Since I have been stopping at a few nearby second hand stores, I have come across a few great titles for the SNES or Super Famicon as it is called here in Japan. There are a million games available to get for a dollar a piece here, but I have limited my buying to games that are still in box with all inserts etc. In America, this would be something almost impossible to come across, but in Japan here, it seems like it is just how a typical consumer takes care of their games. I remember when I was younger, within a year or two, every case that any friend had of any game looked like it had been mangled by a dog, had forks dragged across it, and been hit by a shrapnel grenade.
The beauty of the games that I find here, is the fact that they all look near mint, or at least very decent. Anything that is any less than very decent quality, is put in the 'junk' category by stores and sold at next to nothing (as stated, usually a dollar or so). To give you an example, one of the games at the top of my 'to find' list was Final Fantasy VI (FF3 in America). The copy I found ran me about 6 dollars. This included;
Original box with absolutely no signs of wear, bending, scratching etc.
Plastic inlay for the game itself.
Instruction manual in seemingly unread condition.
Plastic wrapping around the absolutely flawless cartridge
An insert for some promotion not directly related to the game that was inserted during the original sale time.
This is almost a more complete set than some new games that I have bought, for say, PS2, which will include the disc, the case, and the instruction booklet on the inside cover.
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| Final Fantasy 6, where people stop trains with their arm's brute strength. |
I don't know exactly what it is that makes the people here have a seemingly more attentive respect for their belongings. I would assume that a lot of the people that had these games or were the original owners were about the same age as me when they first acquired them. Most of these games in those post were released around 1993 - 1996. That's twenty years of storage/use to still be in this amazing condition. These games to me are a work of art even just in that respect by itself.
Chrono Trigger. One of the best RPGs of all time. Godly soundtrack. Amazing fighting/technique system. Just all around awesome game. On almost every RPG fans top list.
Chrono Trigger doesn't need an introduction, but if for some very odd reason you have not had the pleasure of enjoying this game back when it was released, please do so. It is one thing as a gamer that you will be glad you did. The characters are all fun, the story is set in multiple time periods as you travel to change the destiny of the world, and the fighting system just makes the use of different characters and parties all that more interesting. The music itself is absolutely wonderful as well. The OST's to games are always the one thing that can really bring you back to the feeling and time of a game in an instant.
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| It's only in Katakana, but Smash Bros. fans may notice the hero. The original Fire Emblem. |
It is a bit slow and complex, even for a strategy game, but it is still a classic. If you are into games that get away from the nonstop action a bit and require you to think a bit more, this was the game for you. I don't think at the time of release I had much of the patience for it, but it's a good game to go back and play when you want a retro strategy feel. The story is pretty complex and deep as well.
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| All I remember is picking my tarot cards about 1000 times. |
Ogre Battle was a fun game, but it had a somewhat unique style of game play. You didn't directly control your characters or army's moves. Rather you gave them a set of guidelines or suggestions on how to fight and just gave overworld directions on where your different generals should be leading their troops. For some reason I always loved the opening sequence and profile building for your character. Through answering questions about yourself and getting dealt tarot cards, you are given certain abilities and strengths. It was really good to come across this.
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| Apparently Sonic Blast Man was such a hit they HAD to make a sequel. |
OK, now I had no idea what the hell to think about this game when I saw it, but after just reading the name and seeing the cover, I knew I had to have it. Turns out it is basically a side scrolling beat-em-up like Turtles in Time or Streets of Rage. The characters moves are great, the enemies are hilarious, and it is just a wonderful, quirky take on beat em ups that I would have never heard about if I didn't go out on a limb and grab it. I am so glad I did. The music is freaking awesome too! This is a great Japanese title that I can just sit down and play when I don't want to be bothered by trying to read through all of the Japanese that normal takes place when I am trying to play JRPG's. Feast your eyes on.... SONIC BLAST MAN 2!
Oh Yeah!
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