Hardest game to get when it was brand new?

[goldenband]

Short of certain mail-order computer titles for 1980s computers, I'd think the rarest Atari 2600 games have to take the cake on this one. Extra Terrestrials, Gamma Attack, Red Sea Crossing, Air Raid -- all would have been impossible to find unless you knew the right person, lived in the right geographic area, or happened to get a knock at your door.

[Greg2600]

Getting Super Mario 2 and then 3, Zelda II, Metroid, when they were just released, was mighty tough. Sold out all over the place. As for these obscure titles everyone is mentioning, I wouldn't have even heard about them.

[gbpxl]

Short of certain mail-order computer titles for 1980s computers, I'd think the rarest Atari 2600 games have to take the cake on this one. Extra Terrestrials, Gamma Attack, Red Sea Crossing, Air Raid -- all would have been impossible to find unless you knew the right person, lived in the right geographic area, or happened to get a knock at your door.

So why were those games hard to find?

[Tupin]

So why were those games hard to find?

I believe those were all basically homebrew outfits.

[Koa Zo]

Phantasy Star II ~ had no idea about specific release dates, it was supposedly "out" but no stores had it in stock. Finally an Electronics Boutique opened and they said they had it but it was sold out (I was directed to Thunder Force III instead, good recommendation!) Restock took months it seemed like.

Panzer Dragoon Saga ~ info was scarce it seemed. Toys R Us had the flip card display but no copies for sale... Babbages and EB said it was sold out. The next issue of EGM or whatever had an ad for it - why would they advertise if it was sold out?... but no one had it... Then finally it was restocked. ...and I got it for $29.99

Eternal Champions CD Challenge From the Dark Side ~ release date kept getting bumped back, just one release date after another, seemed like it was never going to come out. I went to the store too many times asking for that one.

Magic Knight Rayearth (US Saturn) ~ another game where the release date was set numerous times, seemed like it was never going to come out.

[Tron 2.0]

I remember,TG16 not being rare at retail places such as babbages and toy's'rus and sears all ways selling them.Still games such as exile wicked phenomenon being rather scarce to find at retail.Another example snatcher for the sega-cd,when i did originally have a copy i bought it from kaybee toy store and it was the only one on the shelf.

[YoshiM]

@Tron- must be a regional thing for Sears. The one in the closest city didn't really have games until the early 90's. An electronics sales person growled at me stating they didn't have games when asked. It wasn't until I worked there that tge children's department started carrying them, but only NES, SNES and maybe Genesis. The only places I saw TG-16 stuff was in Milwaukee at Toys R Us (though can't recall if Fond du Lac TRU carried Turbo stuff) or, strange enough, for rent at one grocery store.

For me, I rented a lot, so I didn't run into the issue of not finding a game. My Dad, however, was trying to find Kid Icarus (he read my black Nintendo Player's Guide and liked what he saw of that game). He was able to beat someone to the last copy hanging on a peg hook at Kohl's.

[bb_hood]

Stadium Events wasnt rare when it was released. It was re-released by Nintendo as World Class Track Meet. The unsold copies were returned and destroyed I think.
So I wouldnt say it was hard to find when it was released; it was there but nobody wanted it.
Super Mario 2 was very hard to find. I remember my dad took me to like 5 video game stores looking for it before we found one copy (the last one left), and it was 55$.

Also Urban Yeti was advertised & sold on television commercials, and I think it also had a (limited?) release in stores.
I wouldnt consider this one hard to get since it was easily bought if you had a phone and credit card.

[Tron 2.0]

@Tron- must be a regional thing for Sears. The one in the closest city didn't really have games until the early 90's. An electronics sales person growled at me stating they didn't have games when asked. It wasn't until I worked there that tge children's department started carrying them, but only NES, SNES and maybe Genesis. The only places I saw TG-16 stuff was in Milwaukee at Toys R Us (though can't recall if Fond du Lac TRU carried Turbo stuff) or, strange enough, for rent at one grocery store.

For me, I rented a lot, so I didn't run into the issue of not finding a game. My Dad, however, was trying to find Kid Icarus (he read my black Nintendo Player's Guide and liked what he saw of that game). He was able to beat someone to the last copy hanging on a peg hook at Kohl's.

At retail sears selection wasn't much for the turbografx 16.Though what they sold through there catalog was more,i remember when i wanted Ys 1&2 i order it from there.

[mailman187666]

Phantasy Star II ~ had no idea about specific release dates, it was supposedly "out" but no stores had it in stock. Finally an Electronics Boutique opened and they said they had it but it was sold out (I was directed to Thunder Force III instead, good recommendation!) Restock took months it seemed like.

Panzer Dragoon Saga ~ info was scarce it seemed. Toys R Us had the flip card display but no copies for sale... Babbages and EB said it was sold out. The next issue of EGM or whatever had an ad for it - why would they advertise if it was sold out?... but no one had it... Then finally it was restocked. ...and I got it for $29.99

Eternal Champions CD Challenge From the Dark Side ~ release date kept getting bumped back, just one release date after another, seemed like it was never going to come out. I went to the store too many times asking for that one.

Magic Knight Rayearth (US Saturn) ~ another game where the release date was set numerous times, seemed like it was never going to come out.

I specifically remember Eternal Champions getting pushed back. I actually used to call Funco Land every time it was supposed to get released, and I think it took about 3-4 phone calls until they actually said they had it. I can't remember how long the wait was between original release date and actual release date though.