Is Gamestop a Reliable Source for Retro Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Genesis and other Games in 2018?

In this video, we share our experience with ordering an NES Cartridge from, of all places, Gamestop.com!

When it comes to picking up retro games sometimes it can be harder than you’d expect, especially depending on where you live. I am jealous when I watch the NES Pursuit from Pixel Game Squad (Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRwh3TVQszgmDK6UHzHNdQQ) as they have so many great swap meets, rummage sales, and retro game shops to find great pickups at. While I do have 3 great shops near me in Live Action Games, Disc Replay, and We Play Games, this part of the country is somewhat devoid of some of the other sources of great games.

Since I went to Germany and brought back a PAL copy of Darkwing Duck from AB Games in Lubeck, I’ve been on the lookout for an NTSC copy of the game. It is an amazing action game, so much fun, terrific graphics, everything that makes Capcom games of the era so memorable. When I went to the MoGameCon in August 2018 I was searching for a decent copy of Darkwing Duck at a reasonable price. Well, $65 was the median price for a loose cart, much more than I was willing to spend. I had bid on, and lost, several auctions for copies on eBay, with that median price being $40-$50. While it is worth the price I just didn’t want to spend quite that much. Then I got an email from Gamestop, and my interest was piqued.

Thanks to RGT85, I managed to re-up my Gamestop Elite Membership before they shut it down in August 2018. The Elite Membership yields additional discounts on used games, including retro NES games. I looked on the website and Gamestop did indeed have a copy listed for only $39.99. When you combine it with my Elite Plus Membership discount the price was brought down to $31.99. I also had a $5 coupon so I was able to finally get a copy of Darkwing Duck for the NES for $26.99. But, I was concerned. This was something I’d have to order sight-unseen. I’ve heard horror stories about people ordering from Gamestop and getting Repros instead of the legit carts.

Upon opening the package I was pleasantly surprised at what greeted me. The cartridge, while slightly dis-colored, overall looked pretty solid. When I opened up the cart I was relieved to see that the board indeed had the Nintendo logos and trademarks on it. This was, in every way, a legit copy of the game, now in my collection, for under $30.

Well done Gamestop. The pins on the cart did get a cleaning with Brite Boy and my 1Up Cards but overall this was a very positive experience. Shipping was quick, quality was good and everything played as it should. I know it is popular to hate on Gamestop, I also know some people have gotten repros and fakes. My experiences here, and granted this is a sample size of one, was overally positive. I’ll definitely consider ordering from them again.
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The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

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Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
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(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)