The package my games were sent in was very, very secure and inside was a massive amount of foam peanuts to ensure my games were delivered safely. Inside were three neatly wrapped bits of black and white paper that contained my games (which gave the whole thing a retro sweet shop vibe), as well as a gift card with a voucher code to buy anything directly from their site (they sell consoles, games and accessories – but not a huge amount).
The first one I opened contained two unboxed handheld games – Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for the GBA and Tetris DX for the Game Boy Colour. Neither game is particularly great (though you can’t go wrong with Tetris), but they are pretty decent hauls. Not only that, as collectors will know, Tetris DX can often command big money online – with some boxed copies going for as much as £60 – so getting this in my first batch is pretty decent (even if it’s worth a lot less unboxed). The quality of the games didn’t concern me really, but the quality of the cartridges did raise some flags. They weren’t filthy or dirty, but they certainly rattled when I picked them up. This is to be expected to a certain degree from older games, but it did make me want to test them off the bat before I’d even opened the other presents. My Retro Game Box doesn’t have anything on its site about whether they test the games they send, so there is always a chance you’re getting duff products. For the record, both games worked smoothly.
The second slip of paper contained James Bond 007: The Duel for the SEGA Mega Drive. Again, not something that will ‘wow’ a buyer, but it was a title that I hadn’t really played before. Not being the biggest fan of the James Bond franchise, this isn’t a game I would seek out. But because of My Retro Game Box, I now own a copy – and that’s pretty cool. Plus, it probably isn’t as bad as I remember it being. Again, this was unboxed – but it was very sturdy and in pretty good nick.
The last one was the biggest and probably the best – Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse for the SEGA Master System. This was the only boxed game I got in this shipment, but it wasn’t in the strongest of shape. The paper was rather worn and incredibly dirty – browning in corners like it was played in a house owned by a heavy smoker (or clumsy tea drinker). But what struck me about this title was not the quality of the box, but the meaning behind it.
My Retro Game Box’s biggest USP is that they are sending you the sort of games they think you would want to play – this is why they have the form when you sign up. It’s not just so they don’t send you another copy of Duck Hunt for the NES, it’s so they can make a judgement about your gaming sensibilities and make decisions accordingly. If you look at the list of games I own, you’ll notice Quackshot starring Donald Duck and Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse for the SEGA Mega Drive as well as Lucky Dime Caper starring Donald Duck for the SEGA Master System along with that console’s version Castle of Illusion. Along with DuckTales and Darkwing Duck for the NES, my collection shows that I have a bit of an affinity for Disney games from the late 80s and early 90s (both Quackshot and Castle of Illusion are among my favourite games of all time) and this is something my new Scottish friends noticed. I also stated that I was a fan of platformers, hence the delivery of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and James Bond 007: The Duel. I even mentioned that I was rather keen on puzzle games in a throw away sentence in the middle of my preferences diatribe – which is why I got Tetris DX. They understood my needs, and catered to them.
But a big question hanging over this all is did I save money by signing up for their service?
My Retro Game Box clearly state on their website, “If we had to check eBay for the value of every game we send you to make sure you were getting a specific value of games per box we’d lose our marbles. [However] we’re pretty sure you’re getting a better deal than if you were buying the games one by one.” Retro game buying and collecting is not an exact science, and you should be aware that this might not always work out to be the most cost-effective way of building your collection. However, a quick scan of eBay showed that my first bundle of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (£4 unboxed), Tetris DX (£8 unboxed), James Bond 007: The Duel (£5 unboxed) and Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse (£10 boxed) actually did work out cheaper than if I’d searched them out one by one. And when you factor in the price of shipping, this was quite the successful haul. On top of that, I probably wouldn’t have looked for a copy of James Bond 007: The Duel – or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for that matter.
By the way, James Bond 007: The Duel is just as rubbish as I remember.
My Retro Game Box still feel like they have a long way to go when it comes to customer service and presentation, but it’s hard to make an argument that they’re con artists or shysters. I got exactly what I signed up for, and a boxed copy of Land of Illusion (tatty though it may be) is a very welcome addition to my collection. This is a service that isn’t for everyone and you do need to know exactly what you’re getting into before clicking the “subscribe” button, but My Retro Game Box is a worthwhile investment if you’re looking to explore some new titles or revisit memories from the past.
Just don’t follow them on Twitter…
My Retro Game Box is a subscription service, and more information on it can be found here.
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
