Despite no new games being developed for the Nintendo SNES, you can still pick up a range of retro SNES games in the UK – and here, we list a few of the best places. And if you want to find out more about Nintendo’s new retro console, take a look at our SNES Classic Mini review.
Buying SNES games – a warning
Before we list a few of the best places to buy SNES games in the UK, we thought we should warn prospective buyers about the difference between PAL and NTSC – especially for those too young to have experienced the differing formats. NTSC and PAL are two types of colour encoding system that affect the quality of content viewed on old analogue TVs – it’s said to affect HDTVs too, but to a much smaller degree. NTSC delivers 30fps at 720×480 and features manual colour correction, while PAL offers 25fps at 720×576 with automated colour correction. What does this mean to gamers at home? Those who own a PAL SNES won’t be able to play NTSC games, and vice versa. It’s important to check which version of the SNES you have before buying any games – those in the UK should have a PAL SNES unless mentioned otherwise.
Where to buy SNES Classic games
So, now you know that you should avoid NTSC games, where is the best place to buy classic (PAL) SNES games? Despite the console being over 20 years old, there are still a handful of online retailers that sell the game cartridges.
eBay
Of course, the best (and arguably biggest) resource to find classic SNES games is eBay, the online marketplace. For those that have been living under a rock since 1995, eBay enables people to sell their old, unwanted stuff for cash, making it the perfect place to pick up SNES Classic games. In fact, the eBay site offers a dedicated section for SNES games, all with custom filters that allow you to sort the collection by not only region or price, but by publisher, release year, genre and more. Admittedly, the games are more expensive than those offered by other retailers mentioned here, but that’s the price you’ve got to pay for a wider selection and (depending on the seller) fast delivery.
ConsoleMAD
ConsoleMAD is a third-party retro video game retailer based in the UK that looks to offer a concise and cheap buying system. The company prides itself not only on realistic pricing (aka not inflating pricing on popular brands like Mario and Zelda) but also accurate photographs and descriptions, technical support not only for the game but your console too and friendly customer service. With that being said, ConsoleMAD has a decent range of SNES Classic games for sale on the website, ranging from £3.50 to £28. Like eBay, it has split PAL and NTSC games, making it easier to browse for content that will work on your console. Postage and packaging isn’t free like with other sites, but the games should be with relatively quickly.
Retro Game Base
Retro Game Base is another UK-based retro game retailer – the company used to have a physical store in Streatham, London, but it has since closed down to focus on the website. Along with the likes of Sega, Atari and PlayStation games, potential buyers can browse a selection of PAL Classic SNES games. Admittedly, the selection is fairly small compared to ConsoleMAD and eBay, but the site is refreshed with new stock daily and most games listed are fairly cheap. The company buys retro games too, making it the perfect place to unload some of your old games. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
