And since we're talking about rare accessories...

... here's another one, in a mint condition: the Sega Master System Converter II for the Mega Drive console. It does exactly what its name suggests: in allows you to play Sega Master System game cartridges in a Mega Drive console. I guess this is what we can call the first retrocompatibility feature that a console ever had - I might be wrong, until otherwise proven. Shame on you Sony, with so many great PS2 games still around you should not have removed that feature...

While the first version of the converter exists in quite a few numbers and it's fairly common, this second edition seems to be very scarce, specially in this condition. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty glad that I bought it. Works with both Mega Drive I and II consoles because it has a small piece that allows to controll the height of the adapter for each console. It just fits each one perfectly.

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Cables? What's that for?

The two items bellow are incredibly hard to find, yet quite impressive pieces of technology that only the most recent consoles are using regularly. Wireless controllers have been there in the market for quite a while. Using their age's techology, SEGA released infra-red controllers for its own consoles. These were pretty expensive back then, and that's probably the main reason why they become so rare. I fetl pretty interested in Saturn's wireless controllers after I first heard they existed. When I finally had the chance to pick a complete set, I did not think twice. As for Mega Drive controllers, these took me quite a while to get as well but with a lucky shot I got them as well.

Even the oldest 8bit console has its own piece of advanced technology. Yes that's right, the Sega Master System console had its own infra-red controllers. While not being produced by Sega, this licensed infra-red controller was produced by WKK. A similar controller exists for the Sega Mega Drive as well, but now that I have the original ones there's no need to search too hard for the WKK version. If I have the chance to get one, I'll get it, but I'll not search exhaustively like I did with the other two packs. This SMS controller only exists in individual packs on a single controller. So I did buy a second controller and that way I have two of each :)

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It's official! 1500!!

My collection is groing very very fast. And with the latest packages received by mail today, I'v reach the exact amount of 1500 games and editions! I'm not rich, but I have been able to keep up with some of the greatest bargains I could possibly find for both new and old games - excluding limited editions and press kits, but still some ended for qite a cheap price. As a result, my collection has hit the amazing number of 1500. This will be the last post bebore the next series of updates starting by the weekend.

Cheers!

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Holidays!

Next week I'll be in holidays. I really need some rest so I'm taking the week to do some things I enjoy but didn't have enough spare time for them. I need to fix the labels on this blog, revise some typos, update my collection and list all my accessories as well - ironically I never paid much attention to accessories besides consoles and games but it's time to change that. In fact I already managed to get some rare ones and I can't even find the basic stuff still boxed...

I'll take some time to go on some small trips around my country to search for game bargains and visit some nice places, as well as meet with other friendly collectors. I'm also making a new blog about videogame collecting for beginners (in my own language though...) and that will take some time. Next update will include some new SNES games. I finally picked a full set from a very friendly person I met on a forum and thanks to that my SNES collection increased from 15 to over 40 mint games and 11 cartridges (I still hope to get the boxes for those some time soon). I am also very very close from reaching the impressive number of 1500 games and editions in my collecion and about 35 different systems. As usuall, I'll make some special posts with my latest favourite items to celebrate that :)

I'm giving priority in protecting my collection. I'll order a cellophane roll to pack all the boxes and editions in order toprotect them from dust and light damage while giving them a clean and crisp look. New screen protectors and labels will be bought to protect most of the systems I currently use from scratches and dirt, specially my 60bg ps3 console which will become an important piece in the future. It will take a lot of time to do all that, but it's all about collecting and the final result will compensate all the work! And, finally I'll also insure my collection and hopefully make some significant changes during summer if I have the chance :)

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Pro Evolution Soccer in my collection? NO WAY!

Well, the title says it all... I hate football (or is it soccer?) the way it is now. I only enjoy playing with friends in real life, but I really don't like watching games on TV and I don't care about who wins/loses. One reason why I hate it is because of its popularity (compared to other sports, specially over here, where only football seems to matter...) and the way a lot of people react when their team wins or loses. Football has too much importance over here and it's considered a priority over interesting tv shows or important news.

Anyway, I am a collector and I still enjoy playing football videogames every now and then (though not for too long). I'd probably skip this game if it wasn't for this particular edition, which I'm pretty happy to own now: the promotional copy of PES 2009 Liverpool Edition. Quite rare, unavailable for sale. It's something really worth collecting for sure!

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Project 8 Premium Deck

I am not a fan of skateboarding. The only other Tony Hawk game I have is the gift pack for PS2 (I have not seen another pack like that in several years. Can it be so rare?). But I had to get the premium deck, released to promote the game and made available to the general public. Some claim that only 1000 were made. I have no way to confirm this, but I felt I had to buy it. lost several on auctions because this is not the sort of item I'd be willing to buy for a hi price. But thanks to my friend Jm1.Jonas, I was able to finally buy a brand new one from an online store and for a quite amazing price. I'm glad I now own one.

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One of the most beautiful editions I've seen

I am a big Prince of Persia Fan. In fact, I think that my favourite genre of games are not RPGs, but action/adventure games. The newest PoP game creates very beautiful environments, the game itself is a piece of art with amazing scenarios and excellent gameplay. However, IMHO, I think the game is very repetitive.

This particular edition here did not seem anything special at all. Until the moment I received it. I immediately felt in love. The black box, similar to the special preorder pack and tin editions, contains a Prince of Persia frame and an artbook. Just like the Shadow of Colossus Sony demo pack, this subtle box has easily become one of my favourites.

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What was one of the greatest shooters...

... has now become what many people call a boring game.

Dear developers, when you try to add some reallistic sense to the games by creating a lot of huge environments where nothing happens, people get bored... The game's still good, but still... it kinda feels like you have to spend hours just walking. How can that be fun?

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Talking about nasty things...

I don't know much about the game itself, but I know it's good enough to be bought. And when these fancy editions pop up, I just can't resist them :). That's the Forbidden Siren Press Kit :)

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yOu Shot mE DoWn BaNgBaNg!

This game does have some really disgusting scenes. It was awarded for being the game where the F-word is used in a record number of times. And that's no exhageration. I've finished the game once and I've heard the F-word so many times it's almost ridiculous. House of the Dead Overkill marks the return of the well known arcade series to the console system, and it certainly is quite good despite the nasty scenes and obscene language used. It's making fun of movies where the dialogues are as good as crap - except that in this game they're actually fun. And the ending scene is really creepy. I mean, did the weird dude really went up his f**** up mom's... Okay I'm starting to talk like the game, enough here.

The pic above shows the promo release and the AUS exclusive BangBang Box set, smething I decided to buy when I realised the pain it would be to get it in the future. Better look for it now if you want it, otherwise it will be a pain to get, you hear me.

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The Nomad now has a new home

When we think about nomads, we usually think of those middle-east desert travelers such has Prince of Persia (lame comparison...) that face the desert while traveling through oasis and villages trying to earn their livings not really sure how. That's why I put a house in the desert for the background, see? Nomads... desert... house... er... whatever... In western societies nomads are different. I can't quite figure if nomads are really "extinct" or if globalization and the end of the "one-lifetime jobs" concept is moving more people around the world, creating sophisticated nomads... Anyway (and to cut the crappy speech about nomads), this portable console was never released in Europe but it's a system that allows to play Sega Mega Drive (meh... I prefer call it that way instead of Genesis) game cartridges. That's quite amazing if you ask me. Specially if you have an A/C adapter >_>.

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Shinku Hadouken! Shinryuken!

Street Fighter IV has brought back that nostalgic feeling and have not felt in a very long time. The combination of 3d graphics with 2D gameplay scared some people who started to cry out loud about how bad and ugly the game would me. Turned out to be an excellent game with amazing online gameplay - the Street Fighter I have been waiting for a long time, unlike the precious 3D Ex versions. I bought the Collector's Edition for the cheapest price I could find new, and it was for Xbox 360. But then, don't have live right now and I was still waiting for it to come. I did something crazy and bought the PS3 version of this game to play sooner and be able to experience the online gameplay. This game is fantastic, that's all I have to say! But I was disappointed with this collector's Edition. Unlike the american version we don't have a OST disc. Instead, we got a kinda crappy C Viper Figure. That particular box includes an additional Chun-Li figure, that looks pretty good compared to the other two.

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For the sake of the FUTURE I've killed my wallet.

I have broken a promise. I said I would never ever collect the SNK stuff. The prices are ridiculous, the games are impossible to find over here, most hit prices beyond expensive. But I found the console in a mint condition for a pretty good price and decided to buy it. I am pleased, seriously pleased. But now I'm stuck with the one that's possibly the most nightmarish console to collect... The NEO GEO Advanced Entertainment System!

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It's time to groove, get your body shakin'

A small promo edition containing a demo disc for those Eyetoy games. Nothing I particularly appreciate, but still worth picking for collection purposes.

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Tough to hunt down!

Yeah, this particular edition has been hitting stupid prices. Now that the fever is a little lower with the game finally released, I managed to pick it for a reasonable price. Considered one of the greatest shooters released in this generation of videogames, Killzone returns to its glory after the original PS2 release (which I did not like by the way). I still want to pick the collector's edition, but I can wait. This was definitely more important.

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The power of God. To Create worlds

This has to be one of the most original games released in a long time since the 2D platformers were almost left behind in the newest generation of consoles. In fact, this childish-looking game is one of the greatest creations in recent times, and will certainly become a reference.

Little Big Planet combines all the ingredients of a great game: its a game for everyone, very good graphics, provides very enjoyable online experience and it kinda resurrects the 2d platforms gameplay spirit into a brand new world of limitless opportunities in 3d. Media Molecul really did a great job with this title. Sackboy is now an idol :)

Here's my little something now:

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iT ScAreS mE a loT...

... not the game itself, but the fact that I am still missing so many editions of Resident Evil... And I also hate when I have things that I forget to add to these collection photos. Let's see what I forgot to add to the picture:

-Resident Evil 4 Collector's edition DVD

-Resident Evil 0 for Gamecube

-Resident Evil 4 with art cards and bonus disc from the Gamecube Resident Evil Limited Edition

-Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition.

Now let's see what I'm missing (teh horror teh horror):

-Resident Evil 2 and 3 for DC

-Resident Evil 2, 3 and Code Veronica X for GC

-Resident Evil 2 for N64

-Resident Evil Survivor for PS1

-Resident Evil Dead Aim for PS2

-Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles for Wii

-Resident Evil 4 Limited Edition slipcase for GC.

And I think I did not forget anything this time. So much stuff...

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Final Fantasy Updated

There are so many games, editions and consoles of Final Fantasy to collect, that if I wanted to complete my Final Fantasy Wishlist I would have to sacrifice many other games and consoles. In the past few years my Final Fantasy collection did not increase that much if you consider what there is to buy.

Before moving into games from other regions, I still wish to complete my PAL collection. This means that I will have to get the PSP versions of I and II, the european version of FFIV, all the Xbox 360 games (there are at least 5 of them ), Chrystal Chronicles Rings of Fire and Tactics A2 for DS, Crystal Cronicles box set for GC and possibly some spin-offs like Final Fantasy Fables on the Wii and Chocobo Racing for PS1. I do have some other spin-offs but I left them out of the picture. Once I have all those editions, I will move to some country exclusives such as:

-PS2 version of FFXI

-Gameboy games (Legends I, II III and Adventure)

-American titles for SNES

-Final Fantasy Tactics for the american PS1.

Only after that I will focus on getting the Original NES and SNES japanese editions, as well as some limited console versions that will be a pain to obtain. So far, I hope you enjoy my collection - it probably does not contain many games that most serious Final Fantasy collectors out there consider a "must", but this is my own collection :) And if you compare with the previous picture that I posted in 2006 over here, you'll see the collection still grew a bit :)

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Portuguese Purple Exclusives for Master System

I usually don't mind if the editions I buy are portuguese or from different countries. Sometimes it is best for me to find a foreign version of a rare game for a cheaper price as much as the language of the game remains in english. However, not always that is possible. Some games are one-country exclusives and I have to search for the in the original place they were released.

And that's the case of the portuguese purple versions of master system. These editions were released much later, when Mega Drive took the place of the older 8bit console in worldwide markets. Ecofilmes, the official distributor in Portugal, released the latest version of Master System (III Compact) which was officially released in Brazil by the hand of Tec Toy. Following Brazil's example of keeping a very successfull console still alive and for a cheaper price in the market, Ecofilmes decided to release their own edition of 16 Tec Toy games, some of wich are in fact unavailable elsewhere in the world besides Brazil, Portugal and Spain. So far I was able to get 13 of those 16 games as well as the console itself. The public attention was already concentrated on Mega Drive by the time these games came out and by that time not many people wouldn't be willing to buy an old console despite its cheap price. Basically, it is not easy to spot these games even in Portugal. Many of them have already left the country directly into foreign collectors' homes.

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They started in a basement. With rats...

Guitar Hero World Tour is the latest release in the Guitar Hero series originally released as a PS2 Exclusive. The game was really good, but seriously I don't think that's a reason to justify the release of at least six different games in such a short period of time (and that is excluding the portable versions...). Anyway, last Xmas my only gift (well not my only, but the only big one besides chocolates) was the complete band kit for the 360. Yes, I was quite happy. These editions are expensive, I hear of an economical crisis going around all over the world, yet such expensive game disappeared from stores faster than the candies Santa was giving away at the mall. In fact I first noticed it was already released over here when I saw several people carrying the box around. Impressive...

The item in the pic something you probably don't have and even I don't know what's inside because it's still sealed. But yes it's another one of those press kits. I hope to find another one unsealed to find out what it really as, because if it depends on me I'll just let it sealed.

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