Super Nintendo / Super Famicom |OT| Now you're playing with power. SUPER POWER!

[thepenguin55]

So in preparation for the eventual launch of the Super Nt I've been scouring ebay for certain SNES games in hopes of getting ahead of another surge in SNES game prices and I have a question about Terranigma. I know the PAL version is the only official English language version of this game and I know it's a rare game (at least that version is anyway). I see a ton of reproduction cartridges of Terranigma game made in the US SNES cartridge style on ebay, some Super Famicom copies of the game, some legit (and very expensive) CIB auctions for the PAL version and some questionable cart only auctions for the PAL version of the game. I say questionable because I've seen at least 5 of them with the exact same image, all with broken English descriptions and all from different users. Here's the pic in question:

I guess thios is just another thing to watch out for which is a shame. I would like to own this game but this is annoying.

 

[Gozert]

That one is 100% fake. Just look at the screws. And what is up with the blacked out parts? Also, the actual label doesn't say "Made in Japan", but has SNSP-006 written under the SNSP-AQTP-EUR. Watch out for AQTD carts, by the way; those have German screentext.

Here is an image from an original PAL cartridge with English screentext.

Also note how it doesn't say Licensed By in the top right corner and the title is at the top of the label.

 

[Rydeen]

Just finished Batman Returns. Such a great game. Now I'm looking for recommendations of fighting games and beat em ups, prefereibly those that were not released on America. As far as fighting games, I know about Gundam Wing. Are there others not as well known that you guys recommend?

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Ghost Chaser Densei!

 

[modoversus]

Ghost Chaser Densei!

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That looks great! I will try it later. Thanks!

 

[thepenguin55]

That one is 100% fake. Just look at the screws. And what is up with the blacked out parts? Also, the actual label doesn't say "Made in Japan", but has SNSP-006 written under the SNSP-AQTP-EUR. Watch out for AQTD carts, by the way; those have German screentext.

Here is an image from an original PAL cartridge with English screentext.

Also note how it doesn't say Licensed By in the top right corner and the title is at the top of the label.

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So with this information in mind there is not a single legit PAL cartridge only copy of this game on ebay right now. I found one auction where the pic of the cartridge looked legit but it was only one pic and they were selling 5 copies of the game and it had a weird description so it also didn't seem like an auction that was selling legit cartridges. I'm almost contemplating logging onto the UK ebay and seeing if I can beg someone to sell me their copy (which is how I got my European SNES controllers years ago).

EDIT: By the way, what's everyone's thoughts on using a degreaser to clean cartridges? There were some games in my collection where basically every time I would use them I would have to clean them (with rubbing alcohol). I randomly decided to clean some of them with a degreaser and I haven't had to clean any of them since then.

 

[Deleted member 563]

So with this information in mind there is not a single legit PAL cartridge only copy of this game on ebay right now. I found one auction where the pic of the cartridge looked legit but it was only one pic and they were selling 5 copies of the game and it had a weird description so it also didn't seem like an auction that was selling legit cartridges. I'm almost contemplating logging onto the UK ebay and seeing if I can beg someone to sell me their copy (which is how I got my European SNES controllers years ago).

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This one seems to be legit. Pretty expensive though. The copy I bought a few weeks ago was about $50+ CAD cheaper than this one.

Note that the manuals had regional differences, which is why it doesn't look like a standard SNES manual.

 

[Deleted member 563]

Updated the OP with some new information that thepenguin55 sent me. Thanks again! I credited you at the bottom of the post for your contribution.

 

[storaføtter]

I got the SD2SNES finally in the mail and I got it running now and it is just too beautiful to watch Fire Emblem Thracia in English playing on my SFC through the framemeister. Spent a lot of money these past months on a a new power adapter (as my old generic one blew up) and SD2SNES. I had to wait a long time for both of them. Unfortunately do not have the time to start playing again Japan only JRPGs but I look forward to doing so once I get started on my thesis again.

I have also looked at Terranigma on ebay and with those prices I just had to say big nope. I think the most expensive SNES game I have bought today is Rockman & Bass (cart only) and complete Super Bomberman 5.

 

[thepenguin55]

This one seems to be legit. Pretty expensive though. The copy a bought a few weeks ago was about $50+ CAD cheaper than this one.

Note that the manuals had regional differences, which is why it doesn't look like a standard SNES manual.

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Right. It's not hard to find boxed copies that are legit but they're expensive as hell. I just want a loose PAL Terranigma cart and there doesn't appear to be any legit ones on ebay at the moment.

Updated the OP with some new information that thepenguin55 sent me. Thanks again! I credited you at the bottom of the post for your contribution.

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Glad to help!

 

[Gozert]

This one seems to be legit. Pretty expensive though. The copy a bought a few weeks ago was about $50+ CAD cheaper than this one.

Note that the manuals had regional differences, which is why it doesn't look like a standard SNES manual.

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For a CIB version it's not that bad of a deal (although still very expensive, of course). I regularly see it for €250 or more. And to think I sold mine for peanuts in 1997. :(

At least I got an okay deal on a loose copy two years ago at a convention. It's such an amazing game.

 

[Deleted member 1086]

Just got the email, Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill that was Kickstarted some time back is starting to ship out tomorrow to backers. After all these years the game is finally being released.

 

[sleepnaught]

Looking to buy a SNES for the first time(since a kid anyway), just curious if there's anything I should know before looking. I know with the Genesis, there was several different models and revisions to sort through, am I fine with any SNES?

 

[storaføtter]

What are good multitap games for the SNES? I already have Super Bomberman 5 with 4 controllers. I know there is micro machines and sport games but what are the best versions of those?

 

[Gozert]

NBA Jam Tournament Edition, NHL '94 and Smash Tennis are probably your best bets for 4-player sports games. Both Micro Machines games are pretty good. Too bad Turbo Tournament '96 was Mega Drive/Genesis exclusive.

 

[thepenguin55]

Looking to buy a SNES for the first time(since a kid anyway), just curious if there's anything I should know before looking. I know with the Genesis, there was several different models and revisions to sort through, am I fine with any SNES?

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Check out the OT as some of that information is there. The short version is, the US SNES consoles with the 1CHIP on the board (including the model SNS-101) output the best picture quality. Also, the SNS-101 requires the least amount of modification to RGB mod. Beyond that, they're all essentially the same.

 

[Hexadron]

I'm looking to get some physical translations for games previously not released in English ie: Bahamut Lagoon, Treasure of the Rudras etc.

Where can I find *quality* repro carts? If i'm adding something to my collection it's gotta be nice. Good glossy label etc.

 

[Deleted member 563]

I'm looking to get some physical translations for games previously not released in English ie: Bahamut Lagoon, Treasure of the Rudras etc.

Where can I find *quality* repro carts? If i'm adding something to my collection it's gotta be nice. Good glossy label etc.

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I would try calling a few local retro game shops. Lots of them have started carrying repros. If you're from Toronto, try Game Shack. That's where I got my Terranigma repro a few years ago. I think Videogamesplus sells them as well, but I can't vouch for their quality.

 

[steveovig]

I'm not sure where else to put this but what is the general consensus on the Retron 5? My old Sony WEGA is pretty much dead and I want a way to hook up my SNES,among other things.

 

[Laevateinn]

Instead of paying $100+ for a shitty emulator that violates the licenses of the original authors, buy an OSSC and plug your real retro hardware into your modern displays that way.

 

[Hexadron]

I'm not sure where else to put this but what is the general consensus on the Retron 5? My old Sony WEGA is pretty much dead and I want a way to hook up my SNES,among other things.

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I agree with Laevateinn OSSC is where it's at, but you will need to mod your SNES for true RGB. Although they are sold out right now, the Super NT may be a worthwhile option.

 

[thepenguin55]

My newest acquisition:

Thanks to the fact that I'm getting the Super NT I've decided to start dipping into getting PAL territory games. I've been eyeing this game for awhile and the PAL version is the most affordable version.

This game has a great OST. The stage 1 theme in particular is amazing.

 

[No Onions]

I agree with Laevateinn OSSC is where it's at, but you will need to mod your SNES for true RGB. Although they are sold out right now, the Super NT may be a worthwhile option.

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The only SNES that needs to be modded for RGB output is the mini

 

[OmegaDL50]

Thanks for creating this thread. The SNES is probably my favorite console of all time.

Such an incredible library of games.

 

[IrishNinja]

anyone have a link/video on cleaning an SNES ASCII pad? i know it's prolly simple but i don't wanna fuck it up when putting stuff back together and i'm ass at this kinda thing

also years ago my dog chewed through my SNES advantage cable, cutting it off right by where it plugs in. is the wiring there tricky?

 

[Deleted member 563]

Has anyone played the SNES version of Primal Rage? Is it "so bad it's good," or just straight up bad?

 

[Morfeo]

I used to own it, but i cant remember any redeeming qualities, so its one of the few games i ended up selling.

 

[Dragonyeuw]

delete

 

[thepenguin55]

Has anyone played the SNES version of Primal Rage? Is it "so bad it's good," or just straight up bad?

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I played it back it the day. It was the definition of a good rental as you would probably get sick of it past a weekend.

EDIT: By the way, when and why did Super Bomberman 2 get a reprint? I ask because a SNES game with a E for Everyone rating sticks out to me and ebay is loaded with copies of this apparent reprint.

The box art differences overall are pretty interesting to note (below image from Gamefaqs)

I've been having a hard time finding when the reprint was released. I've also had a hard time finding a specific date of when the ESRB replaced the KA (Kids to Adults) with E (For Everyone) but it happened sometime in 1997 or 1998 and since it's not the solid black E for everyone logo that means this reprint would've come out somewhere between 1997 and 1999. It's worth noting that Konami acquired Hudson in 2001 so this reprint predates that acquisition (I mention this because I think this would rule out it being a Majesco reprint, but I could be wrong).
The reprint apparently came with a Nintendo Power subscription slip so would that mean Nintendo did this reprint? Bomberman 64 came out in September of '97 which I've always had the sense that Bomberman 64 did really well in the US so maybe this reprint was done to capitalize on that games popularity? It's worth noting that the Bomberman 64 box art has the KA rating instead of E rating so the reprint at least happened after the release of Bombermand 64...

EDIT 2: I looked up the Nintendo Power issue 100 which is pictured on the Nintendo Power subscription slip that came with this reprint. That issue came out in September 1997. Having said that, magazine subscription slips often contained images of issues that came out months prior so this doesn't narrow things done much.

 

[steveovig]

I decided to forget the idea of buying a Retron 5 and stick with plugging my SNES into my HDTV with the standard RF Switch. I wish I had the money for one of those Framemeister things or the Super NT but I guess this will have to do.

I fired up Darius Twin, Yoshi's Cookie, and Sim City. Darius Twin is way too hard for me, and I like Shmups a lot. I never really feel any sense of strategy with Yoshi but I'm a little addicted to Sim City now. I've played that more than Xenoblade 2 today. For my first city, I over spent and over built and got fired. My second city is working out since I've kept it simple and small although I did just have to open my first loan in 20 years. I needed a new power plant and I probably should've been saving for it before and I could've avoided the loan. I went from making $200-$300 per year to losing the same amount.

BTW, how is the Retro Bit Retro Duo?

 

[thepenguin55]

So I asked about the Retro-Bit Retro Gen and Super Retro Advance in the Super Nt thread and this is the response I got:

The Retro Gen has its own video out port on the side of the adapter, the SNES only gave it power/controller inputs. That means even if it does work you'll have to run a composite cable to your TV.

EDIT: A quick search shows the Super Retro Advance works the same way so they seem like a waste of time.

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So it basically just uses the system as a power source. The reviews I read of the Super Retro Advance were all pretty positive so I would imagine the Retro Duo works well.

 

[Velinos]

Decided to continue my playthrough of the Quintet trilogy this weekend. I finished Soulblazer a few years ago and had started Illusion of Gaia. Couldn't remember where I was in the game, so I restarted. Just got the second statue.

 

[steveovig]

Has anyone had any problems with the Retro-Bit compilation games not working well on the original SNES units? I bought the Joe & Mac one today and I can't seem to properly load a game without it crashing or having a glitch. Admittedly, my SNES is 25 years old and a little dirty inside but I have had no problem playing original SNES carts lately.

 

[Deleted member 563]

Just completed Dragon View. Nice little hidden gem, although the ending was surprisingly long-winded.

Started Brain Lord. Finished the first tower. It's super fun, but the slowdown is really annoying.

Might order Paladin's Quest or 7th Saga next. (or possibly just replay FF6 or Chrono)

 

[Morfeo]

I played Brain Lord about two years ago. Actually thought it was pretty tedious and underwhelming.

 

[Norris1020]

My newest acquisition:

Thanks to the fact that I'm getting the Super NT I've decided to start dipping into getting PAL territory games. I've been eyeing this game for awhile and the PAL version is the most affordable version.

This game has a great OST. The stage 1 theme in particular is amazing.

Click to shrink...

Nice find! Back in the day I searched high and low for a copy, no retailers seemed to carry it. Eventually found it used at a store called Video Game Exchange and enjoyed the hell out of it. Not as good as the original Rocket Knight Adventures on Genesis but far better than the Genesis version of Sparkster.

 

[BocoDragon]

I just joined the Earthbound club. It was $170 US so the going rate these days, I guess. Better than before it was released on VC, at least.

I have it on Wii U VC since it released (5 years ago?? Yikes) but there's something that always bummed me out playing it that way since I'm an OG hardware guy (and Wii U presentation of SNES is particularly awful). Even the much better SNES Classic presentation wasn't enough. I've gotten further in the game than I have since my childhood friend first begged me to play it 23 years ago..... xD.

Kinda makes me look at all the other pricey SNES games differently..... maybe $100s for these games isn't actually out of reach, considering how much I adore and always will adore this console. Sad that's the way it is now, but I do value these games.

 

[leder]

I just joined the Earthbound club. It was $170 US so the going rate these days, I guess. Better than before it was released on VC, at least.

I have it on Wii U VC since it released (5 years ago?? Yikes) but there's something that always bummed me out playing it that way since I'm an OG hardware guy (and Wii U presentation of SNES is particularly awful). Even the much better SNES Classic presentation wasn't enough. I've gotten further in the game than I have since my childhood friend first begged me to play it 23 years ago..... xD.

Kinda makes me look at all the other pricey SNES games differently..... maybe $100s for these games isn't actually out of reach, considering how much I adore and always will adore this console. Sad that's the way it is now, but I do value these games.

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Congrats! My preferred (legit) way to play Earthbound without dropping the money on a cart is the N3DS version. The SNES emulator is really nice.

 

[Morfeo]

I just joined the Earthbound club. It was $170 US so the going rate these days, I guess. Better than before it was released on VC, at least.

I have it on Wii U VC since it released (5 years ago?? Yikes) but there's something that always bummed me out playing it that way since I'm an OG hardware guy (and Wii U presentation of SNES is particularly awful). Even the much better SNES Classic presentation wasn't enough. I've gotten further in the game than I have since my childhood friend first begged me to play it 23 years ago..... xD.

Kinda makes me look at all the other pricey SNES games differently..... maybe $100s for these games isn't actually out of reach, considering how much I adore and always will adore this console. Sad that's the way it is now, but I do value these games.

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Yeah, Ive actually started to think 100$ really isnt that bad for an awesome game, but guess my value perception kinda changed after slowly getting into Neo Geo. I am also selling of expensive stuff that i dont really care for, and using that money to get games that i really want to own.

Btw, congrats on your purchase, i got a really good deal on mine (with Wild Guns) about three or four years ago - and yeah, cant say i regret it.

 

[Deleted member 563]

Earthbound was the first expensive SNES game I bought. It's a very slippery slope...

That said, I would never spend this kind of money for games on other consoles.

 

[thepenguin55]

Nice find! Back in the day I searched high and low for a copy, no retailers seemed to carry it. Eventually found it used at a store called Video Game Exchange and enjoyed the hell out of it. Not as good as the original Rocket Knight Adventures on Genesis but far better than the Genesis version of Sparkster.

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So, I'm actually looking to sell it now. Part of the reason I bought the PAL version was because I didn't think I could get a good quality boxed copy of the Japanese version for under $200. That recently changed much sooner than I expected (I'll post pictures later) and since there's no text in the game (and all of the menus are in English) I might as well sell my PAL version. Having said all of that, I really like Sparkster. It's a game that I find hard to wrap my head around. I'm playing it on Hard (to get the true ending) and I get through stage 1 just fine but the first big enemy I run into in stage 2 just owns me so maybe I'll bump down the difficulty until I get a better handle on the game.

I just joined the Earthbound club. It was $170 US so the going rate these days, I guess. Better than before it was released on VC, at least.

I have it on Wii U VC since it released (5 years ago?? Yikes) but there's something that always bummed me out playing it that way since I'm an OG hardware guy (and Wii U presentation of SNES is particularly awful). Even the much better SNES Classic presentation wasn't enough. I've gotten further in the game than I have since my childhood friend first begged me to play it 23 years ago..... xD.

Kinda makes me look at all the other pricey SNES games differently..... maybe $100s for these games isn't actually out of reach, considering how much I adore and always will adore this console. Sad that's the way it is now, but I do value these games.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, Ive actually started to think 100$ really isnt that bad for an awesome game, but guess my value perception kinda changed after slowly getting into Neo Geo. I am also selling of expensive stuff that i dont really care for, and using that money to get games that i really want to own.

Click to shrink...

Earthbound was the first expensive SNES game I bought. It's a very slippery slope...

That said, I would never spend this kind of money for games on other consoles.

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Yeah, I find it surprising that the price dropped much at all. $200 or more is far more than I'm willing to spend on a single game (Panzer Dragoon Saga being my sole exclusion) and $100 to $195 is a range I'm willing to explore but only if I can get the game CIB with everything being in very good condition. Having said that, I'm starting to make some exceptions mostly for JRPGs and other things like Captain Commando. For example, if my only option for getting something like Earthbound for under $200 is to get just the cart then I'm totally willing to accept that.

I'm of a similar mindset Morfeo. I got into Neo Geo games back when Giant Bomb did a Neo Geo stream which really led me down a weird rabbit hole. Within that timeframe is when Analogue became a thing with their CMVS which I always eyed but never pulled the trigger on. I wound up just buying an AVS and a MVS to AVS converter and then I bought some MVS carts (I own a "CIB" version of Wind Jammers) and then promptly went down the Neo Geo CD rabbit hole and bought a CDZ and some games.

With all of that in mind, $170 for a CIB version of Sparkster on the SNES seems totally reasonable to me now and I kind of hate it. lol. I think my SNES collection will now be my main collection. My reasons are now thanks to the Super Nt it's the easiest for me to hook up and play and it has one of the best libraries. I've actually started to scale back my collections of CD based systems largely because they're more of a pain to hook up and get going and they have a shorter shelf life. Between disc drives failing and discs rotting, playing stuff like Saturn game discs on actual working hardware 20 years from now is going to become a increasingly difficult thing to. While the same is true of any retro console there's more you can easily do to keep a cart-based system and games up and running. The other reason I'm trimming down my collection is that frankly there isn't enough time in the day for me to dig into everything I have (even though my Saturn is my pride and joy) so I might as well trim out the stuff that isn't going to stick around for as long and let other people enjoy those games.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Playing through Dragon Quest 6. This game is hardcore. Finally got a revive spell, so I don't have to always return to town. Oh, but it costs 10MP (a good amount) and fails constantly. Fuck! Don't think I have ever played a game that had healing spells that can just fail. The fact it currently costs some 15% of my max MP is some shit.

But, uh, I am all around digging this game. Started slow, with lots of just hitting the attack button over and over. But, once you get a full party, things start rolling.

 

[Deleted member 563]

Playing through Dragon Quest 6. This game is hardcore. Finally got a revive spell, so I don't have to always return to town. Oh, but it costs 10MP (a good amount) and fails constantly. Fuck! Don't think I have ever played a game that had healing spells that can just fail. The fact it currently costs some 15% of my max MP is some shit.

But, uh, I am all around digging this game. Started slow, with lots of just hitting the attack button over and over. But, once you get a full party, things start rolling.

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Love DQ6 so much. Have you played 5? I think it's the pinnacle of the series.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Love DQ6 so much. Have you played 5? I think it's the pinnacle of the series.

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No. I have only played through 1 and 2 until now. I'll have to check it out some time. I am really digging 6. Seems long as fuck. No clue how many hours in I am, but it feels like a lot. I just unlocked classes and finished what is apparently considered the beginning of the game, which seems real crazy for the number of hours in I must be.

 

[Morfeo]

DQ4 was the best imo, but 5 was amazing too. 6 was a bit weaker imo, but still a really great game.

 

[Wereroku]

Ok now this is just insane. I bought Pirates of Dark Water a few years ago for my wife because she loves the show and I swear I only spent 20-30 bucks on it why is it going for 85 bucks now? It's a decent game but not great.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Fucking ebay. After waiting weeks for it to arrive, my Final Fantasy V is totally not the one that was pictured in the listing. Their photo was shitty, but this is what it looked like in the listing:

Pretty nice, bright colors. And then I get it and:

It is faded as fuck. It is all around faded, but most obvious on the right side, so that's what I took a picture of to complain to the guy. He has apologized and said he will refund me. But, yeah, pretty annoying and shady.

 

[thepenguin55]

Some acquisitions. I've never played a SNES Final Fantasy or Tetris Attack so I'm excited about that. I bought the Ken Griffey game 20 years ago from the same place I bought the copy I just got.

EDIT: It might be worth adding the brand new Super Nt OT link to this OT... OT?
https://www.resetera.com/threads/super-nt-｜ot｜-a-true-1080p-fpga-super-nintendo-galore.28923/

 

[Velinos]

Illusion of Gaia is done, now onto Terranigma.

 

[Deleted member 563]

Illusion of Gaia is done, now onto Terranigma.

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You're in for a treat

EDIT: It might be worth adding the brand new Super Nt OT link to this OT... OT?
https://www.resetera.com/threads/super-nt-｜ot｜-a-true-1080p-fpga-super-nintendo-galore.28923/

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Link has now been updated

 

[thepenguin55]

Illusion of Gaia is done, now onto Terranigma.

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I actually bought Illusion of Gaia a little while ago but I just started playing it recently. What did you think of it? From the very little of it I played it seems pretty great (at least the story anyway). Have you ever played Soul Blazer? I believe that's a part of Quintet's trilogy of SNES JRPGs.