Old school games retain a certain nostalgic atmosphere that is sorely lacking in today's video game market. Sure there are execptions, but for the most part, many video games just don't have the same loveable charm that they used to.

Thankfully, companies like Nintendo and Sony are re-releasing some of their classic video games as downloadable content on their respective online markets.. This gives gamers both old and new another chance to experience these treasures.

The ugly truth is that some retro video games will never be re-releasesd digitally. The video game libraries are simply too big. Also, some companies have gone under, leaving their once respective titles in video game limbo.

Some copies of classic video games do still exist, it is simply a matter digging deep to find them.

Finding Rare Video Games Method #1: The Internet

Rare Video Games & Systems on Amazon

Finding Rare Video Games Method #2: Used Game Stores

Finding Rare Video Games Method #3: Flea Markets & Garage Sales

Rare Video Games: Conclusion

Rare Video Games Links

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Rare Video Game Related News

The Internet is a good place to start the search for rare video games. Searching online can save you a ton of unnecessary running around. It can expand your browsing beyond geographic limitations, increasing your chances of find older video games by a huge percentage. 

Online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon are great resources to use when looking for older video games. Personally, I was able to find a nice selection of N64 and first cycle PS2 games on eBay alone. And for the most part, it didn't cost me all that much money.

The going rates for video games out of production can vary greatly. Extremely rare games like Valkyrie Profile for the Playstation can be as cheap as $80, or as expensive as $300.

Placing an ad on Craigslist is another option. It's a bit more risky and farfetched than an online search, but it may just work out.

Back when GameStop was known as Funcoland, it was also a retro video game paradise. They offered used, and sometimes new, copies of some of the oldest video games ever created. Likewise, any similar used video game store is another great place to look for rare games.

This method is more of a shot in the dark than searching online, because you never know what video games the store might have. Do yourself a favor and do a search on the store's website to see if they have the particular rare video game you are looking for.

I remember being obsessed with collecting Bust-a-Groove 2 for PS1 a few years ago, but I couldn't find a copy on eBay or Amazon. I ran a search on GameStop's website, and saw that there was only one copy in the NY-PA-NJ area, at a store somewhere in Pennsylvania! I almost took a roadtrip across the stateline to get the game, but eventually I talked myself out of it. But if I wanted that game, it was there.

It seems that the speed of the gaming industry has hindered the selection of rare video games still sold in stores. There are still game stores known to have copies of scarce games, but the longer you wait to look for them, the higher the chance of them being shelved indefinitely.

So, you've exhausted all other options, but still can't seem to find that rare, valuable, one-of-a-kind video game you've had your heart set on? The answer might be to find a local flea market or garage sale and resume your search there.

A few years ago I would go to a GameStop not far from where I worked and pick up a new N64 game from time to time. That was, until somebody came in one weekend and literally cleaned the entire store out! This person singlehandedly bought every freakin' N64 cartridge the store had that wasn't a Madden game.

Needless to say, I was pretty hot about that. I asked one of the employees if they knew somewhere else I could find rare video games, and I was instructed to check flea markets for them. I never actually pursued this option, but it could be a good alternative if the other two methods prove unfruitful. There's no telling what you'll find at one of those...

Also, if there is a garage sale, check that out to. A lot of people have rare video games for sale, for cheap prices to boot. You might even be able to talk down the price even further, if the owner is really desperate to sell the game.

The key to finding rare, video game gems is patience and creative thinking. These are most certainly not the only methods of securing long lost games, so don't be afriad to try something completely out of the blue.

Happy hunting, and long live retro video games!