One Enterprise Computer

Intelligent Systems, mostly a developer of chess computers and programs, released the incredibly ambitious Enterprise 8-bit computer back in 1985. And though its 256-colours, 672x512 graphics were indeed impressive, as were the machine's Spectrum compatibility, cartridge port and built-in joystick, the micro flopped. It was after all facing both them established 8-bits and the shiny new 16-bit computers. It is thus nowadays quite a rarity. You can find out more about the Enterprise over at Wikipedia, Alive, Enterprise Forever and binary dinosaurs.

You can grab one of 128k versions of these unique 8-bit micros via this Enterprise 128 auction. The computer is in full working order, seems to be in great aesthetic condition and comes with a BASIC cartridge and everything you'll need to get it running. Seller ships only within the UK, though pleading could indeed do wonders. Or, well, so I hope.

The Guild of Thieves (Atari ST)

Magnetic Scrolls was the European equivalent of Infocom and also a fantastic text adventure developer that was more than eager to incorporate graphics and handy interfaces to its interactive fiction. What's more, its games were consistently brilliant, well-written, challenging and quite lavishly boxed, as this lovely copy of The Guild of Thieves (Atari ST) will no doubt demonstrate. It is also very well priced indeed, and as you can see above comes complete with all them lovable feelies. Seller ships to N. and S. America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Pocketsize Donkey Kong Game & Watch

Not only is the Pocketsize Donkey Kong one of the rarest Game & Watch handhelds around, but actually finding one in excellent condition and complete in its box is even rarer, and that's why financially independent collectors should definitely have a look at this Donkey Kong G&W auction. It will not be cheap, but it will earn you a virtually new Donkey Kong in its very own mint box, complete with manuals, batteries and all those leaflets Nintendo used to stuff things with. Seller ships worldwide. 

Acorn BBC Master

The Acorn BBC Master, besides sporting a pretty cool name, was a lovely and rather powerful 8-bit micro, that was built as the successor to the popular BBC B micro, with which it was (mostly) compatible. The Master came with 128k RAM of RAM, a slightly faster processor and, well, you can discover everything there is to it by actually grabbing one.

This Acorn BBC Master auction should come in handy then. The computer comes in its original box and polys, is accompanied by a disk-drive and even has a selection of lovely games available for it. Among them you will find such classics as Elite, Frak Barbarian II, Repton Through Time, Qwak and Mr Wiz. Seller ships only to UK addresses, but asking for overseas shipments might actually work.

Sega MegaDrive (boxed)

The US called it the Sega Genesis, the rest of the world did indeed call Sega's 16-bit powerhouse the Sega MegaDrive and everyone agrees that it was indeed a pretty brilliant and historically important console. Now,  to own a fully boxed specimen you could bid on this Sega Mega Drive auction. It's the European PAL version, comes complete in its box with manual, cables and TV adapter, and is accompanied by two control-pads and eight quality games (including Sonic 2, Toe Jam & Earl and Castle of Illusion). Seller ships worldwide.

Super Mario Bros. (Famicom)

We all know that the Nintendo Famicom was better than the NES in every conceivable way and that it even bordered on being stylish. Are we though sure that Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom is better than its western counterpart? Hmmm... You could find out by grabbing this well-priced (it's on sale apparently) Super Mario Bros. cartridge from Play Asia you know.

Complete Apple IIc System

Running your very own vintage office couldn't be easier than with this complete Apple IIc system. Throw away your modern computer, bid on this Apple micro, win it and you'll be the proud owned of an Apple IIc with color monitor, disk drive, mouse, manuals, software and the lovely Imagewriter II printer. Set everything up and work without the distractions of the internet. Seller ships only within the US.

Tapper for the Commodore 64

Tapper is a hectic arcade game that I played to death as a kid and, admittedly, to this very day regularly enjoy. What's more, it got itself a rather excellent Commodore 64 port courtesy of Sega that you can enjoy on your very own C64 with a little help from magisterrex. Simply follow the link and grab a complete, boxed copy of the game on tape.

Complete Amstrad CPC 6128

Not many know this (but we are about to fix this, aren't we?), but I really do love the Amstrad CPC 6128. And that's besides the sweet, sweet memories of playing with the thing over at a friends place... I do, you see, love its tiny 3" diskettes, the compact design, the proper keyboard and of course the fact that it was quite a powerful 8-bit computer that could really do multi-load stuff properly. Oh, and you can easily have a taste of quality CPC gaming on your modern computer with a little help from the excellently freeware WinAPE emulator.

Better yet, and provided you live somewhere in Britain (though there is an option for worldwide shipping apparently), you can grab this pretty amazing Amstrad CPC 6128 over at eBay. Not only will  you be getting a complete CPC 6128 with a colour monitor, but also a CPC 464, a joystick and a ton of games both on tape and disk.

Happy Sega Saturn Bundle

Sega's penultimate console, the 3D enabled 2D powerhouse that was the 32-bit Sega Saturn, remains a sleek and incredibly interesting CD-based games machine, which you can grab one via this Sega Saturn auction. The fully working console comes with a joypad, the brilliant analog controller and 13 boxed games. Among them you'll find Myst, Need for Speed, Tomb Raider, Creature Shock and Sega Touring Car Championship. Seller ships only within the US.

The Lucasarts Archives vol.2 Star Wars

The Star Wars Collection, the second volume of the excellent Lucasarts Archive, came in a hefty box that was packed with 6 CDs including Rebel Assault, Rebel Assault 2, Tie Fighter, Dark Forces (demo) and Making Magic. Happily, you can still buy a boxed copy of the Lucasarts Archives vol.2 Star Wars complete with manual, quick start guide and troubleshooting guide via eBay. Seller ships worldwide. 

Atari Asteroids Paperweight

Aww, an Atari Asteroids paperweight with a vintage chip in it... Lovely, isn't it? It was apparently given to Atari's employees back in 1981 and might be collectible enough to be worth taking the trouble to bid on it. Seller ships worldwide. 

Nintendo 64DD & N64 with Games

As far as N64 auctions go this amazing Nintendo 64DD bundle is one of the best I've recently seen and one of the few of its sort available worldwide. You will be bidding on a N64 console, its 64DD add-on that was only released in Japan, eight 64DD games (!), a mouse and a controller. The thing works fine and apparently so does its software. Lovely really.

Gold Cliff Game & Watch

Released in 1988 Gold Cliff was one of the last and thus more advanced Game & Watch handhelds Nintendo released. It even sported a continue feature and I'm pretty sure this was the first time a G&W console managed to pull off such an arcade-inspired trick. The game itself is a pretty simple platform-vanishing, dual-screen, treasure-collecting affair that is definitely enjoyable and quite elaborate for a G&W  offering too.

What's more Gold Cliff is quite a rarity in our day and time and you can grab one via this Gold Cliff eBay auction. The console is (obviously) complete in its shrink-wrapped box and will definitely not come in cheap. Seller ships worldwide. 

Sega Nomad & Genesis Games

Shiny as it may still look, the Sega Nomad wasn't a particularly brilliant concept for a console. It might be able to play proper Genesis cartridges, you see, but it was thus too bulky and too power hungry to ever hope to compete with the rest of them handhelds. Still, it's a truly portable version of the Genesis that, due to it flopping, is quite a collector's item too.

You can grab one via this Sega Nomad auction, which accompanies the console with a few extras and games (incl: Aladdin and Jungle Strike). Seller ships worldwide. 

Lemmings CDTV

If you own a Commodore Amiga CDTV, you really owe it to yourself to play Lemmings on it, if only to see what such a game felt like on a CD-based console and the TV screen.  Look, I've even found a Lemmings CDTV auction for you. I comes complete in its jewel case with instructions and the seller ships to Europe, Asia, United States, Australia, Canada. 

10 Quintessential Commodore 64 Games

Welcome to the newest series of Retro Treasures features: the quintessential games. We start off with the Commodore 64 and ten of its most important (and better; and subjectively chosen among the dozens of true classics) games; ten games that actually helped define this micro as a quality games machine. Here goes:

Creatures

It might look like another cutesy platformer, but a) this was a puzzle/platformer, b) it sported amazing graphics, and c) it did feature cartoon torture. Oh, yes. At the end of each level you had to save one of your fellow creatures from a puzzle screen of death or see him brutally and hilariously murdered.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Maniac Mansion

Ron Gilbert's first point-and-click adventure for Lucasfilm, that also happened to become the most influential adventure game ever. Its (evolved) UI is still being widely used, but Maniac Mansion is much more than an influential genre offering. It remains an excellent adventure by itself, what with its multiple endings, choice of player-characters, excellent b-movie setting, smart puzzles and quality humour.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Paradroid

A masterpiece with simple graphics that deceivingly looks like a mere shoot-'em-up? Yes, it is, but Paradroid also is one of the best puzzle/action/tactics hybrid ever designed and the game that Retro Gamer's readers voted as the best C64 offering ever. A definite must-play.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Impossible Mission

Entering the (stylish) shoes of a James Bond-esque character, you infiltrate the lair of evil scientist Elvin Atombender in a frantic race against time. Amazing animation, a digitized taunt and the combination of platforming and puzzle-solving make this an undeniable and fondly remembered classic.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Mayhem in Monsterland

Possibly the last truly great release for the C64 and a game that dared compare itself to both Sonic and Mario, Mayhem is a technical, multi-scrolling, sprite-infested and brilliantly colourful marvel. It also is a really great and impressively fast offering, that has happily been re-released.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Elite

Not a C64 exclusive, not by far, but it did get a decent port and I really can't imagine a C64 (or any other 8-bit micro) without a copy of Elite. It is after all an amazing space exploration game with thousands of planets, that lets you fight, trade and even try some special missions in the distant future. The game has yet to be bested.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

The Sentinel

One of the weirdest games I've ever encountered and a true psychedelic masterpiece. Playing as an incorporeal entity, you have to navigate a 3D world, absorb trees, teleport yourself, avoid the Sentinel's energy-draining gaze and finally absorb said Sentinel to oblivion. A masterpiece by Geoff Crammond featuring 10,000 levels.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Wizball

Think I could forget Sensible Software? Of course not and this weird shmup staring a wizard and his cat encased in magical balls, is a prime example of the team's creativity. Fight and restore colour to the game's worlds in a truly unique and thankfully best-selling way.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Project Firestart

A relatively obscure Commodore 64 exclusive that managed to push away the one text adventure I had decided to include on this very list? Yes, indeed, for Project Firestart is quite possibly the first survival horror game ever and a truly excellent romp through a nasty spaceship.

Find it over at eBay.com.

Turrican

Turrican, though bested by its sequel, is a fantastic run and gun game set in a visually stunning world filled with enemies and lovely power-ups. It was also an incredibly popular showcase of what the Commodore 64 could do with visuals. And fluid gameplay.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

A ZX Spectrum 48k in a box!

A boxed Sinclair ZX Spectrum that can be shipped worldwide at more than decent prices is always worth mentioning. So, uhm, off to this Spectrum 48k auction then. The micro -the original rubber keys version of it too- is in good working condition and comes complete with its box, manual, poly inserts, necessary leads and four games. Not too bad, eh?

Factory Sealed Metroid (NES)

No, no, you can't actually seal a Metroid. They, happily, do not exist. You can of course seal a Metroid cartridge, provided that is you are a factory operating back in the 80s. You can also ignore this incredibly silly bit of text and bid instead on this factory sealed Metroid (NES) by Nintendo. It is of course a true rarity, as the vast majority of gamers has been sensible enough to actually enjoy their copy. Seller ships worldwide and don't expect to pay much less than $200.

Ralph Baer signed Magnavox Odyssey

Released back in 1972 the Magnavox Odyssey is, quite obviously, the first video games console ever. Of course this visionary piece of design by Ralph Baer couldn't really do much when it came to games, but remains a pretty impressive and highly collectible piece of technology. And it sports something not wholly dissimilar to modern-day cartridges; and plays the very first Pong-style game ever (yes, before Pong). You can find out more about the Odyssey over at Wikipedia, the Odyssey Museum or Pong Story, but also try the idiosyncratic OdyEmu emulator.  

If you are interested in owning a Magnavox Odyssey and are ready to spend quite a bit, I can't help but suggest you have a look at this Ralph Baer signed Odyssey auction. It's a gloriously boxed specimen in great condition, that has been signed by Ralph Bear and comes complete with the tons of bits the original box included (cartridges, cards, tokens, controllers, overlays, the console and more). Seller ships only in the United States.

Sega Master Gear Converter 2

Well, if you have a Sega Game Gear, you'll most probably be interested in this lovely Master Gear Converter 2 auction. It will after all land you a handy retro contraption that will allow you to enjoy Master System games on your Game Gear. Seller ships worldwide and I wouldn't expect you to spend more than $10-$15. 

The Bard's Tale II (Amiga)

The Bard's Tale II remains, to this very day, one of my favourite CRPGs, though I can see why some people might find its slightly repetitive dungeon crawling, well, repetitive. Anyway, you can now joyfully grab a fantastic copy of Bard's Tale II for the Commodore Amiga over at eBay and find out who's right. The auction is a US only affair, and you'll be getting a gloriously sealed copy for what will hopefully end up being a very good price indeed.

Shadow of the Beast (Atari Lynx)

If you own an Atari Lynx and are willing to spend $5 for your retro gaming enjoyment, you should really take a look at this boxed and sealed copy of Shadow of the Beast. It is after all an impressive conversion of the Psygnosis jaw-dropper for Atari's handheld, that does show what the Lynx could do when it came to graphics, huge sprites and parallax scrolling. Seller ships worldwide.

NEC PC-FX

The 1998 NEC PC-FX was the catastrophically delayed successor to the PC Engine, that was supposed to be a 3D powerhouse (as a prototype), but ended up being one of the most powerful 2D consoles ever instead. It was a console that was geared towards FMV games and Japanese adventures, what with its built-in CD and all, and a console that never really stood a chance. It did still manage to get a few dozen games released for it though (some of them good too) and, well, it's definitely worth owning, if not for anything else, for its unique looks.

To grab a PC-FX for a truly modest price, do follow this NEC PC-FX link. You'll be getting the console, a controller, the AC adaptor and an AV cable. Seller ships worldwide.

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer System

This is a fantastic, US only, Atari VCS / 2600 console and you can grab via this handily linked Atari 2600 auction. The seller is offering a complete, boxed 1977 Atari VCS in apparently great condition, that comes with joysticks, paddles, manuals, registration and other cards, power supply and a copy of Combat. Oh, and should you win the thing and feel like making Retro Treasures a happier place do not hesitate to mail it over. No, really, I'll put the thing on a pedestal.

Deja Vu (NES)

The NES was never a console suited, let alone built, for point-and-click adventures, but this little triviality most definitely didn't stop it from hosting some excellent adventure conversions like Maniac Mansion and Deja Vu. What's more, Deja Vu, one of the earliest point-and-click affairs, an atmospheric detective story and a rare classic that started its life on the Macintosh, can easily be grabbed for cheap over at magisterrex. So, uhm, what are you waiting for?

Boxed Atari 520 STfm

Ah the lovely Atari ST; the first affordable 16-bit micro and an excellent all-around retro computer. And if you, just like me, care to own one you could do much worse than this Atari 520 STfm auction, you know. It's the boxed Discovery Pack - Atari ST and though not complete, it does come with the original Atari mouse, a joystick, manual, all leads & cables and an interesting selection of boxed and for the most part complete games. Said games include Nightbreed, Bonanza Bros and Bubble Bobble. Seller ships only within the UK.

Neo Geo AES (NTSC) w/ games

The Neo Geo AES remains, to this very day, the most beautiful and luxuriant console ever designed. It was never, after all, designed for the price-savvy consumer and that's why I never owned one. It was also the first machine that was really on par with them arcades. Interested? Excellent, for this Neo Geo auction is a lovely way to start your collection. You'll be getting a fully working console, two joysticks, a memory card and four games. Seller ships only within the US. 

Sinclair ZX Spectrum Interface 1 & Microdrive

The notoriously unreliable ZX Microdrive by Sinclair was an interesting, cheap, innovative, but deeply flawed alternative to disk drives, that will nowadays make sure your Spectrum collection is complete. It does look beautiful, you see, it's quite collectible and -for a brief period- was all the rage. So, uhm, why not bid on this excellent Interface 1 & Microdrive auction? Besides the boxed Microdrive itself, you will also be getting the necessary ZX Interface 1, 4 Sinclair Microdrive cartridges, 2 Ablex Microdrive cartridges and Romantic Robot's Express Tape to Microdrive utility. Seller ships only within the UK. 

Nintendo Gameboy Light

One of the rarest versions of the GameBoy, also happens to be its very best. What am I talking about? Why the Game Boy Light of course. The 1998 back-lit Game Boy, that runs on two AA batteries and produces a stunningly crisp image. As it's highly collectible, you should be ready to spend around $200 when bidding on it via this Game Boy Light auction. The seller ships worldwide and is selling a complete, boxed console in great condition.

PC Engine CoreGrafx

The PC Engine might have typically been an 8-bit console, but, in reality, it was on par with the best the 16-bit era had to offer and its excellent arcade ports are all the proof you'll ever need. The 1989 PC Engine CoreGrafx is the very same essentially 16-bit console, only re-released in a shiny new case and with a modified controller. Oh, and you can buy one via this PC Engine CoreFX auction. Seller ships worldwide. The console seems to be in pretty great shape too.

Scapeghost (BBC Micro)

Scapeghost was released in 1989 and was the last text adventure by the legendary Level 9. It also happens to be one of the company's best games and a rare offering that lets you enter the ethereal shoes of a ghostly detective who will have to solve his final case and avenge his very own death. To grab its lavish, disk-based version for the BBC micro do give this Scapeghost auction a try. You'll be bidding on the complete boxed game. Seller ships worldwide. 

The Bell & Howell Black Apple II

The 1979 black Bell & Howell computer you see above is essentially a disguised Apple II Plus with slight modifications, that was produced by Apple for Bell & Howell in an attempt to breach the educational computer market. The micro was after all only sold to educational institutions, which Apple had up to this point failed to penetrate. As for the computer itself, it's quite the beauty, it's one of the rarest Apple II models and it's widely known both as the Black Apple II and as Darth Vader Apple.

You can bid on such a machine via this Bell & Howell Black Apple II auction, that includes the micro and two Bell & Howell/Apple disk drives. Just make sure you carefully read the description before bidding. Seller ships worldwide.

Panzer Dragoon Limited Edition Xbox

This does feel a bit awkward as the Xbox is still not retro enough for this blog, but the Panzer Dragoon Limited Edition Xbox that kind reader Steve discovered is quite the collectible. This particular console is number 122 out of 999 and comes complete and factory sealed in its original box, meaning you'll be getting the Panzer Dragoon pendant, Panzer Dragoon Orta, a soundtrack CD, a white Xbox, a controller, the required cables and more. The console an exclusive for Japan, but -happily- the seller ships worldwide.

Stellar 7 (PC CD-ROM)

There I was browsing through the pretty amazing Dollar Madness section of Magisterrex.com (where everything costs less than a dollar), when I run into a lovely little bit of treasure: the PC-CD vesrion of Stellar 7. Oh, yes, the 1995 Sierra-published Dynamix remake of the Dynamix action classic that was an impressive re-imagining of Battlezone and one of the first sci-fi/FPS/driving/tank-sim games I truly enjoyed was there in all its CD, VGA glory. Complete with a manual in its jewel case for less than $1. Lucky for you I still own my original copy and am thus letting you know...

bargain.bin: Trashman (ZX Spectrum)

Developed by Malcom Evans and published by New Generation Software in 1984, Trashman is one of those great games that helped define the ZX Spectrum. And yes, I'm pretty aware of the fact that it got pretty good Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 conversions too; it's still a quintessentially Speccy game. One of those games that emphasized the working class character of the machine to be precise.

In Trashman, you see, you get to actually play as a trashman. You know, as one of those vastly under-appreciated and underpaid workers that make sure (on a daily basis) we don't die from the plague.  As a normal, everyday, working person, which is more than refreshing in our age of brown space marine types and scantily clad violent ladies. And you even get to ironically play as a garbage collector servicing certain pretty posh suburbs. Talk about class consciousness...

The game has you collecting and emptying garbage bins over seven multi-screen levels; each themed after a street and each progressively more difficult to beat than the previous one. All you have to do is grab the bin or beans from every house and empty it. Sounds easy, eh? Well, it isn't, as you'll have to avoid everything from speeding cars to deadly dogs and operate under a strict time limit. It's brilliant, taxing fun, that has impressively aged to perfection and is really cheap to physically own.

As for Trashman's graphics, well, they are definitely above the Spectrum average, especially when considering how early in the computer's life the game appeared. They are isometric, colourful, sharp and pretty evocative of that suburban feel. The sound, uhm, well, it's definitely audible, it is.

Where to get it:
Trashman (ZXS): eBay.co.uk, eBay.com, Preservation Team Shop
Download: World of Spectrum
Remakes: Trashman Anniversary
Play online: right here

More info on Trashman:

• Wikipedia
• World of Spectrum
• Eurogamer
• MobyGames
• World of Stuart
• Your Sinclair

More bargain.bin retro reviews:
Sensible Soccer
TI Invaders
Target; Renegade
King's Quest I

Something simple: a Commodore 64

You don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy those classic games you know and this handy Commodore 64 auction should make a fine example of this happy reality. The brilliant Commodore micro that is on offer is fully working, comes with two cartridge games, a manual and everything you need to get playing. It is also bound to sell for a very modest price indeed. Seller ships only within the US.