phantasy star 1 for megadrive how rare is it?

[nothingisttrue]

i got a quick question i want to know how rare a copy of phantasy star 1 for mega drive is and i dont mean the sms version. i didnt see a import genesis rarity list.

[maxlords]

It's a good bit rare. I'm told it was a limiteed release and only a few thousand copies were printed.

Here's a link ripped from fellow DP member Gaijin Punch's website:
http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~japangaming/information.cgi?system=megadrive&base=phantasystar

It ususally sells for $50+ just cause of the scarcity, but demand for it is overall quite low because it's a straight port of the SMS version...especially now that the Sega Ages remake is coming out in the US and already out in Japan.

Hope that helps! If you've got any more import Mega Drive questions, feel free to ask in the import forum here at DP: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=27

[garethamiga]

But why does the MD release of this game have two different front covers?

One's not a yo-ho-ho pirate version is it?

[anagrama]

But why does the MD release of this game have two different front covers?

One's not a yo-ho-ho pirate version is it?

I think there are two different versions - the original was limited to something like 1000 copies, but it was repressed a couple of years later due to public demand.
I can't find anything to confirm this right now though.

[Bighab]

But why does the MD release of this game have two different front covers?

One's not a yo-ho-ho pirate version is it?
Where are you seeing two different covers?

[GaijinPunch]

Same as what Bighab said.

Also - I should change the rarity listing to "quite" from "slightly". Quite means you probably won't find it in any old store in Akihabara, but don't be surprised if you do.

[Raccoon Lad]

FYI, it's not a port, it's basically the Mark III rom and a Power Base Converter all rolled into one.

[Ed Oscuro]

Only 1000 were released, buy it now for $100 or we'll relist the auction next week at 100 GBP

There's been a copy on eBay (where I got "Fukkokuban" from; "Rerelease edition" is much more straightforward but less fun to say) with an asking price of $68. My copy didn't cost me much at all, but it's got some of that annoying bit of scuffs on the outer part of the case (where the two halves meet...seems to be the #1 place for that sort of thing to occur, pretty darn annoying)

Now, if it was a limited edition, would that go along with its being released for 4800 yen?

[GaijinPunch]

Now, if it was a limited edition, would that go along with its being released for 4800 yen?

I don't know, but I still stick by my story that there's only one (and there were way more than 1000 of them printed.) It uns $40 max in Japan -- any game related with a 1000 print run (even crap) will go way over $40.

[rbudrick]

Ummm, could you be more specific as to the differences between the covers? Could anyone post pics? I've never heard this before...


-Rob

[Ed Oscuro]

Now, if it was a limited edition, would that go along with its being released for 4800 yen?

I don't know, but I still stick by my story that there's only one (and there were way more than 1000 of them printed.) It uns $40 max in Japan -- any game related with a 1000 print run (even crap) will go way over $40.

Sorry, yeah, that's what I was trying to say. Didn't come across as a rhetorical question though.

For anybody who thinks low-print run crap doesn't sell for a lot...take a look at Divine Sealing. Bleh. Wasn't even an official release, and the publisher (CYX) only released one known title (Divine Sealing, of course). Game box is among the scariest I've ever seen, and the screenshots I've seen look like they would be a challenge for an original IBM. People still want a ton of money for it on eBay.

Now this is Phantasy Star, a neat edition of a cool game, pretty good packaging, and you didn't have to keep two systems around to play all the Phantasy Star RPGs. That alone would seem to warrant this game being worth more than $70, and while the seller of the copy that's probably still on eBay seems to want more than that, you can't blame people not knowing what this game is for its lack of selling. I don't think it's terribly rare.

@ Rbudrick: who's talking about different covers?

[garethamiga]

quote="Bighab"]
But why does the MD release of this game have two different front covers?

One's not a yo-ho-ho pirate version is it?
Where are you seeing two different covers?[/quote]

The one at...

http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~japangaming/information.cgi?system=megadrive&base=phantasystar

...I've seen a few times, but there was another one on eBay being sold by a bloke in Germany. I got outbid; it went to about 25 Euros.
(Sorry, it was more than 30 days ago and it's not in my My eBay.)

He had some clear photos and it looked like a proper game ie. no fuzzy colours or anything like that, but that's no guarantee of anything I suppose. I was a bit cautious with my bid just in case it was counterfeit but it went too high for me anyway.

[garethamiga]

Hold it!
I saved a picture of it onto my computer.

Sorry, I'm really crap at forums. How do I put the jpg in here?
[/img]

[Ed Oscuro]

Just post the URL.

[garethamiga]

Can't, it's just a file on my hard disk.

[rbudrick]

Folks,

That link shows a pic of the front and the back of the box.....so about there being a different cover for the first (supposedly) 1000 copies...can anyone clear this up?

-Rob

[Ed Oscuro]

Can't, it's just a file on my hard disk.

You could attach the bugger and send it to somebody who'd then upload it to their webspace. Mine is edoscuro at hotmail dot com (sorry, gotta break it up to deter email stealing robots you know).

I'm interested to see what this game is, since it's European. We'll find out in a minute.

[garethamiga]

No, I meant it was another Japanese cover....or Asian maybe.

OK, I'll send it to you, cheers.

[Ed Oscuro]

Ah. That is the source of many people's troubles. It is "Phantasy Star: The end of the Millennium," also known as Phantasy Star IV.

Here you go.[/clonelabs]

http://home.comcast.net/~Eedoscuro/mdj_ps4.jpg
(~306K, beware)

[rbudrick]

Ah ha!

So it's settled? There's only one cover to PS1 for Megadrive?

-ROb

[GaijinPunch]

Ah ha!
So it's settled? There's only one cover to PS1 for Megadrive?
-ROb

Wasn't much of a debate to begin with.

[garethamiga]

Ah ha!
So it's settled? There's only one cover to PS1 for Megadrive?
-ROb

Wasn't much of a debate to begin with.


<sheepish> Oh. </sheepish>

[rbudrick]

Ummm, ok.....so itis settled, right? One cover? No more confusion?

-Rob

[Ed Oscuro]

This is what the insert for the rerelease looks like (http://home.comcast.net/~edoscuro/mdj_ps1.jpg), which is, of course, the back (left side), spine (middle strip), and cover (right side).

As you see, it reuses the original game's art.

[bombman]

Just wanted to clear this up... there WERE only 2000 copies given away in a raffle for those who bought PSIV
After that, as was mentioned, it was rereleased as a commercial game. I have no idea if there is a way to tell the two apart.

[Ed Oscuro]

Heh, my old link got broken somehow (extra E).

Anyway, a source for this latest assertion would be nice, like a magazine or manual scan.

I should take a look at my copy, but there's probably nothing special about it.

[Zebbe]

Slightly OT:

What does the subtitle "Fukkokuban" mean?

[bombman]

Yeah, I saw it mentioned in a Japanese magazine, but I can't actually find it right now.

The raffle is mentioned on Japanese Wikipedia though, but not about the 2000 copies.


Slightly OT:

What does the subtitle "Fukkokuban" mean?

it means 'rerelease'

[Zebbe]

Thanks :).