Is the Gamecube the hardest modern system to collect for?

[Queen Of The Felines]

I live in an area that has at the very least twenty game stores in a thirty mile radius. Every once in awhile I'll take an entire day and hit all the shops, looking for rares or anything that catches my eye. While the PS2 has some rare/semi-rare games for it, I've always managed to stumble across at least one or two copies. (For example, yesterday I found Rez and Futurama, and two weeks ago I found a factory-sealed Fatal Frame. :eek 2: )

However, I've also noticed that there are some Gamecube games I've NEVER seen ANYWHERE. MLB Slugfest 2004. Red Card Soccer. NCAA Basketball 2K3. Resident Evil 3. I've found Aquaman and Sega Soccer Slam twice and Cubivore and Zoocube about three times each in the span of about a year. Ikaruga is starting to become scarce around here too, and let's not even discuss the different promo discs.

So basically, is it just me or does is seem that the Cube has a higher-than-average amount of rare games for it? I don't know why but for some reason I'm in love with the design of the game covers and I'd like to someday own a complete set of GC games, but I have a bad feeling I have an easier chance getting a full PSX set first. :o

Kristine

[MegaDrive20XX]

for a next-gen system, I'd say yes.

the value of Resident Evil 2, RE3, and Code Veronica X is quite ridiculous. For me, it was the biggest challenge to get all five. Took me about 3 months tops, even when Code Veronica X was in stores lol

Even the two Zelda bonus disk (Collector's Edition and OoT/Master Quest) is getting odd too.

Even original release copies is getting hard to find, the yellow (Player's Choice) boarder looks like crap to me

[BTHOTU]

The resident evils are still at my local store what do they fetch???

[Aussie2B]

Yes and no, I think. The lack of popularity is good for GameCube collectors in that prices quickly go down, BUT it's also bad because with lower print runs and lower interest, who's to say that a game will even be around long enough in a store to see a price drop. If you're really worried about being able to get a particular obscure title (that is, you think your stores might not even get it in at all), the best thing to do is preorder so that they're forced to order in at least one copy, but then you're stuck paying the MSRP...

[Pop Culture Portal]

I'd agree also. I have about a dozen game stores/fleas in my general area (which ain't much compared to most folks) and the selection of used, as well as new GC titles are quite slim. I keep seeing the same titles everywhere, like Zelda, Smash Bros., Metroid, and a sports title or two. When a new title comes out, I rarely see it again after it's been sold out from its initial release.

I noticed the same pattern you did, Kristine, only a few weeks ago and thought I'd work on the GC a bit. Maybe it's just my area, but the used GC game prices are much higher than the PS2 or Xbox. For instance, a sports title (any currently available one) may be $10 used on the PS2 or Xbox, but 2 to 3 times that on the Cube. Why? Just because the disks are small?

And the Zelda bonus disks are here in some of the game stores for a whopping $50 used. If I remember correctly, the N64 was the same way as far as used prices and availability...or at least that's how I remember it being.

[Querjek]

Well, Gamecube games are less common than PS2 and Xbox games (PS2 > Xbox > GCN in terms of availibility) in general.

[MarioAllStar2600]

Definatly.

Gamecube is a semi-rejected system. As much as I hate to admit it they're is a large portion of kids who own the system.... and I believe that is why the RE games are scarce.

And sports games aren't a big hit cause people buy a Gamecube for Mario, zelda, metroid, and other real fun exclusives. If they own xbox or ps2 why not get the sport game for that since it's online?

It seems to me that this system is going to be lots of fun to collect for in the future. Of course I will never get that joy cause my collection is going to be complete by then. ;)

[izret101]

Well, Gamecube games are less common than PS2 and Xbox games (PS2 > Xbox > GCN in terms of availibility) in general.
Come to think of it i hardly ever see any GCN games. But i see tons of PS2 and Xbox.
So i agree fully with that equation.
I better watch out more for Gamecube titles. Thanks for pointing out something i never took notice of :D .

[Mayhem]

Capcom never made many of the RE2 and RE3 Cube versions anyhow, less than 70k copies by all accounts.

[philosophyst]

My local Sam's Club has bunches of GC games for $12.83. I picked up a couple decent titles that I enjoy. I do agree though, GC games just aren't as easy to find in general.

I did just pick up a nice, complete Spy Hunter at a sale recently for $5. Not the best gameplay but worth the $.

I recently sold off all my PS2 stuff to get a GC, I was just getting tired of the Playstation after many, many years with it. Plus, I liked the idea of having my Top Loader NES, mini SNES, N64 and GC all on the shelf next to my TV....hooked up and ready to play! :P

[-hellvin-]

No would be my answer. I dunno, I just see these games all the time. One place I OFTEN see "semi rare" games for the GC are pawn shops. I also remember at my work, we had about 5 copies of resident evil 3:

FOREVER.

They just NEVER SOLD. Until they went to cheap ass clearance prices lol. Wish I had bought all 5 of em back then, I coulda probably tripled my money with the ebay madness surrounding those games. But if I REALLY wanted it for some reason, I know I could head out there and find it.

[NintendoMan]

They are alot rarer, because there aren't as many copies of each game made.

I too plan on owning a complete GC library sometime in the future. I guess I have about 60 titles as of today.

[Aussie2B]

How many GameCube games are there, anyway? Has it surpassed the N64 library?

[vincewy]

GC exclusive games aside, there're games I've noticed going for much higher and rarer than PS2 and/or Xbox counterparts:

Gauntlet Dark Legacy
MLB Slugfest 2004
Mystic Heroes (Yipe, got one earlier for a bargain)
NCAA Basketball 2003
Vexx (GC version should be much rarer)

[slip81]

I'd have to say that like any system it all depends on the game, because while it may be hard to find RE games, Nintendo ones like Metroid are everywhere. I would agree though that the Cube seems to have more low print run games than xbox or ps2, most likely because it's not as popular.

I wonder if companies release less of a cetrtain multi-platform game on the Cube cause they know it won't sell well. Like games that are mainly online like NFS: Underground. Those might be the games to collect if that is the case.

[orrimarrko]

Since I do the Gamecube rarity guide for this site, you would think that I would be biased.

However, the answer is no.

There are 397 games in the library, with about 10 or less that you will have to put any effort into finding, or paying more than $50 for (brand new.)

It's my experience that the bigger the library, the harder it is to collect for - at least for modern systems.

The PS2 has a TON of lesser known games, many of which are already very, very difficult to locate. And no, I'm not talking about Mister Mosquito or other quote-unquote "rare" games (because they honestly aren't.)

The PS2 and XBOX both have more titles, and a lot more obscure titles in their libraries. The Gamecube is rather easy to collect for, and as I already said, can be done without much effort - a few titles aside.

Steve

[izret101]

Since I do the Gamecube rarity guide for this site, you would think that I would be biased.

However, the answer is no.

There are 397 games in the library, with about 10 or less that you will have to put any effort into finding, or paying more than $50 for (brand new.)

It's my experience that the bigger the library, the harder it is to collect for - at least for modern systems.

The PS2 has a TON of lesser known games, many of which are already very, very difficult to locate. And no, I'm not talking about Mister Mosquito or other quote-unquote "rare" games (because they honestly aren't.)

The PS2 and XBOX both have more titles, and a lot more obscure titles in their libraries. The Gamecube is rather easy to collect for, and as I already said, can be done without much effort - a few titles aside.

Steve
I agree with this point to. Alot of times i will hear about a game and have never heard about before. By now i shouldn't be surprized anymore. I know some people who only go for the obscure titles. Thats a much better way to collect. Instead of waiting for a system to die then trying to get the obscure games you get the popular titles when its dead and gone.

[pixelsnpolygons]

There is a guy who posts here (at least he did once) who only needs about 70 games for a complete GameCube collection. He has a ton of them - he'd be a great person to ask about how hard it is. I am sure it varies from state to state. I know Ikaruga is so easy to find where I am I am tripping over it. I've never in my life seen RE 2 or RE 3. In fact, the only games I can say I always see are Acclaim games - like Jeremy McGrath Motocross and junk like that. My EB and GameStop seem to carry a large selection of the crap - which makes the already pathetic looking "single shelf" (compared to Xbox's two or three and PlayStation 2's half-the-store) collection look even worse.

I think there's more 'Cube collectors than people figure and if you think of it, you only need one or two other collectors in your area to make finding games like Cubivore in the wild that much harder. In a nutshell, I agree - it is a pretty hard system to collect for cheaply - if you wanna shell out half your paycheck, I don't think it would be too hard but of course you'd be doing a lot of searching on Ebay.

[orrimarrko]

I have quite the Gamecube collection myself, including every "difficult" title that exists for the system.

I can tell you flat out, that there is no game that I cannot find locally. I truly mean that.

More than HALF of all my GC games were bought at under $10, and I have only bought TWO games used. There are only a small handful of them that I paid more than $35 for, and usually it was because I wanted to play them right away.

Again, there is NO game for the system that cannot be found without looking.

As far as price goes, I cannot stress this point enough. There is only ONE Gamecube game that you should pay more than $50 for - in ANY circumstance.

That game is Sega Sports NCAA Basketball 2003. If you can find it for less than $50 new or used (complete and in excellent condition), consider yourself lucky.

Other than that, you should have NO problem.

[racecar]

buy what you play...not for the sake of rarity ...that will only ruined the game.

[izret101]

There is a guy who posts here (at least he did once) who only needs about 70 games for a complete GameCube collection. He has a ton of them - he'd be a great person to ask about how hard it is. I am sure it varies from state to state. I know Ikaruga is so easy to find where I am I am tripping over it. I've never in my life seen RE 2 or RE 3. In fact, the only games I can say I always see are Acclaim games - like Jeremy McGrath Motocross and junk like that. My EB and GameStop seem to carry a large selection of the crap - which makes the already pathetic looking "single shelf" (compared to Xbox's two or three and PlayStation 2's half-the-store) collection look even worse.

I think there's more 'Cube collectors than people figure and if you think of it, you only need one or two other collectors in your area to make finding games like Cubivore in the wild that much harder. In a nutshell, I agree - it is a pretty hard system to collect for cheaply - if you wanna shell out half your paycheck, I don't think it would be too hard but of course you'd be doing a lot of searching on Ebay.
I know there is a guy on IGN.com maybe its the same guy?

[pixelsnpolygons]

I know there is a guy on IGN.com maybe its the same guy?

Yeah, same guy - he posted here looking for games.

[orrimarrko]

buy what you play...not for the sake of rarity ...that will only ruined the game.

What the hell does that mean?

Some people collect just because, whether it goes up in value or not.

I could honestly care less, personally. It's not an expensive system to collect for, and it's fun.

This thread has nothing to do with rarity speculation.

[nesgamer]

I live in an area that has at the very least twenty game stores in a thirty mile radius. Every once in awhile I'll take an entire day and hit all the shops, looking for rares or anything that catches my eye.

How can it be "rare"? I mean come on it's one of Nintendo's newest systems. How can a Game Cube game be rare already!? @_@

[Mayhem]

You could quite easily say the same about the PS2 and Xbox and there's a number of very hard titles to find for those machines already (a combination of under production or low sales figures eg. Disgaea, Rez etc).

[digitalpress]

How can it be "rare"? I mean come on it's one of Nintendo's newest systems. How can a Game Cube game be rare already!? @_@

The answer to your question is in this very thread. You must not have been paying attention.

Listen up, I'm only going to say this once.

NCAA 2003 for GameCube was rare just months after it was released. Sega Sports pulled their support for the system and this title was not produced in the same quantity as a typical GameCube title. Further, some tiitles are intentionally not produced in high quantities, usually because the expected gamer demand is low.

THAT is how it can be "rare".

Here endeth the lesson.

[izret101]

You could quite easily say the same about the PS2 and Xbox and there's a number of very hard titles to find for those machines already (a combination of under production or low sales figures eg. Disgaea, Rez etc).
Disgaea was reprinted 2 or 3 times and Rez is either getting rereleased or Rez 2 is coming out i cant remember which.

[Oobgarm]

You could quite easily say the same about the PS2 and Xbox and there's a number of very hard titles to find for those machines already (a combination of under production or low sales figures eg. Disgaea, Rez etc).
Disgaea was reprinted 2 or 3 times and Rez is either getting rereleased or Rez 2 is coming out i cant remember which.

Regardless of reprint, Disgaea is still very tough to find. Until I see offical press releases that Rez is being re-released, it's just rumor.

[Mayhem]

Atlus are notorious for not reprinting. Getting even 2 more out of them would have been pushing it LOL

Even so, I bet the total number so far made hasn't hit 6 figures. Rez hasn't even sold worldwide 6 figures between BOTH PS2 and Dreamcast versions!

From all reports, NCAA Basketball 2003 for Cube had a production run of merely 5,000 copies. This in my book makes it the rarest regular Cube game out there (until you possibly factor in special promo/bonus games such as Tower of Druaga and Metal Gear).

Would like a copy sometime, but tracking one down now is hard. I've got a complete copy of Redcard Soccer for $17 today so that's off the list, and I just missed out last night on MLB Slugfest 2004 (overbid middle of the night job). And PlayAsia have copies of ZooCube US for less than $20 if anyone is interested in getting that title.

[orrimarrko]

How can it be "rare"? I mean come on it's one of Nintendo's newest systems. How can a Game Cube game be rare already!? @_@

The answer to your question is in this very thread. You must not have been paying attention.

Listen up, I'm only going to say this once.

NCAA 2003 for GameCube was rare just months after it was released. Sega Sports pulled their support for the system and this title was not produced in the same quantity as a typical GameCube title. Further, some tiitles are intentionally not produced in high quantities, usually because the expected gamer demand is low.

THAT is how it can be "rare".

Here endeth the lesson.

Thanks Joe, I needed a good chuckle this morning!

Exactly. I was fairly sure that I mentioned this on the previous page (about NCAA Basketball 2003), but apparently, no one felt like reading that post. LOL

Steve

[ubersaurus]

I don't expect Pokemon Box to have been produced in large quanitites, for what it's worth. Also considering it's limited availability outside the internet, and I could see it worth something down the line.

[Oobgarm]

EDIT: Bah. Turns out the NCAA 2K3 I found was in crappy condition and without a case. Nevermind.

[Mayhem]

Whereas I grabbed the copy someone was selling on here ;)

I've also managed to get RedCard Soccer for $17; RE2 and RE3 (US versions) for $30 equivalent each from someone here in the UK (and they are practically mint and unused); thought I'd found a bargain for MLB Slugfest 2004 for under $20 but found it was minus manual sadly :(

[izret101]

So what would be the top ten hardest to find games for GCN?
So far it seems like sports and M rated games would be top ten.

[MarioAllStar2600]

I am just going to add my 2 cents on Cubivore. This game is believed to be rare by you average collector. But it def. isn't rare. Uncommon? Possibly. They aren't easy to come by in the wild but there is usually 5 or 6 on ebay. i would recommend not spending more then $25 shipped on one.


This game is to the gamecube like Chase The Chuckwagon is to the 2600.


I just figured I would clear up what I noticed.

[DreamTR]

Game Boy Advance is much harder to collect for. Good luck finding all of those games boxed in the future...it's going to be just as bad as collecting for Game Boy one of these days.

[izret101]

Game Boy Advance is much harder to collect for. Good luck finding all of those games boxed in the future...it's going to be just as bad as collecting for Game Boy one of these days.
Collecting complete games for almost any handheld sucks.