Life is chock-full of regrets, and if there is one area that the sentiment could not be any more true, it’s video games. There’s no shortage of regret over buying titles that ended up being horrendous, like these regretful PlayStation 5 players.
When it comes to video game collecting, that’s where the ultimate amount of regret lies. Specifically, failing to buy things when they were dirt cheap, only to see those same things rise in price dramatically years later as nostalgia kicks in.
The State Of Physical Game Collecting Is Beyond Repair
As a physical game collector, the future seems dire.
A year ago, we chronicled the plight of GameCube fans who wished they could go back in time to buy the likes of Pokemon Colosseum and Super Smash Bros. Melee for $12. A year later, its fans of the Nintendo DS and 3DS.
Nintendo Was Practically Giving Away Its Handheld Consoles
Over on the r/3DS sub, one gamer hit everyone with a massive “Regret Bomb” when they shared an old post from deal hunter Wario64 showcasing the New Nintendo 3DS for $99 for Black Friday 2016.
Flash forward to today, and that Super Mario “Black Edition” 3DS is selling for no less than $300, more if you want it Complete in Box (CIB) or brand-new, per PriceCharting.
“I remember when this happened and knew I had to do it and just got lazy and didn’t do it,” one regretful gamer wrote in response. “Huge mistake. Incredible deal.”
Indeed, it was an incredible deal. So was this package deal at Costco that included Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, alongside a 3DS XL, the giant-sized revision that was way more ergonomic. That one cost $219.99.
Thankfully, the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. is relatively cheap, likely due to how many copies were printed. But you’re still looking at a $300 or so purchase price for a 3DS console alone these days.
“Time to go back in time with a pallet jack,” a collector jokingly wrote on Reddit.
It’d be one thing if the games were expensive and the console isn’t, as is the case with the GameCube. But the 3DS is in some uncharted territory, where the console has exploded in price and so has some of the most desirable games. It probably also doesn’t help that 3DS emulation hasn’t been perfected. It’s close, but not 1:1, leaving the original consoles as the best way to play to this day.
Like we said up top, few things have as many regrets as gaming does. Who wants to predict the next cheap thing that’s soon to be expensive?
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Original Release Date
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March 27, 2011
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$249.99
- Weight
-
3DS: 8.3 oz
3DS XL: 11.9 oz
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