Holy Grails of Console Game Collecting (blog/article)

[Nimrodil]

Hi!

New here (well, old lurker ), first post. Just red this article on the blog Rocket Boy:

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/raregames.htm

Thought it might interest people here. Fun to read, i liked it, but I am not sure about the lists content. Isn´t Mr Boston more "rare" than Mine Storm 2 (Vectrex)? Why not Darius Alpha or/and Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (PCE) instead of Rondo of Blood etc.

Read and discuss Do you folks have any of the listed games?

[smork]

It's all subjective and their list is pretty reasonable, so it's hard to be critical. I wil criticize, though

I think they have in a few cases gotten their prices a bit confused, along with omitting a few notables. For example, if you are going to include non-production games there are 3 alot rarer than Taromaru for the Saturn (Eyeful Home, Heim Waltz, and Delisoba Deluxe). I'd also wager most of the post-system lifecycle games released on the Dreamcast are in the neighborhood of being as rare as Border Down: LE, (Are there more Baldr Force EXEs or even Under Defeat: LE?), but Border Down is in high demand for its gameplay.

I have no numbers to back it up, but I don't think Metal Slug AES is *that* rare, but is more a victim of the "popular AES game" syndrome (I know more than one person who owns one). I also saw one of those Bangai-O Prize Editions this summer going for around $350, and it wasn't moving at that price as it sat in that shop at least a month (that I saw). Also VB Virtual Bowling and SD Gundam Dimension War can be had for alot closer to $500 than $1000+. And if mentioning import games, why not mention the non-Rebirth edition of Judgement Silversword or Dicing Knight for the WonderSwan? Both are really, really hard to get and $$$$$.

But I do think it's a pretty good list!

[50TBRD]

First of all, its hard to be an expert at every console. The list seems to contain a lot of mainstream consoles and I wonder if there aren't games for the less popular systems that had had fewer production numbers than whats on there.

Now on to the Vectrex. From what I understand from everthing that I've ever read, being a Vecenthusiasts, Mr Boston is more rare than Minestorm II. There's not a lot of production numbers of any of the Vectrex games so its hard to know but there are supposedly only 2 known copies of Mr Boston out there. In the five years or so that I have been watching Vectrex items on Ebay I have seen a total of one Minestorm cart and a total of zero Mr Boston carts and don't think that the couple know copies are going to be sold off anytime soon. At Buy It Now of 2000USD Minestorm didn't sell. I can only imagine how much Mr Boston would go for.

Here's some links to the VecDB with articles on them.

Minestorm II


Mr Boston

And here's a link to the last auction for Minestorm II.

Minestorm auction

[Nimrodil]

First of all, its hard to be an expert at every console. The list seems to contain a lot of mainstream consoles and I wonder if there aren't games for the less popular systems that had had fewer production numbers than whats on there.

Now on to the Vectrex. From what I understand from everthing that I've ever read, being a Vecenthusiasts, Mr Boston is more rare than Minestorm II. There's not a lot of production numbers of any of the Vectrex games so its hard to know but there are supposedly only 2 known copies of Mr Boston out there. In the five years or so that I have been watching Vectrex items on Ebay I have seen a total of one Minestorm cart and a total of zero Mr Boston carts and don't think that the couple know copies are going to be sold off anytime soon. At Buy It Now of 2000USD Minestorm didn't sell. I can only imagine how much Mr Boston would go for.

Here's some links to the VecDB with articles on them.

Minestorm II


Mr Boston

And here's a link to the last auction for Minestorm II.

Minestorm auction

[Nimrodil]

Ah, sorry, posted wrong (my text disappeared when I tried to log in again. .., and it seems not work to edit?)

However, I make it short. Little information about Mr Boston that maybe is interesting for you; I know that the only known (as far as I know, this post sounds silly) Mr Boston was sold for 4200 USD now in august. Think there is one more boxed, but without overlay. Don´t think my "hole" collection is worth so much money

[50TBRD]

Was that on ebay? If so, do you have the auction number?

[Nimrodil]

It's all subjective and their list is pretty reasonable, so it's hard to be critical. I wil criticize, though

/.../

I think they have in a few cases gotten their prices a bit confused, along with omitting a few notables. For example, if you are going to include non-production games there are 3 alot rarer than Taromaru for the Saturn (Eyeful Home, Heim Waltz, and Delisoba Deluxe). I'd also wager most of the post-system lifecycle games released on the Dreamcast are in the neighborhood of being as rare as Border Down: LE, (Are there more Baldr Force EXEs or even Under Defeat: LE?), but Border Down is in high demand for its gameplay.

/.../

But I do think it's a pretty good list!

Yea, I agree. And even if it´s impossible to do lists like this, do most interesting is the discussions when people criticize them Always a lot of nice knowledge that comes up.

Do you know who impossible it is to find the three saturn games you mentioned (Eyeful Home, Heim Waltz, and Delisoba Deluxe)? Suppose they not shows up on Ebay? Yahoo Japan maybe? Or just in game shops in Japan? Think I will google around and see what i find

Border Down LE is "funny". I bought two (new/sealed) from http://www.ncsx.com/ just a year ago (well, 18 months maybe) for just 79 USD each and know it´s alreaddy so expencive. Regret I sold one to a friend at once But I suppose a lot of people buy an extra copy of for instance Under Defeat LE and hope it will raise in the same way (and maybe that means it will not?)

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

You guys have to keep in mind that this list is not meant to be anything like a list of the rarest games. It's the most desirable rare games. This whole "holy grail" concept has a lot more psychology in it than it does raw production numbers. This is also why the list more focused on the popular and legendary systems; because those are the ones that have more interest, more collectors and therefore more holy grails.

Seems an okay list. I don't know how "holy grail" I consider the U.S. SMS version of Sonic and the Bangaioh Prize Edition, but maybe there's lots of people out there who do think that that kind of release is the bee's knees and I just don't really know about them.


....word is bondage...

[Nimrodil]

Was that on ebay? If so, do you have the auction number?

No, outside Ebay. Think many of this kind of monster expencive games sells outside Ebay (don´t really understand why). But I know the buyer (not personally, but we visit the same forum). He has a great collection (all 12 japanese bandai games etc).

[Nimrodil]

You guys have to keep in mind that this list is not meant to be anything like a list of the rarest games. It's the most desirable rare games. This whole "holy grail" concept has a lot more psychology in it than it does raw production numbers. This is also why the list more focused on the popular and legendary systems; because those are the ones that have more interest, more collectors and therefore more holy grails.

Seems an okay list. I don't know how "holy grail" I consider the U.S. SMS version of Sonic and the Bangaioh Prize Edition, but maybe there's lots of people out there who do think that that kind of release is the bee's knees and I just don't really know about them.


....word is bondage...

Good points there! And for a Treasure collector (and maybe also for DC/shooter-collectors/fans) I also guess the Bangai-O can be regarded as a holy grail, more than for instance Panzer Dragoon Saga that I can buy any minute if I just have 200 usd in my pocket

[roushimsx]

That was a pretty fun read. I had no idea about the Bangai-O Prize Edition...and I doubt I'll ever add it to my collection. I like Bangai-O a lot, but not that much

My only complaint is that the print run on Panzer Dragoon Saga is off by about 20,000 copies (6k first print run and 2 12k print runs later), and that's a very small and very minor complaint

Baldr Force EXE probably won't ever wind up being too high in demand despite the print run because it was such an awful game. Border Down LE will always trump it (2k copies printed total; the normal edition had an initial run of 3k and a second run of 5k). No idea what the print runs were like for Under Defeat... but gosh darn was Border Down awesome. I don't much care for horizontal shmups, but Border Down sucked me in something fierce

[vintagegamecrazy]

I would've added tne Blockbuster cart for Genesis, so many people need that to officially call their collection complete. One other game I may have added even though it ain't on too mainstream of a system is Pachinko for the SG1000. The console is fairly mainstream in other countries but no one knows about it in the states, Pachinko has sold for over $2500 before.

[TurboGenesis]

Might I suggest a game for this list?

Elemental Gearbolt - Assassins case.

This package was handed out to several attendants at E3 and a couple others were prizes in the Elemental Gearbolt contest. There is a member here who has this and can provide pictures and info on this super rare item. I am currently looking for one as it is really the only thing I need to complete my Working Designs collection.

[Jumpman Jr.]

Although I don't know if I particularily agree with all of those on that list, I happen to have 7 of them .

[DreamTR]

I've got 17 out of the 20 games on that list...

I don't agree with SOnic The Hedgehog because you are paying for a UPC Sticker. The PAL game sent here is just that, a leftover with a sticker. Any production house can make that sticker. If I bought 20 PAL copies of that game, and put the exact sticker on the back, no one could tell the difference, so to me, that's a silly game to be on the list.

Kizuna Encounter I agree with being crazy rare, BUT again, this is the case of someone paying for an insert and a manual. The game is exactly the same as the Japanese version when you place it in your Neo Geo. This is not the same thing as a variant with a 60 pin- 72 pin NES/Famicom game with Licensed by Nintendo of America at the title screen, so that's another one that I don't understand the value for.

Air Raid is a bootleg from what I have seen. That is a waste of time and money. The list is not meant to the be the "rarest" games, but the most wanted high value games these days it seems. I do not understand why Bangai-O's contest game in Japan would make that list. If the Blockbuster Genesis cart is not on that list, then Bangai should definitely not be on there as well.

[dojosky]

I agree with what Jason says !!! i own a few here but there is the reason why i will never pay $500 or trade rare games for a stadium events cartridge am fine with the world track meet cartridge ....

[rbudrick]

He forgot to mention that I proved the existence of at least four more grey NWCs than the 90 originally known (and I own one of those 4, lol), proving beyond 15 years of speculation that there were more than 90 made.

-Rob

[jajaja]

I saw this site just a few days ago actually They say that 2000 copies of SE USA is made, is this true? I also find it wierd that they dont list the Rockman 4 gold cart (only 8 excist) when they mention the Bangai-O: Prize Edition.

[Fighter17]

Thank god Dracula X and Radiant Silvergun didn't made it to the list because these two games are not RARE at all! Just the demand for the games are so high that only the people who are able to afford it can buy it.

The list was good, but they could add in one game on the list:

Sega Megadrive Tetris: While they were plently of bootleg Tetris copies out there, they were about 5-10 offical pressings of Megadrive Tetris ever made. Adol in the fourm claims to own one of the offical pressings.

[roushimsx]

Thank god Dracula X and Radiant Silvergun didn't made it to the list because these two games are not RARE at all! Just the demand for the games are so high that only the people who are able to afford it can buy it.

I really wish Dracula X would get the Castlevania Chronicles treatment and get ported to a modern platfrom with a few extras. It was a glorious day when I no longer had to fire up an X68k emulator to play the game and when suddenly everyone else could finally give it a whirl. It give me a warm and fuzzy if the same would happen to Dracula X

..and I'll never understand the high demand for the Saturn port of Nocturne in the Moonlight. What a disappointingly rushed and inferior port