I normally buy them even with stickers on them. I have had some stores let me try to take them off and if I can't I won't buy. I normally skip the ones with torn labels, or the black buster sticker thats clear over the front and back. I had a bad experience with one of those rental stickers once lol. Anyways nice find in the wild at least. Hope I will run across it soon!

I had no idea this cart was even difficult to find. A mint copy has been sitting at a local game store for twelve bucks for months.

To me the N64 will always be the dud system that was just so hard to sell. I'm shocked that it has taken off in any way. No one wanted this stuff even a few years back. There was a span of 2-3 years where we at the store would only pay $3 in trade and $2 in cash for the N64 system and we would still get several units traded in every week. No one ever turned down the offer because all the other used game stores in town refused to take them.  

Who collects the N64? Are these Nintendo collectors who pick it up because it is Nintendo and the next step after SNES or are these real fans of the system? Jone, you are a fan but what about the others who buy it up? 

I think your looking at this collecting thing one sided. See I was born in late 1990 and played video games at my grandmothers house. She had an atari and NES with a ton of games for when the grand kids came over. I loved these games a ton but never owned my own system. When I was about 4 or 5 I did a comercial for our local grocery store and with my money I bought a bike and a Super nintendo! I loved the super nintendo a ton but only had a few games. Would rent some of the games here and there but mainly played mario. Played a few others when I went to my uncles who had a ton.

Anyways long story short when the N64 came out my parent bought me it from the fingerhut magazine. I was like the first kid to get one in my area and loved it to death! Super mario 64 was amazing! When my friends came over we would play all kinds of games like star fox, smash bros., mario party, perfect dart, 007, diddy kong racing... you get the picture. I absolutely loved this system and it is the most memorable console from my child hood. This is the main reason I went back to collect it because I remember all the good times. I remember my friends I no longer live by, I remember my dad who I no longer see. I remember my family growing up and my cousins who I now live over 1000 miles from. This console just brings back everything to me.

The way I see it, people tend to look down at others childhood consoles. I always felt the gamecube was a failed hard to sell console and games. Heck the wii made the console useless. The N64 is the 90's no matter how you look at it for Nintendo.

I'm looking at the view as a used retail store owner. PS1 outsold N64 by a fair margin in my neck of the woods both while current and in the immediate years that followed.  Neither system was my childhood system. N64 was just hard to sell to anyone but parents of small children. 

Odd, selling popular N64 cartridges has been my main source of funding for my collecting. It's really hard to sell anything but the most popular titles, but they really do fly fast. Consoles are still kind of hard to sell but if you have good controller(s) paired with it, it's not so bad (I haven't been buying as many lately so it might be different now).

It's been said over and over, the people who grew up with N64 are now young adults with disposable income so there is naturally going to be some demand from casual gamers.

As for who collects the N64? There aren't that many on the boards but it's pretty easy to tell who they are since the same guys post over and over in the N64 threads. I can't really speak for anyone else but I'm a big fan of the system, from a gaming perspective NES is clearly better but I truly think the top N64 titles are some of the best ones out there. From a collecting standpoint, it's just a very fun system...besides, all the sweet games are already expensive so I might as well buy them all

I agree with this 100%.  The n64 seems to be the easiest console/games to make money on since every game that sold 1 million+ copies are the games that command premiums like the zeldas and marios.

as for the collectors now being young adults, I just turned 19 and n64 is the main project, im about 50% to a complete set and 25% CIB, I'm gettin there!

As for the transformers game there are clearly cartridges out there considering how available they were before this little scarcity tactic.  The game also saw a small retail release so there HAVE to be many more of these than SC no questions asked

Funny, because N64 growth has far exceeded SNES lately, which I can't just figure out.  But that's a whole nother thread about SNES prices.  But N64 rares have tripled and quadrupled lately from a CIB perspective.  There's also N64forever and I can't think of a single dedicated SNES forum.  N64 fans are everywhere, worldwide.  The only thing that is a hard sell is a bare gray console.  Funtastic systems / controllers are also pretty hot right now and real easy to move.

N64 is my favorite system and always will be, and I'm 28.  N64 is the best multiplayer system pre-internet.  It made the 4 player system the new standard.  Ask any N64 collector and they'll rave about multiplayer experiences on some of the console's bests.  Those multiplayer memories fuel the nostalgia for the system.

It's also the last of the cartridge era, and a small enough library where a full set is an achievable goal.  You know how many new collectors shy away from NES or SNES due to size and cost?  They feel like they already missed the boat so it's not worth pursuing.  The difference with N64 is that it's perceived as cheap and small, so many people are willing to start that journey no matter when they entered the collecting scene.

You act like N64 is a fad, but it hasn't even got started yet.  Give it "a few more years" and then maybe you'll accept it's staying power.

^ Amen to that brother!

I was actually in grad school when I finally tried the N64 (~2000). The only reason I picked it up back then was for the multiplayer of GoldenEye. Spent many drunk nights playing it with my college and grad school friends. In the Summer of 2001 it was stolen from me and it always left a void in my heart. I knew it was only a matter of time before I eventually got back into it. It's not my favorite Nintendo system, but I have the most memories from it, it's relatively inexpensive, and a complete set is very doable. So yeah....that's why I do it.

As a fellow N64 lover, and collector, I must say, you also need to mention the incredible single player experiences on the N64. Titles such as OOT, Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, all the Rareware games, etc. The system is great because of incredibly fun local multiplayer (Goldeneye, Mario Party, Mario Kart, SMash Bros), as well as some killer, and I mean killer single player experiences. The music for the N64 is also underrated, I don't think  NES guys understand how much I, and other people who grew up with this system really love it. Always seems like there is a lot of hate towards the music. Music from Super Mario 64, OOT, Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, and so on. The n64 has been overlooked for a while now, and people are finally starting to take notice (the price spike).

This ...  and Mario Kart too .  One of the best party systems to have around !

I'm excited to see where the prices go on the top tier games here.  My collection is only about 10 games that I really enjoy and a couple CIB of rares but that's all I need for this set !

I was thinking that after I posted.  But I was too lazy to edit it.  That was the other game we played to death.  Love me some Mario Kart.

People grew up with the PS1 as well so there has to be an element of speculation at play here just because it is a Nintendo system. Transformers which is an uncommon title on the PS1 as well sells for what $20 tops?

I'm not saying prices won't continue to rise as I totally see that coming but the PS1 was such a far superior system and appealed to such a wider group of gamers at the time.

I think people collect N64 now because of threads like this. If we didn't talk about anything I'm sure we wouldn't have so many collectors come out of the blue. 

I just feel some things are a bit disproportionate is all I am saying.  

Is it because N64 is a cartridge based system and PS1 is disc based... perhaps that has a play in the numbers?

I think people see the n64 as a system that is very doable to collect the entire set for, there aren't really any expensive games for it and there are far less total than NES or SNES. This has possibly fueled it's current growth. The most expensive game is like what, $100? That's chump change compared to the NES/SNES rares.

That said, the transformers game is absolutely terrible.

I would collect ps1 games too but I would never go for a full set. I would probably just get a few fun titles and all the rpg games. My favorite was Suikoden 2! Loved this game so much!

I'll be honest with you and tell you that I wasn't that impressed with the Zelda titles on the N64. At that time I enjoyed SNES Zelda better and since that time I've enjoyed future installments of Zelda better as well. Castlevania was another HUGE disapointment. Would anyone rather play Castlevania 64 over SOTN ? 

Mario 64 was very well done as Mario always is but there was only one Mario platformer on the system. If you are into platformers and from your list I would say that you are then I would say that the PS1 had as many great platformers if not more. Many of the 3rd party N64 platfomers are also on the PS1 and PS1 also had some decent exclusives as well. Spyro and Crash being the two big ones. 

Mario Kart was a good game but these days it almost feels like playing an old madden game because each new system has updated and improved it. 

Where were the strategy games and rpgs?

During that time DDR was huge. Just look how many installments there were on the PS1 and even more if you look to the Japanese side. There wasn't a single music game for the N64. Besides DDR there were other music based games like Bust a Groove and PaRappa on PS1.

Transformers is uncommon on PS1 yes, but a top rarity on N64.  So obviously it would be worth more on N64. 

As far as superiority and wider appeal, that doesn't matter either.  Mario 64 is a far superior game that appeals to many more people than transformers, yet, Transformers is worth more.  There is more to collectibility than how many units a system or game sold.

I agree cartridges are more collectible than discs.  Cardboard boxes are almost much more collectible than PS1 jewels.  The case on any PS1 game is swappable so having a Mint case is easy, getting a Mint cardboard box is another story.  Not to mention PS1 games display horribly.  I can show you a wall of PS1 games and you're going to squint and still not know what is what.  Show someone a wall of NES / SNES or N64, and you can actually recognize games or publishers.

The most important factor is size of the library, which I've already mentioned.  PS1 is what, like 1200-1300 games?  N64 is 296.  Collecting is about having well defined goals that you can complete.  That's why many of us have complete virtual boy CIB sets.  I'm sure we could care less about playing the system, but it's a small and easily definable set so you might as well go for it.  The size of the N64 library is actually a huge asset in it's collectibility.

Responses in bold

Oh yeah, and it has a cult favorite, Conker's Bad Fur Day.  Essentially the Earthbound of N64.  What's the cult favorite on PS1?  Team Buddies?  Tomba?  People will beat down your door looking for Conker BFD promo merchandise, and yawn on the PS1 stuff.

Obviously the N64 isn't for you, but to talk it down like the PS1 is so much better is crazy.  I'll agree PS1 has more studs but that's based on size of the library alone.  N64 is the multiplayer king no matter how you cut it.

You are right N64 is not for me. Nor was it for most gamers while it was current that I was selling to. Nor was it for most gamers that other store owners that I knew were selling to.  The library esp of the must haves was just too small. 

I feel the same way about the Wii. Except that the Wii has a huge library which has not helped it. Now the Wii may end up more collectable than the PS3 or the 360 one day and I'll be just as confused then as I am now. 

I think a lot of these answers are short sighted.

Disapointment was the key word in the first part. Disapointment is a big part of why the n64 had terrible sales.

Mario Party and Smash Brothers aren't really new franchises. They are new games types with existing characters.
Spyro vs Banjo is a better comparison, and which one of those has had more success?

The mario kart thing is pretty much an agreement.

The rpg argument is pretty shallow.  It just illustrates how bad the n64 library is.  Sour grapes excuse.

N64 had terrible sales because it was an old technology competiting with the new.  Disc based games were new and "in" back then, and PS1 actually got backing from big names like Final Fantasy.  That's why it did better than Sega Saturn who lacked good 3rd party support.

You can argue Mario Party isn't a new franchise, but it was the first to succeed in the emulated board game genre.  With over 10 games to date, it's pretty damn successful whether you want to argue the semantics or not.

As for RPGs, is there anyone here who exclusively plays RPGs and nothing else?  N64 also destroyed PS1 in the FPS genre.  You can't even name a good PS1 FPS, they don't exist.  The best games they got were hybrids like Metal Gear Solid (Action / Adventure) and Resident Evil (Survival Horror). N64 consolized the FPS genre with Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Turok.  The PS1 library was also overloaded with garbage PC ports in an attempt to increase profits.  You ask people about Myst, Diablo and Rainbow Six, and they all will be recommended on PC, not PS1.

PS1 did dominate the fighters though, because fighters are a 2 player genre.  Smash Bros did surprisingly well but there's a million PS1 fighters out there and Tekken has sold tons of copies. 

Each has their pros and cons, but to act like PS1 is entirely superior to N64 is ignorant.  Yeah it outsold N64 but sales aren't everything, otherwise Wii would be unanimously regarded as the best console from this generation. 

And for the real icing on the cake, look at how many people play N64 today vs. PS1.  PS1 is obsolete due to backwards compatibility, which sure isn't helping it's collectibility.  N64 is rising in collectibility because most people have to actually buy the hardware to get the full experience.  Emulation barely affects it also, because most N64 gamers are in it for the local multiplayer. 

Yes, there are people that play nothing but rpgs.

Also, ps1 had plenty of decent fps games. N64's only advantage is 4 player without multitap.
Final Doom and Medal of Honor are goods games when looking at that era.

I've been pulling up videos and each system has a particular style about the graphics that makes them different. It would probably reinforce what system you thought was better by which you played more as a kid.


As for current popularity, you seem to be a little nintendo bubble. PS1 held popularity, and n64 is riding a nostalgia/speculation/cult of nintendo wave. Also, because of the weak sales and rental exclusives, a bunch of the n64 valuable games are rare enough to more easily manipulate the markets.

And lastly I'm arguing just for the sake of arguing. I don't even like ps1 because of it being disc based.

Stupid connection problem made me double post.