Rez though, is what I would consider a “rare but not valuable in any meaningful way” game, because you can get Rez HD, the same game with the graphics rezzed up (No pun intended) for $10 on the Xbox 360.
I guess if you have the original Trance Vibrator peripheral, that’s gotta be worth something though.
I guess you could say the same for anything that’s been released on Wiiware and the like. I suppose it comes down to why you consider a game rare/valuable. If it’s rare/valuable because it’s a rare physical object, well, great, but I don’t really care. If it’s rare/valuable because it’s a rare physical object and there’s NO OTHER WAY TO GET THE DATA contained within (Panzer Dragoon Saga ;_ then I understand the value.
To me, games really aren’t objects. They’re data that translates to experiences. An original Legend of Zelda cartridge isn’t valuable to me, because that game experience is available in a lot of different ways. (And the battery is probably dead. ) A gamecube copy of Tales of Symphonia, on the other hand is a rare experience, since that’s the only way to play it (Okay, there’s a PS2 version, but it’s Japan only.).
If we’re using the “Amazon price point” definition of rare, well, I own a copy of Tales of the Abyss for the PS2, and it retails for $109 on Amazon. WTF? it’s like 4 years old. It’s a PS2 title. Weeeeird.
Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar: Eternal Blue for Sega CD
Shenmue for Dreamcast
Original gold-cartridge Zelda for NES
Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger
I’m pretty sure I have most of the video game cartridges I ever owned, squirreled away somewhere, and all of them in excellent condition. Not that I ever play them anymore. I just never get rid of anything.
Shenmue… first game I bought for my Dreamcast, played it for a couple of hours, then never again. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but it never went anywhere.
I dunno. A lot of people seem to really like it. I never even played it, I read about it, thought, “gee, that sounds dull” and never picked it up. Couldn’t say either way.
I didn’t play it much, but I remember really liking the look of the main character, and I spent a lot of time feeding the kitten. That’s pretty much all I remember about it at this point.
I still have original SNES cartridges of FF3, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Earthbound, Secret of Evermore, and Super Mario RPG. The boxes and players guides for most are still in storage as well in good condition. I had no idea these were worth anything. Neat!
Collecting rare games is a bit of a hobby of mine, actually. I stick with ones I want to play, however, making my list smaller than it would otherwise be.
Off the top of my head, I own the following which seem to count- Boktai 1 and 2, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, both Digital Devil Saga games, Cubivore, Zone of the Enders 1 and 2, all seven .hack// titles, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature.
Ones I lack but either actively want or at least would not mind coming into possession of include the famous Harvest Moon 64, some of the other SMT titles, and Tales of the Abyss.
I haven’t a clue what the general value of my video game collection is, as I have no interest in selling them. But what I do know is roughly how much amassing this collection cost, and I will leave that to the imagination as the only one on that list which was a lucky purchase ($10) was Cubivore.
Neither of these are rare. Dragon Warrior was given away for free to new subscribers to Nintendo Power back in 1990, so there are plenty of copies out there.
And I believe there about a bazillion gold cartridge Zeldas in the world. If anything, I think the gray re-release is more rare, but still plentiful.
You want rare, look for the gold cartridge for Ocarina of Time. It’s not hard to find, but you’ll pay at least a 100% markup over the gray cartridge version.
I have a boxed/doxed Swordquest: Waterworld for my Atari 2600, probably the rarest game in my collection. Going over the Atari Age rarity lists (1 being most common, 10 being the rarest), I have 1 #9 (the aforementioned SQ:WW), 1 #8 (Rubik’s Cube), and 5 #7s. I also have a few rare homebrews, including the first edition of the Stella Gets a New Brain CD, and Qb Special Edition, complete with wooden case.
Not as rare, but probably a better potential return on investment: I have the arcade game Satan’s Hollow, and have been offered $800 for it-- not bad for a $25 buy. My other arcade games have remained pretty cheap over the years.
I’m sure I have a few rarities here and there for other systems (heck, I have a nearly complete Pioneer LaserActive collection, where the most common title is pretty rare); I know I have the boxed/complete bundled-with-strategy-guide SNES Earthbound and I think my sealed Lunar/Lunar 2/Arc the Lad collections, all with pre-order bonuses, for the PSX would get a decent bid.
I have the “hot coffee”-able version of GTA. I tried to trade it in at GameStop, but they aren’t allowed to take it. The clerk advised me to sell it on eBay. I could probably make a little profit off of it, but I haven’t gotten around to it.
(Actually, the Microvision-- packged with the Blockbuster cartridge.) Is the LCD screen good on yours? If so, interested in selling? I’ve got two of the systems, both with severe screen rot, and that’s always bugged me. I’ve got nearly all of the cartridges, and have boxes and docs for everything… just no good screen.
then I understand the value.