Top 10

In this age of tablets and smartphones, it’s easier than ever to buy and download retro gaming classics. Of course, there’s nothing quite like owning the original consoles.

Let’s face it, the musty scent of ageing electronics can never be replicated on fancy wireless devices – so it’s great to see that retro game consoles can be snapped up on the cheap these days.

Charity shops, car boot sales and eBay are all fantastic places to start, but before you do, be sure to check out our rundown of the best retro consoles, and how much you should be paying for them.

1. Atari 2600

Released in 1982, amid a sea of pastel suits and bad hair, many regard the Atari 2600 as the true beginning of gaming as we know it today. The console, which came bundled with two joysticks and a paddle controller (perfect for the likes of Pong), sported a host of ambiguous switches and rocked a funky 1970s woodgrain finish. Initial sales of the console were slow, but that all changed when Atari secured a number of standout games, including Sky Skipper, Pitfall, Combat and Mario Bros.

Expect to pay: £40 – £60 (depending on model)

2. Super Nintendo Entertainment System

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES, as it’s affectionately dubbed by twenty-somethings) is often regarded as one of the best consoles ever created – and with good reason. Released in 1992, the 16-bit console is a master class of design – indeed, its controller alone sets the benchmark for accessibility, and has been endlessly copied over the generations. The SNES also featured snazzy Mode 7 graphics, which allowed it to rotate images to stunning effect, meaning that many of the games haven’t aged a jot.

Expect to pay: £25 – £40

3. Nintendo Entertainment System

One of the most popular consoles ever created, the Nintendo Entertainment System paved the way for future generations, and brought arcade-esque experiences kicking and screaming into the living room. The NES was also responsible for making Mario and Luigi household names, as well as cementing Nintendo’s reputation as unhinged innovators, with a raft of accessories including the Power Glove, the Super Scope, and, er, Rob the Robot…

Expect to pay: £15 – £20

4. Nintendo 64

Back in the early 90s, Nintendo reckoned its next console would boast visuals to rival Jurassic Park. That never happened, obviously, but the N64 certainly featured dinosaurs – as fans of the Acclaim’s brilliant shoot ém up, Turok, will attest. Still, the Nintendo 64 will be remembered for more than lumbering lizards – namely its exceptional three-pronged controller, which allowed gamers to manipulate 3D spaces with unparalleled accuracy. That it also featured such classics as Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time is just the icing on the cake.

Expect to pay: £25 – £30

5. Game Boy

Marrying the huge success of its home console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and its portable sibling, the Game & Watch, Nintendo’s Game Boy was a truly revolutionary device. Running on just two AA batteries, the system allowed gamers to escape into beautifully crafted worlds on the bus, tube and (if you were sneaky about it) under the family dinner table. The device was also responsible for triggering Poké-mania in the mid-nineties, much to the dismay of parents the world over.

Expect to pay: £18 – £25

6. Sega Mega Drive

Back in the 90s, the console war was in full swing, and it was Sega’s Mega Drive that gave Nintendo the biggest competition on the sales front. Marketed towards an older audience than that of the Super Nintendo, the Mega Drive’s game library was far more brutal in taste, boasting fantastic titles like Revenge of the Shinobi, Streets of Rage and the Super Hang On. The Mega Drive was also responsible for ushering Sonic The Hedgehog into the limelight, who  helped to define the genre.

Expect to pay: £20 – £30

7. PlayStation

“Do not underestimate the power of PlayStation”, ran the marketing spiel to Sony’s first home console. They weren’t wrong.  In little over a decade, the PlayStation brand has become stronger than ever, but it was the original PlayStation that put it on the map. Boasting a new-fangled CD format, the PlayStation not only featured spectacular sound quality compared to its rivals, but stunning three dimensional graphics. With a more cinematic approach to gaming, brought about by such games as Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Solid, the PlayStation was far ahead of its time.

Expect to pay: £14 – £25

8. Dreamcast

Released two years before Sony’s next-gen offering, the Dreamcast hoped to capitalise on the next generation of console punters. While initial sales were promising, the console lost much of its momentum after the release of the PlayStation 2, despite its inherent quality. Those who looked past the console’s hefty price tag were treated to some of the most creative, innovative and immaculately-crafted games ever made, including Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, and Shenmue.

Expect to pay: £35 – £50

9. Commodore 64

Released in 1982, the Commodore 64 quickly outsold its competitors with incredibly flexible hardware and, perhaps more importantly, a lower price. Indeed, it still stands as the third best-selling personal computer of all time. With such quality games as Spy vs. Spy, Maniac Mansion and Impossible Mission 2, the Commodore 64 packed a lot of entertainment under that humble black and beige keyboard.

Expect to pay: £40 – £50

10. ZX Spectrum VCS

Launched in 1982, the ZX Spectrum was the first foray into the world of home computing for many people.  Featuring a large, rubber keyboard that wouldn’t look place on a pound store calculator, the ZX Spectrum not only allowed people to play games, but make them too – provided they could master the system’s BASIC programming language. Look past the ghastly exterior, and there were more than enough quality games to choose from, too, from intergalactic space epic Elite, to the downright charming School Daze. Well worth a look.

Expect to pay: £45 – £60 (depending on model)

How many of these game consoles do you remember?