The 1982 Vectrex

So, what is it we have here? Why, it's a lovely Vectrex auction by a seller who is willing to ship worldwide. How very lovely; how very odd. What's more, this amazing and utterly unique vector-based console comes complete with two of its analog controllers and 8 lovely games (besides the built-in Minestorm), among which you'll be happy to discover Pole Position, Berzerk and Rip Off.  

bargain.bin retro review: Rex (ZX Spectrum)

In Rex, a very Metroid-esque platform-shooter sort of a game, players assumed the role of, unsurpisingly, Rex, a heavily armored anthropomorphic rhino with a certain passion for ecology, and set off to rid his home-planet from a huge polluting factory-tower-fortress thing. Actually, make that a huge, cavernous, impressively non-linear factory-tower-fortress thing and you'll have managed a way more accurate description. Now, in order to survive said treacherous fortress thing players had to be more than skillful, as this was another traditionally difficult 8-bit game.

To be fair though, Rex did provide with quite a few power-ups, occasionally a shield and some almost fairly placed respawn points, that actually did help. What's more, as the game was divided into two huge parts, there was a brilliant code-based save system in place to help gamers avoid playing through the first bit all over again. Impressively, said code system even managed to pass on information regarding Rex's health & ammo status.

As for the graphics, well, they were nice, colourful and detailed, and quite wisely designed to avoid as much colour-clash as possible. Sounds, on the other hand, were kept to a minimum with only a few effects. Obviously and due to them 48k memory restrictions no music was featured. The gameplay, what truly mattered and obviously still matters, was brilliant and immensely addictive. Otherwise, I guess, I wouldn't be battling my way through Rex all over again...

Rex, said rather brilliant ZX Spectrum arcade platformer/shooter, was released back in 1988 by Martech Games to generally rave reviews. After all, massive exploration-heavy action games, especially those that used both sides of a tape, weren't all that common for the humble Sinclair 8-bit. Happily, as the game was arguably the last great Spectrum release, it's rather common and generally cheap to grab.

Where to get it:
Rex (ZX Spectrum): eBay.co.uk, eBay.com
Free download: World of Spectrum

More info on Rex:

• Gnome's Lair
• Wikipedia
• MobyGames
• A Game Forever Voyaging

More bargain.bin Retro Reviews:
King's Quest I
Target; Renegade
Berzerk
Sensible Soccer

A ton of excellent C64 games

I just couldn't resist and had to bid on this pretty fantastic Commodore 64 games lot. It's a true bundle of joy that comes complete with such brilliant, boxed games as Bureaucracy, The Pawn, Spy VS Spy Vol I & II, Time And Magik and Impossible Mission. Seven lovely games on cartridge are also included. Seller ships worldwide and if this goes for less than 100$ it will be a true bargain indeed. 

Gamate & 2 games

It's apparently either a Retro Treasures favourite or some sort of personal repressed passion, but I just can't help posting about each and every Gamate that I discover on eBay. This particular BitCorp Gamate comes with two games (Brick Blaster, Money Maze) and seems to be in great condition. Apparently, the seller will discuss selling worldwide, so I suggest non-US buyers contact him before paying for anything. Lovely little handheld... 

Nintendo Spitball Sparky G&W

Released back in 1984 by Nintendo, Spitball Sparky is a highly collectible and very rare -especially when boxed- installment in the Game & Watch series of classic handhelds. Interestingly, the game was the closest to color gaming any of the G&W ever managed, what with a coloured sheet sitting on top of its screen. Hence its full name, which is none other than the Spitball Sparky SuperColor Game & Watch. You can bid on it via this Spitball Sparky auction. Seller ships worldwide, and the console comes complete in its original box. Oh, and everything seems to be in near mint condition.  

Sealed SNES Syndicate

A sealed, NTSC copy of Syndicate for the Nintendo SNES is a rare thing indeed, whereas the seller of this NTSC Syndicate ships worldwide. See the connection? Excellent, for Syndicate is one of the best, darkest, and more unique RTS games ever created and definitely the only truly sublime strategy game for your console. 

Fujitsu FM-7

Retro Treasures reader Raphael was kind enough to point me (well, us) to this pretty brilliant and quite rare (very rare outside Japan, actually) Fujitsu FM-7 computer in great condition. Seller ships worldwide. The Fujitsu FM-7 was Fujitsu's first entry to the home computing market that paved the way to the utterly brilliant FM-Tows, and was shockingly as close to the CoCo as any Japanese micro ever dared to. You can find out more about it here.

A Dragon 32

As far as British home micros go, the Welsh Dragon 32 is one of the more interesting cases. It was, essentially, a modified clone of the CoCo -the CoCo could even be converted into a Dragon- that was the product of a small company, which actually managed to earn a respectable audience and more than a few great games. You can bid on this cheap Dragon 32 and see what it's all about. The computer seems to be in good condition and comes with its power adapter, the audio leads, a joystick and the original poly inserts. Seller only ships within Europe.

Elevator Action (NES) Prototype

This particular NES prototype pictured above is both intriguing and rather weird, as it seems to be some sort of "Mexican Version" that apparently lacks any Nintendo references on its board. Oh, and it's a prototype of Elevator Action. Bid on it here. Seller ships only within the US.

Sierra: The Ultra Rare Sale

Unfortunately things haven't been good for the excellent Sierra Chest and its wise curator, and some of the rarest and most desired of the collection's treasures have been put up for sale. Just follow this link (it's a facebook album mind), click the picture of your liking and grab some truly collectible games, while simultaneously helping a fellow gamer and collector. You will be able to grab such treasures as Ultima I, the original Oil's Well, Mission Asteroid, Pegasus II and Ulysses. 

The 1984 Apple Macintosh

Beautiful as ever, but sadly only available for US residents, this Apple Macintosh is a thing of elegance indeed. It even comes complete and in full working order with keyboard, mouse, quite a few books and floppies, MacWrite, MacPaint, Videx Mac Vegas, Forbidden Quest and more.

Forty Niner (ZX81)

Well, Retro Treasures is back to normal (and preparing a few new features for your entertainment) and I thought I'd remind you all of the pretty excellent Sell My Retro auction site, that does seem to have a soft spot for them classic 8-bit micros. This lovely copy of Forty Niner for the Sinclair ZX81 is a prime example of the quality -and even obscure- games you can hope to find there. It comes in its original case, sports some lovely cover art and is one of the most impressive ZX81 games released. Find out more about it here. 

Boxed ZX Spectrum Plus

The ZX Spectrum + has been my main retro gaming platform of choice for quite some time now and I frankly can't help but recommend it. It's a slightly but crucially updated 48k Spectrum, it's small, it's beautiful and can run thousands of excellent games. What's more, the thing is cheap and you should be able to grab this complete, boxed ZX Spectrum + for a very reasonable price. Seller ships throughout Europe.

Out of Control (Atari 2600)

If you are feeling ready to enter a bloody and bloody expensive bidding war for a very rare Atari 2600 game, well here's an Out of Control auction to make you happy. You'll be apparently bidding on the 1983 Out of Control cartridge and its manual. Seller ships only to US addresses, but you can always sample the game online.

eBay Rampage: Infocom

Ah, yes, Infocom; my all time favourite developer of brilliantly written interactive fiction. The creators of some of the most impressive and imaginative game packaging ever to appear on a shelf and the implementors of an extraordinary variety of text adventures, ranging from pure horror and sci-fi to wild humour and fantasy adventures. Here are some of the better Infocom offerings currently on eBay:

The rare mask version of Suspended (Apple II). Worldwide, Buy It Now.

Suspended in its more casual box (C64). US, ends 18 Mar. 2011.

The Lurking Horror (PC). United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan, ends 20 Mar. 2011.

The Leather Goddesses of Phobos (PC). Worldwide, ends 20 Mar. 2011.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Apple II). Worldwide, ends 21 Mar. 2011.

Sorcerer - the budget Mastertronic version. Worldwide, Buy It Now.

The Lost Treasures of Infocom (Mac). Worldwide, ends 23 Mar. 2011.

The Lost Treasures of Infocm II (PC). Worldwide, Buy It Now.

The complete, interactive Bureaucracy. US, Buy It Now.

Wing Commander Prototype (SNES)

Both Wing Commander fans and SNES collectors should love this working (!) Wing Commander prototype that recently hit eBay and is so far sporting an incredibly modest asking price. The cart comes from old favourite Mindscape, whereas the seller kindly ships worldwide. 

Boxed ZX Spectrum +3

Looking for a boxed ZX Spectrum +3 with a few games, some spare disks, the necessary laeds and all its manuals? Well, lucky you then, for this Amstrad produced ZX Spectrum +3 can indeed be shipped worldwide and is bound to be relatively well priced. Just keep in mind that its drive-belt needs to be replaced, which is something that a) can be easily done, and b) keeps prices down.

Another Commodore SX-64

Ah, the lovely Commodore SX-64 makes another appearance on Retro Treasures. Why? Because I love the thing and have yet to grab one. This worldwide-shipping Commodore SX-64 auction does sound like a good idea, as does owning a colour, quite portable, disk drive equipped and definitely collectible version of the venerable C64. 

Green House Game & Watch

A boxed Nintendo Green House Game & Watch is a thing of beauty, especially when it comes in its complete box with instructions, leaflet and pink sheet, and is in such a great -almost excellent- condition. It will be expensive, it does remain a great game and the seller handily ships worldwide. Oh, and I do love my very own (unboxed) Green House. 

Seaman (Dreamcast)

The Dreamcast did have its fair share of absolutely brilliant games, but none of them has been weirder than Seaman, the excellent, demented, voice-driven Tamagochi-inspired offering, that starred a python-esque fish with a face and managed to out-art Rez and Shenmue. You really have to give this one a try, and this particular auction of Seaman (US) seems like a great opportunity to grab the thing in a most excellent and complete condition, including the microphone, outer box and even a Sonic Adventure 2 demo disc. Seller ships only to US addresses. 

Neverhood Original Painting

Paintings have never been cheap, but this original Neverhood Painting is really over the top. It is of course a most beautiful creation by Doug TenNapel, measures a large 48" x 36" acrylic on canvas, but is still way out of my range. With this money I could buy an original Giger. Oh, well... Seller ships worldwide.

Digital Memories

If you are even slightly interested in the Commodore 64 demoscene, then you're bound to love the Digital Memories: The Best of Commodore 64 (Vol. 1) DVD. It's an amazing 167-minutes long audiovisual journey through the best C64 demos, that demonstrates just what the machine was capable of both artistically and technically. You can grab the DVD over at Amazon. Oh, and here's what you should expect: 

The Complete Coleco Adam

When the Coleco Adam was announced in June 1983, it must have sounded like a brilliant idea: a proper 8-bit home micro that was fully compatible with the successful ColecoVision console. Well, apparently and due to some pretty weird design choices and hardware flaws, the plan just didn't work. The Adam sold poorly and eventually dragged Coleco down with it, which is frankly a shame. This is after all a unique, beautiful and rather versatile machine and -as you might have expected- a pretty rare one too. You can find out more about the Adam here, here and here.

Now, for a truly rare chance to grab a Coleco Adam computer in a fully working, tested and seemingly excellent condition, you should have a look at this Coleco Adam lot that appeared on eBay. You'll be biding on a Colecovision Adam Computer System with three disk drives, a Colecovision Smart Writer Printer, a keyboard, a modem, two cartridges (Super Action Football, Super Action Baseball), two joysticks, two paddles, a ton of floppies and game tapes, manuals, guides, CP/M, an assembler and even some dust covers. Seller ships only to US addresses.

Huge Speccy games collection

122 games for the ZX Spectrum should last you a lifetime, make you happy and -as always- help further crowd your diminishing gaming space; happily, you can also grab them all at once via this Spectrum Game Collection eBay auction. This pretty impressive collection includes a pretty huge variety of offerings that range from brand new to well-preserved, and sports more than a few classics and relative rarities such as BMX Simulator, Xenon, Solomon's Key, Empire Strikes Back, Dun Darach, The Eidolon and Elevator Action. Impressively, seller ships the lot worldwide. 

58 Atari 2600/VCS Games

Got to love them retro game compilations. They are generally cheap, look lovely and might even lead to the discovery of some sort of forgotten classic. Then again there are so many widely known known -and quite proper- classics in this impressive 58 Atari Games collection you'll probably spend your time on them. Seller ships only within the US.

NEC PC Engine DUO-R

The PC Engine Duo is a fantastic little console that combines the original PC Engine with its CD expansion in one handy set that can play both HuCards and CD-ROMs. The PC Engine Duo-R is the same lovely console, only more streamlined, better looking, but also lacking a headphone port. Oh, and you can grab a PC Engine Duo-R right now via eBay. It comes in its original box and the seller ships worldwide.

SEGA Genesis 3

A brand new, boxed, unopened Sega Genesis 3 Core System isn't the most common Genesis around and you grab one via this Genesis 3 eBay auction. Seller ships worldwide will include two new controllers with that lovely 16-bit box. 

Ocarina of Time (N64)

If you happen to be the proud owner of a Japanese Nintendo N64, then you simply have to own the cartridge containing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It's most probably the best Zelda game ever developed, reason enough to own the console and you can easily grab it via Play Asia. 

A Vectrex in a Box

The beautiful vector-based Vectrex is a truly unique retro console, that comes complete with it's built-in, ultra-crisp vector monitor and a proper analog controller, and even sports more than a few excellent games. It may have been a failure due to mankind's devastating lack of taste, but you can happily still grab a boxed Vectrex via eBay. It comes complete with its manual, controller, built-in game with instructions & overlay, an insert and an accessories booklet. Seller ships worldwide.  

Mickey Mouse Game & Watch

The last Mickey Mouse Game & Watch I remember seeing on eBay sold for a bit more than 700$, but it does seem that this particular Mickey Mouse G&W will be way more expensive; might make it over 1000$. Then again, the console does come in its well-preserved box and with its tiny manual, and seems to be in excellent condition. Mind you, this is the Panorama (DC-95, released in 1984) colour edition of Mickey Mouse by Nintendo. Seller ships to the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan.

Companions of Xanth (PC)

Legend Entertainment is -sadly- no more, but you can still grab one of its finest adventures via eBay: Companions of Xanth for the PC in all its boxed glory. The game itself is a truly unique, humorous, fantasy point-and-click adventure with excellent hand-drawn graphics, that surprisingly plays quite a bit like a piece of interactive fiction. It is also based on the rather brilliant Piers Anthony fantasy book series. Seller ships to N. and S. America, Europe, Asia and Australia. 

An Amiga 1200 in Black

If you were thinking about visiting them U.K. islands, I do believe you should really hurry up and make it there before this UK-only auction for a brilliantly modified Amiga 1200 is over. You lucky UK residents can simply bid on the thing instead, for it is indeed a fully upgraded, modified and indeed black-sprayed A1200. The computer comes with a 40GB hard drive, a DVD-R drive, 3 USB ports, a network card, the 68030-based Blizzard 1230 MK3 accelerator board, a CD32 controller, extra power supply, OS3.9 and of course its lovely AGA chip. Oh, and, should you care for one, the seller is apparently willing to throw in a monitor at no extra charge.