RocShemp

I don't think I'll look at my old Atari 2600 the same way again.

RichC2

I didn't have an Atari until like 1985 apparently, I imagine it was dirt cheap by then.

wlj

Thanks for that. Very interesting.


Am I the only one that gets a little bummed when i see that pic of the Dreamcast? I loved that system

foxdvd

I have owned all but three of those systems...Intellivision...NeoGeo...Xbox One..

19K

I still have my Intellivision, in the box, with its $299 sticker still on it. Lol. That's crazy how much it would cost now.

RocShemp

I never had a Dreamcast but got to play on a few. It was ahead of its time which is why it endured an unfortunate demise.

Gizmo

Every new Nintendo system was $200 (until the Wii)? Damn.

I owned, but didn't personally buy, NES, SNES and N64, so I guess I never realized how cheap they were.

Draven

I had a Colecovision but I must have gotten it used - there is no way my parents paid that kind of money. I know our Atari came from a garage sale too. The first new console I got was the NES.

dugan

So the 16-bit generation was actually more affordable than the 8-bit generation? That's sure not what it felt like at the time.

Maxflier

Nope, I'm right there with you. Dreamcast

Jacoby Ellsbury

I remember it costing around this much when I got them

Atari 2600 $50(I'm guessing, it was around 1982-83 and I was about 6)
NES $80
Genesis $150
PS1 $150
ps2 $200
Gamecube $100-125
Xbox $150
ps3 $300
wii Free with a set of 4 tires and not worth much more than that. In lieu of $75 rebate

DRG

To be fair, that $200 they have listed for the NES in 1986 was the 'Deluxe Set' which included R.O.B. the Robot, the Zapper, and two games (Gyromite & Duck Hunt). They also had a 'Control Deck' setup released at the same time for a hundred bucks less... this one had SMB instead of Gyromite/Duck Hunt and no robot or gun. This bundle is probably the truer comparison to the other systems listed.

Edit: I take that back... apparently the very first listed MSRP pricing was $199 for the Control Deck and $249 for the deluxe. I know this dropped fairly quickly.

CPA-ESQ.

Before I even saw the prices - I said to myself "Neo Geo has to be the most expensive"

I remember that system - it had arcade style graphics. I remember it was out of this world pricy - I saved my money, but could not come close to saving enough.

So - I would just rent the system and a few games for the weekend.

SmackDaddy

I've had 12 of those systems plus a Pong console ($98 new-$405 in 1012) and an Odyssey 2 ($199 New-$690 in 2012). I'll join in on the Dreamcast lovefest! I had a launch console (which I foolishly sold to pay for my Xbox) and then picked up a black Sports Edition years later. I need to get another one someday, so much good stuff on that console.

Multiplayer Stunt mode on San Francisco Rush 2049 was ridiculous fun. Aaah....Sega Rally, Power Stone, Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, Hydro Thunder....off to Ebay!!

slop101

Ugh. I've owned 15 of those and, except for the 2600, I paid for all of them myself...

edstein

I've also owed 15 of those consoles. I think the oldest one I still have is the Dreamcast. My PS1 was never that reliable once I put a mod chip in it so I got rid of it.

Groucho

Glad to know that my PS4 has already appreciated in value by one cent!

Deftones

crazy how nintendo held the $200 line all the way up to the Wii.

cruzness

I'll join in on the Saturn loveathon also. I loved it and my wife also thought it was great. She played the hell out of Crazy Taxi.

Trevor

Maybe I'm biased by looking at the graphic first, but if you had asked me what systems gave me the most bang for the buck over the decades; I think I would have answered the GameCube and Dreamcast, the two 'cheapest' systems.

Rockmjd23

I think you mean Dreamcast. I didn't realize the Saturn was $400 at launch. What a joke.

Gideon68

I've owned 13 and still own 12. I bought 4 Dreamcasts when TRU had them for $50 on Black Friday its final year. If I remember correctly, the Saturn did come out at $400 and was released a few months earlier than originally planned at some retailers including GS. I think they were trying to preempt the PS1.

RocShemp

Yeah, $50 is around what my grandmother paid for the 2600 and $80 is what my mom paid for the NES. I don't recall how much my mom paid for the SNES but it must have been on sale because she bought two (one for me and noe for my uncle). I purchased the N64 myself but I don't recall paying $200 for it. I may have waited. I've purchased every Playstation except for the PS4 but never paid the original asking price. I always waited for a price drop (as I am now).

RocShemp

The one my mom got me had the 3-in-1 Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt / World Class Track Meet cartridge with an NES, a Zapper Light Gun, and a Power Pad.

Rockmjd23

Yeah, Sega screwed up. The Saturn was supposed to come out a week before PS1 but they decided to surprise launch it at E3 instead with barely any games and limited retail availability. Sony said "ok fine, ours will be $100 less now."