- Primary Subject: Retro Game Market Trends
- Key Update: Star Fox: Assault, Silent Hill 2, and Xenogears see price increases.
- Status: Live
- Last Verified: 2026-05-14
- Quick Answer: Check out the recent price increases for retro games Star Fox: Assault, Silent Hill 2, and Xenogears from May 7-14.
Keeping a close eye on how the retro gaming market is a tough ask. Finding the best value and knowing which games are spiking in price due to external factors can help you save some money by avoiding purchasing them when prices are skyrocketing.
Usually, big news related to franchises can steer prices one way or another. The announcement of a new retro collection can tank prices of otherwise very pricey physical games. Alternatively, a new game based on a beloved old franchise can have the opposite effect.
Last week has seen some major movement in retro game prices, as things like the upcoming Star Fox for Switch 2 have spiked interest in older titles within the franchise.
That said, let's take a look at three retro games spiking in value for the week of May 7-14.
Retro Games Spiking In Value (May 7-14)
The three major retro games seeing their value increased are:
- Star Fox: Assault (Nintendo GameCube)
- Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
- Xenogears (PS1)
Now, let's dive deep into why each of these games is getting more expensive. All prices have been sourced using sites like Price Charting and Retro Game Price Guide.
Star Fox: Assault
- CIB (Complete in Box) price: From $88 to $161
The Star Fox resurgence is real, and game collectors are looking to take advantage of that.
A CIB, meaning complete in box version of the GameCube exclusive, went from an average of $88 in April to a whopping $161 in May. This is, naturally, due to a massive surge in popularity of Fox McCloud as a character and the franchise as a whole.
The character had a prominent role in the highly successful Super Mario Galaxy movie. A few weeks later, Nintendo revealed the upcoming Star Fox, yet another SF64 remake set to launch this June 25.
Why Assault and not other games in the franchise? Well, the answer is rather simple: Nintendo Switch Online. The NSO service includes both Star Fox and Star Fox 2 on the SNES library, as well as Star Fox 64 on the N64 collection. The same can't be said about Assault, which is not available on the GameCube library.
Silent Hill 2
- CIB (Complete in Box) price: From $149 to $184
Silent Hill 2 is a unique entry on this list. The spike in popularity isn't thanks to the god-awful Return to Silent Hill film that premiered back in January; it's in spite of it.
The film hit VOD in late February, commencing a steady surge in price for the original PS2 title. While non-enthusiasts will opt for the remake made by Bloober Team to wash the taste of the movie, purists will go for the original experience: a Silent Hill 2 black label PS2 title.
Why black label over others? You see, the Greatest Hits is the best bang for your buck. It's not only cheaper than the black label (or at the very least, around the same price), but it comes with added bonus content. That said, the fact that original Silent Hill 2 copies are rarer than the Greatest Hits edition is much more enticing for collectors.
Xenogears
- CIB (Complete in Box) price: From $144 to $167
Our third and final entry hasn't seen much of a price change, but it is still more interesting than Xenogears, whose value is going up in 2026.
Both the black label and Greatest Hits versions are priced similarly, so it's not a scarcity issue with a particular edition of the game. It could be that the recently released Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X sparked some slight interest in enthusiasts who want to check out the origins of the franchise.
Alternatively, it could simply be the way the market is shifting towards more and higher prices. Physical media is being phased out, and there are only so many copies still available for purchase, especially when we're talking about those that are more than loose discs, with extra goodies collectors highly value, like the original case and the now-defunct instruction booklets.
And that's it. Expect weekly check-ins diving deep into the world of retro collecting in the coming weeks and months!
READ MORE: Retro Gaming in 2026: Your Ultimate Hardware & Emulator Guide
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