Mega Drive Encyclopedia

[evilmess]

I just ran across this Mega Drive Encyclopedia at Play Asia and thought I'd give the MD collectors a heads up on what looks to be a cool collectible.

• Japanese Mega Drive Encyclopedia.
• Includes pictures and reviews of 554 Japanese Mega Drive™ games.
• Includes interviews and other specials.
• Includes mini Genesis replica figure

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-as-70-del.html

[Push Upstairs]

Awesome! It's a shame i can't read Japanese or have $50+ to spare.

Where is this Play-Asia place located and how good is thier reputation?

[maxlords]

Highly reputable company....not sure where they're based tho.

[slip81]

Maybe someone will make one for the U.S Genesis *hopes* :)

[tritium]

They're in Hong Kong, just like lik-sang. And they're good. I've ordered lots of stuff from them.

-Tritium

[Cauterize]

Maybe someone will make one for the U.S Genesis *hopes* :)

...and Euro Megadrive!!!

[Push Upstairs]

I think there just needs to be a "16-bit Sega Bible" that includes every released Genesis/MD game from everywhere in the world.

[anagrama]

Take note people: My birthday is in February. Worth a go, anyway :D

edit: Actually, with Economy shipping to the UK it's $63 altogether, or about £35. That's doesn't seem too bad, and I might have to look into it if my current eBay buyers ever get around to paying me. I'm sure it would help compiling the DP MD-J section anyway ;)

[Daniel Thomas]

On a related note, what's that last Kanji symbol? I can read "megadrive" and then "dai," but what's that last one?

[Ed Oscuro]

No idea. You did click on the second picture? It's much clearer than the first.

I sort of doubt this reference contains Divine Sealing... :P

[Melf]

@_@

I'd love to have that but $50 is a little too much for a book I can't read.

I would definitely buy a Euro or U.S. one though.

[Iron Draggon]

OMG, I am so saving up for that! (And I have a coupon for $5 off my next order of $40 or more too!) Thank you so much for posting that link for us!

[rbudrick]

The second symbol is zen. Daizden=encyclopedia or complete works.

-Rob (master of reading blurry-ass kanji)

[Push Upstairs]

So the 554 reviews in this book are for every MD game released in Japan?

[Ed Oscuro]

If you count only official titles, that seems a reasonable assumption. 554 titles? I'm wondering if they didn't mess up the count somehow :P

[evilmess]

I wish Play Asia had a few more shots of the inside pages.

Iron Draggon, please post more info if you buy it. I'm sure we'd all like to see and hear more about it.

[rbudrick]

Hmmm, I thought that Japan had way more megadrrive games than the US. 554 games seems awflly low to be every game,'

'-Rob

[Ed Oscuro]

I think 554 seems about right, actually. Of all the Genesis games that came out over here, I'm pretty sure a large number never made it into Japan (Aaah! Real Monsters seems to be one, just to throw a title out there that's never mentioned).

[anagrama]

There's only something like 420-430 Japanese MD titles. Perhaps it also includes MegaCD games?

The US & Europe both had a larger library, probably due to the fact that the MD was knocked into 3rd place in Japan behind the SNES & PC Engine.
The last Japanese game was released in March 1996 while the US & Europe both had games released until '98.

[rbudrick]

There's only something like 420-430 Japanese MD titles. Perhaps it also includes MegaCD games?

The US & Europe both had a larger library, probably due to the fact that the MD was knocked into 3rd place in Japan behind the SNES & PC Engine.
The last Japanese game was released in March 1996 while the US & Europe both had games released until '98.

Damn, I never knew that! I thought they got a lot more games....wierd that I hadt hat misconception...


How many did Europe and other areas get?

-Rob

[anagrama]

To the best of my knowledge, there's 525 European PAL MD games (not including variations), plus 5 that are probably Australian-only releases. The unlicensed Accolade/Ballistic games were also distibuted in Europe, but are identical to US copies.

TecToy released around 300 games in Brazil, which includes a dozen or so exclusives.

There's also Asian releases (JP-style carts in PAL-style boxes), but I'm not really clued up on them. Aswell as the untold wilderness of Korean games....

A definitive Worldwide Mega Drive/Genesis book would be one hefty tome :)

[thegreatescape]

A definitive Worldwide Mega Drive/Genesis book would be one hefty tome :)

*whips out pre-order money*

So when are you gonna start on that ? LOL :D

[Iron Draggon]

I wish Play Asia had a few more shots of the inside pages.

Iron Draggon, please post more info if you buy it. I'm sure we'd all like to see and hear more about it.

Well I'm definitely buying it, as long as they don't sell out of it before I can afford to get it. Anyone wanna help contribute to the cause? The cheapest shipping available for it is $13. I can get it for $45 with my coupon. So the total including the shipping is right at $60 for it, but I have to cash in that coupon before it expires on November 18th, which only gives me a month to come up with the money for it. So any loans towards it would help alot!

I have the money for it right now, but the money is tied up in a transfer from Paypal to my bank, which I just initiated last night, and unfortunately I can't cancel it. So until my bank receives those funds and gives me credit for them, my hands are tied, because I'm expecting another charge to come through sometime this week that's far more important to me than this is. I will buy it ASAP, but not until I know for sure the funds are in my bank.

[Iron Draggon]

Estimated shipping date: Nov 08, 2004

Now I just need to save up enough money for another one before they sell out of them, so I can open one and keep one sealed! Ah, the great debate, to open or not to open? Now that I know that it's a limited edition item, I may never know what this tome contains, unless I have more than one in my collection! How can you open something like this, if you don't have an extra one? Especially when they're already selling it for $125 on ebay now!

[Push Upstairs]

Hopefully you open one so that you can use the info within to make the most comprehensive Genesis/MD game book ever! :::::: hint hint :::::

[Iron Draggon]

LOL Well you know, if enough people were to chip in for an extra copy of it for me, then I would certainly get together with Fuyukaze and do just that. I know that he doesn't live very far from me, and he can read at least some Japanese, so if he and I were to get together we probably could learn alot about all the MegaDrive imports for y'all. But I really hate to open one when that's all that I have, I can't read Japanese anyway, and I can't afford to get an extra copy yet! I could only look at all the pretty pictures and wish that I knew what the hell all those kanji were saying! So, I'm passing around the hat now! Anybody who really wants to know, throw in a buck or two for an extra copy for me, and I'll see what I can do about getting it all translated!

[Funk Buddy]

If anyone is interested, here is a cheaper one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15121&item=8141083330

[Iron Draggon]

Nice find, but PlayAsia still works out to be a little cheaper. Theirs are $49.90 + $13.30 airmail = $63.20 total or -$5 with a coupon = $58.20 total. This one is $46.99 + $19.00 airmail = $65.99 total, but if that seller has anything else that you want, it's still not a bad deal because you'll save on shipping.

But the ones that are selling for $100's already are just trying to prey on the vulnerabilities of the unsavvy import shopper. (Is there even such a thing?) ;) I wouldn't pay more than $75 total for it unless it gets to a point where the only way you're gonna get it is to pay extortion fees for it, but right now that definitely isn't the case, although who knows how much longer before that happens. If these sell out as fast as I would expect them to, then you probably shouldn't wait very long, if you want one for a reasonable price.

[Iron Draggon]

YAY! My order has been shipped! It won't be much longer now! WOOHOO!

BTW, Fuyukaze has agreed to help me translate it, IF I decide to open it, but I still wanna get an extra one before I break the seal on one of them.

[rbudrick]

Amazon was pretty good:

Items: ￥ 3,333
Shipping & Handling: ￥ 1,500

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/books/4872338804/250-6697095-4945824

Can't wait to get this thing... :-)

-Rob

[anagrama]

IF I decide to open it

You're going to spend $66 on a book and not look at it?

[Iron Draggon]

Yep, probably not, at least not until I have an extra copy of it. I can't read a word of Japanese anyway, so how much good is it gonna do me to look at it?

[Push Upstairs]

Well, they say pictures are worth a thousand words. :D

[Funk Buddy]

I got my book yesterday and it is very nice, but unless you read Japanese don't get it. I am not dissapointed at all, but it really doesn't show more than one, maybe two screen shots of each game. It is broken down by year and time line of system. So, it starts with the MD then onto MCD-32X-Panasonic LA-Saturn, those are just for time references. They only info I could read is the release date. :D Again, very little english so be aware.

[Iron Draggon]

See, just what I thought, I'll need a translator just to read the names of all the games! And there's no cut & paste into online translator from a book... :/

[chaoticjelly]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3642&item=8139109717

Its been sold on ebay.. lol for much more than its worth..

I collect SMD though.. so I may order one !!

[anagrama]

I don't suppose any Japanese speakers have this yet?
If so, I'd be very grateful if you could look at this thread: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44398 and add any of the missing details. Cheers!