped stocking GC stuff. Smart move.

Yet despite the obvious demand, stores here stopped selling used GC stuff for good about a year back, so it's quite hard to even find the titles you want without scouring eBay and paying through the teeth for the game that both you and twenty other people want...

I'm definately considering just getting a Freeloader and buying some US games. Not only will that enable me to get BK Origins but I should be able to pick up most games cheaper. Including Twilight Princess. Sounds like I'll have to move fast though.

I think the Wii thing has definately contributed to the demand for GC games; not only are more people picking up GC games to play on their new console, they're not getting rid of their old games when buying a Wii (as the average person would have when going from N64 to GC).

Edit: By the way, Wiis are all over the place here too. The only time they aren't easy to find is immediately before Christmas. We haven't experienced any of the crippling shortages they seem to have had Stateside; in fact when I worked retail we had 200 units come in 3 days before Christmas and I don't even think they sold out (probably because nobody knew we had them and had resigned themselves to a Wii-less Christmas). Wii Fit sold out in like 90 seconds though.

Yeah you're right aspro. Too many Wiis out there and not enough solid core titles mean the demand for these games are just going to keep going up. Those fire emblem games are kinda pricey now, but imo they aren't worth the prices they are demanding atm. The stories are still kinda weak, and I haven't seen any huge difference in gameplay since the GBA games. If you've played one, you've played em all.

F-zero gx(7$), pikmin 2(45$), and star fox adventures (6$) are potential must-haves. Edit: Sorry I just noticed you don't live in the US.

I saw that you have Super Punch-Out for SNES. If you're having to pull out your SNES to play it, you should try to find Fight Night Round 2. It has Super Punch-Out as a playable bonus. Prices on Ebay are 2-15$ for that one. They might release it on Wii VC at some point too, so /shrug.

sqrabbit

Thanks for the suggestions. I buy all my games in the US and import (just so you know).

That's just sad...because I sold my copy of Fire Emblem Path of Radience for 30$ 2 months ago, I really wish I didn't because I'm a collector, but on the other hand, I didn't the game one bit. and I'm not seeing GC games being over-priced, I'm not seeing GC games at all, I know one little store that sells a few GC games, and I bought from them Twilight Princess on the Gamecube when it came out there, and up until this day, nothing has changed, I think I should go over there and buy them, there about 30$ per game and all I need is Geist, Simpsons Hit and Run (Maybe) and one of the Prince of Persia games, I'll be going to the store soon.

Makes me glad that I started my Gamecube collection at launch, I bought Twin Snakes on the launch date for the measly price of 30 pound but now it is going up-to 60 pound on ebay. I think it is because of the Wii's popularity that is pushing the sales higher, just to much demand for the games and not enough games. It seems though the shops I live around have endless supplies of Gamecube games, my Gamestation has about 50ish games, which I am gradually clearing out the more times I go in, and a local shop has the same amount I guess you have to just be lucky and hope someone trades some in and you happen to go to the shop.hesel

Whereabouts do you live? I don't think I've seen a GameCube game in the wild for about six months :shock: All the GameStations near me stopped carrying used GC stock last year, Game sometimes has a couple of titles in a bargain bin (or fifty copies of Odama) but that's it. It's only CeX that still seems to sell GC stuff anymore, and then only a single shelf unit. Oh, and Cash Generator of course which sells everything ever made, but those places smell funny.

[QUOTE="hesel"]Makes me glad that I started my Gamecube collection at launch, I bought Twin Snakes on the launch date for the measly price of 30 pound but now it is going up-to 60 pound on ebay. I think it is because of the Wii's popularity that is pushing the sales higher, just to much demand for the games and not enough games. It seems though the shops I live around have endless supplies of Gamecube games, my Gamestation has about 50ish games, which I am gradually clearing out the more times I go in, and a local shop has the same amount I guess you have to just be lucky and hope someone trades some in and you happen to go to the shop.totalgridlock

Whereabouts do you live? I don't think I've seen a GameCube game in the wild for about six months :shock: All the GameStations near me stopped carrying used GC stock last year, Game sometimes has a couple of titles in a bargain bin (or fifty copies of Odama) but that's it. It's only CeX that still seems to sell GC stuff anymore, and then only a single shelf unit. Oh, and Cash Generator of course which sells everything ever made, but those places smell funny.

it seems to be that way.

i can't find fire emblem anywhere....and used copy of twilight princess is $40 at my local eb

[QUOTE="totalgridlock"]

[QUOTE="hesel"]Makes me glad that I started my Gamecube collection at launch, I bought Twin Snakes on the launch date for the measly price of 30 pound but now it is going up-to 60 pound on ebay. I think it is because of the Wii's popularity that is pushing the sales higher, just to much demand for the games and not enough games. It seems though the shops I live around have endless supplies of Gamecube games, my Gamestation has about 50ish games, which I am gradually clearing out the more times I go in, and a local shop has the same amount I guess you have to just be lucky and hope someone trades some in and you happen to go to the shop.hesel

Whereabouts do you live? I don't think I've seen a GameCube game in the wild for about six months :shock: All the GameStations near me stopped carrying used GC stock last year, Game sometimes has a couple of titles in a bargain bin (or fifty copies of Odama) but that's it. It's only CeX that still seems to sell GC stuff anymore, and then only a single shelf unit. Oh, and Cash Generator of course which sells everything ever made, but those places smell funny.

I live in Scarborough, come to think of it my Game stopped stocking Gamecube games about a month ago and sent them across the street to Gamestation as they are the same company, but it seems to be that they have a decline in stock and suddenly someone trades in alot of games and they are all stocked up again.

I'm in Manchester. I guess I just live in a bad area for GameCube stuff. The city centre GameStation doesn't even take GC stuff on trade-in: more than once I've heard them tell people to just take their stuff to CeX. All they're interested in nowadays is current-gen. It's a shame because GameStation used to be one of my go-to places for retro stuff: NES, SNES, everything. But since Game bought them it seems they've completely stopped selling anything pre-PS2 and are cutting back drastically on everything but the latest stuff.

It's funny how the industry used to snub the GCN and now the games are in hot demand oOGAMECAMILLER

That's probably the reason they're in such high demand.

Fortunately for me I have just about every GC game that I want, so this doesn't really affect me. I feel people's pain though, games like Pikmin 2 and Fire Emblem are gems that a lot of people missed. Honestly, I think the Gamecube was a solid system, and I think Wii owners are starting to realize how much more solid the Gamecube was than the Wii. However, too little too late.

It's funny how the industry used to snub the GCN and now the games are in hot demand oOGAMECAMILLER

They're in demand for that very reason. The GC sold so poorly last gen that games were also produced in lower numbers. It wasn't noticable back then since the relative supply and demand for GC games was the same as the other consoles. But now that the installed user base has exploded thanks to the Wii that supply is no longer adequete to meet demand.

I'm just glad that I snagged up most of the GCN games that I like back before this crazy price increase.

[QUOTE="GAMECAMILLER"]

I'm just glad that I snagged up most of the GCN games that I like back before this crazy price increase.

gameguy6700

Now that I am in full out panic mode in regards to scoring GC games before they vanish, the question I have to pose to the masses is this:

Is Zelda: Four Swords the red headed step child of the Gamecube Zeldas?

I can get a sealed copy, but I wonder if its even worth it?

Now that I am in full out panic mode in regards to scoring GC games before they vanish, the question I have to pose to the masses is this:

Is Zelda: Four Swords the red headed step child of the Gamecube Zeldas?

I can get a sealed copy, but I wonder if its even worth it?

cosmostein77

Speaking with NO authority whatsoever I have to say, get it. And that it most definately will not be worth it unless you can get three friends togther (with their GBA's and GBA->GC conversion cables).

[QUOTE="cosmostein77"]

Now that I am in full out panic mode in regards to scoring GC games before they vanish, the question I have to pose to the masses is this:

Is Zelda: Four Swords the red headed step child of the Gamecube Zeldas?

I can get a sealed copy, but I wonder if its even worth it?

aspro73

Speaking with NO authority whatsoever I have to say, get it. And that it most definately will not be worth it unless you can get three friends togther (with their GBA's and GBA->GC conversion cables).

Peer Preasure at its finest,

I will have the copy by noon EST LOL