Retro-Game Collecting

[Cleavy]

remember the Sega (Master System) games on the cards, rather than the cartridges?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Got my Sega Dreamcast HDMI modded my good it's amazing Dreamcast never looked so clean and crisp at 1080p

Own 36 Dreamcast games and looking to add more to my collection. I'm after Grandia 2 or Dynamite Cop anyone have a copy they will like to sell happy to buy need to be CIB with no broken hinges/cracked or missing manuals

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

As you can see I was a Sega kid haha have the consoles packed away but this my retro collection

 

[dwwaino]

A couple of retro tech and gaming stores have opened at Westfield Southland in the last couple years. Every time I walk past I have a peak but still haven't let myself go inside either of them because retro gaming is a rabbit hole I really don't want to go down.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

A couple of retro tech and gaming stores have opened at Westfield Southland in the last couple years. Every time I walk past I have a peak but still haven't let myself go inside either of them because retro gaming is a rabbit hole I really don't want to go down.

I found a retro place called Icarus Tech in Broadmeadows

it's a place where you can buy retro video games which are reasonably priced they also repair and mod old consoles got my Dreamcast HDMI mod.

The staff a really friendly too cool place to hang out

 

[Ry009]

A couple of retro tech and gaming stores have opened at Westfield Southland in the last couple years. Every time I walk past I have a peak but still haven't let myself go inside either of them because retro gaming is a rabbit hole I really don't want to go down.

Oh shit, really where?

 

[dwwaino]

Oh shit, really where?

Level 3 near Big W. One is on the corner right next to Dusk and across from Zing, next to that small entry as you walk in (the old Foot Locker before that moved next to Nike). That one is completely retro gaming. The other one is opposite, down a bit further a few shops past Zing towards Big W and looks like it specialises more in second hand tech but I've seen it carries retro gaming stuff too.

 

[Ry009]

Level 3 near Big W. One is on the corner right next to Dusk and across from Zing, next to that small entry as you walk in (the old Foot Locker before that moved next to Nike). That one is completely retro gaming. The other one is opposite, down a bit further a few shops past Zing towards Big W and looks like it specialises more in second hand tech but I've seen it carries retro gaming stuff too.

Ah nice, thanks. While I've only been to Southland a handful of times since moving away from Bayside, know where that is.

Will have to check it out (and prey for my wallet).

I vaguely remember a small cash converters type place opposite Big W (unless I'm imagining another place) but they had bugger all from memory.

[Back in my day alert] Geez, Southland has changed a bit over the years. Just remember the video game store that used to be in that area, around the corner (from what I think still is?) Rebel. Way before the EB days.

 

[Sixpence]

I vaguely remember a small cash converters type place opposite Big W (unless I'm imagining another place) but they had bugger all from memory.

There's a CeX right around that spot. That's the only place I can think of, so those others must be very new. Or I'm just not very observant.

 

[dwwaino]

Ah nice, thanks. While I've only been to Southland a handful of times since moving away from Bayside, know where that is.

Will have to check it out (and prey for my wallet).

I vaguely remember a small cash converters type place opposite Big W (unless I'm imagining another place) but they had bugger all from memory.

[Back in my day alert] Geez, Southland has changed a bit over the years. Just remember the video game store that used to be in that area, around the corner (from what I think still is?) Rebel. Way before the EB days.

CeX is the one that's the second hand joint I was thinking of. Last couple times I've walked past I've seen some old consoles and games in the window. The other one is Super Retro that is in the old Foot Locker

Super Retro Australia

Super Retro is the leading place to shop for games, consoles, controllers and accessories. Buy Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox classics in-store or online!

superretro.com.au

I don't go there much anymore either since moving from Mentone to a bit further towards Frankston. Well I pop into Coles once a week because I work in Moorabbin but I very rarely go to the other side of the centre. I ducked in on Saturday to go to the post office and wanted to get some sushi from near where the cinemas are and only just saw that wing had been entirely renovated. Not sure how long ago that was. I noticed the top level of David Jones is gone too for a toy shop and Rebel has expanded. The EB in there is absolutely cactus. I went in over Christmas to get a controller and there was only a tiny corner of physical games. Really sad as that joint used to be pumping and I remember many midnight launches there.

 

[Sixpence]

The other one is Super Retro that is in the old Foot Locker

Super Retro Australia

Super Retro is the leading place to shop for games, consoles, controllers and accessories. Buy Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox classics in-store or online!

superretro.com.au

Ahh, that rings a bell, I think I did see that last time I was there.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

CeX is the one that's the second hand joint I was thinking of. Last couple times I've walked past I've seen some old consoles and games in the window. The other one is Super Retro that is in the old Foot Locker

Super Retro Australia

Super Retro is the leading place to shop for games, consoles, controllers and accessories. Buy Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox classics in-store or online!

superretro.com.au

I don't go there much anymore either since moving from Mentone to a bit further towards Frankston. Well I pop into Coles once a week because I work in Moorabbin but I very rarely go to the other side of the centre. I ducked in on Saturday to go to the post office and wanted to get some sushi from near where the cinemas are and only just saw that wing had been entirely renovated. Not sure how long ago that was. I noticed the top level of David Jones is gone too for a toy shop and Rebel has expanded. The EB in there is absolutely cactus. I went in over Christmas to get a controller and there was only a tiny corner of physical games. Really sad as that joint used to be pumping and I remember many midnight launches there.

I think EB won't be around for much longer they closed all stores in New Zealand.

Only a matter of time before they close all stores in Australia its more of a loot/pop culture store now

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Cex is not bad but hate how they take a cut if you decide to take cash

 

[dwwaino]

Ahh, that rings a bell, I think I did see that last time I was there.

At the front from memory they have figurines and board games, kind of looks like a Zing but once you peak inside you see all the games and consoles. I rubber neck every time I walk past and the wife always asks why I don't go in. I told her this is a Pandora's Box that must remain closed.

 

[StFly]

A couple of retro tech and gaming stores have opened at Westfield Southland in the last couple years. Every time I walk past I have a peak but still haven't let myself go inside either of them because retro gaming is a rabbit hole I really don't want to go down.

There's one in Greensborough as well, I forget the name of it since been a while since I've been around Melbourne as friends and I used to gravitate from Chinatown arcades back in the day. They had a fair collection from memory, we'd end up around Abbotsford for a dodgy anime shop, I say dodgy as obvious sails when you got to play the discs later.

In any event, been cataloguing mine just so I know where things are, total count came to 185, so going down the list re consoles/portables;

GB/A had 2 titles
SNES with 3, same as the Gamecube (got it late in its life for $50)
Vita with 4 titles (+4 digital)
PS5 currently has 8 physical (200+ digital)
Wii with 5
Then it's the NES with 13, Switch with 16, 3/DS slots in at 20 (one import) PS4 is next with 24, X0Box 360 is then next with 27 (2x Collectors; Star Ocean last Hope and Batman Arkham Origins) also the ME trilogy that came with digital things. The PS2 edges that with 29 titles and topping it off is the PSX with 33 +3 demo discs+only 1x platinum and 1x greatest hits (import) everything else is black label original. I remember getting FFIX from a Retravision as no one else had stock at the time and we had a local one that had it in stock and price matched.

We had a Megadrive, that got donated in the 90's, I was lucky in that I could just walk to a pub and play arcade machines as took 5 minutes up and back, so Final Fight, WWII, Street Fighter II up at the NSW border in a random corner shop, you name it, think last one was in Barham on the border and from memory it was a very yellow machine.

I also go into said places to have a look around, as I have patience so i can tell myself no in such situations.
That being said, since I am in probate to maybe own a house, I have made plans for games room and have alrady been looking at arcade machines to plug in there and plans are being made on how to arrange said room... will need to add power instances and fiddle with wiring.

I somehow always ended up at Minotaur in my Melbourne junkets, is where I got my comics from.

 

[laptop_MR]

Buying retro games from any shop (be it a pawn shop, cashies, a 'retro game shop', cex or EB) is a rip off. Always tend to charge more than ebay prices. Took a punt on my local cex a month or two ago as I saw melee on a stroll once and bought it impulsively, charged me $80 for a copy that didn't even have the manual and the disc wasn't in very good nick.

Typically always go a local car boot sale, marketplace or gumtree for stuff. Back in the days of suburb wide council clean ups you'd find consoles and games on the side of the road for free - found a working SNES, N64, and a fair few PS2's in that manner. It's so much work as the hobby's exploded over time but I can add stuff to the collection for dirt cheap and can sell doubles on for a bit of cash. Got everything tracked on a spreadsheet so I know exactly what I have. I tend to avoid the places I mentioned above like the plague.

 

[Scotland]

I wandered by a Cash Converters a year or so ago and bought a copy of Wave Race 64 for $15. Went there recently and I think they had 3 N64 games for $40 each, none of which were in good condition or were sought after titles. Looked like all the inventory of stuff that used to be cheap has been cleaned out and the small selection of what I would call retro stuff is the same price as going to a niche retro video game shop which has a better selection. Still plenty of Xbox/Playstation games for $5-10 each.

Retro game shops are hit and miss. Not a lot of turnover or margin in most games and I think they make their money selling parts (cables, controllers etc.) and finding diamonds in the rough that people don't know the value of. Which is silly in 2026 as it takes 2 seconds to look for something online. I've seen Snowboard Kids 2 for sale for $500 and having only ever owned the first one as a kid I would not have known it was valuable. I'm guessing whoever sold it to the shop probably brought in a box of loose games and was happy with $50 for the lot. Do wish I had kept more boxes and instruction manuals from the 90s though.

The circular economy is great but as soon as something starts to gain some popularity everyone wants a piece of the action. Video games, Lego, vinyl records... bargains are harder and harder to find.

 

[Cheese Tastes Good]

I have a PS2 HDD coming, going to dive into the world of modding my PS2 with FreeMCBoot. Very excited to finally get this going.

Did you guys know Myrient is closing at the end of the month? You might want to download all the ROMs you can ASAP. It'll still have mirrors and backups and everything of course, but while it's live in its current iteration its a great place to get what you need, different formats and file types and everything for all occasions.

 

[Scotland]

I plan on getting a Wii or Wii U for modding. Watched a few Youtube videos about the current state of Mario Kart Wii and my mind cannot be unblown.