Hello dear reader, and welcome to another installment of my video game discussions. Today I won’t be reminiscing on anything in particular like I usually do- rather, I thought I’d change it up and talk about my video game collection a bit. Now, it’s nothing like some of the more tremendous and spectacular collections known to the world, but over time I’ve amassed a pretty decently sized pile of video games, consoles, and other memorabilia that would probably make any other collector give a thumbs-up, I’d like to think. Right now it’s hovering around 500 games across 25 or so different consoles, and that includes handhelds.
So rather than talk at length
about every little thing I own, I’ve narrowed it down to what I think are the
coolest and rarest games I own. Now, keep in mind I’m basing this off of a
number of factors- price, condition, and ability to actually find the game
either online or anywhere else at any point, chief among them. Also, for the purposes of simplicity I'm not including import games I own (that is, anything that isn't NTSC), though I do own some very rare imports as well. So, without any
further delay, I present to you the top 10 rarest games in my possession.
10. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, SNES, CIB
We start off with a game that
isn’t insanely rare but is certainly quite desirable, especially CIB. My
particular copy might actually be in the nicest condition out of any CIB game I
own; it is just absolutely gorgeous. The box has some very slight shelf wear in the corners, but that’s about it. The
game and the manual are totally mint, and in all it looks nearly as close as it
would if you picked it up off the shelf of a Toys R’ Us back in 1996. It hasn’t
changed all too much in price since I paid what I did for it, but considering
the condition, I believe I got a fairly good deal.
9. Conker’s Bad Fur Day, N64, CIB
Ah, the infamous Bad Fur Day. In what other game can you
drink beer, piss on enemies, and jump on a sunflower’s tremendous tits? Like
Super Mario RPG, it isn’t a particularly difficult game to get one’s hands on,
and I think the price tag speaks more to desirability than rarity. And also
like Super Mario RPG, my copy is very, very nice. Again, the box has some wear
in the corners, but no glaring deformities, and the manual and game are very
good. I actually overpaid for this one, as it was one of the first games I
hunted down when I first started collecting and wasn’t paying too much
attention to getting a good deal, but it’s still a great game to own CIB
regardless.
8. Mega Man X2, SNES,
CIB
This game would normally be much higher up on the list if it
weren’t for one pretty big flaw- my cartridge is in pretty bad shape. The box
is very good, and the manual is decent, but the game has a big rip in the label
and some dents and discoloration in the plastic. It drops the value
considerably, but even so, CIB this game is not very easy to procure. One day,
when I have the money to spend (which will probably be never), I plan on
getting a better cartridge and bumping this game up higher on my list.
7. Blackthorne, Sega
32X, CIB
Here’s where we’re starting to get into more obscure
territory. This one isn’t obscenely expensive or anything, but it’s quite rare.
I own almost the entire North American library of Sega 32X games, so you’ll see a few others on this list as well. Anyway, this one is just absolutely
mint. The box is almost perfect, as are the game and manual. Considering that
fact, I got it for a very good price years back, and it has gone up as of
recently.
6. Pitfall: The Mayan
Adventure, Sega 32X, CIB
As I just mentioned, more 32X goodies. Another one that’s
not all that difficult to find, but you’ll have to fork over a hefty sum once
you find a good condition CIB copy. Mine isn’t all that great, but it’s
definitely not bad either. The box has some decent wear in the corners, but the
manual and game are fine.
5. Earthworm Jim:
Special Edition, Sega CD, CIB
Another one that won’t be absurdly expensive should you come
across a copy, but good luck doing so. As of writing this, I only see one copy
listed on Ebay. I actually had no idea this game even existed for the Sega CD,
but I promptly snatched up a copy once I found out. And I’m glad I did- this
game is just awesome. The Sega CD version added two extra levels not seen in
the Genesis or SNES versions, the graphics are smooth, the music is great, and
it’s an all around great game to play. Also, it has the greatest bad ending any game has ever had in the history of video games. My copy is in very good
shape too- the gigantic oversized Sega CD box that tends to break very easily
is in very good shape, the manual is fine, and the disc is great aside from
some negligible little scratches.
4. Resident Evil
Gaiden, Game Boy Color, CIB
The weird little experiment of a Game Boy game, Resident
Evil Gaiden will take you quite a while to find a CIB copy. I tend to see
sealed NIB ones listed fairly often for extraordinary prices, but rarely ever
have I seen one just CIB, which is a tad odd. Anyway, this has some distinction
to me in that the box and manual I have are actually
the originals that I owned from when I first bought this game when it was new.
Usually they were just thrown out, but this one somehow stayed flattened in my
closet for many years until I one day found it and then realized how rare it’s
become. I lost the actual game, but I have since re-purchased it and completed
this gem at a steep discount from buying it again CIB. Unfortunately, because
it was flattened underneath a pile of junk in my closet for many years, the box
isn’t in too great a shape. Which is a shame, but nonetheless doesn’t change
the fact that this is a very difficult little item to come by.
3. World Series
Baseball Starring Deion Sanders, Sega 32X, CIB
I know what you’re thinking- a rare sports game?? Seriously!?
Yes sir, this game is stupidly rare CIB. Go on and look for yourself, I’ll
wait. Done yet? See what I mean? Out of my entire 32X collection this was one
of the hardest ones to find, for whatever strange reason that makes it so rare.
Even so, my copy isn’t all that great- the box has a pretty good bend in one of
the corners and some considerable wear on the sides, though the manual and game
are very good. Nonetheless, prepare yourself to search for quite a while and
hand over a good chunk of change if you’d like a CIB copy.
2. Mega Man X3, SNES,
CIB
Now, I was going
to say here that the game itself isn’t all that rare, but HOLY SHIT this game
has jumped up quite a bit in price as of recent. Most copies of loose cartridges were listed at 200+ on
ebay, which is waaay more than what I paid for it. And I didn’t even see one
CIB copy upon searching, which makes me wonder now what that’s going for
nowadays. Either way, get ready to sell a vital organ or two if you want this
one CIB. My copy is a bit worn in places, but overall is in pretty good shape.
Considering how rare it is, I’m happy just to own it.
1. The Amazing
Spiderman: Web Of Fire, Sega 32X, CIB
Yes, if you know a thing or two about the Sega 32X library,
you might have seen this one coming. If not, let me shed a little light on the
subject. This was the final game of the 32X’s very short life span of only 36
games in North America. I don’t know how true this is, but it’s rumored that
only 1,500 copies were produced. I wouldn’t doubt it, considering how hard it
is to get your hands on CIB copy for a reasonable price. From what I’ve last
seen, they’re up to around $400-500, which is thankfully way less than what I
paid for it a few years back. My copy is an absolute sight to behold. It’s
actually still mostly shrinkwrapped, with a slight tear in the top so that the
inner cardboard slot that holds the game can be taken out. It even still has a
hanging tab attached to the back of it. I’ve only taken the game and manual out
once just to verify the condition and test the game out, but from what I’ve
seen, they’re absolutely mint. This one is definitely the centerpiece of my
collection, and I’m certainly not one to shy away from showing it off whenever
I get the chance.
