Around 12,000 consoles on which more than 47 million pirated video games were illegally stored were seized, for an estimated value of more than €47.5 million (US$52.5 million),” Alessandro Langella, head of the economic crime unit for Turin’s financial police,

The N64, in particular, was often seen as a console for younger gamers due to its family-friendly titles like Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. However, this perception was partly due to marketing strategies by competitors. The GameCube and SNES also had games suitable for all ages, making them excellent choices for families.

Italian police have smashed a gang trafficking fake retro video games from China, seizing a haul that they claimed was worth £40 million.

Authorities in Italy have busted a lucrative retro game trafficking ring which is said to have been suppling fake vintage consoles and games worth almost €50m ($55.5m).

A police action results in a seizure of thousands of fake retro consoles and millions of pirated games with an estimated combined worth of over $50m.