I really enjoyed writing this post 🙂
Not too long ago a very close friend of mine got married (to an awesome woman) and he asked me to be his best man. As if the honor alone was not enough he later told me he wanted to thank me for a fun stag night.
He knows me well so he came up with the idea of getting me a retro video game. He told me to find a game for $100 and he’d pay for it. Normally I avoid paying $100 or more for a video game (I’ve done this twice) because I don’t want to get comfortable with the practice and I really don’t think they’re worth that much.
My buddy liked the idea that he’d be able to get me something that I would love and would normally not get for myself.
I spent a lot of time hunting around on ebay and I found a game that I know always goes for at least $100 or more.
I found a mint copy of Battle Mania which ended up costing $110 USD after shipping.
This game is everything you can hope for in a Japanese title. It has very good and unique art work, it’s a good game and there is no language barrier.
In reality there is a Stripper out there somewhere who earned a copy of Battle Mania but I am happy that I’m the one who got the credit for it 😀
Thanks Chris!
Battle Mania
Battle Mania Gameplay
I actually have the Genesis version for Battle Mania which is called Trouble Shooter. I think it’s pretty rare too. Because I do love collecting for both the Genesis and the Japanese Mega Drive I really love having both of these. Specially considering how different the artwork is. And as usual the Mega Drive artwork is much better. Mostly because the Heroines don’t look like 80’s aerobic instructors.
Trouble Shooter
Trouble Shooter Gameplay
Did anyone notice that in the Japanese Mega Drive version a Super Famicom got totally stomped during the Sega Logo scene? 😀
The only real problem is that I now know there is a Battle Mania 2 and it usually sells for $200 or more! It’s tough business being a collector…
Here is my my excellent Battle Mania in the Collection!
Battle Mania in the Collection
Retro Megabit 
What an awesome present! And a very impressive collection. 😀
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Hi V,
I also think it’s an awesome gift! He’s a good buddy. When I first met him many years ago in school my first thought was “what a slob!”. Turns out he’s a great friend. *And not just for Battle Mania 😛
And thanks for validating my video game collection 😀 I know in life stuff it’s not so important but I really do enjoy it.
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I was just thinking he must know you well because it was a very thoughtful idea. You’re right, “stuff” isn’t important in life, but it can certainly add a little something extra! I love retro games collections, I have a nice little SNES shelf myself, would love to start working on a Sega one. After the bills are paid though, of course!
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The bills… I hear ya. There really get in the way of any collection.
Do you have your SNES shelf posted online somewhere? I’d love to have a look.
I recently found my Gameboy Advance games (all boxed!). And I’ve started collecting SNES and NES carts. I have about 30 for each so far. I know I’m all Sega crazy but I can’t ignore the Nintendo. There are so many excellent games for all of these retro systems.
I’m guessing your SNES collection is PAL, right? I really do love the look of PAL SNES and Super Famicom much more than that North American SNES.
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Yup, all PAL. I do have a picture of the console (it was a special edition Starwing version) somewhere which I’ll dig up. 🙂
The collection itself I’ve been meaning to go through and organise, catalogue what I have and what I want in the future, I still don’t have Super Metroid, for example! A couple of my friends like their old school games too, and we have had retro game nights in the past which were great fun. Super Mario Kart after a few beers is more entertaining than you’d think. ;D
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Starwing? I’ve never heard of that. I quickly searched and it seems to be related to Starfox? I’m really curious to see you special edition Mega Drive now!
I just got a copy of Super Metroid! What an awesome game. I like your taste.
I’ve just done one retro game night and it was a blast. I should do more. Super Mario Kart would be a stellar game night game! I remember some intense matches with buddies. What a great game.
Come on! Dig up that collection 😀
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Starwing was actually what Starfox was called in Europe. To confuse things even further, we call it Lylat Wars here… 😀
Super Mario Kart brought back up all the old rivalries from when we were kids, it was definitely intense but sooo much fun,
I will return with collection pics!
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Nice “get”, sir! Here’s a double funny: A few years back on eBay, some seller had a Battle Mania 2 listed under the WRONG description and it got no bidders until I think the last 20 or so minutes and I think sold for under $20! A few years later, some South Korean seller was listing a BUNCH of MD games from that region that were new/Mint for something like a $40 BIN and yep, he had something like 5 copies of BM 2 and other rarities. People thought they were bootlegs, but smart folks snapped up all his copies by the time I saw the listing. I actually had spent a nice chunk of money on some SFC stuff and a few MD games that week, so I was broke anyway, but I’d have bought that and a few other of his games if I had the chance…
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Thanks geelw!
Wow. I can only hope that I come across some crazy deals like that someday! It drives me crazy that some games are so expensive!
Just recently I put in a bid for $100 for a Genesis version of Pier Solar Posterity Ed. and I was winning right until the end… then it soared up to $360. That’s insane!
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A lot of stuff doesn’t even get bid on until that last slice of time or it gets waaay up in price fast (like when Sega of America was running its awesome charity auctions a few years back). I tend to do BINs on stuff whenever possible or at least have a few lines on stuff that’s not so rare, but wanted.
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Yeah… I was pretty sure some snipers would show up at the end of the Pier Solar auction. But to finish at $360 really shocked me. That’s intense.
Well, it’s a good thing that even crappy unwanted games can excite me. 😀
What would you say was your best score for a video game?
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That is hilarious! (the thing with the SNES) lol ^_^
Great story behind this new acquisition as well 😀 I’m happy for you ^__^ now I need to hunt these games down as well though!! You keep getting me all psyched about games I’ve never even heard of before haha! The problem for me however is that I’ve gotten comfortable with the upper price tags >__< I keep thinking like: "ooh only $95.. the others I found are listed for $120.. this must be a bargain!" .. *stupid*
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Yeah, I really though that Super Famicom stomp was cute. 😀
And let me tell you; I am really tempted sometime to buy expensive games. But I know that most time I just want them because they are rare. So I try hard to resist.
I use to think it was very hard to find good condition Genesis games but recently I’ve been doing OK. I have found many for $20 each including shipping. That number is a bit fudged.
What I often do is find a game I want and then see if the seller has other games I want in addition. Then I can buy many games to reduce shipping cost per game and get an average cost. So two $15 game and one $30 game is an average price of $20 per game. *Fudged* 🙂 But so long as all games are something I really want to add to the collection I’m happy.
I think I have spend $100+ on three games. Pier Solar (Japanese Mega Drive Posterity Ed.), Bootleg Tetris and $140 for Panorama Cotton!! But in the case of Panorama Cotton I did buy 9 rare games in on batch and the average cost per game was $52 per game.
https://thesegacollection.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/the-sega-collection-might-have-peaked-new-additions/
Still a lot of money but I treated myself to some really good (and hard to get) games and got as good a deal I think I could ever do.
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also, I think I’ve already bought all the cheap ones…
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I use to think the same. But more recently I’ve been doing OK. I think we need to be patient and wait. The same games come around regularly. Wait for a very good price and then go for it.
The good news is that we want soooo many games that there is always something to shop for 🙂
I just got a Sega Genesis Gauntlet IV in Very Good condition for $26. I regularly see it sell for $40 and up.
If you find a copy of Battle Mania 2 I’ll be really Super jealous! 😛
I’m still crazy jealous over your Twinkle Tale!! Soooo nice!!
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@V
Yes, return with collection pictures! 🙂 Awesome
“I will return with collection pics!”
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