Game Boy Final Fantasies

[withalligators]

Is there any difference in rarity or value between the Square released FFLs and FFA and the later rereleased Sunsoft ones?
Alex

[Misto]

I believe the Square ones are a bit harder to come by.

[GrandAmChandler]

Is there any difference in rarity or value between the Square released FFLs and FFA and the later rereleased Sunsoft ones?
Alex

Definitely the Square releases are harder to come by complete. Also, the Sunsoft ones were re-released as "value titles" for $19.99 each.

[A Black Falcon]

Overall though, I don't know how much of an actual value difference there is... particularly with how content-wise the re-releases are completely identical to the originals, from the games to the manuals to everything else. The only difference is a "Sunsoft" label or sticker and, on some, a "Game Boy Color" sticker thing on the side, to fool people into thinking the games had some added GBC features or something (they don't) because the re-releases were in 1999, after the release of the GBC.

Perhaps the originals would be worth a bit more, but I doubt it'd be THAT different... most likely, they'd be nearly the same.

[withalligators]

That's about what I've gleamed from teh intraweb. There aren't even seperate listings in the online rarity guide here. Sort of a strange anomaly in collecting, isn't it? Look at stuff like the value of castlevania sotn black versus greatest hits, ff7, etc... Especially when you consider that the original FFLs where released when RPGs were niche market sellers and rereleased when FF was at the top of its game. Usually the market rewards people who bought the originals by giving those items greater desireability and then value. FFA is a butters awesome game too. a great lead up to Secret of Mana and 100 times better then GBA remake with the fully indecipherable story. the just my thoughts...

[TonyTheTiger]

That's about what I've gleamed from teh intraweb. There aren't even seperate listings in the online rarity guide here. Sort of a strange anomaly in collecting, isn't it? Look at stuff like the value of castlevania sotn black versus greatest hits, ff7, etc...

To be fair, I don't think most people give deference to the black label versions of games because they are more "authentic" than a greatest hits copy. I think it's more because of the simple reason that most Greatest Hits variants are uglier. Notice that the Player's Choice SNES games don't sell for substantially less than their original counterparts. The Player's Choice medal isn't as ugly as a big green bar.

Especially when you consider that the original FFLs where released when RPGs were niche market sellers and rereleased when FF was at the top of its game. Usually the market rewards people who bought the originals by giving those items greater desireability and then value.

Yes and no. It really depends on how gung ho people are about "OMG original!" What if the variation was just a UPC number on the back? I'm not sure people would care. I doubt you'd find many people who are absolutely against the 4405051 variant and require the original 4405050 one.

[Aussie2B]

I'd say those others are the anomalies since the vast majority of games that have multiple versions don't experience much of a difference in value and demand for one version over another.

With the Game Boy Final Fantasy games part of the reason may be that most people don't realize there are two different versions. It's not as apparent as bright neon green vs. black. Some people may assume that Sunsoft was the publisher all along. Also, the Game Boy games don't have quite the reputation as FFVII and SotN. Most Western gamers don't like the Legend games much (or SaGa games in general), and they probably throw Adventure in there with them without realizing it's a Seiken Densetsu game.

[withalligators]

Yes and no. It really depends on how gung ho people are about "OMG original!" What if the variation was just a UPC number on the back? I'm not sure people would care. I doubt you'd find many people who are absolutely against the 4405051 variant and require the original 4405050 one.

True enough. Consider when Majesco rereleased the Genesis Castlevania and Contra. This only seemed to drive down the price of the original releases in the collector market. But I disagree on laying causation on the "big green ugly bar." I think in the aforementioned circumstance, it really is about owning the originals of a great game. It also gives you slightly more credibility, as in "I've got the original, meaning I liked it first, before all these other noobs bought the greatest hits version." 2 cents anyways.

[Gameguy]

Yes and no. It really depends on how gung ho people are about "OMG original!" What if the variation was just a UPC number on the back? I'm not sure people would care. I doubt you'd find many people who are absolutely against the 4405051 variant and require the original 4405050 one.

What about Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Master System? The only difference is an extra UPC sticker added onto the box, the value is very different with or without it.

Some other variants aren't even noticed by most people so there really isn't a difference in value. There's different versions of Ecco the Dolphin for the Genesis, the label art and some slight text on the box is different, and the carts are made in different places(some are made in Japan, others made in USA). Some games only have differences if you play the game, like the thriller music in Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, or the different bosses in Revenge of Shinobi. It's just that greatest hits stuff is more noticeable than slight variants between production runs, but Nintendo Player's Choice variants from the SNES/Gameboy era don't seem to affect the value for some reason. Trying to focus on the smaller stuff is just too hard to do, you'll go nuts trying to sort out all the variants.

[TonyTheTiger]

I'd imagine that difference has to do with the region. People who want the NA region of Sonic have to use the UPC as the sign. Had they both been the NA region, one just having a different UPC code, I highly doubt anybody would care at all.

The point is, in order for somebody to care about one variant over another, the variant they care about has to have some sort of significance. Somebody going for a NA Master System full set will want the NA version of Sonic. But they probably won't care as much if their NA copy of Altered Beast is the version with UPC 00353434 or the version with UPC 00353432. Likewise, somebody wanting to stack their Playstation games in a neat little row is going to be less happy when a handful of them stick out because of bright green spines.

It's certainly quirky (or even outright illogical) either way. But if you ask people who do search for one variant over another why they prefer that particular one, they'll more likely than not give an answer that's understandable like "It's the NA version instead of the European one" or "It just looks nicer." Few people will respond "Because it's the first version." If the latter were the more popular response we'd see a hell of a lot more threads asking about whether or not every random game is the first run version.

[SparTonberry]

Overall though, I don't know how much of an actual value difference there is... particularly with how content-wise the re-releases are completely identical to the originals, from the games to the manuals to everything else. The only difference is a "Sunsoft" label or sticker and, on some, a "Game Boy Color" sticker thing on the side, to fool people into thinking the games had some added GBC features or something (they don't) because the re-releases were in 1999, after the release of the GBC.

Perhaps the originals would be worth a bit more, but I doubt it'd be THAT different... most likely, they'd be nearly the same.

I'm certain the re-releases were in early 1998, before GBC was released. Also, I remember them being $29.99, not $19.99. (though I suspect the original releases may have been $39.99, as Square games back then were almost always more expensive)
Perhaps some stores put on GBC stickers to tell people they're compatible (like when I've gone to Best Buy and seen "Plays on Wii/DS" stickers pasted on GC and GBA games).
Also, Sunsoft didn't include maps with the games. (I realized that after reading an FAQ for FFL3, a map should've been included with the game, but was not in my Sunsoft copy I had bought new).

[A Black Falcon]

I'm certain the re-releases were in early 1998, before GBC was released. Also, I remember them being $29.99, not $19.99. (though I suspect the original releases may have been $39.99, as Square games back then were almost always more expensive)
Perhaps some stores put on GBC stickers to tell people they're compatible (like when I've gone to Best Buy and seen "Plays on Wii/DS" stickers pasted on GC and GBA games).
Also, Sunsoft didn't include maps with the games. (I realized that after reading an FAQ for FFL3, a map should've been included with the game, but was not in my Sunsoft copy I had bought new).

I said that about the sticker because I remember that the copy I got in 1999 or 2000 had one on the package, covering either the front or only the "Game Boy" label on the side, I forget. Perhaps it did come out earlier, but at some point somebody did add them...

Oh, and I don't remember the price, but it's as likely $30 as $20, really. I don't think it was above that.

As for maps, the only one I got was Final Fantasy Adventure. I don't think that ever had a map... but Sunsoft's version did include the whole 80-something-page oversize manual.

[leicamaster]

The Final Fantasies I have on Game Boy are all sunsoft. I got all 3 of em for $6 at play n trade with the manual and everything.

[Rickstilwell1]

Actually, my main reason for liking original Playstation Discs over the Greatest Hits version is that most greatest hits releases had just plain silver coating on the disc's label. It seems a lot easier for discs like this to get scratched on the label side and become unusable.

Discs with an actual label printed over them have better protection from this because of the texture not being as smooth. Same goes for fingerprints and anything else.

I learned this back in the day when I used those CD binders to store my games. Those things are rough on discs and I would never do that these days. If it's not in the original box it has to have at least a slim jewel case for protection.