A Compulsive Collector's Haul - Video Games Live, Birthday, 50+ Games, Atlus, Just Goddamn Click The Link Edition!

Holy balls! So, I’ve been trying to get this post up for like the past 2 weeks, but a crapload of birthday parties, work, and general shenanigans has prevented otherwise. In this edition of A Compulsive Collector’s Haul, you’ll see stuff dating back from around like mid-May and all, where Video Games Live occurred, followed by some birthday presents and such, then just all around awesome stuff! In pretty much a month, I got OVER 50, yes, goddamn FIFTY games! A lot of them are pretty freaking awesome ones too! Going to try to do this chronologically, but enough chitchat though, on with the show!

*WARNING* This a graphic heavy blog!



For those of you who don’t know and all, Video Games Live is a concert put on by Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, two of the most distinguished video game music composers. This was their second time coming to Calgary, and it was nice to see/hear the different songs they played this time. Things they changed were like how last time they came, they had the Video Game Pianist’s SISTER do a Final Fantasy Medley, while this time they had the man himself come, and even had him redo his internet famous, blindfolded Super Mario World Medley. They also had the inventor of video games, Ralph Baer appear live via satellite as well. God I’m rambling now, hahaha, but one final note is my buddy won the Guitar Hero contest AGAIN, and therefore got to play live on stage, and won me some swag and all. You’ve got the Video Games Live – Volume One CD signed by Tallarico and Walsh, along with their 2009/10 World Tour T-Shirt. The other CD is a special Video Games Live burnt CD with like HUNDREDS of OverClocked ReMix songs! I also got a program with the signatures of Tallarico, Wall, Martin Leung, and Splitting Adam, who are guys from EA Vancouver who did the theme song “On My Own” for Need for Speed Undercover.



Next up we have the same t-shirt as before, just the other side of it, with the autographs of everyone that was mentioned before as well.



Cash Converters. Possibly the greatest store/shop in the world, in terms of getting awesome/rare games at very reasonable prices. So, still prior to my birthday, I hit up my gloriously awesome hangout and came out with some pretty sweet stuff. Kirby’s Dream Land, Kirby’s Dream Land 2, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Replacement for a crappy faded Player’s Choice version), Mega Man III, Mega Man V (which has now been traded away), and Castlevania: The Adventure. Pretty sweet GameBoy haul if you ask me.



Continuing on and such. We’ve got some DS games up next, with: Star Fox Command, Bomberman Land Touch! 2, My Japanese Coach, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time.



So, apparently Cash Converters accepts some crazy ass import items as well, so I also picked up a Famicon version of Super Mario Bros. 3, along with Mega Man 2, a Famicon NES Adapter, DJ Max Fever, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (to replace my cartridge only version), and Galaga: Demons of Death.



So, with Wry Guy’s most excellent write-ups about Goozex and all, here’s more proof of how awesome it actually is. Getting games like Brave Fencer Musashi and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo from the mail makes me smile with glee! Getting other games like Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, LOL, and Brave Story: New Traveler is also hella sweet!



So, here’s some more PS2 games that Goozex is adding to my collection, which now stands at over 150 for that console alone. Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, a SEALED copy of ChoroQ (which is a pretty rare Atlus game), and Gitaroo Man!



So, a buddy of mine who is going to Vancouver for a year to advance his DJ’ing career and all, gave me some of his surplus gaming stuff for my birthday and all. I got me some instructions for Final Fantasy Legend II and Final Fantasy Legend III, as well as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. I also netted me a box and instructions for my now complete Final Fantasy Adventure. Some awesome swag stuff he gave me were: a Metroid Prime 2: Echoes CD Case, Wild ARMs 2 Poster, Squirtle and Flareon Figures, a Nintendo 64 Controller Clock Keychain, and a .hack Cell Phone Charm. Best wishes and all DJ ArcKade! d(‘-‘d)



Another homeboy of mine, possumwrangler, got me some sweet stuff I’ve been looking for, for my birthday, while he was in Florida. Gradius III, What’s Cooking with Jamie Oliver (freaking love his cooking!), and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, which had the soundtrack in it and all! Super awesome, thanks bud! Plus, it aids in my quest to collect ALL ATLUS games!



As I’ve said before, I’ve established what I would deem as a FANTASTIC relationship with the employees of the Cash Converters I frequent. This absolute gem was actually through my buddy James who works there, as he called me when he found out his friend wanted to sell this bad boy! I won’t say how much it cost me, but it was a PHENOMENAL deal! Freaking Growlanser Generations (Deluxe Pack), with everything in it, still in good condition! Soundtrack, Watch in box, Necklace with Power Gem Ring and carrying bag, sealed Playing Cards . . . so much goddamn win! This also helps in my somewhat newly acquired obsession of also collecting all things Working Designs.



All right. Now we’re bouncing back to some more actual in store Cash Converters stuff. I got me some Pokémon Colosseum, Wario’s Woods, Ephemeral Fantasia (which apparently has the most difficult Guitar Hero-like mini-game ever), and Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition. I also did a private sale with another employee who’s mega awesome, Jeff, and got me a better condition Parasite Eve that actually has instructions, and Parasite Eve II.



Regulars to this series know that I often associate with a higher being of such awesomeness, he needs a name that transcends said awesomeness! Pretty much the coolest guy around, who I’m proud to say is one of my homies, Diamond “Freaking” Dave, gave me a ring one night to get to the store. Little did I know what super kickass stuff awaited me. Also note how he is SO goddamn hardcore, he even has “Diamond Dave” as his nametag . . . truly godly!



Goddamn Dave is fucking awesome! So, we being with all 3 Xenosagas. I already had the first one, but it was that ugly Greatest Hits bullcrap, so now that situation has been rectified. Oh what? I have that then I have TWO more Atlus games following in the form of Tsugunai: Atonement and Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, in box and all, although I got kind of owned on that one since there was no poster in it . . . so ANYONE who is willing to part with that poster, send me a Private Message, hahaha. Ending this picture is Wild Arms 3, which for some reason, the series alternates the spelling of “arms” between “Arms” and “ARMs.” Not pictured are the 3 Shadow Hearts that I picked up as well, so I could trade on Goozex. It was a pretty goddamn sweet haul Dave Lee (as he sometimes calls himself to Asianize himself) got for me, haha!



Here be some more awesome from my homeboy! Replacements of Lagoon and Dr. Mario for my cartridge only versions, Street Fighter II: Special Championship Edition, The King of Fighters ’99, Soul Blade (which is somewhat unfortunately Greatest Hits), and Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth.



You know what else is freaking awesome for getting games? Something you should involve yourself in RIGHT now . . . the RetroForceGO Great Game Trading Thread of Justice!! I had me a couple trades with Roshey and Magnalon. I traded away a couple of my duplicate gems, for some other gems in return, in the way of X-Men: Children of the Atom, and yet another Working Designs games, Silpheed: The Lost Planet! Thanks guys for the awesome trades!



So, now I guess we’ll move onto new games or games bought from places other than Cash Converters, hahaha. RosenQueen is easily the best place to order NIS games and such, with their awesome highly collectible promo items they hand out if you preorder through them. I went out and got myself (well actually possumwrangler made the order) a Red Scarf Prinny Plushie, Cross Edge, and the promotional Exclusive Postcards! I question why a Prinny would run from Felicia, Morrigan, and Lilith though . . . <_< . . . >_> . . . just wondering . . . hahaha!



So between Best Buy, EB Games, and HMV, I managed to snag: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Away: Shuffle Dungeon, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation (this was $10 new and with the Bluetooth headset), Puchi Puchi Virus, ZooCube and Princess Debut.



While this picture is full of DS Atlus win, I’m still lagging behind on collecting them, particularly a couple on DS and a bunch on PSP that have recently come out that I’m missing. We have Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier, The Dark Spire, Steal Princess, and Knights in the Nightmare! Three of them with soundtracks, and Knights in the Nightmare with the extra Atlus Spoils of the artbook Tome of Lost Souls.



Goddammit! Why can’t bigger companies get their shit together, and reward their “loyal” fans and buyers properly? Atlus, simply put, is the best! They can bundle, have promo stuff, soundtracks, etc. with their games, while keeping the game cost still “normal,” while companies like Nintendo and Square Enix have only started, and somewhat halfassedly, with their “rewards” programs and crap. *sigh* Straying back onto topic, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon with Raiho Plushie? Fuck yeah!



Time for bitchin’ swag! How can ANYONE possibly go wrong with a Mr. Resetti Plushie? I also now have the other Viewtiful Joe Bobblehead, featuring the titular hero himself, to join my “normal” Joe Bobblehead, as well as the HMD T-Shirt that he wears as well.



Some guides I managed to pickup/were given to me. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Game Boy Game Secrets, 1999 Edition, and a Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Guide!



A couple more kickass guides in the form of Pokémon Crystal and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.



Now THIS is what I call a mini-motherload in terms of guides! A better condition Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (easily my most favorite game ever, and I gave my other copy to possumwrangler) and Chrono Trigger. Damn these two guides are sweet as hell!



Let’s see, we’ve got some Grand Slam Tennis Grips, PlayStation 3 Pen Lanyard, Video Games Live Bag that was given to my buddy for being the Guitar Hero contest winner, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Demo Disc, Chrono Trigger Extra Soundtrack, James Bond: Quantum of Solace Map Pack Token, and a Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times Wizard’s Hat Stylus. The Nintendo shaped items are in reality all holders for candy, with Blue Raspberry Sours, Nintendo Power Mints, Zelda Mints, and Wii Peppermint Gum.



Last but not least, we have a NES Max Controller and an in-box Soul Calibur II Limited Edition Universal Arcade Stick, both purchased from good old Cash Converters.

Holy balls that was one hell of a long edition of A Compulsive Collector’s Haul! Hope you guys didn’t mind me sharing it with you guys and all. I’ve SERIOUSLY got to start saving for PAX and all, but I’ve already somewhat started cataloging my next haul, but I’m really trying to tone it down. Although, it’s really hard, when you’re a compulsive collector. If you like more rare and shiny games, from a company like . . . oh you know . . . Working Designs . . . and such. Stay tuned for my next edition!