How'd you get started importing?

[maxlords]

Importing isn't something you just sit up one day and decide to do...or at least for me it's not! The first import I ever bought was Castlevania X: Rondo of the Blood for PC Engine. I'd heard tell about this incredible Castlevania game that only came out in Japan and that I could play it on a US Turbo Duo. So I went out and bought a Duo and Drac X. After I realized how easy it is to play most imports that aren't text-heavy, I was hooked and the rest is history :)

How'd you get started?

[ventrra]

I got started through anime.
....
No, really!
I played a number of freeware anime PC games on my computer and wondered what the games would have been like if they'd been done professionally. That lead to finding some (SFC, PCE, etc.) examples of such.

[GaijinPunch]

A bit of both of those stories. When I stopped playing games in high-school and first of college, I did watch anime. Realized there were a lot of anime games ou there. Then realized most of those games were lame compared to other import games, and that there was a whole world of games I'd never seen.

I moved here five years ago (wasn't too much into games then either, besides the occasional emulation fixation) and I'm surrounded by them. When I was short on dough (this place is expensive) I did the Ebay thing... then got hooked again. :)

[Mayhem]

The PAL scene was crap in Europe. Hence started to get US/Jap games and consoles instead of waiting. That was 1991. Haven't gone back since...

[Funk Buddy]

I really don't know why I did. I had been out of gaming for about 6 years, then I got a DC for my Bday. This had something to do with my current addiction... I guess. At that time I worked with a girl whos boy friend was really into gaming and her talking about it got me interested. I started reading as much as I could on Usenet, and importing looked like the way to go. People were talking on the Saturn group about all these great games, so I bought a import Saturn. That was it for me, and there's no turning back.

[mezrabad]

I live in South Korea. They sell nothing but imports here. Well, they aren't imports to them, per se, but I think you know what I mean.

[GaijinPunch]

Well, looks like I'll be going down with you of N. Korea keeps it up. :)

[ClubNinja]

Started the whole import thing after scoring a Japanese Saturn at one of our trade meets. I've been feeding that machine, as well as others, with import games ever since.

[Dire 51]

I recall reading about a lot of imports (including Dracula X: Chi no Rondo) in some of the mags at the time, but it wasn't until I found a local place that I started importing. The guy that ran the place was using Famicom boxes as decorations, and one of them was Gradius II. I asked if he was willing to sell any that he had. It surprised him (he didn't think anyone would want them), but he said yes. I walked out of his store that day with Gradius II, Holy Diver and a Honeybee converter for my NES. I've been importing games ever since.

[Bighab]

One day I was doing a search on the internet(for what I forget) I came across a cool Front Mission Fan site. I read the review and saw screenshots of Front mission for the Superfamicom. Being a big strategy game fan it looked like a very playable game to get. I picked up a copy from ebay and have been importing since. The Japanese love there strategy games and there are alot of cool ones to get.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

My first imports were Odyssey 2 games, and I knew for years that I'd have to look outside the country to find 'em (the four Parker Bros. O2/Videopac titles). I happened upon an eBay lot where three of the four were being sold, and picked those three up for about $120, and later tracked down the fourth from South America for...well, let's just say it was over half what I paid for the other three. @_@

I got into PS1 imports because I wanted to play Crazy Climber.

No, really. I really, really did want to play Crazy Climber.

[AB Positive]

Anime, it started with Ranma Hard Battle for the SNES, and hearing that the japanese versions were better. I never got a way to play them, but i always wanted to. Then, I found out how to make a SNES JAP compatible, and then it started.

I actually went a little eBay crazy with the imports last week, but I'll have a lot of anime games coming my way :-D

-AG

[IntvGene]

It started with the Saturn... when I got some semi-legal import games off the net for it. I was also playing the Capcom import stuff too. Then, I went to Japan and really started collecting the older stuff.

[Captain Wrong]

If you bought a Saturn after it left the store shelfs, I think it's a law that you have to start importing.

That's my story anyway. Well that and I discovered that Japan was a country that still appreciated the "quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.

[GaijinPunch]

"quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.

I think you mean dollar-muncher. :)

[bargora]

If you bought a Saturn after it left the store shelfs, I think it's a law that you have to start importing.

That's my story anyway. Well that and I discovered that Japan was a country that still appreciated the "quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.
I bought a Saturn after it left the store shelves. By law, I was required to start importing.

Then I picked up Vib Ribbon, which spurred me to get a modded PSone.

Ikaruga and a Cheats 'n' Codes disc worked out pretty well, too.

Munch munch.

[Oobgarm]

Now that Bargora has posted, I will set you up the bomb.

Thanks go to my PSX, and Pepsiman. A buddy of mine had it, and I knew I had to start importing like RIGHT THEN.

And I still don't have a copy of Pepsiman... :(

Make your time.

[Captain Wrong]

"quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.

I think you mean dollar-muncher. :)

Ye Gads I feel old. I keep forgetting arcade games don't cost a quarter anymore. Hell, I still remember the legnthy internal debate I had trying to decide if I was going to play Dragon's Lair when it first came out and was THE game in our local arcade because it cost a whole 2 quarters as opposed to one.

[bargora]

Now that Bargora has posted, I will set you up the bomb.

Thanks go to my PSX, and Pepsiman. A buddy of mine had it, and I knew I had to start importing like RIGHT THEN.

And I still don't have a copy of Pepsiman... :(

Make your time.
What you say!




"quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.

I think you mean dollar-muncher. :)

Ye Gads I feel old. I keep forgetting arcade games don't cost a quarter anymore. Hell, I still remember the legnthy internal debate I had trying to decide if I was going to play Dragon's Lair when it first came out and was THE game in our local arcade because it cost a whole 2 quarters as opposed to one.
Earlier this month I played Strikers 1945 II and Space Bomber at the Dayton Mall arcade for $0.25 per play. So the games that really matter can still be played cheap. It's all that dance dance light gun racer stuff that tries to beat it out of you a dollar at a time. And I think that the Soul Calibur II machine was $0.50 per play.

Move zig.

[Oobgarm]

Now that Bargora has posted, I will set you up the bomb.

Thanks go to my PSX, and Pepsiman. A buddy of mine had it, and I knew I had to start importing like RIGHT THEN.

And I still don't have a copy of Pepsiman... :(

Make your time.
What you say!




"quarter muncher" type of game that apparently the US market got too sophisticated for.

I think you mean dollar-muncher. :)

Ye Gads I feel old. I keep forgetting arcade games don't cost a quarter anymore. Hell, I still remember the legnthy internal debate I had trying to decide if I was going to play Dragon's Lair when it first came out and was THE game in our local arcade because it cost a whole 2 quarters as opposed to one.
Earlier this month I played Strikers 1945 II and Space Bomber at the Dayton Mall arcade for $0.25 per play. So the games that really matter can still be played cheap. It's all that dance dance light gun racer stuff that tries to beat it out of you a dollar at a time. And I think that the Soul Calibur II machine was $0.50 per play.

Move zig.

How are you gentlemen!

Bargora, you were in the Dayton Mall? I've heard good stuff about that place, but I've never been. Don't you live upstate? You had best stay out of my area if you know what you doing or you will have no chance to survive. For great justice.

I've been to the Gameworks here in town, and they do have a decent number of imported arcade machines, but mainly the bemani stuff. And those bastards are expensive. They work on a credit system like D&B's, so I'm not exactly sure of a $$ amount, but they were much more than the others. Lots of racers and fighters there too.

All your base are belong to us. Ha Ha Ha.

[Wookie]

My first import games were some famicom carts. I've actually found these several times in Seattle (large immigrant Asian population who probably brought them with them). Then I started trading internationally to get games I couldn't find here, starting with Odyssey2 and Atari 2600 and branching out from there. Occasional trips to Canada have turned up MegaDrive, Famicom, PC Engine, and other "imports".

[Tetsu]

I bought a Saturn after it left the store shelves. By law, I was required to start importing

You know what you doing.

I too, started collecting imports after the mighty Saturn showed me the way. The fighting games, the shooters, and the wierd stuff. Pretty soon I expanded into imports for PSX and Super Famicom as well. The Dreamcast is an import dream machine, especially with new titles being released to this day. Go go Border Down!

It's you!

[Sothy]

Necro spam bump ftw

[StealthLurker]

Back in the 80s, took a trip overseas with my grandmother to visit relatives. Discovered the 8bit Nintendo Family Computer at my cousin's house. Ended up begging my grandmother to buy one and several "cassettes". Funny thing, I spent a lot of time packing my US NES and as many games as I could in my hand carry to bring on the trip... ended up only using it twice during the one month stay. It was all about the famicom that summer. So many games I had never heard about, even in the "Nintendo Fan Club" magazine.

After returning to the states, the only way to score more games was by writing a letter to relatives. Shops and services selling imports didn't exist yet.

A few years later we actually moved overseas. During that time, I would save up my lunch money/allowance to buy JPN Mega Drive carts from time to time. Also saved up money to go to the "copy shop" to buy copies of Amiga games from Europe/USA.

When we moved back to the states, the Super NES had just been released. I decided to pass on the Super Famicom because I knew it would be hard to score SFC games back in the states. During that period I didn't import because it was very expensive. The only import I got then was Street Fighter II Turbo Hyperfighting via good ol' DIE HARD GAMERS CLUB of EGM fame. Actually went to their physical store in Tarzana to pick it up.

Fast forward to the internet days of the newsgroups (rec.videogame.marketplace), buyrite website, ebay and now Yahoo Japan Auctions. Pretty much anything you want with a click of the button. It's so darn easy now. Nowadays when friends and relatives go overseas and ask if I want anything I just say no. There's nothing really that can't be acquired through the internet. For the really hard to find stuff, can always commission someone to scour the streets of Japan to find the target.

.

[Brianvgplayer]

I started importing when I found an EU Parasol Stars for GB at an EB for around 10 dollars. Later, I found another import GB game at Kmart (Super Chinese Land 3), found a couple loose JP Megadrive games at a yard sale (20 dollars for Whip Rush, Thunder Force III, a High Definition Graphics Genesis with hookups, and a model 1 6 button controller together. The sides were trimmed on the games, something I wouldn't dare do) and then started using sites like play-asia, ebay, and Japan Game Stock.

I used to stick with GB, Game Gear, and GBA for imports, but later had the tabs removed from my SNES (I have about 4-5 SFC games), modded the Genesis for imports, got a spring and bootdisc for PSX imports, got an adapter for N64 imports (which I ironically only have one of), and got an Action Replay 4m plus for the Saturn. I also have a couple DS imports.

Now I have a couple JP systems, Famicom and SMS, and imports for these as well. I also have an adapter for US/EU games on the SMS, some EU SMS imports, and some JP SG-1000 imports.

[mb7241]

It all started about 9 months after I started collecting...which would put it about 3-4 months before this thread was originally posted. I was thinking one day, in the middle of my C++ programming class in college, "I wonder what it'd be like to play these games in Japanese?" I began to mull and to ponder, and I modified the working shopping list I had to include Japanese imports. Within a couple weeks, I modified the list again to include some PAL imports (Terranigma was the main PAL want at the time). Since then, I've picked them up as I've come across them, and I now have somewhere around 100-150 imports, spread out among most of the major systems :) . Still looking for a bunch more, though I did get in a couple really nice ones today: Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Artifact Box and Xenosaga Episode 1 Premium Box :D .