How we choose

Every page here answers one question: is this game worth owning in the flesh, what does a real copy cost today, and where do you get it.

The Attract Mode exists because digital libraries are rented, delistings are routine, and the games that defined their eras survive as objects — cartridges, discs, boxes and manuals. This is a reference for the ones worth keeping on a shelf, and for what the market actually charges for them.

Where the catalogue comes from

The backbone is Wikidata, the open, community-run knowledge base released into the public domain (CC0). We rank the catalogue by how widely a game is documented across the world's encyclopedias — a plain, honest proxy for the titles that endure — balanced era by era so the arcade age isn't drowned out by last year's releases. Synopses are drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and credited on each page.

How the prices work

The box images and "from" prices come from live eBay listings at our last rebuild — real copies real sellers have, not book values. SEALED and CIB badges are read from the listing itself. The Amazon button opens a current search for the title, which covers modern releases and re-issues. Listings refresh weekly.

How we make money

When you buy through the eBay or Amazon buttons, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That's the whole model: no ads, no paywall, no sponsored placements. A game's position in the catalogue is set by its standing, never by what pays us. See the full disclosure.

Part of a small network

The Attract Mode is the third shelf in a physical-media network, alongside The Sleeve Notes (vinyl records) and The Slipcover (films on disc). All three are independent and run by one person who'd rather own the thing than rent the stream.