Pick-Ups – Japanese Phantasy Star II Hint Guides

Posted by Sega Dude on August 25, 2020
Posted in: Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

So this is pretty cool. Not very useful but cool.

Any 8-bit and 16-bit Phantasy Star fan knows that Phantasy Star II on the Sega Genesis came with a very hefty hint guide. And while the Japanese Mega Drive version of Phantasy Star II didn’t come with a hint guide they were available for purchase. I’ve known about them for a very long time but I never had good access to hunt them down.

Thanks to Japantiquity on Instagram (and FaceBook) I managed to get my hands on these two guides for a fair price.

How Japantiquity works is you get access to someone with easy access to the Japanese market. Request what you’re looking for and a small premium will be applied and it’s yours.

The two Phantasy Star II hint guides pictured below cost me $20 USD each.

Phantasy Star II pictured with two hint guides.
Set of two.

They appear to be a set of two. The book with Nei on the cover I believe is Part I. And because Dark Force is shown at the end of the book with Rolf on the cover I believe it’s Part II.

Maybe there are some Japanese readers out there who can set me straight.

Your journey begins!
Nei First, heart breaking.
Are those space faring boats?
Dark Force!

The second book with Rolf even has a small walk through for the first Phantasy Star at the end of the book.

If you look close at the photo below with the dungeon map and with Dark Force pictured you can see a hidden door is marked! As a kid I was stuck here for so long. I had no idea there was a hidden door. You had to turn and face what appeared to be a wall before it would reveal itself.

Mini Phantasy Star 1 guide.
The last dugeon of the first epic adventure.
Adverts for some early Mega Drive releases.
More hint guides.

Check out that last image above. Looks like lots of Sega Mega Drive games got hint books. This might be a new rabbit hole to tumble down.

I’ve also been collecting the Sega Ages 2500 games released for the Playstation 2 and Japantiquity managed to get me Fits of the North Star for $25 USD. It’s actually been many years since I’ve bought a game from the Sega Ages 2500 collection. Some are excellent and some are terrible. It’s a real mixed bag.

Below is my Sega Ages 2500 collection so far. I’d love to find the (good) Space Harrier and Monster World Complete Collection someday. But I’m really happy to have the Phantasy Star I and II remakes as well as the Phantasy Star Complete Collection. Those are by far the highlights of this series.

Of course I had to pay for shipping which cost me $20 USD by boat and took about 2 months to reach me. I’m OK with that. I’m much happier saving on shipping and waiting.

All in, this was a good Japanese Sega fix!

Pick-Ups – Boxed Japanese Sega Mega Drive

Posted by Sega Dude on June 12, 2020
Posted in: Hardware, Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: , , , . 3 Comments


Just too beautify to pass up!

For a long time now it’s been a rare occurrence to find Japanese Mega Drive stuff out in the wild. So when I found this boxed Mega Drive console it was a genuine surprise. I wasn’t planning on buying what would be my third Mega Drive but after holding it for just a few minutes there was already an unbreakable bond. I offer Retro Quest $40 CAD (~$30 USD) and they were willing. It’s missing the power brick and video cable but I’ll find them eventually.

The condition is not perfect but it’s pretty good and it’s hard to argue with the price. If you’re local to Toronto (GTA) be sure to visit Retro Quest. I have purchased a lot of great retro gaming stuff from them over the years. It’s a great store with great people!

Initially I thought this was going to be an easy pass because in 2014 I purchased a really great condition Mega Drive (pictured below) at the VGCC Game Swap for $65 CAD (~$47 USD). However, since these two Mega Drives have different packaging they both feel like good additions to the collection.

Japanese Mega Drive
Asian Region Packaging
Box Opened
Mega Drive Close Up

Below is my loose Model 2 Mega Drive that cost me about $30 CAD (~$22 USD) in the same year (2014) as the model 2 above. Even though they’re not pictured I do have power and video cables for this Model 2; just no box.

Mega Drive Model 2

Believe it or not I purchased this model 2 Mega Drive in a bundle that included the very elusive game Eliminate Down. Click here for those details. The short answer is I scored Eliminate Down for about $80 CAD in 2014 (~$70 USD).

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.

Sega Game Gear Micro. Sega Celebrates it’s 60th Anniversary!

Posted by Sega Dude on June 3, 2020
Posted in: Community, Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: , , , . 7 Comments

Happy 60th’s Anniversary Sega! Thank you for all you do!

And what an incredibly fun way to celebrate with a micro version of Sega’s Game Gear.

https://www.gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sega-Game-Gear-Micro_2020_06-03-20_Top.jpg

We don’t have all the details yet but I feel Sega is off to a great start. The Game Gear Micro will retail for about $46 USD, with a release date of October 6th, 2020 and will be available in four different colours (black, blue, yellow and red).

And, yeah, it’s… small. Really small. In fact it would appear to be very appropriately named.

https://images.nintendolife.com/602212c448456/sega-game-gear-micro.900x.jpg

Each version is shown with a different game; including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic & Tails, Shinning Force and Last Bible.

Does this mean each colour variant Game Gear Micro will come with only one game or will each Game Gear come with all four of these games regardless of it’s colour?

Certainly we’re all hoping this early tease is not the whole show. Of course we’re all expecting every Game Gear Micro to come with the same library of games and for that library to include many games. Hopefully the game count will be similar to the Sega Genesis Mini and Sega Mega Drive Mini. Even if it fall short and launches with 20+ games I think I’d be content.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you Excited for the Sega Game Gear Micro?

Pick-Ups – Boxed Sega Genesis, Round Two!

Posted by Sega Dude on May 26, 2020
Posted in: Games, Genesis (North America), Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: , , , , , , . 6 Comments


Say hello to my boxed Sega Genesis. This was my last retro pick-up before COVID-19 put Canada on lock-down.

It was actually full on Winter when Nintendo Joe and myself visited Retro Game Bros.; where I made this purchase. I was on the hunt for some affordable boxed NES and SNES games when I noticed this boxed ‘launch edition’ Sega Genesis. “Launch Edition” wasn’t a thing back in the day but what was important to me is that this is the packaging variant I got as a kid. (“Variant” also wasn’t a thing back in the 90’s.)

I already had a very similar boxed Genesis but the condition of this replacement is much better and I could not resist. When I asked for the price the Retro Game Bros. asked me to offer a fair price and after seeing a ‘sold listing’ for a similar boxed Genesis for $150 USD that is what I offered; which was about $200 CAD at the time. Knowing that I’d have my previous boxed Genesis to sell helped make this an easy purchase.

My new boxed Genesis (above) is compete with everything: console, hook-ups, game pad, Altered Beast, adapters, manual and a Golden Axe poster. All in really great condition!

If you look close you can see the original retail price of $189.99. Because it’s says Kay Bee Toys I’m pretty sure that price tag is in USD. I don’t think Kay Bee Toys ever made it to Canada. $189.99 is the launch day price of the Genesis in the US which makes me believe this is a pretty early release; not that it’s particularly important but just cool trivia.

My now dethroned boxed Genesis you can see below. It’s OK. The hardware is in very good shape. It’s only the box that’s a bit battered. This one cost me $40 CAD (~$30 USD) years ago.

This variant is actually pretty interesting. I believe this is one of the last Altered Beasts boxes to sell at retail. You can see a black sticker stating ‘Game Cartridge Not Included, Sold  Separately.’ It’s placed right over the area of the box that says (if it was visible) “Included Arcade Hit Altered Beast”. I image when Sega was slowing down on the Altered Beast bundle they had more consoles to unload before moving onto new packaging and new bundles.

I had no idea how satisfying this upgrade would be. I was pretty content with the battered and beat-up box but now that I have a new champ I find it very gratifying!

For kicks have a look at why I don’t bother with eBay anymore; here’s what some serious gougers feel this same boxed Genesis is worth:

Between $800-$2,800 CAD (~$600-$2,000USD) Really?! This is why I haven’t had an eBay account since Dec. 2016. And I don’t miss it at all.

What did Nintendo Joe end up scoring at Retro Game Bros.? He purchased a used copy of Metroid: Samus Returns for his Nintendo 3DS. And like a good lad he’s already beaten it.

Go visit Nintendo Joe at his Instagram NintendoJoe1985 and MyNintendoDimension.

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)?