What was the very first game you imported? [Archive]

drwily008

04-13-2005, 03:24 AM

Like the title says, "What was the very first game you imported?"

Mine was Super Mario 3 for the Famicom. They were selling it for $75 like 10 months before we got it when I went to NY City. The guy told us that it would work on ANY nintendo, and being young and having NO knowledge of the import scene (there wasn't one yet) we bought it. I wouldn't play on my nintendo and I was SO mad!

It was a couple of years before I imported something again. I considered importing a Super Famicom w/Super Mario World but backed out due to my past experience. I then imported Super Mario Kart (for the Super Famicom) and I played it non-stop with my next door neighbor. My next one was Yuke Yuke Trouble Maker (by Treasure) for the N64. I loved that game and played it all the time getting stuck constantly without a walkthrough. I then became addicted and the rest is history, I don't know how many imports I have now but it's silly.

So anyways, what was YOUR first import (or your first few)?

And what year was it that you got it (i.e. how long ago)?

Tron 2.0

04-13-2005, 06:17 AM

Valis IV

Iron Draggon

04-13-2005, 07:32 AM

These are in the order that I bought them for each system:

Fire Mustang & Turbo Outrun were my first for the Genesis/MegaDrive (both bought at the same time)

Thunderforce V Special Pack was my first for the Saturn

Jet Coaster Dream & Jet Coaster Dream 2 were my first for the Dreamcast (both bought at the same time)

Assault Suits Valken 2 was my first for the PlayStation

Super Pinball 2 & Battle Pinball were my first for the SNES/SFC (both bought at the same time)

I really need to get some imports for all my other systems!

UndeadKing

04-13-2005, 10:31 AM

Started out with Vampire Hunter for Saturn and have been hooked ever since.

Damaramu

04-13-2005, 10:35 AM

Hmmmm....I'm pretty sure it was Parodious, Dragon Ball Z: Super Butouden 3 and Ranma 1/2: Neighborhood Combat Chounai Getikou-hen for the SFC. I also picked up a Honeybee converter.

Gapporin

04-13-2005, 11:03 AM

Final Fantasy V for the Super Famicom.

Lemmy Kilmister

04-13-2005, 11:36 AM

Fuyukaze

04-13-2005, 12:30 PM

Sakura Taisen/Wars 1 and 2 for the DC.

Crush Crawfish

04-13-2005, 03:10 PM

My first was Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 2 for GCN, I beleive. Though It might have also been Gokujou Parodius for Super famicom too...I can't quite place it, I got them both very close together.

ventrra

04-13-2005, 03:36 PM

Most likely it was Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R for the Super Famicom. (Although it could have been about any other of the various Famicom, Super Famicom, or Game Gear games that I have.)
Most of them are fighting or platform games of varioous sorts (which makes them pretty easy to play.)

pragmatic insanester

04-13-2005, 04:19 PM

dead dance for the super famicom. it was so cheap i didn't realize i had the american version (tuff e nuff) already. i think they have blood in the jpn version, i'll check around for that eventually.

drwily008

04-13-2005, 04:43 PM

Mine was Super Mario 3 for the NES. They were selling it for $75 when I went to NY City. I wouldn't play on my nintendo and I was SO mad!

:hmm:

How is it you "imported" a game from New York City? Do you mean they had the Famicom version for sale there?

Yes, sorry I wasn't more clear, I mean it was over a decade ago. Hell it was almost 15 years ago. I do remember the manager telling us that it would work on any Nintendo. But alas it was a Famicom game I would find out later wasn't compatible.

CullJeff

04-13-2005, 05:20 PM

The first game i imported was Dragon Ball Z Legends on the Playstation and i bought a stupid dragon hacker thing to play it. That has got to be the easiest, worst, and weirdest dragon ball z game of all time.

Aussie2B

04-13-2005, 05:42 PM

Hmmm, I believe my very first imports were bought in a small lot on eBay in 1999 or 2000 that consisted of a Famicom to NES converter and the Famicom versions of Super Mario Bros. 3, Boulder Dash, and Side Pocket. Luckily, all the games ended up being official.

Shortly thereafter, I bought a Super Famicom to SNES converter and my first Super Famicom imports - Street Fighter 2 and Hyper Zone.

I didn't truly get into importing until I started buying Japanese-exclusives. That all started with Star Ocean on Super Famicom. I may have gotten into importing not all that long ago, but I seriously got hooked. There have been many years where I played almost nothing but Japanese-exclusives all year. Importing really got me excited about gaming all over again.

Some of my other first imports for their respective systems:

GBC: Star Ocean: Blue Sphere (only one, but I have two copies)
GBA: Famicom Mini Zelda no Densetsu (unless you count the pirate Castlevania: HoD that was given to me after being replaced by an official copy)
MVS: The King of Fighters '94 (almost all my MVS carts are Japanese since they're cheaper and you can always change the region in the settings)
Neo Geo CD: Samurai Spirits 2 (only one)
NGPC: Neo Turf Masters (only one, bought a PAL copy mistakenly)
PC Engine: Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (only one)
N64: Wonder Project J2 (although that specific copy was later sold off and replaced with a manufacturer's box of 10)
PlayStation: Star Ocean: Second Story (which turned out to be the Asian version, sadly)
GameCube: Baten Kaitos (only one)
PS2: Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time

So yeah, I may not have the hugest import collection ever, but I have at least one import for nearly every system I have. ^_^

Kroogah

04-13-2005, 06:03 PM

I THINK my first import ever was a Famicom F1 Race pirate cart. But that answer isn't very fun. Let's go by system.

Famicom - F1 Race
Super Famicom - Mario & Wario
N64 - Virtual Pro Wrestling 2
GB - Nekketsu Dodgeball
GBC - Beatmania Gatchamix
Megadrive - Elemental Master
Saturn - X-Men: Children of the Atom
Dreamcast - Capcom vs. SNK 2
Playstation - beatmania
PS2 - Tekken Tag and a bunch of other launch games

Iron Draggon

04-13-2005, 06:37 PM

Cryomancer

04-13-2005, 07:04 PM

Probably Idol Janshi Su Chi Pai Special for saturn. I'm a big fan of Sonoda's work.

Aussie2B

04-13-2005, 07:36 PM

LOL I just now remembered that I still have one import for a system that I don't even own yet!

You're not alone. I don't have a PC Engine or a Neo Geo CD, even though I have the games. :P I got Dracula X last summer because the price was so good ($70), but I'm too broke to get a PC Engine Duo just yet. I don't even have any immediate plans to get a Neo Geo CD. :P My boyfriend has a buddy with a Neo Geo CD who gave him two games because one was Japanese (he decided to only collect US versions) and the other was incomplete. Since we got a MVS, there's not much of a need to shell out a bunch of money to get a Neo Geo CD and collect the inferior ports, but they are cool to mess around with on an emulator from time to time. :)

Half Cab Leroy

04-13-2005, 07:44 PM

Super Mario Brothers for the Famicom.

Dire 51

04-13-2005, 09:00 PM

Gradius II and Holy Diver for the Famicom (got 'em at the same time). There's a great story about that day, which I may have to post here in the future.

StealthLurker

04-13-2005, 10:32 PM

Star Wars by Namcot and Legend of Kage II (?? aka Demon Sword) for the 8bit famicom. Got these along with an original style family computer (famicom) back in the mid 80s. Thanks grandma. :D

Ever since then I have had a taste for imports.

.

DCVision

04-14-2005, 02:29 AM

REZ for the Sega Dreamcast :) Man that game rocks... I refused to get the PS2 version and was more than happy I waited :) That game kills your hands though.... whew!

JB Lars

04-14-2005, 02:40 AM

X-Men Vs. Street Fighter for the Saturn. IIRC, it was late 1998, when all the hoopla was going around about Capcom banning the import of the title. Remember how lucky I was to get a copy of the original Body Count CD the day Warner Bros. announced the recall of such, I jumped right on that game when the bad news was spreading.

Great game, but I shoulda got Radiant Silvergun instead.

Tron 2.0

04-14-2005, 06:41 AM

Probably Idol Janshi Su Chi Pai Special for saturn. I'm a big fan of Sonoda's work.
Good to hear i'm also fan of his works too.

I have most of the (Idol Janshi Su-Chi-Pai) games for my (Saturn) expect for the data album game.

I don't know if i'll ever bother.... tracking that down.

CasualCoreGamer

04-14-2005, 08:13 AM

Just a couple months ago, I got my first two imports: Kishin Douji Zenki & CocaCola Kid for GameGear.

Gemini-Phoenix

04-14-2005, 08:23 AM

My very first thing I imported (Into the UK from the US) was my Red PlayStation 2. With it, a factory sealed copy of Star Ocean II (PSone), factory sealed Persona II (PSone), and factory sealed Blood Omen (PSone) 8-)

The first thing I imported from Japan were factory sealed Squaresoft (DigiCube) FF7, FF8, and FF9 soundtracks. First Jap games I imported were factory sealed Eldorado Gate Episodes I & II for the DreamCast.

First Austrailian game I imported was a factory sealed PAL copy of Marvel Vs Capcom II for DreamCast (Originally exported there in the first place). Just bout a nice sealed copy of Sega Rally for the Ngage too! :-P

Kamino

04-14-2005, 05:07 PM

First import:
Well...I imported from germany, an NTSC copy of panzer dragoon 2 zwei. Why a guy in Kiel Germany had one, I do not know.
First actual 'import' game: Zero wing for the PAL MegaDrive.

Lemmy Kilmister

04-16-2005, 01:13 PM

God, who the hell knows. It was probably one of my SFC or saturn imports back in the day. However, I do know the first "import" game I ever played was a bootleg NES multicart from hong kong which I borrowed it from a kid in second grade.

geelw

04-16-2005, 02:41 PM

lessee now... i think it was 1992, and there was this used record shop on 6th avenue between 13th & 14th streets that had a box of games on the floor, which was usually filed with junk. i had gone in looking for soundtracks, and when i looked down and saw some kanji and the words "mega drive" on the five or six cases, i pretty much fell to my knees while the skies opened up and that stupid holy-sounding music started playing. for about ten bucks each, i got:

shining and the darkness (with maps and a xeroxed walkthtough)
bio-ship paladin (or spaceship gomora, i think is the japanese title)
kuu-ga (vapor trail, to u.s. gamers)
darwin 4081 (the first of like, five copies i'd eventually have pass through here, lol)
galaxy force II (look! metal boobies on a game cover! RARE! HTF! OOP! LOL)

now, i had PLAYED other mega drive games before, but these were the first that i'd actually bought. i spent about two weeks blazing through shining, going up to level 99 with each character and uncovering all the secret weapons and pretty much having no trouble at all with the final boss. makes me want to fire the game up all over again (given the yickyness of shining tears, lol), but i'm too damn busy to do so. :/

Dimitri

04-17-2005, 06:07 PM

Back in about 1998, I had walked over to a nearby indie game store (oh how lucky I was to live two blocks from a kickass indie store...RIP Livermore Game Exchange) and saw a brand new copy of Phantasy Star Collection sitting on the top shelf. I asked the price. "$80" the guy says.

"I'll be right back."

I run home, grab the cash, run back, purchase it, and then slowly walk home flipping through the enormous booklet and looking at the maps.

Three years later, I bought a Saturn. :embarrassed:

I STILL haven't had time to dig into this game, mostly because I STILL don't know Japanese...I think this may have kicked off my buying of games just to own rather than to play...

Other than that, I can't really remember the timeframes, but I bought a couple PSX puzzle games (U-SA and Puzz Loop), some Dreamcast games (Golem no Maigo and Rent-a-Hero). My importing really kicked off at last year's CGE when I bought some MD shooters (Verytex and Dangerous Seed) from someone at the swapmeet. I still don't know who that was, though... :hmm:

VACRMH

04-17-2005, 06:59 PM

I think it was some DBZ games that I got in a trade from someone.

But the first import I was determined to track down was Tobal 2 :)

KJN

04-18-2005, 08:25 AM

KJN

04-18-2005, 09:29 AM

I import a lot (mostly from the US since I live in Europe), some of the earlies games I bought (instead of just borrowing from friends) was Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Addams Family and Contra III for the snes and Final Fantasy Legend III for gameboy.

Iron Draggon

04-18-2005, 02:00 PM

LOL I just now remembered that I still have one import for a system that I don't even own yet! I keep forgetting that!

Simple 2000 Series Vol. 33: The Jet Coaster for the PS2. (AKA: Jet Coaster Dream 3)

I got it shortly after I got Jet Coaster Dream 1 & 2 for the Dreamcast, but I'm not sure I'll ever get to play it. :( Sony still wants too damn much for a new PS2! Get over it, Sony! :angry:

Midas have released this game in Europe as Rollercoaster World (http://www.midasinteractive.com/product_info.php?products_id=154)

OMG! Thanks for the info! But PAL only? Could I play that on a US PS2 any better than I could play the JPN version on a US PS2, and not have it look like crap on an NTSC TV?

Come on already America, get off your ass! Roller coasters are supposed to be one of the all-time great "all-American" pastimes! So why the hell isn't there a US version of this yet?

ozyr

04-18-2005, 11:20 PM

I'll have to be honest in that I don't know the exact first game I imported. I only know it was a European Philips game for my Odyssey2. I'm sure it was one of the lower cost ones, as I've been getting the more expensive ones recently.

I have imported no other game for any system besides the Odyssey2/Philips. Last year, I got a hold bunch of games from Brazil. This year, I'm working on the G7400 games, and an extra system itself - with the box! 8-)

I also have one Canadian O2 cart too - and that will probably be it. They all have the same exact label on the cart, and I just don't find them of interest at the moment...

KJN

04-19-2005, 04:51 AM

OMG! Thanks for the info! But PAL only? Could I play that on a US PS2 any better than I could play the JPN version on a US PS2, and not have it look like crap on an NTSC TV?
Depends. Several of Midas games have a 60hz mode and if it does then you dont need to worry about the TV (because the output for 60hz mode in European PS2 games is actually NTSC unlike Xbox, Gamecube and Dreamcast where it's PAL60). Now I don't have the game so I cant say if it has a 60hz mode or not but you would still need to enable you ps2 to play imports of course.

DDCecil

04-21-2005, 02:45 PM

I had my imports "thrusted upon me" (Import Saturn with 30 games!), but my very first import I bought with my own money was Final Fantasy Collection for the PSX. Since I didn't have a credit card at the time, My late grandfather let me use his, and I just paid him for it.

Lord Contaminous

04-23-2005, 10:30 PM

Well, first I got a pirate Famicom cartridge of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Manhattan Project called "Super Turtles III", but gave it to someone else.

But my first legit import was Garou Densetsu/Fatal Fury 2 for Super Famicom.

InsaneDavid

04-24-2005, 06:13 PM

The first game I ever imported was the first Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon side scroller for the Super Famicom with the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S blocks puzzle game arriving the next day. Then two days later boxed Parodius Da! and boxed Pretty Fighter arrived as well - so it was a good week. :)

Technically the first import games I've ever owned were for the Virtual Boy (Red Alarm and V-Tetris) but those were purchased stateside so I don't count them as really importing games.

stonecutter

04-30-2005, 01:09 PM

I mported the famicom version of Super Mario Brothers 2 ( Lost Levels ) and Super Mario Brothers 3 at the same time with one convertor. This was before SMB 3 was released in North America

tritium

06-18-2005, 12:39 PM

First import Ikaruga, I didn't know Shmups were a big niche genre, and I was having trouble finding the classic style game I liked in arcades.

Second was Sonic Adventure 2 (hey i saved almost $20). and I played sonic in JP with english subtitles.

mb7241

06-19-2005, 01:01 AM

My first import? Bought it in '03...NBA Jam Tournament Edition, cart only, for the SFC, cost me $5 at a local flea market.

First imports for each system:

FC--Dragon Quest III (complete; bought off eBay for $9 shipped in 2003)
SFC--NBA Jam TE (story above) (bought in 2003)
PAL SNES--Illusion of Time and Lufia (carts only; bought off a user at www.tradegamesnow.com for $13 shipped in 2004)
N64--Wave Race 64 (complete; bought at local used bookstore for $4.95 + tax in 2004)
GC--Legend of Zelda: Kaze no Takuto (a.k.a. Wind Waker) and Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (both complete; bought off eBay for $14.84 shipped just this past Sunday)
Game Boy--Mystic Quest (German version, cart only; bought at local video game store for $7.99 + tax within the past month)
Japanese PS1--Final Fantasy Collection (complete minus the spine card; bought off eBay for $13.01 shipped in 2003)
PAL PS1--London Racer (complete; bought at a local pawn shop for $6)
Japanese PS2--Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (Asian version, sealed; bought off eBay for $17.55 shipped in January 2004)
PAL PS2--Bad Boys II (bought at a local used bookstore for $4.95 + tax in 2004)
Saturn--Tactics Ogre (complete minus the spine card; bought it and 3 other imports for $17 shipped from Japan in 2004) (Thanks, Gaijin Punch :) !)
Dreamcast--Eternal Arcadia Limited Box (complete and mint condition; bought for $60 shipped last month) (Thanks again, Gaijin Punch :P !)

(Darn...I didn't realize I had imports for that many systems O_O ...)

Haoie

06-21-2005, 12:43 AM

The original Tokimeki Memorial for the PS. It's still good.

cbroddy

08-15-2005, 08:21 PM

My first import was Super Famitsu 5 for the Super Famicom

DTJAAAAMJSLM

08-17-2005, 04:43 AM

Sailor Moon Super S for the PS1.

WiseSalesman

08-18-2005, 02:19 PM

I own very few imports as it is (no money), but...

The very first game I TRIED to import must have been in...1999, or slightly thereafter. I modded my PSX and, having just recently been introduced to Ranma 1/2 the anime, I attempted to buy the craptacular PSX licsensed fighting game. The guy sold me a CDR with a hastily applied label, an inkjet printed front card, nothing even passing as instructions, in a cracked jewel case. I was pissed, left bad feedback explaining why, and he tried to explain it all away as "buyer never asked if instructions were included." I guess it didn't work, as the FBI contacted me about six months later and wanted details on the transcation. I was only too happy to oblige. :devilish: I still keep my crappy copy of this game in my collection, as a reminder of my stupidity.

After that, I (understandably) didn't import for quite sometime. Then, funcoland blew out their saturns, and I happened to have some extra cash on me. Knowing nothing about the Saturn, I bought one on the spot, and every non-sport game they still had in stock. I scored my loose saturn, plus a loose Guardian Heroes, loose Clockwork Knight 2, and complete Darius Gaiden for $20. Guardian Heroes hooked me on Saturn gaming instantly, but it was hard to find games around here, as all game stores had sopped dealing in saturn merch. Soon, I would import Metal Slug and Prikura Daisakusen, and my ridiculous problems getting my Saturn to actually PLAY metal slug would then lead me to digitalpress (this must have been 2001). And I've been here ever since, drooling over everyone else' imports, but never able to afford any of my own.

*sigh*

segagamer

08-18-2005, 02:46 PM

Arrow Flash by Sega of Japan for the Japanese Mega Drive.

phreak97

08-19-2005, 10:48 AM

my idea of an import is probably a little different, being australian, us games are imports for me.. i THINK my first import was dance aerobics.. i had a family fun fitness mat and wanted to use it. i now have 90 or more import games from the us and japan.. i dont fancy pal games to any extent, and it's a tough life being a collector of us nes games when you live on the other side of the world.

Vectorman0

08-21-2005, 09:36 AM

Ikaruga for DC back when it came out.

Cobra Commander

09-26-2005, 03:43 AM

Chrono Trigger for the SFC.
I only bought it about 2 years ago. I simpky HAD to have it. For that game, I broke the tabs off of my beloved decade old SNES.
In the early 90's, I once dreamed of buying imports from the back pages of EGM. They said they came with translations. My mom wasn't about to let me have a $90 game that I couldn't even read.

Daltone

09-26-2005, 08:44 AM

I got my first, and only, set of console imports last year some time. I got Burning Rangers, Deep Fear and DoDonPachi on the Saturn.

Before that I'd imported a US copy of Pokemon Red (it was cool having it before it came out) off a now sadly defunct website.

Gemini-Phoenix

09-26-2005, 10:28 AM

First game I imported myself, was a sealed US copy of Zelda: Link To The Past. Although, I have some Jaguar games from America, but I bought them from a shop way back in 1994.

First Jappanny DC game: Sealed El Dorado Gate Episode I
First US DC game: Sealed Space Channel 5
First US PlayStation game: Sealed Blood Omen
First US PS2 game: Final Fantasy X
First US Xbox game: Halo II
First US GameCube game: Animal Crossing (Back when a UK release was unlikely)
First WonderSwan game: Sealed Final Fantasy II
First N-Gage game: Sealed Sega Rally (From Australia)

hex65000

09-26-2005, 10:50 PM

Pretty much my whole collection of imports

Pokemon Green (GB/C)
Ikaruga (Dreamcast)
Medarot R (PSx)
Medarot R : Parts Collection (PSx)
I.Q. Final (PSx)
Medarot Card Robattle : Kuwagata[stag beetle] ver. (GB/C)
Medarot 1 : Kabuto[hercules beetle] ver. (GB/C)
Medarot G : Kuwagata (GBA)
Choro Q (GBA)
Mr. Driller 2 (GBA)
Mr. Driller A (GBA)
Some odd puzzler involving Bomberman shooting marbles, I cant read the title (lack of english characters) (GB/C)
Some odd racer where you customise a car that is a lot like a slot racer and run it around a track. (No english chars) (GB/C)
Godzilla Generations (DC)
Transformers (Famicom)
Shenmue 2 (DC)
Sonic Adventure 2 10th anniversary pack (DC)

I'd like to do more imports, but the cost and language barrier tend to turn me off generally.

Hex.
[ 'no' means possession. . . That's all I know.]