The Old School Game Vault

Hi there! Thanks for checking out our page—welcome to The Old School Game Vault! 🎮 We’ve been in the video game business since 2007, started by a self-proclaimed “Mad Chef” turned passionate retro gamer. Our goal? Sharing the love of video games, from the classics to the current gen. We're kind of like GameStop… but better. 😎 At theoldschoolgamevault.com, we make it easy to sell your used video games—from ColecoVision all the way to modern consoles. Whether you're selling a single game or an entire collection, we’ve got you covered with competitive prices and free shipping reimbursement. ✔️ Over 15,000 games priced on our site ✔️ Fast, easy online selling ✔️ Dozens of 5-star reviews ✔️ Backed by an A rating from the Better Business Bureau We’re also active across social media and run a gaming blog packed with cool insights and nostalgia. Be sure to follow us if you're into retro gaming and beyond!

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In the early 1990s, someone decided kids needed an SNES game about managing diabetes.

That is how we got Captain Novolin, a superhero who fights junk food enemies while checking his blood sugar and taking insulin.

It sounds like one of the strangest games ever released for the Super Nintendo, but the story gets even more interesting. Raya Systems released an entire line of Health Hero games covering diabetes, asthma, and the dangers of smoking.

The games were not exactly SNES classics. Still, one study found that teens who played Packy & Marlon had 77% fewer urgent doctor visits over a three-month period.

Captain Novolin and the Health Hero Games Nobody Asked For

How Raya Systems made SNES health games for sick kids in the early 90s and why their unlikely research results still matter today.

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Another big week at The Old School Game Vault. We just processed one of the larger retro collections we've seen come through in a while — Panasonic 3DO FZ-1, Atari Jaguar, Sega CD, N64, Wii U, and close to 150 NES games among a massive stack of titles.

If you've got a retro collection you're looking to sell, we pay cash nationwide through our mail-in service. Full breakdown in the video.

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Big Games, Big Choices: From the First CRPGs to Baldur's Gate 3

Big Games, Big Choices: From the First CRPGs to Baldur's Gate 3

From King's Quest and Starflight to Baldur's Gate 3, one gamer's take on why meaningful choices make RPGs worth 100+ hours of your life.

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How mail-in retro game buying services actually work

A lot of reviews I see left for my business, The Old School Game Vault, usually share the same few sentiments. I was hesitant to send my stuff away to an online company I just found, because I've been burned before. Sure, I get it, we've all heard about transactions gone wrong.

How mail-in retro game buying services actually work

Nervous about mailing your NES, SNES, or N64 games to a buyer? Here's exactly how a mail-in retro game buyback service works, start to finis

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Cash vs Store Credit: Online vs Brick-and-Mortar Video Game Trade-Ins

Cash vs Store Credit: Online vs Brick-and-Mortar Video Game Trade-Ins

GameStop offered $73.15 cash for two Mega Man Sega Saturn games. The Old School Game Vault paid $378.30. Here is what each selling option ac

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How First Console Games Shaped Retro Gaming Nostalgia

My first game system was an Atari 2600, and it first sketched out for me what a video game could be: scrolling maps or static, top-or side-view, one- or two-player, tanks or spaceships or cowboys or Pac-Man or table-tennis-like paddles and bouncing balls. Even when, in retrospect, not all of the games were great, they were all exciting because they were, for a player like me, unprecedented.

How First Console Games Shaped Retro Gaming Nostalgia

From Atari 2600 to NES, the first games we played shaped how we saw gaming. Mario, Zelda, and Final Fantasy opened the door to new genres an

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A Bunch of Old NES Video Games Sell to Us from Missouri

A Bunch of Old NES Video Games Sell to Us from Missouri

A customer from Missouri mailed in a box of old NES games, and this one had some surprises. Complete boxed titles, Bonk's Adventure, and an

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A Nice Boxed Collection of Video Games Sell to Us From Connecticut

A Nice Boxed Collection of Video Games Sell to Us From Connecticut

We bought a $900 collection from Connecticut featuring Mega Man X4, Knuckles Chaotix, F-Zero X, and a complete in the box Sega 32X unit.

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Large Collection of PS2 and Xbox Video Games Sell to Us from Ohio

For some reason, I don't get in a lot of original Xbox games. When I do, it's usually the mainstream stuff. Halo, Fable, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. This order was different. It had depth across both Xbox and PS2, and honestly, it was just a fun one to test.

Large Collection of PS2 and Xbox Video Games Sell to Us from Ohio

A large retro collection of PS2 and Xbox video games sell to us from Ohio brought in titles like Otogi, Knights of the Old Republic, and Oni

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Large Collection of Retro RPGs and Classic Games We Just Bought

Bought a nice collection this month from a customer located in Minnesota.  The order includes some great games from a variety of consoles.  This was certainly a fan of RPG's with a slew of great Fire Emblem games included in this order.  Fire Emblem Path of Radiance for the Nintendo GameCube was certainly one of the highlights from this order.

https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/recent-buys/retro-rpg-collection-minnesota

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how some game genres never really wear out, and kart racing is definitely one of them.

I first got hooked on the genre through Super Mario Kart and then really fell into it with Mario Kart 64. Later on, Mario Kart Wii became one of those games I put way too much time into and was way too proud of being good at. And now, years later, I’m still playing kart-style games, except now I’m also sharing them with my kid.

That’s what this post is about.

I wrote about why kart racing games still hold up so well, why the old Mario Kart games still feel great, and how newer games like Hot Wheels Unleashed, Lego City Undercover, and Lego 2K Drive capture that same fun in different ways. There’s just something timeless about simple racing, chaotic power-ups, memorable tracks, and laughing at the ridiculous things that happen mid-race.

You can read it here: https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/kart-racing-games

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One of the fastest ways to ruin a retro video game’s value is bad packaging.

I’ve seen it too many times: cracked jewel cases, loose discs, bent manuals, crushed boxed games. That’s a big reason I wrote this post about how we package and ship retro video games at The Old School Game Vault.

A few years ago, I switched mailers and quickly found out that some “bubble” mailers really do not protect much at all. After comparing options, I changed our process and built out a double-packaging standard for disc games and cartridges. For more expensive titles and complete-in-box games, we go even further with added padding and double boxing when needed.

I also go over why Media Mail is not a good option for shipping video games, and which shipping methods make more sense.

If you sell retro games, collect them, or ship games to buyers, this post should help:

How to Package and Ship Retro Video Games Without Damage

Complete guide to shipping video games safely. Learn the best ways to pack cartridges and disc games. Discover which USPS services to choose

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Factory Sealed vs Re-Shrink Wrapped Games: How to Tell the Difference

One of the most common mistakes collectors make is assuming that shrink wrap automatically means a game is brand new.

In reality, many retro game stores re-wrap opened games before placing them on display. The plastic might look convincing, but it is not the same as a factory seal.

Here are two quick things collectors should look for:

🎮 Y-Folds (Disc Games) PlayStation, Xbox, and other disc-based games should have Y-shaped folds at the corners of the case if they are factory sealed. Standard shrink machines cannot recreate this fold pattern.

📦 H-Seams (Nintendo Cartridge Boxes) Older Nintendo cartridge games like NES and SNES usually have a seam across the back center of the box, creating an “H” shape with the side seams.

Once you know what to look for, it becomes much easier to spot real factory sealed games versus re-shrink wrapped copies.

Full breakdown with examples: https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/how-to/tell-if-a-game-is-factory-sealed

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Gun-Nac is one of those NES shooters that perfectly captures late-era console weirdness.

It’s a top-scrolling shmup with fast-paced shooting, tons of upgrades, bombs, and a shop system — but the enemies are crazed animals, including rabbits throwing massive carrots and even serving as bosses.

The game starts forgiving, then ramps up hard by level 3, forcing you to actually master speed, positioning, and weapon choices. We dug into the gameplay, difficulty curve, cheat codes, and replay value, and ended up rating it a 7.5/10.

Full Gun-Nac NES review ↓ https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/reviews/gun-nac-shooter

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We picked up a really fun retro game collection this month from a seller in Minnesota, and it was packed with RPG goodness across multiple generations.

This was clearly a Fire Emblem fan — with standout titles like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on GameCube, plus Radiant Dawn, Awakening, Echoes, and Fates. Add in Zelda classics, Final Fantasy on NES and DS, and some great Wii, PS2, and PS3 picks, and this was a blast to go through and test.

From Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out and Metal Gear on NES to Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Sunshine, and Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube, this collection had something for every era.

Full breakdown of everything included ↓ https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/recent-buys/retro-rpg-collection-minnesota

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When Final Fantasy VII Remake finally came out, I didn’t jump straight in.

I went back and replayed the original 1997 FFVII first — then played Remake… and later Rebirth — side by side with it.

That choice completely changed how the remakes landed for me. The music cues, the tonal whiplash, the weirdness, the emotional punches — all of it felt richer with the original fresh in my mind.

This isn’t a “which version is better” take. It’s about why the original still matters, and how revisiting it actually made me fall in love with the remake.

How Playing the Original FFVii Made Me Fall in Love with the Remake

Before diving into FF7 Remake and Rebirth, I went back to the 1997 original, and it made both games infinitely richer. Here's how I structur

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Ho ho ho! 🎄🎮 The holidays mean unwrapping gifts, decorating the tree, and spending time with family—but for many gamers, there’s one more tradition that matters: Christmas video games.

Whether you’re playing side-by-side on the couch or escaping into snowy digital worlds, holiday gaming has a way of bringing people together.

Here’s our list of 10 of the best video games to play during the Christmas season 👇 https://theoldschoolgamevault.com/blog/articles/1068-top-10-christmas-video-games