Funktastic's c-blog

Fronts 4Posts 0Blogs 57Following 0Followers 87

LONG BLOG

A Compulsive Collector's Haul - JAP & PAL Edition! (I HATH RETURNED!)

3:26 PM on 02.29.2012 (server time)0

WARNING: 85 PICTURE BLOG INCOMING! BE PREPARED!

Dag yo! So, after months upon months of not fulfilling what I promised my mate, BulletMagnet, I am now trying to rectify that, with an extremely large PAL and Japanese Import A Compulsive Collector�s Haul. My last blog post was in MAY 2011! Needless to say, I�ve gotten just a few things! =P Most of this stuff was either imported in by my close homeboy and import specialist Zoel, or from a local seller that I befriended who used to live in Japan and the UK for many years and was looking to unload his collection to someone who could appreciate it. So, enough with the chitchat, let�s get on with the show.

Also, SUPER MEGA LOVE goes out to my homie g ChillyBilly for hosting and helping to resize my pictures, as without his help, this post probably would not have had a chance to go live! <3

We being with a PAL Special Edition of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. It seems that a lot of PSP games in the UK get the Special Edition treatment and it�s something that would�ve been nice to have in North America! The only real difference is that the game comes packed with an art book, but if you know me, I�ll unfortunately not be able to see what it looks like. This copy also completes my North American, Japanese, and PAL collection of this game . . . *sigh* . . . -_-� Hahaha!

Next up we have the Japanese Limited Edition of Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou, better known to us Western folk as Okamiden. This oversized box came with the DS game, came with a plethora of goodies. The first picture is of my sealed box, but the second one shows all the goodies, which include: the game, a soundtrack, a DVD, a storybook, a plush keychain, and some super cool headphones!

Along with that Limited Edition, all first run prints of the game were accompanied by the bonus Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou Stylus and Screen Cleaner, which in my books, looks much more pleasant and �cleaner� than the ones we got in North America.

Some of you already know that the Breath of Fire series (especially III), has some of my favorite games of all time. With that said, when this Breath of Fire Complete Works art book was available for cheap, I couldn�t resist! It has artwork from all five games and is nothing short of absolutely gorgeous. Even though it�s not overly rare or anything, a true gem in my collection! ^_^

Well, if you�re a regular reader of my blog, you�ll also know I�m quite the fan of the Kingdom Hearts series, and yes, I can/actually do follow the storyline, so . . . y�all be haters! =P Hahaha! Once again, through my buddy Zoel, I got him to import me a box of the Kingdom Hearts II Formation Arts. I did so, due to the fact that I actually liked all of the figures from this set. The first couple of pictures are just of the box that the figures come in, followed by a couple pictures of the smaller boxes that each individual figure comes in.

First up we have Roxas eating some sea-salt ice cream at the clock tower in Twilight Town. I�m still very surprised at the level of detail that is shown on these figures and was quite pleased with my purchase.

Here we have my favorite (and I managed to get 2 of him in my box of 6 figures! ^_^) of the series. I�ve always been a big fan of Final Form Sora and it seems all of his badassness and glory has been captured in this figure. The detail that went into Oblivion and Oathkeeper is also very impressive.

This was probably my least favorite figure of the series, mainly because I thought it didn�t have any really standout features in it. It�s pretty much just Riku wielding Soul Eater on the Sidecar Glider from the game. It�s not bad per se, just I didn�t find any really cool details in it like I did with the rest of the figures. -_-�

Here we have Namin�, who played a fairly predominant role in the storyline of the series . . . for those who actually paid attention to it while playing the games! =P I really liked how this figure has mini-figures of Sora, Donald, and Goofy climbing the stairs in Castle Oblivion.

Finally, we end with King Mickey using his opposite colored (compared to Sora�s) keyblade to put a Heartless on the brink of death! It�s not often you get to see Mickey in badass positions, so that makes this figure especially cool in my books.

It seems our European pals once again seem to get a lot of PSP lovin� with all of their special editions for the much misunderstood handheld. Here we have Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together Premium Edition, from across the pond. It contains a soundtrack along with a hard cover art book in it as well. I managed to coerce TheCleaningGuy to open the copy he got and take pictures, so the latter pictures show what the soundtrack and art book look like. =D

Here we have yet another PAL Special Edition for the PSP. This time it�s The 3rd Birthday Twisted Edition. From what I�ve been told, it�s a pleasant return to Aya Brea and the days of Parasite Eve. I actually remember playing the originals on PlayStation way back in the day, so I�m thinking this one must�ve been pretty fun, but it also seemed not to get much fanfare. Hmmm? Inside of this one, we�re treated to a hardcover art book, a couple of lithographs, and an exclusive costume for Lightning in Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy . . . *groan* Hahaha! The game also comes in a red PSP case!

So, you can tell just how dated this blog is, since I actually managed to get this JAPANESE version of Catherine pretty much on the day of its release across the Pacific. Sexy and saucy? You bet! d(�-�d) And we�re not talking just like marinara saucy, we�re talking about probably the sauciest of sauces, alfredo . . . rich, creamy, thick, saucy like none other! ;-D Hahaha!

If you were lucky enough to be one of the first to pre-order or buy the game from Japan, and from a certain website that eludes me right now (my main importing homeboy Zoel managed to get this done for me . . . as usual), you got some pretty ballin� goodies. Here we have the Sound Disc & Art Book, which also eventually made its way to North American shores. We also have a Cell Phone Card featuring Katherine on it, along with a Mini-Pillow featuring the yin and yang Catherine/Katherine�s that Vincent must decide upon. The last couple pictures once again show Japan�s fascination with clear file folders. There are actually 3 file folders that came with my order, but since I didn�t open the original packaging, you can only see 2, and a little bit of the third. The one in the middle that�s hard to see is the picture of Catherine with her legs spread with stupid Vincent�s head blocking the view, hahaha! =P I actually played a bit of the Japanese version with Zoel and found it thoroughly fun *is a fan of puzzle games* and engrossing.

Something I learnt from my trip to Japan during Christmas of 2010, they still have a mad obsession with card trading/using arcade games (much like the best game ever, World Club Champion Football! =P) Another tidbit that some people may not know, but the Dragon Quest series is FAR more popular in the land of the rising sun, than North America�s �preferred� Final Fantasy. So, long story short, they had this game where you got cards of various Dragon Quest characters, items, armor, etc. and you�d play them on a �field� and use this big sword to attack and stuff. Well, they managed to adapt it to the Wii and the greatest controller makers in the world (Hori), made the controller to play it. As you can see in the first picture with the DS Lite used as a size comparison, the controller is HUGE AS HELL! I�m so dumb . . . T_T . . . hahaha! The �official� name of this thing is the Dragon Quest Monsters: Battle Road Victory Controller.

Now we have the actual game to go with the controller, Dragon Quest Monsters: Battle Road Victory. Obviously a Japanese import. The cards are in the game now, since it�d be far too complicated and crazy if they still used physical copies for the home console version. It was a major seller in Japan and places started to essentially fire sale copies of these for roughly $10.

Once again, through my homie g Zoel, I managed to snag this No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Hopper�s Edition for an incredibly awesome price. These are still pretty coveted amongst collectors, so I�m pretty happy I landed one. The only thing I�m �angry� about, would be that since I didn�t pre-order the game, I didn�t land the pre-order bonus Erotica Comic, hahaha! I�ll snag it one of these days . . . hopefully. Still, inside of this special edition, we have the game, a magazine, a DVD of features, and a soundtrack. Can�t really go wrong with all those goodies can you? =D

Here we have a DS game that comes in an oversized box that houses a fairly large spell book. The game in question is one that was announced for North America and the PS3 not too long ago, but came out in Japan and is done by the lovely people at Level 5 (the awesome people behind the Dark Cloud series, Rogue Galaxy, the newer Dragon Quests, and my personal new favorite series of the past few years, Professor Layton). Not only that, but the company that animates the game is none other than Studio Ghibli, which is the brainchild of Hayao Miyazaki, the guy behind such revered gems as: Castle in the Sky, Kiki�s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and most people�s favorite, My Neighbor Totoro. The game in question is none other than Ninokuni: Shikkoku no Madoushi. It�s obviously yet another Japanese import and a pretty fun one from what I�ve played of it. The last picture shows all the contents of it, particularly the large spell book that goes with the game.

Hot damn does the Okami series (it has 2 games already! =P) have great music! So, when Okamiden was first announced, I knew that I had to get the soundtrack for it as well, especially since I got the soundtrack for the first game and it�s 5 discs of pure awesome. The Okamiden ~Chiisaki Taiyou~ Original Soundtrack is a 4 disc compilation in what I call �DVD case� sized packaging. The second picture shows the back of the package and an absolutely adorable Chibiterasu! =3 As you can see in the latter 2 pictures, the packaging has like a simple, yet beautiful aesthetic to it, which is something I really enjoy. It�s nothing but top notch music for fans, so I highly recommend you import it if you can.

So, over the past year or so, I befriended a local seller on Kijiji (think Canada�s equivalent to Craigslist, only better organized and setup by eBay) who used to live in Japan and collect primarily Sega consoles, games, collectibles, and various other doodads. We actually got off on the wrong foot, but luckily we patched things up pretty quickly, plus he literally has a treasure trove of gems that I�ve had to pass on, but I think I managed to snag the �good� stuff if you know what I mean! Hahaha! =D Still, we�ll start off with this boxed Pikachu Nintendo 64 that I got for my Pok�mon collecting homeboy possumwrangler.

Next up, we have a Sega Saturn HSS-0136 Fightstick that I got as a gift for my super importer, Zoel, as thanks for all the research and importing he does for me! ^_^ It�s �apparently� widely considered to be one of the best fightsticks ever made. I�m not THAT knowledgeable about fight sticks, but I can tell it�s well made and everything functions nicely. TheCleaningGuy also gave it his backing as a hell of a fightstick, so I guess there�s only a few other people like Cataract (mainly because . . . HE BEAT JUSTIN WONG! =D) that I�d need to double check that �fact� with, hahaha!

Continuing on with things I got for other people from this former Japan transplant, here we have Densetsu no Ogre Battle: Zenobia no Ouji, otherwise known as Ogre Battle: Legend of the Zenobia Prince. It�s the only game from the series that hasn�t had an English translation or release, and pretty much serves as a side story to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen. It�s also cool, since it�s for the Neo Geo Pocket Color and I bought it for my �apprentice,� Grimstar.

Next up, we have a Japanese copy of Gitaroo-Man and Makai Tenshou (which is apparently a poor man�s Onimusha 2: Samurai�s Destiny). These were just a couple of freebies my befriended local seller just threw in, since I�d been buying so much from him, hahaha.

Hahaha! My newfound friend and I were having a good laugh about this one when he sold it to me. We were talking about how both of our first experience/exposure to this game was the Game Girl Advance article that spread like wildfire back in 2002, about how the Japanese version of the game, came with a �Trance Vibrator.� Click the link for a great and hilarious read about using the peripheral for what it was TOTALLY intended for . . . hahaha! ;-D Still, here we have the game, Rez, and an in box Trance Vibrator. As you can see, it�s still brand new and NOT used, so I guess that�s a plus . . . o_O . . . we�ll see if I can find a lady who�d be willing to �test� it out, hahaha! =D

Now we have some ballin� Space Channel 5 promo items! In this little bundle of joy, we have a 2000 � 2001 Calendar, some magnets of Ulala and the aliens (seriously, who the hell would actually put pants on her? =P), and the Space Channel 5 planet dance [the world�s greatest club hits] soundtrack!

Once again, another little freebie that got thrown in with one of the various purchases I made. It�s a little beat-up, but still, it�s a NiGHTS Into Dreams� Mousepad. Ah, the good old days of Sega . . . *sigh*

Here we have something that I think a few of you may remember reading about one week and then completely forgetting about that it even existed. This is the Nintendo GameCube ASCII Keyboard Controller, which was basically used only for Phantasy Star Online and never heard of again, hahaha! Well, it seemed that either they were banking on the GameCube being home to many other MMORPGs . . . or that people would REALLY like Phantasy Star Online. Either way, it�s still a good collectible to have in my books.

Once again, we have some more love for Space Channel 5, only this time it�s a Lunch Box. This was actually an extra one my hombre had, since someone else beat me to the other one that still had the promotional VHS and a few other things in it . . . *tears* . . . T_T

Shenmue Promotional VHS? Hell yeah! Sealed too? Ballin�! No continuation of the story or Shenmue III yet . . . *sad panda* . . . =( From my understanding, it�s just a VHS with a couple of trailers and some minor explanation about the gameplay and mechanics.

Hey! It�s a sealed copy of the Sega CD 32X mega hit . . . Night Trap . . . yeeeeeeeeeep . . . nothing much more to say than that . . . right?

I guess I should�ve really organized it so that all the Space Channel 5 stuff was grouped together. We�ll see if I do that in the end, so if I do and you�re reading this, it means I got too lazy to rewrite this paragraph to make sense, hahaha. Regardless, this is the tommy boy silver label: space channel 5 flyer vinyl record. Man, they made a lot of promo stuff for this game!

A few more random odds and ends here. We have a New Post Bank that my pal got in Japan and had no use for any more, therefore just gifting it to me, along with a Sega Sports T-Shirt, and some more Space Channel 5 Magnets.

Now we�re starting to get into what I deem the real cream of the crop of my �import� edition. Let�s start this section off with a Super Mario Bros. 4 Super Mario World Super Famicon Cartridge Holder that is used, but still in pretty damn good condition. The front is also very shiny with its gold printing! d(�-�d)

Now onto the super rare stuff! This is a Skies of Arcadia Legends Wooden Sword that was used to promote the game. I can only find one other occurrence of this thing on the internet, and apparently it was given away at some sort of press event. It�s similar in style to the cutlasses that Vyse uses in the game, but the �handley� part isn�t as wide or �hold on-able.� Still, the thing is made out of solid wood and is ballin� as hell, since it�s for a game that I absolutely love! Top that Dao2-SKP! =P

Here we have the Eternal Arcadia (Skies of Arcadia�s Japanese name) Limited Box! It�s quite the collectible for a fan of the game like myself, even though it�s not overly rare or expensive! There seems to have been a LOT of love for the Dreamcast in Japan, in terms of special editions and the like, which is kind of sad with how it died out and all. Still, the first couple of pictures show off the slipcover that goes over a fairly large box. The following two show the �book-like� box that houses the game and the goodies. Finally, it opens up to reveal the game, a most glorious flag from the game, a couple of cell phone straps, followed by 3 charms. It�s nothing flashy, but still super effin� sweet in my books! Also, after reading one of Dao2-SKP�s blogs, he mentioned something about an art book supposedly coming with this. After a decent amount of research and trying to get verification, I�m fairly confident in saying that there is no art book that was supposed to come with this Limited Box, and it was something that was completely separate, which makes me a sad panda! T_T Hahaha!

Next up, we have a game that has far too many names in my books, but here is the Senjou no Valkyria Limited Box (which is also apparently referred to as Gallian Chronicles, or better known as Valkyria Chronicles here in North America). The condition Japanese people keep their stuff in compared to us, is nothing short of amazing! The first couple of pictures just show the box that everything comes in, from both the front and the back. The last picture shows off the contents, which include: the game, a World Guide (which is pretty much the same as the rare, coveted, and fairly valuable art book that was kicking around this side of the planet), an 80mm Figure �Alicia,� and a Motortank Collection SP Ver. Edelweiss. The figure and model tank are both unopened, so unfortunately we won�t get a peek at those. Still, this was yet another special edition I managed to procure through my Kijiji pal.

Here is the first of a trio of Dreamcast Direct (pretty much an online Sega run, Dreamcast exclusive store in Japan) special editions. We start with Space Channel 5 Part 2 Dreamcast Direct Special Package. It seems the game/series and Ulala got a lot more love in The Land of the Rising Sun, compared to what happened over here in The Great White North and Yankeeland! =P As per usual, the first couple of pictures just show the outer box, followed by what the contents look like when it�s opened. The contents are deemed to be: The Game, Space Silver Headphone, and Galaxy Bag, when in reality it is the game, a pair of headphones with the game�s name on them (plus it seems they half heartedly tried to imitate Ulala�s headphones), and a small shoulder strap bag that is pretty much the perfect size for a cell phone. A pretty cool Japanese exclusive if you ask me! d(�-�d)

Here we have probably the most valuable and rarest of the items you�ll see in this blog. It is none other than Segagaga Dreamcast Direct Limited Edition. I heard about this game in passing years upon years ago, and it wasn�t until about last year when Wry Guy (I�m not using his lame real name! =P) reminded me about its existence and awesomeness. It�s pretty much an RPG that makes fun of how unsuccessful the Dreamcast was, and it�s your job to save Sega and the console, by taking down the evil DOGMA company, which is very obviously Sony. I suggest you YouTube some videos of it, just to see how crazy and wacky it is. You have a box shot, followed by an opened box shot, which shows off the t-shirt the package came with, and the doodads underneath. You pretty much had the game, a notebook/organizer, and a REALLY COOL pin set in a wooden box that has logos of the Sega Mark III, Mega Drive (Genesis over in North America), Game Gear, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and Segagaga. This one is very much so a collector�s item and it goes for pretty much an arm and a leg on eBay, so needless to say, I�m VERY happy to have gotten his one! ^_^

Let�s end this massive blog (9 pages in Word and counting), on a super high note! Some of you may remember from my Japan Trip blog from last year that I managed to snag a super coveted copy of De La Jet Set Radio. Well, through my Kijiji friend, I�ve managed to one up myself and I now own the De La Jet Set Radio Dreamcast Direct Limited Edition version of the game! ^_^ Hell effin� yeah! d(�-�d) It�s not necessarily as �goodie filled� as the previous two special editions above, but since it�s from a game that is very near and dear to my heart, it�s totally the most ballin�! The first couple of pictures just show the outer box, which has awesome tags from the game all over it. Meanwhile, the next one shows the still sealed t-shirt and game! I know there�s quite the number of Jet Grind Radio fans on the site and that read my blog, so to save you the trouble of Googling what the t-shirt looks like, I just jacked an image from someone else who opened theirs.

Well, that�s it for this very long overdue (many apologies once again BulletMagnet! -_-�) edition of A Compulsive Collector�s Haul. I still need to get a PAX blog up, a PAX haul up, and then like another 6 months worth of stuff up, so we�ll see how long it takes me to get to that. >_< I may also have an exciting side project that somewhat relates to this series, but we�ll see if that come to fruition too. Hopefully you enjoyed this blog, and hopefully I can get back to posting these a bit more regularly. Until next time, latez mates!