Since people tend to look back at previous generations and point to the prices being much cheaper, let's be accurate.

Console price in 1996: $199.99
1996's console price today after inflation: $293.28

Mario 64's 1996 price in 1996: $59.99
Mario 64's 1996 price price today after inflation: $87.97

Average PS4/WiiU/Xbox One game price today: $59.99
Average game price today would have been this much in 1996: $40.91

Console price in 1996: $199.99
1996's console price today after inflation: $293.28

Twisted Metal 2's price in 1996: $47.99
Twisted Metal 2's price today after inflation: $70.38

Average PS4/WiiU/Xbox One game price today: $59.99
Average game price today would have been this much in 1996: $40.91

Console price in 1996: $129.99
1996's console price today after inflation: $190.62

Street fighter Alpha 2's price in 1996: $69.99
Street fighter Alpha 2's price today after inflation: $102.64

Average PS4/WiiU/Xbox One game price today: $59.99
Average game price today would have been this much in 1996: $40.91

The hardware of today costs a little more, depending on which console you buy ($72 more in 1996, for xbox one and ps4 to be exact)
The WiiU at 1996 prices would actually be cheaper than the PS1 and N64, at only $177.30
Games, which people complain as being too expensive, are on every single platform, much cheaper than they were in 1996, anywhere from $10-$25 cheaper per game, across all platforms after inflation has been taken in to account.

the cheapest, 39.99 games of 1996, are more or less identical in price, to todays day one release date prices.

But people always have annoying things with nastalgia. People always remember things as far better than the y really were. I was surprised to see the games in the 90's were $60 though.

Yeah, people complaining about game prices now are crazy. I NEVER got brand new games back then, they were just too expensive. I mean AT ALL. Most of my games came from the bargin bin or I bought them used from the video store. I bought zero full price NES or SNES games.

PS1 Greatest Hits re-prices were awesome, though.

I remember buying Super Mario All Stars on the SNES for 90$.

And just for fun, a high end PC of the era, the 1989 Tandy 5000MC

Price in 1989, $8499
Price today?, $15,729.97

nearly 16k for a 20mhz 16bit color pc..

Earthbound was $70-$90

We don't have it that bad :P

I bought an N64 for 200 and I bought a WiiU for 300, sure they're around the same price after inflation adjustments, but I did not pay 300 for the N64.

in 1995-1997, spending 200 was the same as spending 293 today, so yes, yes you did.
inflation is as integral to the cost of an item as tax is.

People always conveniently forget about inflation when they bitch about prices today. Completely agree with OP's points.

Good thread.

Yes games were very pricey back in the day, heck some N64 games were $70+ at launch. I remember my Dad buying me an N64 back when it launched and getting the only 2 games out (Mario 64 and Wave Racer 64) and remember seeing the receipt... I had to love my N64 extra after that haha