Sega Dreamcast Prices Are Rising Fast: What Games Should You Collect?

Retro gaming consoles tend to follow a predictable price pattern as they age. They are expensive on release, somewhat rapidly drop in price as new merchandise becomes available, and then inevitably rise in price when the system is old enough to  inspire collectors. 

Guess where the Sega Dreamcast prices are at on the timeline? That’s right, Sega Dreamcast games are rising in price commensurate with the growing scarcity of the games and desire of collectors to get them before they’re gone. The same thing happened with PS2 games and more recently with PlayStation 3 games

Keep in mind that there is no digital marketplace for Dreamcast games, so there is no way to get more of them on the market. 

Sega Dreamcast games have already started to increase in price. Overall, the rise has been rather dramatic and that could be a sign of things to come. Find out the latest on price trends as well as which games you should consider collecting before the price spikes. 

What Is Happening with Sega Dreamcast Game Prices?

Pricecharting.com shows a trend of rising prices for Sega Dreamcast games

According to Pricecharting.com, the overall average price of Sega Dreamcast games sold has risen about 26% over the last year. These prices are the highest they’ve been since the early 2000s, shortly after the console fell off the radar.

That is a sure sign that these titles have reached the level of maturity (or nostalgia) where they are now collectibles, and that means these prices are going to rise. It doesn’t help casual collectors that the pandemic gave people more time to hunt down these games, either.

Now, some people on the fence about buying Dreamcast games right now probably want to know “where’s the ceiling on this?” The truth is that it is hard to predict where the overall price will level out, but you should consider two things:

  1. The crazy disparity between CIB and loose game price suggests that fewer collector’s items are left on the market.
  2. The price trends for other retro systems like the Nintendo 64 games show that older games on a system with limited releases (like the Sega Dreamcast) can actually reach significant percentages of the games’ original price at release. 

To sum it up: Sega Dreamcast prices are rising. While it is possible that the prices are mid-way on their journey to the highest point, the console and games have lower availability than other retro systems. Systems like the N64 saw even higher average prices. 

In other words, this could be a sign that prices still have a way to go until they reach their highest point. 

Which Sega Dreamcast Games Should I Consider Collecting?

Not this one. Any game but this one.

Alright, so Dreamcast prices are going up. What games should you think about buying right now? I have a few in mind. Remember that this is just an educated guess. I can’t predict the future, and you shouldn’t trust anyone who says they can. 

With that in mind, I picked games that are likely to trend upwards in price due to factors like:

  • Supply and demand- there are not many copies of some games around
  • The popularity of the game- some games hit that nostalgia button just right
  • Genre- some game genres are more attractive to collectors

If you’re looking for rare games that have the potential to rise in price and collectability, check these out. 

Illbleed

Therapy not included

Illbleed is a survival horror/ action-adventure game that was not very popular when it came out because it relied on horror movie tropes and has some of the worst dialogue ever written. Like a bad horror movie, this game was more positively reviewed after some time had passed. 

According to Pricecharting.com, it might be time to buy this one.

Now, though, the price of the game has been steadily rising and it’s starting to shoot up. A CIB copy of the game is incredibly high in price due to the game’s rarity, and the loose version is the highest it’s ever been.

This game might be out of the price range for many people, but it might be worth getting for collectors because there may not be a ton of copies on the market. Here it is on eBay.

Capcom vs. SNK

Akuma’s finishing move will ruin your life

Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 is a crossover fighting game that lets you take up the controls as crime boss Geese Howard from Fatal Fury, Akuma from Street Fighter, and so many more. The game was not necessarily groundbreaking, but it was a solid fighting game. 

Don’t worry, Pricecharting.com only started tracking CIB in 2013

The price for a CIB is shooting ever-upwards right now, and the average cost of a loose copy is about as high as the original price. As you can see by the price trends, this isn’t some sudden increase. It’s been building up for years, and the game isn’t going to get any easier to find. Go get it on eBay while there are still plenty of copies.

EGG (Elemental Gimmick Gear)

For the uninitiated, EGG Elemental Gimmick Gear is a unique action-adventure/ RPG game with hand-drawn backgrounds and maps along with a ton of fun combat. Some people collect this game because it’s very fun to play and others like it because it’s not exactly common. 

It’s beautiful and you’ll love it.

This game is actually not at its highest price anymore, so this is a good collector’s item to buy now. The price for loose and CIB copies is climbing again, and it could very well top the previous high price. I can’t recommend buying this to let it sit on your shelf, though. You really need to play this game. Here it is on eBay.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Is that sadness? Lust? WHAT IS HE FEELING?

I never got the game, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. I also never got the appeal for the franchise as a whole. Maybe one day. 

This is another fighting game, and it looks interesting. Some of the special moves featured by characters include dropping a steam roller on the enemy, Cyclops-style laser eyes, and more. 

The price of this game has climbed higher and higher over the last two years, almost doubling in that time. You might want to get a copy of this one sooner than later. 

Skies of Arcadia

And not nearly as annoying as Vaan from FFXII

You knew this was going to be on the list, right? Skies of Arcadia is a popular RPG that lets you play as Sky Pirates. That’s right, we have airships and sword fighting. It’s easy to see why this game grew in popularity. 

Interestingly, the game didn’t sell that many copies. I don’t know how many copies of the game are still floating around out there, either. What I do know is that the price is actively rising right now, and it’s already higher than the original price for the game. 

That’s a sign the game is getting harder to find. You should consider adding this one to your collection or selling it if you have one in good condition. Check it out on eBay.

These are not the only games that are rising in price, but these are the ones that have a lot of potential based on their sales history. 

Is the Sega Dreamcast Console Worth Anything?

It was beautiful, man.

The price of a Sega Dreamcast system has spiked over the last year. The price of a loose, used Dreamcast was somewhere around $75 in March 2020, but now that price has risen to $110 in May 2021

Just for reference: That price was about $30 in 2019. 

Buying the system for your collection right now might make sense, but it’s always possible for the price to drop a little in the future. Still, you should remember that Sega only sold about 9.1 million consoles, less than one-third of the number made by Sega Genesis. 

I can’t say for sure whether we are at such a point right now, but there will come a time when the price keeps jumping as the systems become increasingly rare. You may want to secure a console for your collection sooner than later. 

(Also, the emulation scene isn’t that great for Dreamcast, so that has made owning the system to play the retro games even more important to fans.)

Sega Dreamcast Has Many Collectible Games

Far more games on the Sega Dreamcast have the potential to be a good collectible or investment. The system has many interesting titles and it did not get the benefit of the long production runs of other consoles. 

If you see a game for a good price, then think about buying it because these prices may not come down again.

If you want to know more about retro collecting, start here:

The Ultimate Guide to Collecting Retro Games

What is the Best Place to Buy Retro Games Online?

Otherwise, keep an eye on Ghettogamer.net, smash that subscribe button (just kidding), and check out the other collector’s guides for different systems. 

Leave a Reply

Discover more from The Ghetto Gamer

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading