Any rare PC games?

[tom]

Mortimer (Mac)
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=194950&g2_serialNumber=2

[roushimsx]

MVP 2005 Baseball was the last baseball game (other than management sims) made for PC before EA lost the license to 2K, until 2K put MLB 2K9 on the PC this season. NASCAR 2003 was the last Papyrus game before they lost the NASCAR license to EA, and EA's NASCAR games aren't as good.
Those fans of NASCAR 2003 ought to move over to iRacing.com already! David Kaemmer is tha man.

[norkusa]

What's up with these old Power Mac games selling for so much? Especially when there's a PC version of the same title? You'd think they sell for less since Macs don't support anything pre-OSX any longer and the PC version would be more convenient.


BTW, a few others titles to look out for are cd-rom versions of Star Control 1 + 2 and Infocom Lost Treasures vol's 1 & 2. Sold one of the Star Controls last year for $60 and sold one of the Infocom's a couple years ago to someone on Atari Age for $100 (complete with all manuals and extras).

[Sonicwolf]

and the PC version would be more convenient.

Not if you have VistAIDS...

it makes it basically impossible to play many older games.

[phreakindee]

In my experience, the Mac versions of these games are more because they were indeed in much less demand and are extremely hard to find. And now that Apple products are in style, many new fans are discovering the older systems and games, which drives cost way up.

For instance, a complete copy of Full Throttle Power PC native I've seen go for over $70, but there's no way I'd pay that. I found a sealed box for $4, you just have to really look around for these old PC games. Another example is Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior for Mac. Both of these can go for enormous amounts for whatever reason, usually over $70 boxed, but I found these both at a Goodwill for $3 each and a box of Shadow Warrior I also got from a Mac forum member

[phreakindee]

I wonder how rare the original release of SimCity is in complete back with 3 and 5 inch floppy disks' for IBM compatibles.

Not rare at all I would say. I have about 5 of these boxes, and several more of the later editions, even the one that came bundled with Populous. These were easy to find, all under $10.

[phreakindee]

The hardest-to-find PC game I have ever tried to find? The only SimCity 2000 expansion, SimCity 2000 Scenarios Vol. 1 - Great Disasters. I have never seen one on eBay in almost a decade of looking, I have never seen it listed anywhere at all, period, for sale. I only recently found it on a list on a Dutch forum, somebody had the boxed American game and I bought it off them.

If anyone can find this, boxed or otherwise, I will be HIGHLY impressed, as it eluded me for many years. I'm not sure how many were even made as it didn't go retail (mail-order only as far as I know), but it can't be much as Maxis started bundling the expansion with SimCity 2000 very shortly after and stopped selling it individually.

[Sonicwolf]

The hardest-to-find PC game I have ever tried to find? The only SimCity 2000 expansion, SimCity 2000 Scenarios Vol. 1 - Great Disasters.


Wouldn't the infamous 'Network Edition' be rare and have some value to it?

[calthaer]

Wow. This is a good list.

PC gaming is what I grew up on - didn't have an NES or anything until much later. As such, I have sort of a soft spot for these games. I really think that some of the best, richest gameplay experiences I've had were with PC games. Console games are fun, and usually entertaining, but they always seem a bit more like candy to me, whereas PC games seem to have a lot more substance.

It's sort of a bummer that there isn't a comprehensive database out there of PC games along with all of their releases. MobyGames has a lot of info, but it's not really geared towards someone that actually wants to go out and collect / acquire the games (nor does it divulge which versions or editions exist). Not only would it be useful, but I think it might encourage people to take an interest in some amazing games. I really view ~ 1990-2000 PC games as the greatest games of all time, on any system.

All that being said: I was pretty surprised not to see System Shock / System Shock 2 on this list. That game series still commands a decent price, and IMO SS2 is actually better in many ways than Bioshock, its progeny.

[BeaglePuss]

I've been waiting for a thread like this one:

My co-worker knows that I'm into classic video games, and he asked me for advice on pricing some PC games he had. He had a number of great titles, like Sam & Max, etc. He also had a copy of Day of the Tentacle which was unlike any other I have seen. Keep in mind, I don't collect or play PC games, so I know very little.

When searching eBay or google, all the copies I have seen come in run-of-the-mill rectangular boxes. His on the other hand comes in a triangular shaped box. Is it worth anything? Could anyone shed some light on it for me? Both he and I would really appreciate it.

[Blitzwing256]

I've been waiting for a thread like this one:

My co-worker knows that I'm into classic video games, and he asked me for advice on pricing some PC games he had. He had a number of great titles, like Sam & Max, etc. He also had a copy of Day of the Tentacle which was unlike any other I have seen. Keep in mind, I don't collect or play PC games, so I know very little.

When searching eBay or google, all the copies I have seen come in run-of-the-mill rectangular boxes. His on the other hand comes in a triangular shaped box. Is it worth anything? Could anyone shed some light on it for me? Both he and I would really appreciate it.

mine came in the wierd shaped box as well, the floppy viersion anyways, the later cd rom version came in the standard square box.

[Kid Fenris]

Heh. I have that. Problem is my PC games tend to end up disc only so I wonder if the jewel case is kicking around my parent's house.

The Planescape re-issue's jewel case is just a clear two-disc holder, without a manual or insert (or at least mine's like that). Perhaps the hinged, two-game box would boost the price, but it's nothing elaborate.


Console games are fun, and usually entertaining, but they always seem a bit more like candy to me, whereas PC games seem to have a lot more substance.

ahahahahahahahahaha

[Gameguy]

When searching eBay or google, all the copies I have seen come in run-of-the-mill rectangular boxes. His on the other hand comes in a triangular shaped box. Is it worth anything? Could anyone shed some light on it for me? Both he and I would really appreciate it.
That version is rare and is worth a lot. It was available as a CD-ROM as well, not just floppy disk.
http://www.thelegacy.de/Museum/game.php3?titel_id=29680&game_id=10955

I'll just post a quote from another website.

A limited release version of this game came packaged in a tall, vertical prism shaped package. This "triangle box" release is a highly sought after collectible that commands top dollar when sold on eBay.
http://www.mixnmojo.com/features/read.php?article=dayofthetentacle&page=3

[BeaglePuss]

That's the one!!! You are the man!

Any idea what it would be worth?

[Cornelius]

Wow. This is a good list.

PC gaming is what I grew up on - didn't have an NES or anything until much later. As such, I have sort of a soft spot for these games. I really think that some of the best, richest gameplay experiences I've had were with PC games. Console games are fun, and usually entertaining, but they always seem a bit more like candy to me, whereas PC games seem to have a lot more substance.

It's sort of a bummer that there isn't a comprehensive database out there of PC games along with all of their releases. MobyGames has a lot of info, but it's not really geared towards someone that actually wants to go out and collect / acquire the games (nor does it divulge which versions or editions exist). Not only would it be useful, but I think it might encourage people to take an interest in some amazing games. I really view ~ 1990-2000 PC games as the greatest games of all time, on any system.

All that being said: I was pretty surprised not to see System Shock / System Shock 2 on this list. That game series still commands a decent price, and IMO SS2 is actually better in many ways than Bioshock, its progeny.

Thanks, and yes, System Shock is a major oversight that belongs on this list since SS2, anyway, is worth a bit and is just a great game. I'd like to put Star Control on as well, being a personal favorite, but it doesn't look like SC 1 or 2 really commands much. Same goes for Master of Orion: Battle of Antares... I played the crap out of that, and would love to see it on a 'valuable' list, but it just isn't worth enough.

[Gameguy]

That's the one!!! You are the man!

Any idea what it would be worth?
Sorry, I really don't have any idea how much that version is worth. I've never seen one for sale on ebay, and usually I limit myself to $5 max for any PC game regardless what they sell for elsewhere so I'm not all that current with prices in general.

I'm kind of hoping to come across a copy of that someday, I really like the LucasArts games and that's an interesting version of the game. There's so many different versions of LucasArts games in general it's hard to collect them.

[phreakindee]

Wouldn't the infamous 'Network Edition' be rare and have some value to it?

Yes, it has some value for sure, but I have found a few of those on eBay as well as Amazon, whereas the Great Disasters expansion I have never found at all

[Cornelius]

I've redone the list (page 3). I'm kinda having fun with this thread, if you can't tell. Anyway, I've decided to more strictly adhere to the 'must have sold on eBay recently' rule. I think that focuses in on games we actually have a good shot of finding in the wild. I will make exceptions if given some firsthand accounts that it does show up with at least some regularity. If you don't see something you've recommended, that may be why. Another possibility is that it seems a lot of things have dropped in value, and stuff worth less than about 15 bucks I don't think should be on the list (unless it is a game I just love to death :snuggle:).

Here's some that I had to take off (or didn't put on) since they seem to be too scarce:
Afterlife
Akalabeth: World of Doom
Alter Ego
Commander Keen (any? Boxed full versions)
Jazz Jackrabbit (CIB, not '2')
Knights of Xentar (?)
Lula the Empire Cums Back
Man Enough
Mystery House
One Unit Whole Blood
SimHealth (?)
Spellcasting series
Ultima IX Ascension: Dragon Edition
Zork (original CIB)

[Jorpho]

Other oddly-shaped boxes include FFVII PC, The Incredible Machine (or at least one version of The Incredible Machine), and Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

Looks like Constructor is fetching pretty good prices right now.

Some more rare adventure games that come to mind are Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath a Steel Sky, and the three Discworld games, but we might be venturing into "too rare" territory again with those.


The hardest-to-find PC game I have ever tried to find? The only SimCity 2000 expansion, SimCity 2000 Scenarios Vol. 1 - Great Disasters. I have never seen one on eBay in almost a decade of looking, I have never seen it listed anywhere at all, period, for sale. I only recently found it on a list on a Dutch forum, somebody had the boxed American game and I bought it off them.

If anyone can find this, boxed or otherwise, I will be HIGHLY impressed, as it eluded me for many years. I'm not sure how many were even made as it didn't go retail (mail-order only as far as I know), but it can't be much as Maxis started bundling the expansion with SimCity 2000 very shortly after and stopped selling it individually.If you're only interested in the content, I'm pretty sure it was included in the Special Edition of SC2K, along with the SimCity Urban Renewal Kit - which, come to think of it, is something else I never saw in stores. I did once see the SimCity Classics Graphics Pack, at least.

In a similar vein, the standalone expansion packs for X-Wing and Tie Fighter are also probably pretty rare, but were likewise included in more easily-found deluxe editions.


Wouldn't the infamous 'Network Edition' be rare and have some value to it?I can tell you that at one point Maxis cleared out all its stock of that game at $1.99 each, but that was a long time ago. More importantly, the game will absolutely not run under Windows 2K/XP/Vista.


I'd like to put Star Control on as well, being a personal favorite, but it doesn't look like SC 1 or 2 really commands much.I bet the 1&2 combo pack gets a good price. (I'm pretty sure there was a combo pack.)

[Cornelius]

Can anyone tell me about this auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/Jill-of-the-Jungle-vintage_W0QQitemZ270419927174QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS _Vintage_Video_Games?hash=item3ef648a086&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A13|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50) for Jill of the Jungle? I played a lot of this game (and some current hip-hop song uses the tune from it, which is from something else, I'm sure, just not sure what) way back when, but this box doesn't look right. I think it must be something else entirely, but not sure.

[IceDrake]

Not really rare but the strangest ones I've seen are MVP 2005 Baseball and NASCAR 2003. Who would think 5 year old sports games would sell for $75+?


MVP 2005 Baseball was the last baseball game (other than management sims) made for PC before EA lost the license to 2K, until 2K put MLB 2K9 on the PC this season. NASCAR 2003 was the last Papyrus game before they lost the NASCAR license to EA, and EA's NASCAR games aren't as good.

MVP Baseball 2005 is without a doubt the best baseball game ever made. The PC version is so expensive b/c of the mods. People have created total conversion mods that have rosters, statistics, player ratings, and stadiums for not only the current season but for other seasons as well. While it is expensive (I paid $80 for my copy), you get a ton of mileage out of it and never have to buy another baseball game again. The 2k series is crap. I found 2k7 to be ok but it was glitchy and it eventually got worse the more I played it on the 260. 2k8 and 2k9 were terrible b/c of how they changed the pitching controls.

[NayusDante]

The Journeyman Project Trilogy also springs to mind. I'm tempted to suggest Pegasus Prime, as well, but that was Mac (Power PC) only and likely falls into the obscure-but-not-pricey category.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I'm the resident Journeyman freak here. I followed the series from the beginning, so I have all five releases. I'm missing the original jewel case insert for JMP, but I still have the box. JMP Turbo, I got as a jewel-case release, so that's complete. BiT is complete save for the catalog, which I would LOVE to find again, I really wanted that TSA coffee mug... LoT is complete, I think, might have a reference card sitting around somewhere that I haven't put back in recently. They're all PC releases, so I wouldn't mind finding the original Mac ones as collectables. I bought PP about two years ago, so that's complete, think I even threw the shrinkwrap back in the box. There was one guy selling them new (still had a CompUSA sticker on it), so check eBay on that one. I wish I had a real Mac to play it on though, because emulation sucks and my PowerBook is too old to have a CD drive.

I was actually on that team that was doing a remake of JMP in the Source Engine. THAT was an interesting experience. Needless to say, all that came out of that was some neat concept art, which actually just lost hosting recently... I can ask if I could post some of it if anybody here is a fan.


Urrrgh, I want that DoTT triangle box now. I played that game too much as a kid, and my original copy got dented. Soon after I got the Archives Vol 1, but that disk was color printed, the original is silver. I've still got the box and hintbook for DoTT, so I'd like to make that a complete copy someday, or go for the triangle box.

I've got FF7PC complete, save for the numpad cutout. That thing didn't survive. Those Eidos triangle boxes don't hold up very well, mine's not holding its shape these days. The disk holder is even more beat up, but I played the hell out of FF7 back then.

[Jorpho]

I wish I had a real Mac to play it on though, because emulation sucks and my PowerBook is too old to have a CD drive.Have you tried emulation lately? It's not that bad. There's even a torrent out there that has everything neatly pre-configured for you.

[NayusDante]

Have you tried emulation lately? It's not that bad. There's even a torrent out there that has everything neatly pre-configured for you.

Yeah, I got everything to work, but swapping disks is a pain and doesn't always work, or flat out crashes it. I also can't get audio to work in Spaceship Warlock... A lot of disks show up as blank depending on which version of MacOS I use, particularly Pegasus Prime.

To make matters worse, trying to install any game with QuickTime breaks the installed QuickTime. I got Pegasus Prime to work because the Presto Studios site backup has a "patch" that lets you play the game without installing. All the installer did was install QuickTime and a shortcut to the game.

I still want a real Mac, for the same reason I play DOS games on a Pentium II.

[FxMercenary]

aside from the id Anthology I have a few more suggestions to add.

pick these up while you have the chance.

Diablo II Collector's Edition

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Collector's Edition

Neverwinter Nights Collector's Edition

[Diatribal Deity]

Absolutely. I see where you are coming from. I collect and play many adventure games so I am aware of all the valuable and more obscure titles. As a result of my research into these I also have become aware of various other genres and values. So how about a couple that fit your criteria better like:

- Loom (PC and MAC)
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (PC and MAC)
- Sam and Max Hit the Road (PC and MAC)
- Cival War Generals 2 (For PC by Sierra)
- Emperor: Battle for Dune (PC)


Also just for general info for those interested, I have been noticing an in increase over time in the value of Star Trek games. Here is a sampling of titles (the academy and command games tend to have the most value - the others maybe down the road):

STAR TREK JUDGEMENT RITES
STAR TREK ACADEMY
STAR TREK STARFLEET COMMAND
STAR TREK: SEEP SPACE NINE DOMINION WARS
STAR TREK STARFLEET COMMAND III
STAR TREK 25TH ANNIVERSARY
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION BIRTH OF THE FEDERATION
STAR TREK STARFLEET ACADEMY
STAR TREK STARFLEET COMMAND VOLUME II EMPIRES AT WAR
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION A FINAL UNITY
STAR TREK KLINGON ACADEMY

OK here is another one I always forget to mention...

- Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition (Microsoft)

And if you ever come across the Soundtrack to the FPS Outlaws by Lucasarts - it has some great value. It was offered as a promo when the game originally came out. Obviously the soundtrack is already accessible on the game cd's, but this was offered separately in its own jewel - so keep your eyes peeled for it. It is not plentiful but may get mixed with music cd's at a thrift, thrown into a boxed version of the game, etc...

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

*edit* Yeah, I see it's been mentioned a few times before in the thread, but here's my reinforcement of this one being hard to find.

http://redmensual.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/neverhoodbf.jpg

I recall back when Skullmonkeys launched on Playstation (still one of my favorite platformers of all time) I had a HELL of a time finding a CD-Rom copy of "The Neverhood" on PC (a point and click adventure/prequel to Skullmonkeys made by the same team who did Skullmonkeys featuring the Klaymen character)

There are copies on eBay going for OVER $200 OPENED ... so, I'd say that's a rare and sought-after PC game that continues to live up to the difficulty that I was having finding it over 10+ years ago.

[JLukas]

Knights of Xentar is supposedly really rare according to the Wikipedia article about it, but I have no idea how much it's worth. I've never seen a copy for sale on ebay and I've been checking for a few years already. Does anyone know how much copies are worth?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Xentar

There were a few listed earlier this year that went for around $25-40. The Amazon marketplace has some as well, but most are $50 for CD only.

[Push Upstairs]

Why is "One Unit Whole Blood" worth so much? Limited run or something?

[Ed Oscuro]

Edit: I would like to say that Diatribal Deity is indeed godlike, even if I felt I had to check the name spelling, and I found a lot of useful information in that post. Don't forget to mention the Star Trek 25th Anniversary PC game - one of the first PC games in this household, and probably still one of the ones that keeps its value best. Hardly played by anyone, too.


By the way, magnets don't affect disks.
The post ever.

I have gotten pretty lucky at my local thrift over the years, finding lots of good classic computer titles. The last one I found was either Microsoft Flight Simulator (new, 4.0 version, classic '90s minimalist art on the front which is lovely), or the Strategic Simulations Inc. game "Wake of the Ravager," which I'd like to try out soon. I also found Baldur's Gate (just opened but seems new) there, as well as System Shock 1, the much-beloved Enhanced CD-ROM, non-EA Classics version. Found Ultima III there (Apple or IBM PC, can't remember) as well as the box and manual (but sadly no original disc) for The Temple of Apshai which I'm guessing must be ultra rare. (Edit: What am I saying, the game is worthless. TRS-80 version. I don't think any version holds money though, unfortunately.) Unfortunately no original game disc, just somebody's ancient floppy copy.

Come to think of it that has to be one of my favorite finds, since I had great fun reading the entries in the game's manual online a year or so before I found it. Totally unexpected.

I'm sure there's been lots of great stuff that's gone through that thrift which somebody else found, too, which I find interesting (if not a bit frightening). You'd think that so many years after the systems these games were played on hit obsolescence that people would just toss 'em in the trash, instead of delivering perfect-condition copies to a local thrift for me to pick up (and I'd have expected more damage from rough handling at the thrifts too - thankfully I haven't found any games with packing tape wrapped around the boxes in a while).


Why is "One Unit Whole Blood" worth so much? Limited run or something?
"All-in-one" series compilations generally go for quite a bit given the perceived collectability, for starters, but also because of the assumed efficiency and ease of use of such packages. I recall that for a long while I was looking for the Marathon Trilogy (still don't have it), and I picked up the "Science Fiction" compilation with Blade Runner and two other games (Wing Commander Armada is one of the others) on it for a reasonable price (I want to say $55 for some reason; that could be way off, but probably at the high end). One game compilation pack that I would not recommend, after having played it in DosBox emulation, is the all-in-one Redneck Rampage compilation - good games but the "cuss pack" and missing music tracks don't help the value.

"Yep, Xatrix Entertainment." Just had to write that.

The Half-Life pack containing OpFor and Team Fortress Classic probably ain't worth that much, but only because the games have been in constant distribution.

And the Unreal Collection came in two editions: One is just a standard PC-DVD type box (i.e. a thick DVD movie black case), and the other is (apparently) that box inside a bigger box. The latter is what I have (happy for that too) - possibly the last PC game I got at the local GameStop (I keep wanting to believe but their prices are terrible every time I go in there).

There's also various packs for the Myst games, i.e. the Myst 10th Anniversary DVD Edition box, which is hampered by compatibility problems (though Riven without disc swapping is nice). There was also a Complete Chronicles edition of Uru (one of my favorites), but I preferred to get all the games separately and I don't think the Complete Chronicles is worth a premium (although I haven't checked prices since buying the two parts separately).

Finally, some "slim box" games have seemed to provide good value. The Fallout slim package (of Fallout 1 and 2) has kept its value for a while because of the unfortunate lack of distribution of the first two games for some time. On the other hand, I'm not sure what my compilation CD of the Avalon RPGs is worth (and I'm not even sure it's worth cracking open for playing), or even the slim package for Sanitarium (which I have the strange suspicion isn't worth anything).

[Griking]

I've redone the list (page 3). I'm kinda having fun with this thread, if you can't tell. Anyway, I've decided to more strictly adhere to the 'must have sold on eBay recently' rule. I think that focuses in on games we actually have a good shot of finding in the wild. I will make exceptions if given some firsthand accounts that it does show up with at least some regularity. If you don't see something you've recommended, that may be why. Another possibility is that it seems a lot of things have dropped in value, and stuff worth less than about 15 bucks I don't think should be on the list (unless it is a game I just love to death :snuggle:).

Here's some that I had to take off (or didn't put on) since they seem to be too scarce:
Afterlife
Akalabeth: World of Doom
Alter Ego
Commander Keen (any? Boxed full versions)
Jazz Jackrabbit (CIB, not '2')
Knights of Xentar (?)
Lula the Empire Cums Back
Man Enough
Mystery House
One Unit Whole Blood
SimHealth (?)
Spellcasting series
Ultima IX Ascension: Dragon Edition
Zork (original CIB)

I really don't think that the Spellcasting games or the original Zork are so rare that they shouldn't be listed. In fact, I don't thibk they're that rare period.

[NayusDante]

I've got Star Trek 25th Anniversary on floppy (absolutely complete), and the CD-ROM edition with box, catalog, and reg card (no manual). Are those actually worth something? I got the CD edition for like $10 about a year ago on Amazon. Darn seller shipped it in a manilla envelope and the inner box got crunched.

I saw a copy of Sim City 2000 Special Edition recently for $4, not sure if it's got ALL the manuals. What's it worth? My copy is pretty complete, but my box is in bad shape.

[Jorpho]

I've got Star Trek 25th Anniversary on floppy (absolutely complete), and the CD-ROM edition with box, catalog, and reg card (no manual). Are those actually worth something? I got the CD edition for like $10 about a year ago on Amazon. Darn seller shipped it in a manilla envelope and the inner box got crunched.

I saw a copy of Sim City 2000 Special Edition recently for $4, not sure if it's got ALL the manuals. What's it worth? My copy is pretty complete, but my box is in bad shape.It's probably worth what someone on eBay will pay for it. :p I might have thought that the CD-ROM version of 25th Anniversary was worth more than that, but it you got it for $10, then I guess not.

SC2K SE would definitely not be as apparently rare as the standalone Urban Renewal Kit or Scenarios pack.

[Iron Draggon]

well aside from all the games already mentioned, Car Tycoon usually fetches a pretty penny on ebay, but I haven't seen it hit triple digits yet... NASCAR 2003 hits triple digits fairly often though, prolly due to it being the last of the Papyrus NASCAR games... most other Papyrus games tend to fetch a pretty penny too, especially their NASCAR games... this is prolly more because of all the NASCAR collectors out there than it is because of PC game collectors though... if it weren't for all the Bubbas collecting anything and everything NASCAR, those games would prolly be as cheap as most other old PC games

as for other PC rarities, I suspect that most of my PC game collection will become rare someday, mainly because I've specialized in collecting budget titles and European imports which are mostly budget titles as well... so I have a ton of really obscure games that even most PC game collectors have never heard of... which prolly explains my comment on the list below also...


This isn't complete, nor is it a list of 'OMG rare' games. Rather, it is a list of games worth picking up for all of us craphounds (thanks for that term K.S.). This is compiled from personal experience and games mentioned in this thread. A bunch of them listed in this thread are not listed because I couldn't verify, which probably means they are so rare you aren't likely to come across them anyway. Such a list of ultra rarities could be made, and would be cool, but it wouldn't be helpful a vast majority of the time.

If CIB or original is noted, it really needs to be in that condition to definitely be worthwhile, though it might still be if it is loose.

1 American McGee's Alice (CIB, esp the butcher knife version)
2 Civil War Generals 2
3 Day of the Tentacle
4 Diablo Hellfire expansion (CIB)
5 Duke Nukem: Nuclear Winter
6 Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
7 Elder Scrolls: Arena
8 Emperor: Battle for Dune
9 Fallout (original releases CIB)
10 Final Fantasy VII & VIII (any, CIB)
11 Grim Fandango
12 id Anthology
13 Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
14 Leisure Suit Larry Collections (CIB)
15 Leisure Suit Larry: Land of the Lounge Lizards (original CIB)
16 Loom
17 Magic the Gathering Duels of Planeswalkers (CIB ?)
18 Monkey Island Madness (compilation disc; may come sleeve w/ single sheet inst., but loose is fine)
19 Monkey Island, Secret of; LeChuck's; Curse of; Escape from (any, rest CIB, maybe any)
20 MVP 2005 Baseball
21 NASCAR 2003
22 Pacific General (CIB)
23 Planescape: Torment
24 Quarterstaff: the Tomb of Setmoth (Mac)
25 Quest for Glory Anthology
26 Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire Alpha Centauri Expansion (original CIB)
27 Star Saga Two (any) (any game in the series?)
28 Star Trek: Birth of the Federation
29 Star Trek: Starfleet Command III
30 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
31 System Shock 1 & 2 & 'Collection' (CIB, any, any, respectively)
32 The Neverhood
33 Ultima ??? (any original CIB?)
34 Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga
35 Wizardry VIII
36 X-Com Collector's Edition


p.s. I'm happy to add to and tweak this list based on input if people are interested.

LOL I don't have a single game on that list, and I have over 500 PC games!


Not if you have VistAIDS...

it makes it basically impossible to play many older games.

which is why I finally gave up on it, sold my full version Home Premium disc, bought a full version XP Pro disc and went back to XP to stay with it forever! Vista broke far more of my XP games that I dearly loved than MS or anyone else ever released any Vista-only games that I cared about... all that hype about how Vista was gonna make our PC gaming experience so much better, and yet it was apparently engineered to needlessly break as many XP games as possible, just for the sake of breaking them to piss you off with it... oh yeah, most XP games will run on Vista, but very few will run correctly... this seems to be because of all the weirdness they pulled with the file system... the games are looking for files where they should be in XP, but they're not finding them... so you end up with menus that you can no longer navigate... RCT3 would be the most glaring example, but there are many others, and the straw that broke the camel's back for me was what it did to Disney's Ultimate Ride series... I made a ton of rides and a ton of mods for that series, and Vista made every single one of my rides unridable, due to the fact that the games were unable to find any of them, despite the fact that they were apparently located right where they were supposed to be in XP! and none of Disney's suggestions to make the games work with Vista actually worked... they didn't seem to understand that the games ran fine, the problem was you couldn't ride anything with them, because they couldn't find any of your rides!

now if only I could get some help with getting all my old DOS games to work in XP... I know DOSBOX is the answer, but I still don't understand exactly what I'm supposed to do with it... the explanations just confuse the hell out of me... why can't I just install DOSBOX as a second OS and be done with it?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I don't get it. A LOT of the games mentioned here... I've tried selling them and they rarely go for much money. So am I cursed or something? Jeez...

Edit:
Griking, the Zork and Spellcasting games aren't rare, but complete in box copies in good shape are what's worth a lot of money. People just don't take care of boxes, you know?

(Also hi from Tennessee!)

[Cornelius]

I really don't think that the Spellcasting games or the original Zork are so rare that they shouldn't be listed. In fact, I don't thibk they're that rare period.
I'm not at all familiar with the 'Spellcasting games'. Do they all have that in the title? Nothing shows up on eBay if you search for that in closed auctions.

I don't see anything Zork related that has sold for much, either. Maybe Grand Inquisitor. When did you see an original Zork sell last? How much does it go for?

[Cornelius]

I don't get it. A LOT of the games mentioned here... I've tried selling them and they rarely go for much money. So am I cursed or something? Jeez...


(Also hi from Tennessee!)

A LOT from the list I put together, or just mentioned? Which ones? It seems to be pretty reliable to me, but not necessarily for big money. I was looking for not-to-rare stuff that will sell for more than about 15 bucks. List does need tweaking for CIB info, though. I have had to leave off a lot of mentioned titles because they just aren't worth much at the present time.

[Jorpho]

I'm not at all familiar with the 'Spellcasting games'. Do they all have that in the title?Yep: http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick?q=spellcasting&x=0&y=0 .

By the way, the big "Lost Adventures of Legend" anthology ought to be worth quite a bit - but again, you're not likely to encounter it. (My, but that's a recurring theme.)

[Kitsune Sniper]

A LOT from the list I put together, or just mentioned? Which ones? It seems to be pretty reliable to me, but not necessarily for big money. I was looking for not-to-rare stuff that will sell for more than about 15 bucks. List does need tweaking for CIB info, though. I have had to leave off a lot of mentioned titles because they just aren't worth much at the present time.

Lessee. The Sierra anthologies aren't worth much of anything since Vivendi released those crappy DOSBox compilations. Emperor Battle For Dune? I've never seen a CIB copy go for more than $10. Loom's only worth 2k moneys if it has the -proper- CD print (something about a misprint of the bonus CD, not sure what that was about?).

Several of these games were also been rereleased in LEGIT budget versions in Europe. FF7, Grim Fandango, Alien Crossfire, the Fallout series except for 3, X-Com...

Meh. Maybe I'm just cursed.

[Jorpho]

Loom's only worth 2k moneys if it has the -proper- CD print (something about a misprint of the bonus CD, not sure what that was about?).The original version came with an audio drama on cassette, and the game itself was later released as a CD version. Not sure what you mean by a "bonus" CD. Either version is probably worth a bit if it's CIB.


Several of these games were also been rereleased in LEGIT budget versions in Europe. FF7, Grim Fandango, Alien Crossfire, the Fallout series except for 3, X-Com...I was surprised to find that some of the new budget releases of Alpha Centauri did in fact include Alien Crossfire, but I'm pretty confident that Alien Crossfire never got a standalone budget release.

[kaedesdisciple]

Lessee. The Sierra anthologies aren't worth much of anything since Vivendi released those crappy DOSBox compilations...

The Quest For Glory Anthology begs to differ on that one...

[norkusa]

Old Time Baseball is pretty rare and sells for good monies. Came out in '95 during the strike when a lot of people were fed up with baseball, so I guess it didn't sell well. Very deep gameplay though and has a small cult following.

The only copy I've seen on Ebay in the past 6 months sold for $50 and that was just the disc in the jewel case. I just listed my CIB copy for $80 so we'll see if it sells:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Time-Baseball-Game-RARE-DOS-PC-CD-Oldtime-COMPLETE_W0QQitemZ250466147163

[Atarileaf]

I don't know if its been mentioned but I remember a CIB copy of Ancient Art of War by Broderbund going for around $50 or more on ebay. This was a few years ago and I haven't checked since.

Excellent game BTW. One of, if not the, first RTS game.

[Cornelius]

Lessee. The Sierra anthologies aren't worth much of anything since Vivendi released those crappy DOSBox compilations. Emperor Battle For Dune? I've never seen a CIB copy go for more than $10. Loom's only worth 2k moneys if it has the -proper- CD print (something about a misprint of the bonus CD, not sure what that was about?).

Several of these games were also been rereleased in LEGIT budget versions in Europe. FF7, Grim Fandango, Alien Crossfire, the Fallout series except for 3, X-Com...

Meh. Maybe I'm just cursed.
Well, you can search completed listings now for Emperor and the cheapest was $17 and not CIB. I will make a note that it should be CIB in the list.

For those rereleases, yeah, that probably hurt values, but the original releases if CIB do seem to be holding on a bit. And Grim Fandango I sold w/ just the sleeve and discs not too long ago for 30 (net after shipping/fees).

So um, yeah, maybe you are just cursed. :sob: Or maybe we have different thresholds for 'worth much'.

[Jorpho]

Old Time Baseball is pretty rare and sells for good monies. Came out in '95 during the strike when a lot of people were fed up with baseball, so I guess it didn't sell well. Very deep gameplay though and has a small cult following.

The only copy I've seen on Ebay in the past 6 months sold for $50 and that was just the disc in the jewel case. I just listed my CIB copy for $80 so we'll see if it sells:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Time-Baseball-Game-RARE-DOS-PC-CD-Oldtime-COMPLETE_W0QQitemZ250466147163Hey, I was just wondering about that one - someone at the new HOTU forums was asking about it. (While downloadable copies exist, apparently all of them are corrupted!)

[norkusa]

Hey, I was just wondering about that one - someone at the new HOTU forums was asking about it. (While downloadable copies exist, apparently all of them are corrupted!)

Heh, I actually just uploaded the full ISO along with the 1.10 patch to Underground-Gamer a few weeks ago. You need an invite to get in though.

Yeah, from what I've heard it's impossible to find a unripped, working copy online. One guy in the torrent comments section said he was about to pay money to join a site just so he could grab the ripped version.

[roushimsx]

now if only I could get some help with getting all my old DOS games to work in XP... I know DOSBOX is the answer, but I still don't understand exactly what I'm supposed to do with it... the explanations just confuse the hell out of me... why can't I just install DOSBOX as a second OS and be done with it?
The beauty of DOSbox is that you don't need to install it as a separate OS. You don't even need to "install" it, you just need to throw it in a directory and you're good to go. It's amazingly convenient (multitask like crazy, record direct copy videos, clean screenshots, emulate hardware you'd have a bitch tracking down, toggle between hardware configurations in seconds, etc) and useful.

Hit me up via AIM/MSN/YahooIM/PM sometime and I'd be happy to step you through the process of getting it running whatever you're looking at getting running. Once you fiddle with it for one or two games, it all clicks and you'll grow completely fucking spoiled. Seriously. You'll hate going back to raw DOS on an old 286/386/486 for general use instead of nostalgia.

[BetaWolf47]

The beauty of DOSbox is that you don't need to install it as a separate OS.
Hit me up via AIM/MSN/YahooIM/PM sometime and I'd be happy to step you through the process of getting it running whatever you're looking at getting running.

Or I'll just tell him how to do everything right now: simply drag the game's executable onto the DOSbox executable. Ta-da!

[roushimsx]

Or I'll just tell him how to do everything right now: simply drag the game's executable onto the DOSbox executable. Ta-da!

But you still have to learn how to properly mount disc images and configure your video output for maximum sexiness (native LCD res or GTFO!) :)

Too many people don't do that and miss out on CD audio (Blood's CD audio is fucking amazing) or get stuck letting their monitor/desktop hop between silly resolutions. Better to just let DOSbox handle the scaling (especially if you have a widescreen monitor), not to mention being able to snag some nice sized screenshots that don't take up much room.

Plus: Recording videos!

[phreakindee]

If you're only interested in the content, I'm pretty sure it was included in the Special Edition of SC2K, along with the SimCity Urban Renewal Kit - which, come to think of it, is something else I never saw in stores. I did once see the SimCity Classics Graphics Pack, at least.

Oh I found the boxed game of Great Disasters eventually, just saying if anyone else can find it, it's no small feat - it took me years and eventually searching through Dutch channels to find one. And yes, the content came on the CD Collection and the Special Edition, but a collector's job isn't complete unless you have the originals boxed. I despise shovelware.

[phreakindee]

The beauty of DOSbox is that you don't need to install it as a separate OS. You don't even need to "install" it, you just need to throw it in a directory and you're good to go. It's amazingly convenient (multitask like crazy, record direct copy videos, clean screenshots, emulate hardware you'd have a bitch tracking down, toggle between hardware configurations in seconds, etc) and useful.

Hit me up via AIM/MSN/YahooIM/PM sometime and I'd be happy to step you through the process of getting it running whatever you're looking at getting running. Once you fiddle with it for one or two games, it all clicks and you'll grow completely fucking spoiled. Seriously. You'll hate going back to raw DOS on an old 286/386/486 for general use instead of nostalgia.

This is partly off-topic, but trying to record some of these hard-to-find games we have listed here with DosBox's video recorder, I cannot seem to get the videos to be editable in Adobe Premiere or anything else, even after installing the codec. They only show a black screen with audio. Anyway, just a heads-up to anyone who may be trying this. Perhaps I'm missing something.

Another game which I have also been having one hard time to find: Hard Drivin' by Sega for DOS, came with CGA and EGA

[Diatribal Deity]

Lessee. The Sierra anthologies aren't worth much of anything since Vivendi released those crappy DOSBox compilations. Emperor Battle For Dune? I've never seen a CIB copy go for more than $10. Loom's only worth 2k moneys if it has the -proper- CD print (something about a misprint of the bonus CD, not sure what that was about?).

Several of these games were also been rereleased in LEGIT budget versions in Europe. FF7, Grim Fandango, Alien Crossfire, the Fallout series except for 3, X-Com...

Meh. Maybe I'm just cursed.

-You may be referring to Dune 2000 (I used to get the two confused).
-As far as Star Trek games, watch out because some are not worth much now. It's more of a speculative buy for some, as all seem to be slowly increasing in value over time. If your looking for an immediate flip, look for the Star Trek Action Pack.

If I get motivated and have some free time I will help develop/tweak a list with a range of values or at least collude with others so it will give something even more tangible for everyone to work with.

CORNELIUS "excellent job so far!"

***REMEMBER CORNELIUS' LIST IS NOT FOR ULTRA HIGH PRICED RARE GAMES BUT GAMES IF YOU SEE IN THE WILD FOR A FEW BUCKS ARE WELL WORTH PICKING UP.***

Remember also that I am solely basing my titles on the fact that you may be able to find them in the wild in varying conditions (although I reserve the right to throw out there some interesting tidbits as well). As has been mentioned too, you need to be willing to ship internationally to really maximize values on many of these.

Also as a reference for everyone...watch the listings of "warehouse31" on ebay. He/She/They really milk value out of PC titles, many disc only. So everyone get out there, start looking, make some money, support/supplement your gaming habits, family whatever...and most importantly don't forget to try out many of these titles before you sell them because many are excellent (unless they are sealed of course).

[Gameguy]

- Cival War Generals 2 (For PC by Sierra)
That's worth something? I bought a copy as a gift for someone shortly after it came out. I didn't think it would be rare or valuable.


OK here is another one I always forget to mention...

- Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition (Microsoft)
I have that, I bought it new shortly after it came out. How much does it go for? I didn't think it was worth much either.


The original version came with an audio drama on cassette, and the game itself was later released as a CD version. Not sure what you mean by a "bonus" CD. Either version is probably worth a bit if it's CIB.
The floppy disk version had the audio drama on cassette, the CD-ROM version had the audio drama on CD. I have to look up more about the CD-ROM version, I wasn't aware that there were printing errors for the CDs(I'll have to check that out).


I'm actually surprised, it seems I either have or had several games that are listed here. Everything from my collection I've purchased locally or in person while traveling(next to never as I rarely travel anywhere), I've never had anything shipped to me so it's kind of more amazing. I had a copy of the Ultima Dragon Edition that I got off craigslist along with several other games, but I wasn't into the Ultima games so I sold it. The seller didn't even mention that it was the Dragon Edition, it was just listed as "Ultima Ascension". I only wanted the lot of games because Grim Fandango was in it, I only found out it was the Dragon Edition when I met to buy it and I had to look it up as I didn't know anything about it.

[Ed Oscuro]

I saw a color version of Oregon Trail for Mac (Color? somewhat old) that I didn't buy (d'oh) a while back. No idea how "rare" the game is - but I didn't know it existed before that. Probably much less common than the original Apple II and 1993 Oregon Trail II releases.

I believe the Super Solvers games aren't terribly common but I don't think there's much market for them now.

[Jorpho]

This is partly off-topic, but trying to record some of these hard-to-find games we have listed here with DosBox's video recorder, I cannot seem to get the videos to be editable in Adobe Premiere or anything else, even after installing the codec. They only show a black screen with audio. Anyway, just a heads-up to anyone who may be trying this. Perhaps I'm missing something.VirtualDub will probably do the trick.
The floppy disk version had the audio drama on cassette, the CD-ROM version had the audio drama on CD.No, the CD-ROM version just had voice work for the game's dialog and did not feature the original cassette audio drama at all (unless it was on a second CD or something).

I saw a color version of Oregon Trail for Mac (Color? somewhat old) that I didn't buy (d'oh) a while back. No idea how "rare" the game is - but I didn't know it existed before that. Probably much less common than the original Apple II and 1993 Oregon Trail II releases.Did you mean to type "Mac" there? I'm not sure I understand. Anyway, there was indeed a BASIC version of Oregon Trail that predates MECC's Apple II version, but I can't recall if it was released commercially.

I believe the Super Solvers games aren't terribly common but I don't think there's much market for them now.You can still buy most of those all over the place for pretty cheap.

[NayusDante]

This is partly off-topic, but trying to record some of these hard-to-find games we have listed here with DosBox's video recorder, I cannot seem to get the videos to be editable in Adobe Premiere or anything else, even after installing the codec.

Try Windows Movie Maker. If you can get the videos in there, save them as WMV and put the WMV in your editor.

[Gameguy]

No, the CD-ROM version just had voice work for the game's dialog and did not feature the original cassette audio drama at all (unless it was on a second CD or something).
There were a couple of CDs included with the CD-ROM release, including the audio drama.
http://www.onlinegamesdatenbank.de/index.php?section=game&gameid=3642

http://www.onlinegamesdatenbank.de/imageview.php?type=media&gameid=3642&PHPSESSID=738eb9a3e23ab965561d494939180b88

[roushimsx]

VirtualDub will probably do the trick
This is what I do. Import the zmbvs in VirtualDub and then steam out as huffyuv if I'm going to be working in something else or just encode it right there.

[Jorpho]

There were a couple of CDs included with the CD-ROM release, including the audio drama.
http://www.onlinegamesdatenbank.de/index.php?section=game&gameid=3642

http://www.onlinegamesdatenbank.de/imageview.php?type=media&gameid=3642&PHPSESSID=738eb9a3e23ab965561d494939180b88I see. Someone should update Wikipedia.

[Ryaan1234]

You should add Master of Magic to the list, both floppy and CD version. I've seen it go in the $30 range and as high as $50, which is pretty good for a PC game. The CD version came in it's own box as well as a pack-in with Master of Orion II for a while. Both CD versions seem to have no difference in price.

I have a boxed Les Manley on 5.25'' floppies. It's a Leisure Suit Larry knockoff by Accolade. I haven't seen a copy on ebay so I imagine it's rare.

I'm also a very proud owner of a copy of The Neverhood. :)

[Diatribal Deity]

You should add Master of Magic to the list, both floppy and CD version. I've seen it go in the $30 range and as high as $50, which is pretty good for a PC game. The CD version came in it's own box as well as a pack-in with Master of Orion II for a while. Both CD versions seem to have no difference in price.

I have a boxed Les Manley on 5.25'' floppies. It's a Leisure Suit Larry knockoff by Accolade. I haven't seen a copy on ebay so I imagine it's rare.

I'm also a very proud owner of a copy of The Neverhood. :)

Agree with Master of Magic. Les Manley: Search for the King was actually pretty good. There was also Les Manely: Lost in LA that came out later. The value of the two CIB fluctuate alot, very similar to Innocent Until Caught and its sequel.

Freespace 2 is another good one also a great game (PC jewel or CIB)

[Iron Draggon]

on the subject of unusual shaped boxes, the box for X-CAR is sort of an X shaped box... it's not a very rare one though... I see it on ebay fairly often

as for rare games, Heroes of Might & Magic 4 usually sells for a pretty penny too... not sure why... apparently it had a smaller than normal print run I guess

Axis & Allies: Iron Blitz is extremely sought after also... apparently it had a very small print run as well, cause it always sells for triple digits on ebay

timing is everything for trying to sell rare PC games on ebay though... the best time to post something like that is September - December, same as everything else... that's when everyone is on ebay looking for the rarities... the rest of the time is hit & miss... you might luck out or you might strike out


But you still have to learn how to properly mount disc images and configure your video output for maximum sexiness (native LCD res or GTFO!) :)

Too many people don't do that and miss out on CD audio (Blood's CD audio is fucking amazing) or get stuck letting their monitor/desktop hop between silly resolutions. Better to just let DOSbox handle the scaling (especially if you have a widescreen monitor), not to mention being able to snag some nice sized screenshots that don't take up much room.

Plus: Recording videos!

that's exactly what I need to know, cause I'm using a 24" widescreen LCD monitor at 1920x1200 resolution, and I know none of my DOS games include any settings for running that high, so they'll all prolly look like hairy ass on it!

mostly what I'm looking to run in DOSBOX are a bunch of old pinball games, and the few Windows 95/98 games I have that won't run in XP compatibility mode... a few old racing games, and maybe a few old RTS and other genres

it's the disc mounting thing that confuses me... that's why I wish I could just install DOSBOX on a separate drive, and have whatever games I install on that drive run like they would if I installed them on an old 486 or something

then there's also the potential problem of my system being a screamer... I've got a 3GHZ CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 512MB graphics card, so I'm afraid that even if I get all those old games to run on it, they'll run at supersonic speeds!

[Baloo]

Also as a reference for everyone...watch the listings of "warehouse31" on ebay. He/She/They really milk value out of PC titles, many disc only. So everyone get out there, start looking, make some money, support/supplement your gaming habits, family whatever...and most importantly don't forget to try out many of these titles before you sell them because many are excellent (unless they are sealed of course).

Yeah, warehouse31 has a lot of the classic DOS games, I bought Ducktales: The Quest for Gold for my Tandy off of him for I think under $10, he's got the Amiga version of the same game for like $22 on there now, and there's one other DOS version up there complete for $50 from someone else. Unfortunately the copy I bought didn't come with any of the paperwork, the one up there now does. Really, just scope out the 80s 5 and 1/4 floppy games I say, they're the ones that make a good amount of money and are pretty tough to find. Disney licensed games, Leisure Suit Larry, King's Quest, Sierra is a good company that has a good amount of valuable PC games. Don't deal with stuff from the 90s and up though, 95 percent of those games most likely aren't work jack shit.

[Kitsune Sniper]

That's worth something? I bought a copy as a gift for someone shortly after it came out. I didn't think it would be rare or valuable.

I can sell Civil War 2 disc only for $35-45, and I sold a complete copy sold $65 two years ago (when sales were much better). There's a pack with both Civil War games that goes for good prices too (but that one was reprinted in Europe so it's not as uncommon) - and there's an even rarer pack out there that I stumbled upon earlier this year called The Great Civil War (http://www.mobygames.com/game/great-civil-war), which includes both those games and "Edward Grabowski's The Blue & The Gray". The DOS/Windows 3.1 version of the game is common, but the Windows 95 version (included in this pack) is not. I managed to sell that one for $60 loose (and that one took a while to sell because nobody knows about it!).

[Volcanon]

A lot of mac games like SMAC are kind of expensive due to short print run.

[Gameguy]

I can sell Civil War 2 disc only for $35-45, and I sold a complete copy sold $65 two years ago (when sales were much better). There's a pack with both Civil War games that goes for good prices too (but that one was reprinted in Europe so it's not as uncommon) - and there's an even rarer pack out there that I stumbled upon earlier this year called The Great Civil War (http://www.mobygames.com/game/great-civil-war), which includes both those games and "Edward Grabowski's The Blue & The Gray". The DOS/Windows 3.1 version of the game is common, but the Windows 95 version (included in this pack) is not. I managed to sell that one for $60 loose (and that one took a while to sell because nobody knows about it!).
Wow, I didn't think it was worth that much. The copy I bought was the jewel case release, it didn't come with a box and it wasn't bundled with anything else. I've got to go through what I have, I'm not sure if I have anything else that's in demand like that.

[Griking]

I'm not at all familiar with the 'Spellcasting games'. Do they all have that in the title? Nothing shows up on eBay if you search for that in closed auctions.

I don't see anything Zork related that has sold for much, either. Maybe Grand Inquisitor. When did you see an original Zork sell last? How much does it go for?


I'm pretty sure that he means the spellcaster 101, 201 and 301 games. the first was called Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers get all the Girls.

[Griking]

I don't get it. A LOT of the games mentioned here... I've tried selling them and they rarely go for much money. So am I cursed or something? Jeez...

Edit:
Griking, the Zork and Spellcasting games aren't rare, but complete in box copies in good shape are what's worth a lot of money. People just don't take care of boxes, you know?

(Also hi from Tennessee!)


I have a bunch of the games on that list as well and I agree that they really don't sell for all that much.

I've been collecting computer games for years and it's really all about the nostalgia and not the money which is actually pretty cool. Unlike console game collecting most games can be had relatively inexpensively. It really is a collection for those who love the games moreso then the ones only looking to make a buck.

I would agree however that the list above is a good guideline for great games to keep an eye out for if you collect PC games.

[tom]

I'm pretty sure that he means the spellcaster 101, 201 and 301 games. the first was called Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers get all the Girls.

Here you go:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=200283&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=200285&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=200287&g2_serialNumber=1

[Diatribal Deity]

The Spellcasting series arrived to bridge the gap between text and graphic adventures like many of the other Legend games. You typed in responses and observed a static picture. The Spellcasting series was sort of a mix of Harry Potter meets Revenge of the Nerds. Actually if you played the games, other than the semi more adult aspects, there are some striking similarities.

Highly recommended for those who enjoyed Zork and the like.

Here is the description of the first installment...see if you see any similarities.

"The text adventure game Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls is the first installment of the Spellcasting series created by Steve Meretzky during his time at Legend Entertainment. All three games in the series tell the story of young Ernie Eaglebeak, a student at the prestigious Sorcerer University, as he progresses through his studies, learning the arcanes of magic, taking part in student life, occasionally saving the world as he knows it - and last but not least, having his way with any beautiful women he can get his hands on.


Story
Ernie Eaglebeak is a teenager just out of high school living in the town of Port Gecko, pining for his sexy neighbour Lola Tigerbelly and struggling in a seriously bad relationship with his stepfather, Joey Rottenwood. A break-through in his miserable life comes when he gets accepted by the Sorcerer University, a prestigious university of magic. After a dashing escape - parts of which involved walking around naked and pushing old ladies - from Rottenwood's custody, Ernie makes his way to SU and enrols as a freshman.

Ernie's life as a first-year SU student is split between learning magic, marvelling at the rapidly deteriorating quality of the student newspaper, exploring the university and getting to know such, ahem, interesting females as the university president's daughter Gretchen Snowbunny or Hillary, the young wife of his ancient advisor Otto Tickingclock. All is well until one day SU gets attacked by mysterious foes who kidnap Tickingclock and take away the Sorcerer's Appliance, a powerful magical device which could become extremely dangerous in inappropriate hands. As usual, it is up to our protagonist to save the day."

[Kitsune Sniper]

I'm hoping the Legend Entertainment titles get released over GOG.com over time. :D

[phreakindee]

Yeah, warehouse31 has a lot of the classic DOS games, I bought Ducktales: The Quest for Gold for my Tandy off of him for I think under $10, he's got the Amiga version of the same game for like $22 on there now, and there's one other DOS version up there complete for $50 from someone else. Unfortunately the copy I bought didn't come with any of the paperwork, the one up there now does. Really, just scope out the 80s 5 and 1/4 floppy games I say, they're the ones that make a good amount of money and are pretty tough to find. Disney licensed games, Leisure Suit Larry, King's Quest, Sierra is a good company that has a good amount of valuable PC games. Don't deal with stuff from the 90s and up though, 95 percent of those games most likely aren't work jack shit.


I have bought a few off of warehouse31 as well - great selection, usually overpriced loose disks. Wish they had actual photos instead of stock pix.

Oh and 90s games not being worth crap? Not yet anyway, and this is the time to buy them. That's what was said about 80s games too... I'm in it for the nostalgia and the full bookcases, but if you're looking to resell now is the time to buy before they become the coming generation's retro wet dream...

[tom]

Here's a rare Infocom title which I never see on ebay. I never even managed to get a boxed version, but at least I got the instructions:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=202054&g2_serialNumber=2
PS: this is not an adventure game, although the package was quite an adventure in itself for Infocom, and it didn't have a happy ending.

[Jorpho]

I'm hoping the Legend Entertainment titles get released over GOG.com over time. :DThe ones based on books (Death Gate, Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, etc) were apparently made with a limited license to the source material, such that it would be pretty difficult for anyone to re-release them officially - or so I understand.

Still, that doesn't mean we can't see Superhero League of Hoboken again someday.

[Kitsune Sniper]

This is partly off-topic, but trying to record some of these hard-to-find games we have listed here with DosBox's video recorder, I cannot seem to get the videos to be editable in Adobe Premiere or anything else, even after installing the codec. They only show a black screen with audio. Anyway, just a heads-up to anyone who may be trying this. Perhaps I'm missing something.

I've never been able to record stuff via DOSBox's built-in recorder. It always makes the games slow down to an unplayable crawl.

As for codec issues such as that, I usually transcode the videos using Virtualdub and then use that file in other stuff.