Another Retro Haul Post

Due to time being in short supply for the past four months or so, I haven’t been able to really get out there and hunt like I used to. I was getting withdrawals bad, so luckily, the past week or two I have had time to get out there and see what’s been on offer. Some may say that I’ve gone overboard with this latest lot, but the gap between hauls meant that I had no choice but to buy everything I saw that was worth while – regardless of whether or not I had it already. πŸ˜€

First up, the Dreamcast lot. I got this off the auctions for an absolute bargain – about 5,000yen all up after fees and shipping. In the pictures on the auction there wasn’t a great deal of detail – not all boxes were shown, and the condition explanation was iffy to say the least. I decided to bid on it anyway, and I’m glad that I did! Everything had their baggies, instructions, and inserts, plus some of the items are 100% new-old-stock – meaning unused. Got a wheel, twin sticks, console, controller, fight stick, keyboards, and of course, a console itself.

dreamcast-japan

Next comes the Game & Watch Fire (bought as junk from HardOff for next to nothing, but may not work…), SF Memory carts which I have been after for ages, a couple of 3D Systems, and a final fantasy toy. Looking forward to testing the G&W!

3d-system-game-watch-final-fantasy-toy

Definitely one of the gems of the lot is the white Gameboy original you see there in the picture bellow. I didn’t know anything about it, and I hadn’t seen one of these before, so I grabbed it (I remember that philosophy worked well when getting that Jusco N64), and to top it off, it was found in an unlikely place too. I will probably do a single post about it when I get the chance. Those Sakura Pockets are unused and sealed too – pretty happy about that as I didn’t know that when buying.

sakura-pocket-gameboy-white

white-gameboy-nintendo2

Bellow is just a few of the PS2 and Xbox disks. Pretty happy to get the KoF as I didn’t have that version before. Also a couple of Megadrive carts as well. **Click on the thumbs to expand**

playstation-two-japanese xbox-japan-and-kof-ps2

Moving on to the next few pictures bellow, we have the PC Engine Duo (yes another one), and a box of PCE goodies. Although I have everything I see here already, I couldn’t bring myself to leave it all in the stores that I found them in. I know there are always guys back home after these, so hit me up if you’re keen.

pc-engine-duo

pce-box-o-goodies

Here we have a random pile of goodness – Some NeoGeo CDs, a Saturn Bomberman controller (don’t see these often at all), and some NeoGeo Pockets. Also have some Wonderswan Color games, a MegaCD disk, and a N64 cart. Crap, that was a random pic… πŸ˜€

neogeo-pocket

Some more great NeoGeo CDs, and a few DC disks that I couldn’t let sit there. A few of these titles (NGCD) I didn’t have before either, so to find them in the wild was very nice indeed! **Again, click to enlarge**

neogeo-cd-shooters neogeo-cd-and-dc

Anyone up for 1960s slotcar action? Not really something I want to try and plug in and get power into in all honestly – early electric goods are something that should NOT be used on a tatami floor in a wooden house. I know nothing about slotcars though, so if anyone knows their slotcar sets, feel free to chime in and let me know what I have here. All I know is that it’s old…

vintage-slotcar-set

vintage-slotcar-set2

Also got myself a few spare Famciom Disksystems from one of the HardOff stores. Cosmetically they look pretty nice, but I doubt very much the rubber bands will still be intact – never know your luck though.

famicom-disk-system

And the final picture contains a bag of random Starwars figures. Unfortunately these aren’t the original 70s/80s items, but they do have all accessories and they were pretty cheap – cheap enough that I couldn’t leave them there anyway.

starwars

Well, that should tide the addiction of retro hunting over for at least a few more weeks. I’m pretty happy with this lot, and hopefully there is more around the corner – at least until the rest of the stores close down. Doing my part to keep them in business, but they are definitely drying up fast these days. πŸ™

Special Feature – Weird Controllers – Part Two

Well… I’m back with round two of the weirder controllers I have in my hoard. I could have easily gone into a part three, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I am leaving out a few of the music based controllers, the Gameboy add-on controllers, and a few various others that I am pretty sure people would have seen before. There are just so many that could have easily made it to this list, and if any of you have a few weird ones to add then I would definitely like to see them.

OK, so here we go again with part two! πŸ˜€

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The ASCII Grip

I see these around a fair bit, but to find one boxed is a little on the rare side. Honestly speaking I am not entirely sure what these are even used for, so please make a post and let me know if you have an idea.

ascii-grip-controller

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Capcom Quiz Controller for the Famicom

Many of you may not be aware, but the alphabet only goes up to the letter ‘M’ here in Japan. Something to do with WWII I believe – yes terrible joke – apologies to all my Japanese friends reading this.

capcom-famicom-controller

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XE-1AP Megadrive Analogue Controller

Yes, you read that right! An analogue controller on the Megadrive! To my knowledge it only supports a few titles on the MD/Genesis – Afterburner being one of them. It really is one of the most ugly controllers I have seen though, but it doesn’t feel too bad in the hand. I do not know how rare these are, but this was the first time I had seen one here, so it was a must buy.

EDIT (credited to SuperDeadite from the PCE forum for the extra info):
SuperDeadite writes: “There’s about 12 games across the MD/MCD/32X platform, but it also works with the 5 analog pce games (needs the XHE-3 adapter), and also about 30 games on the X68000 (the original purpose for that controller), and around 10 or so on FM Towns.”

*I definitely want people to send/post any information they have it about any of the gear I have here. It’s hard to find info on the amount of gear I get, so it’s very much appreciated – not only by me, but by the next readers that pass through.*

xe1ap-megadrive-controller

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Sunsoft Pachinko Controller for the SuperFamicom

As most of you guys know already I am not a Pachinko fan at all, but the controllers really intrigue me for some reason. It could be purely due to the fact they highlight an addiction that in my country of origin has not been translated to the family game console. Some of the controllers are so damn elaborate as well – as demonstrated in the controller featured bellow this one. I just can’t help but pick them up when I see them.

sunsoft-super-famicom-pachinko-controller

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Hori Playstation Pachislo Controller

This would have to be one of the fanciest Pachislo controllers I have seen in my travels. It’s not only fancy, but also huge!

I have seen one other one for the PC that probably takes the cake with LEDs flashing all over the place, but this one dedicated for consoles is one of the most intricate I have so far. I am yet to use this, but I do have a few Pachislo games for the PS2 that I will have to try out at some point.

playstation-pachinko-controller

Check out this chrome styling! πŸ˜€

playstation-pachinko-controller2

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Playstation Kids Station

This controller is one of the coolest in my opinion. Not because it’s overly different, but just because it’s clear with giant buttons – I am a sucker for clear/crystal machines and controllers.

playstation-kidsstation

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PC Engine Pachinko Controller

Yep, another Pachinko controller makes it into the post, but this one is for the mightly PC-Engine (quite possible my favorite console here in Japan). This one is modeled on the old school style of Pachinko, and there are a fair few games on the PCE that support it.

Imagine the censorship board trying to allow gambling games on the WII/PS3/360 back at home – not a chance! πŸ˜€

pc-engine-pachinko-controller

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Hori Famicom Trackball

These cool little controllers only support a total of 4 games (thanks for that info Frank). I just did a quick search (as I couldn’t remember exactly which games Frank mentioned) and those games appear to be:

Operation Wolf
US Championship V’Ball
Pro Soccer
Putt Putt Golf

The feel of this isn’t exactly arcade perfect, but it’s surprisingly solid. Bet they would not have been cheap either.

hori-famicom-trackball-controller

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The Bandai Super Controller II

Think back a minute to the 80s – Back to the future, Arcades on every street corner (in the perfect city), flat-top haircuts, and every kid owning a BMX – now think to the level of technology….

I don’t remember seeing anything like this back home in the time period. I have been debating whether or not I should be breaking the collector’s rule and trying this out for ages. It’s brand new, and although I consider myself more of a player than a collector, this particular controller puts me on the fence. It could be another summer holiday item on the list though I reckon….

bandai-super-controller-ii-famicom

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Konami ParaParaParadise Controller

ParaPara is a dance craze that truly encapsulates all that is right/wrong with Japanese sub-culture. I am not even sure if ParaPara exists anymore, and based on this controller being unused and sealed, it may not have been as big as the media made it out to be a few years back. Definitely do a Youtube search if you do not know what this is. If I was to explain it though, I would say it is dancing without the need to move your legs – just stay in line, conform without question, and make sure original thoughts are left at the door, or else!! πŸ˜€

konami-paraparaparadise-controller

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And that brings us to the end of the controller feature special. πŸ™‚

Like I said, there were many others that could have made the cut here, but I thought it would go too far if I decided to post absolutely everything. It was definitely fun going through these for a closer look, and I hope that there were at least a few that you guys had not seen before – even if you’ll be happy to never see them again. πŸ˜€

I hope this luck doesn’t change!

The run of luck this old gamer has been having is pure craziness! I mean, games and systems I never see in the wild near me are suddenly showing up, and the only choice I have is to consume, and consume hard. ?

I think today I will save the best for last. The last item in this post is something I have wanted for ages, but they are so damn rare to come by – let alone in condition like this…. Still, I am talking too much about it already, so let’s get started on the other stuff.

3DO, a few DiskSystem disks, and a couple of PCE related goodies.

I am really looking forward to trying out ‘Pataank’ for the 3DO. I do not know a single thing about it, and judging by the graphics on the back cover it looks like seriously weird inside pinball machine game. I thought about doing a search for it, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
3do-pce-disk-system

Some more Famicom carts tarif du viagra en pharmacie. I should really sort through the carts I have at home before buying more, but when they’re there and they’re cheap, what can a guy do right?
famicom

Gameboy games… I honestly don’t have a heap of interest in Gameboy, but as I know there are a few guys on AussieArcade who are keen for them, I picked them up.
gameboy

Same as the Famicom, I really should be going through the games I have at home before buying more Super Famicom carts. Due to buying so much in such a short space of time, I am really having difficulty keeping track of what I am doubling up on. (click thumbnails to enlarge)
super-famicom-snes super-famicom

Unfortunately, it really is looking as if the Saturn gear isn’t being restocked anymore. I am pretty sure these were there the last time I went too, but as there was nothing else to grab I decided to just grab them anyway. It really has been an amazing run at that shop though.

Hope they do it again when I have visitors come over from home (bet Sean does too right?). ?
saturn

And finally, the pick of the haul by far is my NEC PC Engine Duo-R!!

I have never seen one of these in the wild. I do see them on the auctions, but to actually walk into a store and see a boxed one was pretty nice. I am sure the guys in Tokyo see these all the time, but where I am it just doesn’t happen.

Did I pay too much for it? Probably. Do I care though? Nope, not at all. I have wanted one of these ever since the PCE bug took hold (thanks to Frank), and I was damn happy driving home with it. ?
pc-engine-duo-r
It has a few scratches and scuffs on it, but all up it looks pretty clean. The guy in the place I bought it from said that it has all been tested, so I am looking forward to trying it out over the weekend. I can safely say this will be the machine I will be playing on, and probably the machine that will end up modded in the future (done any of these MJ?).
pc-engine-duo-r-2

So again, I seem to be having the run of luck to end all runs of luck. But how long can this last!? ?

It just doesn’t seem to end – when retro gaming in Japan

You guys must be getting sick of me making post after post about the gear that I am finding over here in Japan. If I was back home scrounging to find a few carts, or a few lonely disks in the wild, it would make me sick seeing some spoiled bastard flaunting these huge finds. All I can say to that is… I’m sorry… If I could change places, I probably… wouldn’t. πŸ˜€

Anyway, I truly believe that you guys should be the ones feeling sorry for me! As Spring is in the air, and people are cleaning out their houses, there is so much to buy at the moment that I don’t even get any time to sit back and relax to play any of the machines or games I have been getting. Life is hard!! πŸ˜€

So the latest. Not many carts or disks in this bunch, but I have made up for that with machines.

A Sharp Twin Fami, a Gakken Frogger, and some other Famicom related goodies. I did throw some batteries into the Frogger as I hadn’t played one before – it really is a good game to my surprise! I will be doing a write-up about it at some point I think.
famicom-sharp-nintendo-frogger-disk-system

Famicom Keyboard set, Famicom Tape Recorder, some Super Famicom gear, and a Sega mouse. I paid a fair bit for the recorder, but I don’t have buyer remorse just yet about it. It was something I have been after for a while, and they don’t come up all that often. The Nintendo RGB cable is definitely not on the common side – just wish my TV could support it…
famicom-keyboard-recorder-tape-sega-mouse-megadrive-genesis

Wireless kit for the Capcom Famicom/SuperFamicom fight stick. Had no idea there was such a thing in all honesty. The Hori trackball is for the Famicom, but I am yet to look into what games actually use it – feels great though.
capcom-pc-engine-gt

Well, another nice pile of plastic that I have to try and squeeze into my gameroom somehow. I would leave it out in the lounge, but out of sight is out of mind (for the wife that is). πŸ˜€

What I’ll do now is leave you guys with a few pics of individual items in thumbnail form (click to enlarge). And remember, I’m not spoiled, I am in the terrible position of having too much to buy, and no time to play. πŸ˜‰

famicom-nes-tape-recorder genesis-mouse-megadrive

hori-trackball-famicom nintendo-rgb-cable

I can’t stop buying from this place…..

Guys, this place keeps putting out more and more stock, and the prices of all the retro software are remaining at the same generic price no matter the title. If this place continues to do this I am going to be broke in a few short months. I seriously mean it! πŸ˜€

What would you do in my position? On the one hand I know this can’t last forever and I should buy up while the pickings are good, but on the other hand I should really be thinking of the money I’m spending…. Quite the conundrum….

Anyway, now to the latest haul….

I decided to go through the Famicom and Super Famicom titles just for something different this time. I really wish I knew what titles I should be looking for for FC/SFC though, so if any of you guys know what titles are the hardest to come by please let me know. You can see I got a few GunNacs as I know they are quite rare, but the rest were chosen based on the company names and graphics on the carts – yes, I’m still a Famicom newb.

Without further ado, the stuff!

The Famicom stuff. Hopefully I picked up a few hard to come by titles?
famicom

3DO and a few other bits and pieces. I am sooooo damn happy I managed to score myself a RoadRash – I have been on the hunt for one of these for more than a year! To get it this cheap, and with so many other great games is purely the icing on the cake. Oh and to get an L-Dis for the PCE was great news too – one shooter that was missing from my CDROM2 pile.
3do-gameboy-n64

Only a few Dreamcast titles this time. There weren’t many new ones there, although I might have just missed the rush when they first were put up.
megadrive-dreamcast

Few more NeoGeoCD games, plus some PS1 disks, and one lonely MegaCD. I seriously hope they put more NeogeoCD games out. Actually scratch that, wish they would put AES games out at the same price instead! πŸ˜€
neogeocd-ps1-megacd

A nice boxed PCEngine Duo. I gave this a quick test and the sound seemed a little bit quiet, so it might need a cap replacement soon, but other than that it’s in nice shape.
pc-engine-duo

A few Saturn games. Saturn games seem to be reducing in numbers there now, but every time I go I still run through them to make sure they haven’t put a Radiant Silvergun out.
saturn

Super Famicom. Again, I don’t really know which titles are hard to come by and which aren’t. I was sure I didn’t have some of these titles, so I grabbed them, but there are so many more there I don’t have any idea about. If any of you guys can recommend some games that I should be picking up for the SFC, please let me know.
snes-super-famicom
super-famicom-snes

Well, that’s the latest. Not a bad pile even by Japanese standards. πŸ˜€

Sean @ RetroOtaku, you have to get your arse into gear and get over here!! We will probably have to hire a small truck, but it will be well worth it believe me. πŸ˜€

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