GBA BOXED COLLECTORS UNITE! WHat are the toughest to find?

[DreamTR]

Just as the topic says, looking for anyone that collects the GBA seriously or anyone that would like to contribute as to the whereabouts of games that are toguher to locate, were or were not released, what everyone's collection goals are, etc. I'm going for a complete GBA boxed collection!

[GrandAmChandler]

Racing Gears Advance - VERY Tough to find limited release. can be found new at certain K-marts and EBGames still.
Bubble Bobble Old & New - Another one that is tough to come by complete.
Metal Slug Advance - Again, tough to find in general.
Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series - This is going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. Good luck
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow - Another tough one to find
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3. (Limited Wal-mart Edition with Extra e-Reader cards inside.) - A Walmart release only, finding this is also crucial to having a complete SMB3 e-reader card set.


I predict "The Bible Game" to be rare in the future.

[dbiersdorf]

Damn, my Best Buy has a couple Racing Gears Advance, is it a good game?

[snes_collector]

There's a disscussion in the Classic Discussions Forum(I believe that's what it's called). It's not classic gaming. Anyway they all came to the conclusion the Ninja Five-O was the hardest to find. But even now, complete used GBA games are few and far between.

[pacmanhat]

Karnaaj Rally is definitely up there. It's a shame, too...the game was pretty good.

Also, why is SMB Classic Series going for so much money? That doesn't strike me as the type of game that'd be hard to find.

[GrandAmChandler]

Damn, my Best Buy has a couple Racing Gears Advance, is it a good game?

Yes. It's like RC Proam/ Micro Machines. Different weather and track environments. A must for any GBA owner.

[blissfulnoise]

Car Battler Joe
Cima: The Enemy
Guardian Heroes Advance
Mega Man and Bass
Ninja Five-O
Phantasy Star Collection
Pinball of the Dead
Pocky & Rocky with Becky
Riviera
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
Sigma Star Saga
Space Channel 5
Super Ghouls and Ghosts
Super Gunstar Heroes
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Bad Dream

Are all money. I do not collect seriously though.

[hezeuschrist]

I'm not so sure about Sigma Star Saga, but I can definitely attest to CIMA being rare. I had only ever seen it once, and that was the lucky time that I was able to snag it used at EB for $6. Complete. I've never seen it since.

Sigma Star is only $20 at Best Buy right now, picked it up just after the new year.

[-hellvin-]

Damn...that super mario bros classics is rediculously priced. I'll pick some of those up if they ever arrived in my geo shipment again, lol. I remember when we got Bubble Bobble old & new in at work as well. I had a feeling that one would be pretty rare. We got in around 8 copies total and then NEVER again after they finally sold. I've gotten a pretty decent GBA collection going simply because I ALWAYS buy them new. Not a single one is used, and they're all mint and complete. I do regret trading in Guilty Gear Advance (bought 10 new at my work) and Pinball of the Dead because I hardly see them anymore.

As for other games that are hard to find complete for GBA, why has no one mentioned:

DOOM I

DOOM II

I have never EVER been able to find these two titles complete and I actually want them. Ive tried finding them used with the box and failed. They're too old I'd imagine to find anywhere new, so eb or gamestop seems like my only chance now.

[blissfulnoise]

I'm not so sure about Sigma Star Saga, but I can definitely attest to CIMA being rare. I had only ever seen it once, and that was the lucky time that I was able to snag it used at EB for $6. Complete. I've never seen it since.

Sigma Star is only $20 at Best Buy right now, picked it up just after the new year.

Cause it's new. Give it a few months. My post had a fair amount of speculation in it.

[mikeetler]

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Bad Dream

The US title is "Tiny Toon Adventures: Scary Dreams". There's a couple of sellers on eBay with that and Amazing Virtual Sea Monkeys, which is also damn near impossible to find at retail.

Also worth noting, like it's DS counterpart, Elf Bowling I & II will be tough to find over the coming months and is starting to dry up. The only unknown is if any are still in Ignition's posession but in general they're games are done in small runs.

Here's the rest of my picks. I left out pretty much everything that's been mentioned, most of which I agree with.

Blender Bros. - Infogrames
BMX Trick Racer - Simon&Schuster
Bookworm - Majesco (confirmed run of 20,000 copies)
Disney Sports Basketball - Konami (harder to find then the GCN release)
Disney Sports Football - Konami (easiest of the Disney Sports titles to find)
Disney Sports Motocross - Konami
Disney Sports Skateboarding - Konami
Disney Sports Snowboarding - Konami
Disney Sports Soccer - Konami
Downforce - Titus (still trying to confirm a US release)
Driven - bam!(with 1:64th scale formula car)
Dual Blades - Metro3D
Gadget Racers - Conspiracy
Gem Smashers - Metro3D
IK+: The Ultimate Martial Arts Simulation - AIA
Planet Monsters - Titus (there's almost always a few on eBay but almost never in retail stores)
Sega Rally Championship - Sega
Super Collapse! II - Majesco (confirmed run of 20,000 copies)
Virtual Kasparov - Titus

[Leroy]

Yeah, Sigma Star Saga was the single biggest disappointment for 2005.. but I can't seem to let go of it because I figured it would be a small print. Sigh. Its high production values may make it valuable but the shit gameplay may keep it at a pleasant median depending on how many are out there.

[Doonzmore]

My local Best Buy has Elf Bowling 2....

Karnaaj Rally, didn't Seanbaby bash that one in an issue of EGM due to the bad box art and never even played the real game?

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Car Battler Joe
Cima: The Enemy
Guardian Heroes Advance
Mega Man and Bass
Ninja Five-O
Phantasy Star Collection
Pinball of the Dead
Pocky & Rocky with Becky
Riviera
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
Sigma Star Saga
Space Channel 5
Super Ghouls and Ghosts
Super Gunstar Heroes
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Bad Dream

Are all money. I do not collect seriously though.
The best part about your list, and a couple of the games listed, is that they are the BEST games for GBA. Really unfortunate, as well. I have one on your list (unless a pirated Megaman and Bass counts, 2), and I want 5 others.

[pacmanhat]

My local Best Buy has Elf Bowling 2....

Karnaaj Rally, didn't Seanbaby bash that one in an issue of EGM due to the bad box art and never even played the real game?

Yeah, he did. The game's really similar to the old abandonware PC title "Death Rally" - a top-down racer with weapons. Not a lot of depth, but definitely a lot of fun.

[heybtbm]

Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series - This is going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. Good luck

I'll be damned. Super Mario going for $60? What is going on?

[Promophile]

Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series - This is going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. Good luck

I'll be damned. Super Mario going for $60? What is going on?

Its really hard to find in stores. Even when it was in print I couldn't find it near me.

[DreamTR]

Thanks for the input so far...

Mike Etler: Check www.gamedude.com

THey have MOST of the GBA games on that list in STOCK NEW and SEALED still. I live very close to Game Dude, and can grab anything if needed. They had Amazing Sea Monkeys and basically get ANY GBA game in you can find with the exception of SUper Collapse II and Book Worm.

I think that BMX Trick Racer is DEFINITELY noteworthy of being there.

Just to confirm, Intruder and Black Belt Challenge by XICAT are NOT US releases, correct?

[Bratwurst]

Just to confirm, Intruder and Black Belt Challenge by XICAT are NOT US releases, correct?

You must mean Invader if it's by Xicat, I have a friend that managed to find a copy in a South Carolina CostCo/BJ Warehouse type place, but I still think that the game was officially marketed for strictly Europe and his find was a fluke.

Mr. Etler do you have any light to shed on that one?

This is a great thread, I love boxed GBA games for some reason.

[Kuros]

Racing Gears Advance - VERY Tough to find limited release. can be found new at certain K-marts and EBGames still.
Bubble Bobble Old & New - Another one that is tough to come by complete.
Metal Slug Advance - Again, tough to find in general.
Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series - This is going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. Good luck
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow - Another tough one to find
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3. (Limited Wal-mart Edition with Extra e-Reader cards inside.) - A Walmart release only, finding this is also crucial to having a complete SMB3 e-reader card set.

I predict "The Bible Game" to be rare in the future.

Well, if you what you say is true. Then I would like to trade one of my SMA4 boxes. Complete with e-reader cards and manual. ;)

Ironically, I'm wanting the Aria of Sorrow box and the Circle of the Moon box.

[DreamTR]

Yeah, I meant INVADER.

It if has the oval seal of quality, it's North American, if it has the circular, it's European.

Mike, does Downforce exist in the UK? I wonder why Game Dude had it listed at one time. Then again, they have ISS Soccer for GBA listed, and I KNOW that is Euro only.

[2Dskillz]

Is super gunstar heroes already rare?

Also is it difficult to find a box and manuals for Astro Boy Omega Factor?

[Oobgarm]

Strike Force Hydra?

I've only seen it one time in the wild, and it was used but complete. They pop up on eBay, I've noticed.

[mikeetler]

Mike Etler: Check www.gamedude.com

THey have MOST of the GBA games on that list in STOCK NEW and SEALED still. I live very close to Game Dude, and can grab anything if needed. They had Amazing Sea Monkeys and basically get ANY GBA game in you can find with the exception of SUper Collapse II and Book Worm.

Unless they have a second page somewhere, the only titles they show as in stock new are Sea Monkeys and Disney Sports Football. Then again, they're web site isn't the greatest.


Just to confirm, Intruder and Black Belt Challenge by XICAT are NOT US releases, correct?

Invader and BBC are non-US only. There was some talk of them coming here but it's unlikely that it'll happen.

[mikeetler]

Strike Force Hydra?

I've only seen it one time in the wild, and it was used but complete. They pop up on eBay, I've noticed.

I was thinking of adding SFH as well as a couple of other AIA releases, but a number of them were re-issued by Ignition. I don't think SFH was one of them but I have to check since I saw copies a few months ago at a couple of EB's.

[mikeetler]

Mike, does Downforce exist in the UK? I wonder why Game Dude had it listed at one time. Then again, they have ISS Soccer for GBA listed, and I KNOW that is Euro only.

It came out in Europe but it supposedly shipped in the US as well. This is Titus we're talking about though, so there's a good change it didn't make it out here.

[mikeetler]

You must mean Invader if it's by Xicat, I have a friend that managed to find a copy in a South Carolina CostCo/BJ Warehouse type place, but I still think that the game was officially marketed for strictly Europe and his find was a fluke.

Mr. Etler do you have any light to shed on that one?

This is a great thread, I love boxed GBA games for some reason.

If you can check that Invader box I'm very interested to see if there was a small US print run. A US release would have an ESRB rating and the oval Nintendo seal. Even if you can check the cart a US label would have the ESRB rating and the part number would end in "-USA"

[DreamTR]

Titus. Ugh.

I have had enough problems trying to figure out what did and did not come out tin the USA by that company...

You would think that since Titus was local to the Los Angeles area, we would have a better chance of tracking down all of the Titus titles, but even then it's a chore....

Random games like Robocop for GBC and Hercules for GBC that were not released in the USA just makes me relive Downforce once again= (

Game Dude usually has MORE than what you see listed on the site NEW, and is ALWAYS looking for stuff. I will contact the owner about DOWNFORCE for Game Boy Advance and see what he can do, as there are tons of distributors out here.....

[Bratwurst]

I'll ask the guy, in the meantime I did a little google searching and check it out:

http://www.vgmuseum.com/scans/gba/lu02/scans16/invader.jpg

http://www.toysnjoys.com/gba/invader.jpg

And here is boxart without the oval seal:

http://www.gamestracker.com/images/packshot/1347.jpg

[DreamTR]

Bratwurst, the problem with google searching is that you end up finding all sorts of stuff like that for SNES that was not released, and many other systems that have the "E" rating.

Here's a specific GBA game in mind:

Santa Claus for Game Boy Advance by Telegames.....

check out www.telegames.com

It even has a pic of the box with the E rating, but it's sold in the USA with the Circular seal, and there isn't an oval rating one anywhere to be found says Telegames....

[Ed Oscuro]

Sigma Star Saga is hard to find?

Edit: Also, Aria of Sorrow is - well, used to be - easier to find boxed than Harmony of Dissonance by a good deal. Hopefully the double pack reprint alleviates the problem a bit.

[Bratwurst]

Just a followup on my friend's copy of Invader, it doesn't have the ESRB logo and the manual has six languages, so it is most likely an Euro issue.

[mikeetler]

Just a followup on my friend's copy of Invader, it doesn't have the ESRB logo and the manual has six languages, so it is most likely an Euro issue.

Definitely Euro. Thanks for checking that out.

[Tan]

i seem to be having a helluva hard time finding splinter cell for the gba, pandora is easy enough to find, but the first one is just killer.

[DreamTR]

I think it is safe to say any of the "Castlevania" games are just in collectors hands, no necessarily hard to find, just people snatch em up to play'em, just like they did with Dracula X for PC Engine Duo.

Most of the toughies are listed in Etler's mini-list, and things like Sigma Star are NOT hard to find...yet...

[mikeetler]

Sigma Star Saga is hard to find?

I personally don't think a number of the titles mentioned are currently difficult to locate but a number of them have strong potential, including SSS.



Edit: Also, Aria of Sorrow is - well, used to be - easier to find boxed than Harmony of Dissonance by a good deal. Hopefully the double pack reprint alleviates the problem a bit.

The 2 in 1 has definitely brought the price down of AoS and HoD down somewhat. HoD complete has been going for $20-30, down from $40-50 six months ago. I wouldn't be surprised if some people are selling them and picking up the 2 in 1 in their place. There does appear to be a high number of sealed copies of AoS out there right now. I haven't seen any at retail but eBay had a lot recently.

[joshnickerson]

What about Bookworm? That's one I haven't seen often in the wild and it seems to go for crazy amounts on eBay occasionally.

[mikeetler]

What about Bookworm? That's one I haven't seen often in the wild and it seems to go for crazy amounts on eBay occasionally.

I mentioned it on page 1. I was able to confirm with sources at Majesco that 20K copies were produced. Many of the ones that show up on eBay are bootlegs but the occasional legit copy averages about $50 complete.

[dualfreak1]

i say headphones wireless adapters andnormal gbas! :D

(EDIT: By GAC, Too many !!!! were messing up forum format)

[hezeuschrist]

Alright seriously guy, you need to go away or have something to say that doesn't suck. You also need to not destroy the formatting of the page by a now useless exclamation.

[Ed Oscuro]

I think it is safe to say any of the "Castlevania" games are just in collectors hands, no necessarily hard to find, just people snatch em up to play'em, just like they did with Dracula X for PC Engine Duo.
That's true. Regardless, of the two it seemed that Aria was more common. I should look into that again.

[Slimedog]

What about Sonic Pinball Party? I thought it had a low run since it was a Target exclusive. Am I wrong on that? I'd imagine that the 2 in 1 would help keep the price down on the original. I don't see the original very often.

[DreamTR]

Sonic Pinball Party is tough to get, I remember it being a pain in the ass to find like Sega Rally was at one time.

[SamuraiSmurfette]

THey just released a Sonic 2-pack with Sonic Advance 1, and Pinball party. So for anyone just looking to play...
But yeah, Took me forever to track down Pinball party in Canada.

Can anyone confirm that Tiny Toon's Scary Dream is a legit release? I'd like to get this one, but I'd never heard of it (other than the UK release which is impossible to find), and I'm very wary of buying GBA on ebay.

[hezeuschrist]

I should mention that Shining Soul I and II are both becoming somewhat scarce. I had to go through GQD to get my hands on Shining Soul I (finally, been checking ebay for months) and when it does pop up it's over $40 BIN, and no one ever bites.

I snagged my copy of Shining Soul II a long time ago, but it seems to be easier to find than Shining Soul I. But then again, these are Atlus games and I'm sure they're in likely the same situation as the Castlevania games.

[Slimedog]

THey just released a Sonic 2-pack with Sonic Advance 1, and Pinball party. So for anyone just looking to play...
But yeah, Took me forever to track down Pinball party in Canada.

Can anyone confirm that Tiny Toon's Scary Dream is a legit release? I'd like to get this one, but I'd never heard of it (other than the UK release which is impossible to find), and I'm very wary of buying GBA on ebay.

I saw TT Scary Dream yesterday at my local Sam's. It was actually pre-bundled with an SP and a bunch of accessories. They didn't have it individualy. I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe its hard to find because somebody bought up a lot of the run for this prepackage deal?

[Bratwurst]

Warehouse type places make their own bundles to sell in-store, it's likely Scary Dreams was in there because they tend to grab whatever's on hand (and cheap) to stick in the plastic.

[DreamTR]

Scary Dreams is in stock and is the US version at www.gamedude.com

If anyone needs it, I will buy it for cost, tax, shipping, and a small fee to go down to the place, probably around $5 for the service.

Conspiracy Entertainment is right near where I worked in Santa Monica!

[D_N_G]

sonic pinball party was a target exclusive
Bubble Bobble old and new, they have about 100 copies at the local Fry's


A few other toughies:

Maybe Telegames stuff? Urban Yeti, Turbo Turtle, etc

Duke Nukem Advance

[smokehouse]

I’m glad I’ve held on to some of my boxes then. I have some of the games mentioned and keep the boxes mint. As a matter of fact I normally only slit the plastic enough to get the game out, the rest stays in the box.

Hell, I still have my older Game Boy boxes for games like Dragon Warrior I&II, Final Fantasy Legend II&III.

[XianXi]

King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood

Car Battler Joe - Is this ame any good? My local Blockbuster has one but its loose for $25, how much is it worth cant find it on ebay yet.

[DigitalSpace]

Car Battler Joe - Is this ame any good? My local Blockbuster has one but its loose for $25, how much is it worth cant find it on ebay yet.

Haven't played it myself, but Gamereviewgod wrote a good review on it here:

http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/carbattlerjoe.htm

If you can find it at GameStop or EB, it's much cheaper at those stores - I got my copy at GameStop for $6.99, I believe EB charges $8 or so.

[DarkStraw]

I was at the gamestore the other day and i saw mario party advance with a "not for resale" box, would that be rare? i could probably get it.

[DreamTR]

TOo much talk about common RPGS in here ! LOL

[hezeuschrist]

TOo much talk about common RPGS in here ! LOL

I was gonna come in here and say Breath of Fire (well, I guess I just did), but if it's not that hard to snag a complete copy I would love to be proved wrong. I'm not in it for the rarity, I just want the freakin game.

[DreamTR]

Any of the "big name" games are not rare. That includes Final Fantasies, Castlevanias, Dragon Warriors, Breath of Fires, stuff like that.

[hezeuschrist]

I never claimed any of them were rare, but I am claiming that it's a hell of a time getting a complete copy of Breath of Fire, at any price. And furthermore, just because it's a well known title doesn't mean it ever sold well to warrant a large print run.

Like I said, I'd love to be proven wrong.

[Bratwurst]

What about:

No Rules Get Phat: Starring One Eye Jack
Lady Sia
Invincible Iron Man

???

No Rules came with a mini skateboard in the box, which I thought was amusing the one and only time I saw it because it demurely advertised how bad the game was.

I also feel the 3rd party SNES ports will be hard to find in general:

Aero the Acro-Bat
Prehistoric Man
Phalanx

Unfortunately I don't have any publishing numbers nor have I been following them on ebay too much, I can only relate having seen these briefly during 2001/02 and never since in any retail outlet.

[mikeetler]

What about:

No Rules Get Phat: Starring One Eye Jack
Lady Sia
Invincible Iron Man

???

No Rules came with a mini skateboard in the box, which I thought was amusing the one and only time I saw it because it demurely advertised how bad the game was.


I see these at EB's fairly often gathering dust. Hard to say if they're hard to find when I see them in the same stores for two years.


I also feel the 3rd party SNES ports will be hard to find in general:

Aero the Acro-Bat
Prehistoric Man
Phalanx

Unfortunately I don't have any publishing numbers nor have I been following them on ebay too much, I can only relate having seen these briefly during 2001/02 and never since in any retail outlet.

Aero was published by Metro 3D and pretty much anything they release will have low runs. PM is always on eBay though I rarely see it in stores. Phalanx I've seen at a few KBs but since they've been unloading their remaining games it will definitely be getting harder to find.

[DreamTR]

hezeuschrist:

Well, if you are talking about "complete" copies, it's a different rarity system. A lot of people throw away the boxes and manuals for Game Boy related items. It does not necessarily need to be "proven" persay, because the company that made it speaks for itself. Capcom has had normal prints runs on their newer titles for awhile. Even stuff like Shantae for GBC that people thought was hard to find, can be found readily out here. Why do you ask? Capcom's West Coast distributor is located out here, and they buy large quantities of EVERYTHING. Resident Evil 2/3 re-release on GCN? It's from ONE distributor here. Same one where Game Quest Direct gets most of their stuff.

Plain and simple, Breath of Fire is not "rare" if it's on eBay, on amazon, on Half.com, etc....It might be a bit more difficult to locate through normal channels, but certainly not a tough game to find overall.

[sirhansirhan]

I had a cocksucker of a time finding Muppet Pinball Advance. After over a year of looking, I finally found a cart-only copy in the wild for $18, which I bought. I've never seen a complete one. Also, it should be mentioned that I am not counting eBay, because more than half of the GBA games I've ever bought on eBay were pirates.

A quick survey of eBay shows no completed auctions or current auctions for MPA, though; I'd be interested in knowing if you have a complete copy, DreamTR...

[DreamTR]

sirhansir: I do have a complete copy of Muppet Pinball Mayhem, but you are right, it is a royal pain in the ass to find. I have yet to see a complete one in the wild either, and I bought mine complete off of eBay a few months ago for a tad over $30....

[Doonzmore]

I once read an article (possibly IGN) that mentions a Bruce Lee game getting a low print run.

Was Static Shock ever released?

[snes_collector]

I remember Victor reviewing Static Shock on Judgement Day(back when I used to watch it.) So I'm gussing it indeed get released. And if my memory serves me right, he gave it a pretty good score.

[kainemaxwell]

Why the heck is the GBA of SMB going for so much on ebay?!

[DarkStraw]

theres a bookworm on ebay right now BIN 20 bucks.

[mikeetler]

theres a bookworm on ebay right now BIN 20 bucks.
If this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/BOOKWORM-GBA-Game-Boy-Advance-SP-Book-Worm-RARE_W0QQitemZ8256417754QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) is the one you're talking about, it's cart only and I would asy with 99% certainty that it's a bootleg cart. The words "English version" in the description are almost always used by bootleg dealers.

EDIT: I'm now 100% certain it's a bootleg. The same seller sold over a dozen of them in the last three weeks.

[ChronoTriggaFoo]

Gamestop and EB Games definitely have done a disservice to collectors by throwing out the boxes and instructions. It makes me sick thinking of all the collectible boxes that have been thrown away (although I do realize a good percentage of GBA games never were traded in complete to begin with).

I am, however, appreciative of the fact that Game Rush does take them complete and SELL them that way.

What about Baseball Advance? I know of a place with two of them still factory sealed. Or is that one just uncommon?

[EndlessChris]

Gamestop and EB Games definitely have done a disservice to collectors by throwing out the boxes and instructions. It makes me sick thinking of all the collectible boxes that have been thrown away (although I do realize a good percentage of GBA games never were traded in complete to begin with).

What are you talking about? I work at an EB, if the game comes in with the box we keep it and sell it with the box.

However - the game never comes in with the box.

[ChronoTriggaFoo]

Well, I talked to the employees at my local EB games, and they said they no longer keep the boxes. I know they used to, even for older GameBoy games. But at least at that EB Games, they have started to only keep the cartridges. I just figured it had something to do with the merger with Gamestop.

[DreamTR]

I don't think Static Shock came out...

[agent709]

Well, I talked to the employees at my local EB games, and they said they no longer keep the boxes. I know they used to, even for older GameBoy games. But at least at that EB Games, they have started to only keep the cartridges. I just figured it had something to do with the merger with Gamestop.

Same here. I knew they would throw it out and I would want to rebuy it later, so I kept my Chu Chu Rocket! box somewhere around here.

[DigitalSpace]

Gamestop and EB Games definitely have done a disservice to collectors by throwing out the boxes and instructions. It makes me sick thinking of all the collectible boxes that have been thrown away (although I do realize a good percentage of GBA games never were traded in complete to begin with).

What are you talking about? I work at an EB, if the game comes in with the box we keep it and sell it with the box.

Same thing at my local EB's. But it's a YMMV thing from what I've heard around the net.

[Promophile]

Gamestop and EB Games definitely have done a disservice to collectors by throwing out the boxes and instructions. It makes me sick thinking of all the collectible boxes that have been thrown away (although I do realize a good percentage of GBA games never were traded in complete to begin with).

What are you talking about? I work at an EB, if the game comes in with the box we keep it and sell it with the box.

Same thing at my local EB's. But it's a YMMV thing from what I've heard around the net.

I would say the vast majority of stores have throw the box out policies for gameboy games now. I've been to 6 different EBgames since the policy was initated and all of them junk boxes.

[snes_collector]

What about some of the earlier released shooters, like Back Track and Ecks VS. Server? I don't see those much.

[DreamTR]

I think those two will eventually be tougher to find...

AS of yesterday, I have 700 boxed USA released GBA games...

[Red Hedgehog]

Man, I'm totally kicking myself as I have seen a Bookworm both at a K-Mart and a TRU and passed on them.

Fortunately, I managed to find copies of Car Battler Joe and Ninja Five-O at Fred Meyer's, so there's that.

[Iron Draggon]

I had a cocksucker of a time finding Muppet Pinball Advance. After over a year of looking, I finally found a cart-only copy in the wild for $18, which I bought. I've never seen a complete one. Also, it should be mentioned that I am not counting eBay, because more than half of the GBA games I've ever bought on eBay were pirates.

A quick survey of eBay shows no completed auctions or current auctions for MPA, though; I'd be interested in knowing if you have a complete copy, DreamTR...

AGREED! I can hardly find just a few cart only copies, and the only new copies that I've seen are all in the UK. Too bad none of the UK sellers who have it will ship it to the US. At this point, I'm about ready to import it, if that's what it takes to get a new complete copy, as even ebay doesn't even have any used copies available. WTF? It's the Muppets, you'd think it would be alot easier to find here. I found new copies of every other GBA pinball game except this one. Sonic Pinball Party, cheap and easy on ebay. The Pinball of the Dead, expensive, but still easy on ebay. The Muppets, apparently nonexistant at any price anywhere except in the UK, and even then still not available on ebay.

[DarkStraw]

heres an unboxed ninja five o on ebay, http://cgi.ebay.com/Ninja-Five-0-Gameboy-Advance-nintendo-ds-micro-sp_W0QQitemZ8257753302QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageName ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it already went over what i was willing to bid haha.

(which is not much)

[Matt-El]

I must throw in the fact that there are two versions of Ecks Vs. Sever.

I'm surprised that many think that Bubble Bobble Old and New is rare. I found mine in the discount bin at K-mart for $10 I believe. Oh, and its complete still :)

[snes_collector]

[quote="Matt-El"]I must throw in the fact that there are two versions of Ecks Vs. Sever.quote]

Care to explain?

[Bratwurst]

heres an unboxed ninja five o on ebay,

This game's price fluctuates, here's an auction for a sealed copy that went for 24.69 shipped last week. <a href=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8256734646&>LINK</a>


I must throw in the fact that there are two versions of Ecks Vs. Sever.

Yes, the first one was the early FPS, the second was based on the movie which was based on the original game.

[Tbowl]

How about Hugo: Evil mirror?

[DreamTR]

variations....

I know of the two Star Wars Lego box arts, Driviven box arts, Tetris Worlds box arts, and arcade advanced box arts...not counting SMB 3 Wal Mart, as that just has the five extra cards...are there any others I am not aware of?

[n8littlefield]

If you're in the US, It's Mr. Pants! can be a touch find as well. The only brick & mortar store that had copies was Kohl's.

[DreamTR]

If anyone needs "It's Mr. Pants", I can pick them up at Game Dude locally for $19.99.

[mikeetler]

If you're in the US, It's Mr. Pants! can be a touch find as well. The only brick & mortar store that had copies was Kohl's.

Not entirely true. It was spotted in a few Wal Marts in states that border Canada and I have seen it in a few independent stores on the east coast (NJ, MD, PA) as well. That said, it's still not easy to track down and the entire North American run is supposedly under 50K (I've heard 30K total but haven't been able to verify)

-Mike

[dbiersdorf]

If anyone needs "It's Mr. Pants", I can pick them up at Game Dude locally for $19.99.

Damn that's tempting.

[DreamTR]

Those Jurassic Park games are tough....at least complete....

[jwl]

How about the gbadev.org 2004MBIT Competion cart, only 500 were made. It's not official but I'd consider it to be along the lines of Action 52, or any of the other unliscenced games for NES.

http://2004mbit.gbadev.org/

[DreamTR]

I would not go THAT far to say it's along the lines of Action 52.....

[Ed Oscuro]

Good question...anybody have an idea how many Action 52 games are still on the market?

[DarkStraw]

would this zelda "not for resale" "demo" be worth getting?

http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/1053/1599/12299.jpg

what exactly is it? i know theres minish cap not for resale carts but i dont remember ever seeing a demo one.

[Ed Oscuro]

Looks like Minish Cap to me, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be four swords and I've no idea what else it could be.

Did you have a price on that? There's surely a bunch of 'em out there, but who knows how many got away.

[DarkStraw]

oh its minish cap, just wondering what nintendo made them for, i couldent find any on ebay. i could proably get it for like 10 bucks if it would be worth getting.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'd buy it from ya for $15 + shipping, dude :D

[DarkStraw]

lol, well i dont have it yet, just wondering if i should get it....

[Promophile]

Get it. Its one of the more valuable GBA Demos because its actually different from the retail release.

[DreamTR]

GBA boxes are the suck.

[Kuros]

Get it. Its one of the more valuable GBA Demos because its actually different from the retail release.

How different is it?

[DigitalSpace]

oh its minish cap, just wondering what nintendo made them for

They were made to be played on store demo units.

[Iron Draggon]

GBA boxes are the suck.

Very interesting that you would say this, since you have a complete GBC boxed collection and a near complete GB boxed collection. Care to elaborate why GBA boxes suck?

[DarkStraw]

i hate any cardboard game box, ugh.

[DreamTR]

Iron Draggon: Only reason I say that has to do with the fact they are flimsy, and on top of that, everyone throws them away, so it's pretty frustrating to deal with in general.

[Iron Draggon]

Well I have to agree with you on their flimsyness. If you order any off of ebay, you'd better make sure that the seller will ship it in a cardboard box instead of a bubble mailer, or pay them extra to do so. My Sonic Pinball Party box got crushed because it arrived in a bubble mailer. And I am thinking about buying another one just so I can get a new box for it, even though I normally don't keep boxes. I have kept all of my GBA boxes so far, and it pisses me off that one of them is crushed, just because of how it was shipped to me. If I had known, I would've asked them to ship it to me in a cardboard box. I would've been happy to pay a little more for it to have it arrive as it was pictured.

[DreamTR]

OMG I LOVE PAWS AND CLAWS!

[KingCobra]

Have any of you guy's tried to get Ultimate Card Games? Every single retailer within a 50 mile radius did not have this game outside of Toy'R'us @_@

I tried to go the ebay route and there was none to be had for 2 weeks! there's only 6 right now on ebay.

Also I had extreamly hard time finding Tomb Raider the prophecy Boxed :/ I do see it around once in awhile loose, but boxed?! Tuff find in my area.

[Iron Draggon]

Fry's has plenty of all the games in the Ultimate series, but that's the only place I know of that does, other than ebay.

[Ed Oscuro]

it pisses me off that one of them is crushed, just because of how it was shipped to me.
Yeah, that happened to me with Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Konami GB Collection Vol. 4 (Japanese), among others. Aggravating in the extreme.

[DreamTR]

760 now and counting...well on my way...

[Damaramu]

Doh!

I cannot find a box for my copy of Phalanx. I could've sworn I bought that game new, CIB.

Looking at cartridge, I see that it show light scratches and marks on the label. I guess I did buy it used after all.

I wish I had bothered to check before I tore through my closets looking for a box I never had.

Darn memory! LOL

[The Manimal]

Metal Slug Advance - Again, tough to find in general.
Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series


I think I haven't opened either of these yet. Is there a huge value drop off after opening them? If so, I might go buy them used.

[Mark III]

Yeah sealed Mario Classic is pretty in demand right now for some reason. Cart only isn't worth much but if you have a sealed one you may want to consider leaving it sealed.

[The Manimal]

Yeah sealed Mario Classic is pretty in demand right now for some reason. Cart only isn't worth much but if you have a sealed one you may want to consider leaving it sealed.


Well, I checked...and I have the whole series sealed except for SMB. I opened that one up, apparently. Doh.

[GizmoGC]

How rare is Gremlins - Gizmo vs. Spike? Ive only seen this at GameDude (The same one DreamTR speaks of).

Also, what was different on the GBA MInish Cap NFR?

[DreamTR]

That Gremlins game is going to be tough eventually, I think it was Dreamcatcher's, and their releases are notoriously small.

[DreamTR]

I just put a MUppet Pinball Mayhem on eBay if anyone is interested.

[poe]

Also, what was different on the GBA MInish Cap NFR?

It's a store demo cart, and instead of having the full game, it's got a few select scenes (part of the overworld map, one dungeon, and something else I can't recall, maybe a different section of overworld) you select from a game menu. Provides instant action and shows off the gameplay better than forcing a prospective buyer to wade through 10 minutes of exposition that have no real action to them

[dojosky]

I have the zelda minish cap demo version !!!! clean label ! :D

[shiningslade]

Columns Crown anyone? This game is pretty rare IMO. :hmm:

[joshnickerson]

Also, what was different on the GBA MInish Cap NFR?

It's a store demo cart, and instead of having the full game, it's got a few select scenes (part of the overworld map, one dungeon, and something else I can't recall, maybe a different section of overworld) you select from a game menu. Provides instant action and shows off the gameplay better than forcing a prospective buyer to wade through 10 minutes of exposition that have no real action to them

There were actually two versions of the NFR... one was as Poe says literally a demo version of three areas from the game, and the other was the actual full game, just with the NFR banner on the label (which is the one I have). The former version has an additional blue "DEMO" label in the corner.

I'm not sure which is more valuable, though I venture to say that the limited version is more desireable (especially to me LOL )

[DreamTR]

Little League Baseball 2002. VERY HARD TO LOCATE.

[Frankie23]

If you're in the US, It's Mr. Pants! can be a touch find as well. The only brick & mortar store that had copies was Kohl's.

Not entirely true. It was spotted in a few Wal Marts in states that border Canada and I have seen it in a few independent stores on the east coast (NJ, MD, PA) as well. That said, it's still not easy to track down and the entire North American run is supposedly under 50K (I've heard 30K total but haven't been able to verify)

I've seen this in the bargain bin of several stores up here in BC. Picked up a copy for my girlfriend for $10, box was smashed all to hell though. 30K, eh? If it's just going into bargain bins, I suspect this is going to be a pain in the ass to find mint CIB.

[DreamTR]

It's Mr Pants was supposed to be 3000 for the North American market, but I see that thing all over the place.

[videogameking26]

Bookworm
Mr. Pants
Super Mario Advance 2
Donkey Kong Country 2

were very hard for me to locate in my local area for some reason..anyway it's all good as I'm currently at 367 GBA CIB's :D

[Blitzwing256]

There were actually two versions of the NFR... one was as Poe says literally a demo version of three areas from the game, and the other was the actual full game, just with the NFR banner on the label (which is the one I have). The former version has an additional blue "DEMO" label in the corner.

I'm not sure which is more valuable, though I venture to say that the limited version is more desireable (especially to me )

i'd venture to say the full version is much much easier to find, i've come across 3 (bought 2 of them) just randomly in the wild, so either i'm super lucky or its an easier to find demo,.
I did find one copy of the 4 sword one as well.
it seems ebgames just dumps these in the for sale case when they're done with em.

[leorange]

It's Mr Pants was supposed to be 3000 for the North American market, but I see that thing all over the place.

i figured since it was there every time i stopped by at game dude (which is not all that frequently), i should finally just go ahead and get it.

[Kitsune Sniper]

For me? King of Fighters EX1/EX2, and Konami Krazy Racers.

Jesus FUCK did I have a hard time buying a complete copy of EX1. It's not that rare, but it's still a bitch to find. I just found a complete copy for $9 on eBay, and bought it.

EX2? Loose copies go for $25-30... I've got my sights set on a SEALED one at the moment, but the guy wants $7 to ship it in a frickin' BUBBLE MAILER, and $2 extra to ship it inside a box. >_< Bastard...

And KKR... I rarely find a loose game outside of European sellers on eBay, let alone a complete one. I hope that I can locate a copy of that when I visit Tennessee next month.

[shiningslade]

How about Dokapon: Monster Hunter? I bet not too many of you see this one around much.

[Ruffie]

I had a cocksucker of a time finding Muppet Pinball Advance. After over a year of looking, I finally found a cart-only copy in the wild for $18, which I bought. I've never seen a complete one. Also, it should be mentioned that I am not counting eBay, because more than half of the GBA games I've ever bought on eBay were pirates.

A quick survey of eBay shows no completed auctions or current auctions for MPA, though; I'd be interested in knowing if you have a complete copy, DreamTR...

I was just on vacation in San Francisco, and in a normal-looking tourist store in Chinatown I found a treasure trove of GBA titles I'd never seen in the wild before. With a limited budget and a fiancee' who was already giving me dirty looks while I drooled over the vast array of titles in front of me, I bought:

Car Battler Joe - $20
Defender of the Crown -$18

I unfortunately had to pass on Muppet Pinball Advance ($24 I think) and a host of other titles, most of which were fairly common, but there were at least a dozen ones I had never seen in the wild. it should be noted that when the clerk came over to ulock the display case, there was a huge amount of dust on all the games there. Some of the common titles were pretty expensive, too, in the $30-$38 range.

So, for those of you in the Bay area, if you want to grab those games, the place is the Far East Flea Market Liquidation Center, 729 Grant Avenue. Walk in and head to the left, you'll see them next to a similar display of PSP games. Happy hunting! I'm just glad I bought Car Battler Joe - it's excellent so far. And yes, it's an all-English copy, no signs it's a pirate.

Admiral Ruffie

[Bratwurst]

Guys what will be the Magical Chase of the GBA library? Maybe it won't necessarily be rare or it just happens to be one of those late releases most people didn't pay attention to, but I would love to hear speculation on what will be high priced but still fun to play later on.

I almost want to say Drill Dozer because it came from out of nowhere but it is a Nintendo published title and receiving the praise that it is due despite all the attention the DS is getting.

[DreamTR]

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

ARZGH!

[Iron Draggon]

I had a cocksucker of a time finding Muppet Pinball Advance. After over a year of looking, I finally found a cart-only copy in the wild for $18, which I bought. I've never seen a complete one. Also, it should be mentioned that I am not counting eBay, because more than half of the GBA games I've ever bought on eBay were pirates.

A quick survey of eBay shows no completed auctions or current auctions for MPA, though; I'd be interested in knowing if you have a complete copy, DreamTR...

I was just on vacation in San Francisco, and in a normal-looking tourist store in Chinatown I found a treasure trove of GBA titles I'd never seen in the wild before. With a limited budget and a fiancee' who was already giving me dirty looks while I drooled over the vast array of titles in front of me, I bought:

Car Battler Joe - $20
Defender of the Crown -$18

I unfortunately had to pass on Muppet Pinball Advance ($24 I think) and a host of other titles, most of which were fairly common, but there were at least a dozen ones I had never seen in the wild. it should be noted that when the clerk came over to ulock the display case, there was a huge amount of dust on all the games there. Some of the common titles were pretty expensive, too, in the $30-$38 range.

So, for those of you in the Bay area, if you want to grab those games, the place is the Far East Flea Market Liquidation Center, 729 Grant Avenue. Walk in and head to the left, you'll see them next to a similar display of PSP games. Happy hunting! I'm just glad I bought Car Battler Joe - it's excellent so far. And yes, it's an all-English copy, no signs it's a pirate.

Admiral Ruffie

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for leaving the one and only copy of Muppet Pinball Mayhem that they had for me! I just got back from my vacation to SF last night, and I couldn't believe how many really hard to find GBA games they had in that shop either. I wasn't expecting to find any games at all in Chinatown, and I couldn't believe my eyes as I slowly scanned my way up all the racks in that case, and there was Muppet Pinball Mayhem at the very top, all covered in dust and still factory sealed. The box was a bit caved in, but I didn't care, they actually had a copy of it! If I had seen this post before I went there on vacation too, I would've been pissing all over myself trying to find a local to go there and buy it for me, but being totally surprised to find it there myself was even better. Certainly one of the highlights of my vacation. OMG, my search is finally over! Now I just have to find a copy of Pinball Advance to import! Anyone in the UK able to get a factory sealed one for me? I missed out on all the ones that were on ebay a while back.

Speaking of ebay, the only factory sealed copy of Muppet Pinball Mayhem that I've ever seen there was the one that I believe DreamTR must've sold there. I saw it a week after it ended, and I think it went for about $40. I know it went for more than the $24 that I had to pay for it in that shop. It's a shame that they didn't have more than one copy of it. I would've bought at least one extra copy to sell, if they did. But I'm just happy that they actually had a copy of it left, and you left it for me to find, Admiral Ruffie! I know that you would've bought it yourself, if you had enough money to buy it and the other games that you wanted at the time, so be sure to thank your fiancee for glaring at you for me! Finding that game there by total surprise like that really made my trip even more of a joy for me. Such a relief too! Now I only need Pokemon Pinball and Pinball Advance to have all the GBA pinball games, and Pokemon Pinball is very easy to find! So the only challenge left for me with the GBA pinball collection is finding that one European import now.

[Mayhem]

Trying to find Pinball Advance... not easy! There's two complete (non shrinked) copies on eBay currently... you might be able to get a new copy here:

http://www.thehut.com/hut/8529465.product

They do ship worldwide, depends if they have any stock.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Muppet Pinball is rare?

I think a shady Chinese-owned store near me has a copy of that. They sell a ton of games but most of them are sunfaded because the guy sticks them on the window so people see them...

[Kuros]

Is anyone up for a GBA box and manual trade?

I have a bunch of boxes and manuals I wanna get rid of for stuff I need.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Is anyone up for a GBA box and manual trade?

I have a bunch of boxes and manuals I wanna get rid of for stuff I need.

I am in need of a few boxes. I'll send you a PM. :)

[Ruffie]

You're welcome, Iron Draggon. It's funny to read your reaction to discovering that dusty display of games , I felt the same way.

I'm just glad that that copy of Muppet Pinball ended up in the hands of a fellow collector and DP member, since I couldn't get it.

Admiral Ruffie

The Lochdown (http://thelochdown.blogspot.com/)

[Iron Draggon]

Yeah, I think it's really cool that I ended up with it too, and before I read your post here revealing its whereabouts over a month ago even. It's as if it was all meant to happen for a reason, you passing it up in favor of another game, etc...

By the way, for the record, Muppet Pinball is definitely one of the better pinball games for the GBA, if you can find it. I've been playing it alot ever since I got it, but I still can't get a high enough score to unlock the hidden table yet.

Does anyone know how high your score has to be to move on from table to table through the 3 tables in adventure mode, so that you can finally unlock the hidden 4th table?

Mayhem, thanks for the link, I'll give them a try when I can afford to try and import a copy of Pinball Advance, I just bought Pokemon Pinball on ebay, and now I'm broke again.

But I'm gonna have all the GBA pinballs released in the US, as soon as Pokemon Pinball arrives, so that's real cool too!

Will put me up to 16 games for it altogether so far, but I still have quite a few games remaining on my GBA wishlist. I want to get all 3 of the Donkey Kong Country games too. I have all of the GBA Sonic games already, so I think I need to get all of the DKC games to enhance my collection soon.

[Kuros]

If anyone is interested in a GBA Box/Manual/insert trade, here's what I have and what I'm looking for:

GBA: (B+M+Inserts)
Donkey Kong Country 2
Quad Desert Fury
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban
Super Mario Advance 4 (Also has e-reader cards)
Yoshi's Island (Has some sticker on it)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf
Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Metroid Zero Mission
DBZ Buu's Fury
Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance

Wanted:

Castlevania Circle of the Moon
Super Mario Bros. (Classic series)
Contra Advance
Rtype 3
Phantasy Star Collection
Mario Golf Advance
River City Ransom
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Namco Museum
Yugioh Eternal Duelist Soul

[Iron Draggon]

I just got a factory sealed copy of Advance Wars for the GBA at my local WalMart for less than $20 including tax!

[Iron Draggon]

I just got a factory sealed copy of Advance Wars for the GBA at my local WalMart for less than $20 including tax!

[snes_collector]

Picked up Disney Sports Basketball and NHL Hitz 2003 yesterday. I know DSB is rare, but what about NHL?

[ganondorf]

Super Mario Bros. NES Classic Series - This is going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. Good luck


you could do what I did with FF7 on this game. Its pretty common but worth$, find someone that has it and thinks its garbage and get its for $5 CIB