Collection New Additions

All games added to The Sega Collection

GO SEGA 60th Anniversary and the Sega Dude

Posted by Sega Dude on November 25, 2020
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Community, SEGA. Tagged: , , , , . 2 Comments

I don’t recall how I found out but I stumbled upon an invitation from SEGA to write a message from me to SEGA commemorating SEGA’s 60th anniversary.

The invitation went something like this:

“Please submit a message in commemoration of SEGA’s 60th anniversary!
The message you send will be displayed on this site.
You can also send a picture together with the message.” – SEGA

https://60th.sega.com/en/message/send/

It felt like something fun to do. And who doesn’t love celebrating SEGA?!

Below you can see me the ‘Sega Dude’ in all my glory and my somewhat uninspired yet sincere message to SEGA.

https://60th.sega.com/message/81/

According to Google Translate さん means Mr.

I am being too hopeful that SEGA has officially coined me Mr. SEGA Dude?

https://60th.sega.com/en/message/send/

When I wrote my message I didn’t know what to expect from the gift which was described as “chalk bag engraved with SEGA’s 60th anniversary key message, “GO SEGA”&”SONIC”‘.

To me a chalk bag is something that holds powered chalk used to coat your hands for weight lifting or rock climbing.

Turns out the chalk bag is a purse for a few small essentials. I tried cramming some Mega Drive carts into the pouch but it is not ideal.

 
 
 
 
 
 

What I also didn’t realize is that there would be only 60 of these hand made Chalk Bag given away to fans.

Here are the Marketing photos:

With my chalk bag SEGA also included the following letter.

What stood out as interesting to me is SEGA is asking that I never sell or trade this gift.


So I managed to stumbled into a very unique Sega Collectible.

Thank you SEGA! Here’s hoping for another amazing 60 Years!

Pick-Ups – Tanglewood OST and Post Card Set

Posted by Sega Dude on June 5, 2020
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Genesis (North America), Hardware, Mega Drive (EURO), Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 8 Comments


OK, this is something real special. How often do you get a chance to own a video game sound track on cartridge? Not often… not often at all. Almost never actually.

Have a look at the Tanglewood OST with its beautiful red (orange?) cartridge for play on your original Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive. This is a sight you won’t see often!

In addition to the OST cartridge you might have noticed a set of 10 Tanglewood themed Post Cards.

Normally you’d only get one random Tanglewood Post Card in every physical copy of Tanglewood the game from Matt Phillips’ Tanglewood Kickstarter campaign. The full set of ten was only available to those who purchased the collectors edition. A true gem that I could not afford at the time.

So how did I end up with a full Post Card set?

Courtesy of a very close friend who reached out to the creator Matt Phillips of Big Evil Corporation and asked if he could buy a set for me.

Not only was Matt willing but he went one step further and included a free OST cartridge as well. When I received this packaged I was truly beside myself. I like very niche things. Things that are incredibly hard for family and friends to deduce. And my buddy nailed it… in a very big way.

Thank you RamboRy!

How good is this 16-bit video game sound track by freezedream?
Oh, it’s good. It’s very good.

The very first track is the Tanglewood theme and it sets a serene and calming mood. Conjuring images of the fairy tale ending you’ll want to earn for our fury friends; Nymn and Echo.

If I had to choose, I’d say my favourite songs would be tracks #20 (So long) and #21 (Deadwood). Not only are they incredible songs in their own right but they play at a very pivotal storytelling moment in the game and they are major contributors to a very emotional moment of loss and enduring.

Below is a recording I captured of the entire OST playing from my original model 1 Sega Genesis. Have a listen!

Unfortunately the Tanglewood cartridge OST is sold out at the time this post was published.
But a digital version is available over at freezedream.bandcamp.

Haven’t heard of Tanglewood? Read my spoiler free review here: Tanglewood 16-bit Perfection.

And have a peak at my Tanglewood longplay:

Honestly, if you’re a retro gamer you need to get your hands on Tanglewood.

Pick-ups – CIB NES. It has begun!

Posted by Sega Dude on February 4, 2020
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, NES, Nintendo. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

So, I’ve jump down yet another rabbit hole.

As I’ve been down sizing my Super Nintendo and NES collection the idea has started to grown in my head that I’d like to get the games I really want in my collection ‘complete in box’ (CIB). This past weekend I now have my first five CIB NES games.

And thanks to Retro Game Bros. it was so much easier than I expected!

I already have most of the NES titles I want, but they are loose cartridges (some with their manual). Finding just a box for sale is really hard to do. I thought I’d be stuck re-buying games just to get a box. But as I was browsing and chatting at Retro Games Bros. I was told they would be more than happy to take a cartridge out of a complete game and sell me just the box and manual. This is a first for me!

I’m not sure how long I stood there blinking but when the shell shock wore off I pulled a few games off the shelf. And what Retro Game Bros. did was subtract the value of the cartridge from the price and I ended up with the following:

Super Mario Bros. 3 box and instructions cost me $30 CAD (~$26 USD). Because Nintendo decided to go with cardboard boxes and because of the age of these games I’ve set my expectation that my NES collection will not be as pristine as my Sega collection. Which I’m content with and as you can see my new CIB Super Mario Bros. which is not mint is still in really good shape.

Hey, did you notice that black circular sticker at the top edge of my Super Mario Bros.? According to Wata Games that little variant is going to be worth millions and retire me! I can’t hardly wait…

OK, yes, Super C is not quite as exciting as the original Contra but this box and manual was still a great score at $35 CAD (~$26 USD). The condition is not quite as good as the above Super Mario Bros. 3. But it is good and hopefully someday it will be joined by Contra!

Who knew Excitebike was getting harder to find complete? Just like the Mario games Excitebike holds a lot of nostalgia for me. It is such a fun game! Nintendo has always been great at finding really fun game mechanics. This Excitebike box and manual cast me $40 CAD (~$30 USD) and again you can see these games are far from mint but I don’t mind at all.

Legendary Wings wasn’t on my short list of NES games that I want but it is a good game and for $20 CAD (~$15 USD) for this box and manual I couldn’t pass it up.

Believe it or not Ice Hockey was on the short list of must have games. Like the Mario games and Excitebike it holds a lot of nostalgia for being one of the first games I played at a friend house when the NES was new. Also, with a price tag of FREE there’s no downside here! Thanks Retro Game Bros.!

Ice Hockey had a few Toys R Us stickers and I was OK with them being there as there from the games original retail days. But in the end I decided to try and remove them. Armed with my wife’s hair dryer I went to town. It took a really long time. These stickers were old and that glue did not want to let go.

But with lots of patience’s it worked out very well. Once the stickers were removed there was some residue left over. I applied a very tiny amount of WD-40 to a paper towel and gently rubbed away the residue. This worked because the cardboard boxes are glossy. This would not work on plain paper like a game manual.

Here’s the short list of my NES games I’d like to make CIB someday:

Baseball
Castlevania
Contra
Ghost ‘n Gobins
Kung Fu
Metroid
Punchout (Any version)
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
The Legend of Zelda
The Adventure of Link

What does CIB mean for you?

For me I’m happy with Cartridge, Instruction Booklet and box. I believe for some CIB means Complete in Box. And does your version of ‘complete’ mean absolutely everything that came with the game originally (dust cover, plastic bag, pamphlets, etc)?

Pick-Ups – Boxed Sega 32X

Posted by Sega Dude on November 4, 2019
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, SEGA. Tagged: , , , , . 5 Comments

Slowly but surely I’m managing to find complete boxed hardware for my Sega collection. Much like the Sega CD I mostly ignored the Sega 32X for decades after it’s release.

Below is my newly acquired boxed Sega 32X and it’s in really great condition.

I was actually a bit surprised at how large the box is. When I met up with the seller I found that it barely fit in my backpack. Seeing it pictured here next to the Genesis cases will give you some sense of the scale.

This was a local classifieds find (Kijiji) and cost me $150 CAD (~$114 USD). I feel I did better than the typical asking price of $200 CAD that I often see a Retro Game Swaps. I even did better than what appears to be the original retail price of $200 CAD as seen on the Compucentre price tag. Normally I remove all stickers but in this case I think I’ll keep it. There’s some history here.

I’d like to say this Sega 32X is complete but it’s not. However, it is so very close. The manual is in French and I’m sure it would have also come with an English manual; which is missing. It’s also missing the Audio/Video Cable. Aside from that everything is accounted for. Including an odd expansion port cover to be placed on the Sega Genesis console CD expansion port (if you don’t have a Sega CD connected to your Genesis).

I’ve read that this expansion port cover (called the 32X Extension Unit) was included for FCC compliance but isn’t actually needed.

I believe this is a very early version of the Sega 32X and possibly among the first. The silver metal brackets seen in the image above are called Electro Magnetic Shield Plates and it didn’t take Sega long to ditch them; similar to how Sega removed the 32X Extension Unit accessory.

Below are detailed instructions of how to install your 32X Extension Unit onto your Sega Genesis console.

It’s an interesting bit of trivia that this piece of hardware wasn’t needed at all; ever.

I’ve had a loose 32X for a few years now but it was only this summer when I finally dug it out and took it for a test drive. Of my seven 32X games Space Harrier is the only one that I’ve been interested in playing.

Back in the day I was a huge fan of Space Harrier II for the Genesis and this is what I’d be comparing the 32X Space Harrier to. And despite being told “Get Ready!” I was not prepared for how fast and smooth the 32X Space Harrier was going to be. This is what Space Harrier was meant to be! (…and in the Arcades it was)

It plays incredibly fast and is a very intense experience compared to Space Harrier II. Yes, Space Harrier is still a simplistic game and a product of the Arcade era but it’s still a fun ride.

Anyone have any 32X game recommendations? Will the Sega 32X surprise me like the Sega CD and end up being an add-on worth having?

Sega 32X “Just stick it in your Genesis!”

Pick-Ups – Sega, Sega and more Sega!

Posted by Sega Dude on October 20, 2019
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, Genesis (North America), SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It’s with mixed emotions that I present to you my most recent Sega pick-ups!

I found a pile of Sega CD games for sale on Kijiji (classified) which weren’t very local to me. Admittedly the advertised prices were not amazing with everything priced a bit higher than what I found at PriceCharting.com. The seller was willing to include shipping which did help some but I feel I got a little over excited and I should have tried to work out better prices.

Cobra Command was priced at $50 CAD (~$38 USD) while it’s listed at $30 USD on PriceCharting.com. The condition is reasonable for a collector like me and the game works.

Wolfchild is in really good condition and cost $100 CAD (~$76 USD, with a PriceCharting value of $48 USD) and despite a pristine looking CD the game will freeze as it loads level one.

I’m going to get the Wolfchild CD buffed once I can find a place with a proper machine for the task. I’m hoping this will do the trick.

Mickey Mania came in at $70 CAD (~$53 USD, with a PriceCharting value of $46 USD). It’s in good shape and works… but, there is a scratch on the data portion of the CD and when held to a light the light will shine through. I’m guessing that once the Sega CD tries to read this portion of the CD the game will crash. No amount of buffing will fix this issue.

I sprung for the Sega Classics 5 in 1 with Manual for $30 CAD (~$23 USD) because I was curious to try out games that were originally on cartridge and now on the CD format. The games are the same for the most part but I did notice that Golden Axe has a bunch of ‘enhanced’ sound effects that I’m not very fond of. Ecco the Dolphin on the other hand was treated to wonderfully atmospheric CD audio music. Even though not pictured Ecco came with this compilation on it’s own CD.

Because of the problems with Mickey Mania and Wolfchild I did ask the seller if he’d be willing to return $20 CAD to me. I thought that was just a small token to acknowledge the problem. But so far I’ve been met with radio silence. I’m not going to fuss much. I’ve done what I can and I’m sure there was no ill intentions on the sellers part. I sent him money and in good faith he mailed me the games. It is was it is; the CD format is not as reliable/durable as cartridges.

Next up, I felt like I was going back to my roots with some cool Japanese Sega Mega Drive games direct from Japan!

Kyukyoku Tiger (Twin Cobra) cost me $70 USD (~$92 CAD) and I was a bit disappointed to find the cover is sunfaded. The seller did send me pictures but I couldn’t really tell until I had the case and manual in hand and side by side.

Despite this I’ll definitely be doing business with www.facebook.com/Japantiquity/ again. I explained that next time I’d like games in better condition and he was very receptive and understanding.

Bad Omen on the other hand is in great shape and I’m very pleased with it. Bad Omen cost me $55 USD (~$72 CAD). Both of these Mega Drive games included shipping.

You can also find Japantiquity on Instagram @Japantiquity_japanvintageshop.

My first impression of Kyukyoku Tiger is that it does not look very pretty. But as I played I could tell the gameplay is good… and tough! Bad Omen is also a hard game that feels like it’s going to be easy but it’s just not. I really do like it and I’m looking forward to playing more.

Barrie Game Exchange 2019

Posted by Sega Dude on September 16, 2019
Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, Genesis (North America), Nintendo, SEGA, SNES. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve picked-up any retro video games. Looking back at my own blog it was March 2019 when I last scored a few Sega games.

And what a great way to break a near 6 month dry spell with Shining Force CD for the Sega CD. Fortunately I had time enough to save up for this $200 CAD addition (~$150 USD).

It’s in excellent condition and I knew this is about as good a price as I’d ever get. I saw three Shining Force CD’s at this game swap; all priced between $240-$250. I offered one seller $200 and he was willing. Thank you sir!

It’s actually been a long time since I’ve played Shining Force and I’m looking forward to this Shining Force Gaiden and Shining Force Gaiden II remake. If I had to pick I’d say my all time favorite turn-based strategy game is War Song for the Sega Genesis (known as Langrisser in Japan).

Looking back to July 2018 I found my old Sega CD wish list and to my surprise I’ve manage to cross a bunch off the list in just over one year:

01) Dungeon Explorer
02) Earthworm Jim
03) Flashback
04) Hook
05) Keio Flying Squadron
06) Lords of Thunder
07) Mickey Mania
08) Mortal Kombat
09) Prince of Persia
10) Road Blaster / Road Avenger
11) Road Rash
12) Shinning Force CD
13) Space Adventure
14) Time Gal

I’m not holding my breath for Keio Flying Squadron or Space Adventure. When my list is down to two they will be the last two (permanently) on the list.

I’ve had the cartridge and manual for Final Fantasy II for a long time now so when I came across an empty Final Fantasy box with cardboard insert for $15 CAD (~$11 USD) I was pretty sure it was a good deal. My thanks to Nintendo Joe for making sure I pulled the trigger on this one. The front is a bit sun-faded and it is certainly showing some wear but the price was right. And now I have a complete Final Fantasy II which for me is one of those SNES games that holds a lot of nostalgia.

Now that I have a taste for boxed SNES games I’ll show you a fine gift from Nintendo Joe. As Nintendo Joe continues his quest for a 100% NES set he was nice enough to give me a boxed Super Mario World 2. And like my Final Fantasy II it’s also showing some wear but it’s still really great to have.

Nintendo Joe has been more active of late on Instagram where he’s devilishly close to becoming a bonafide influencer. Check him out @nintendojoe1985 or @ultimate_megatron if G1 Transformers are your Jam.

But do not watch his Live Action Donkey Kong video. Seriously, you’ve been warned.