Timewalk FFIV, V, VI sealed

[DiscreetT | 1]

Hello I was recommended to ask here regarding these games. Recently my uncle passed and left me quite a bit of retro game collection in his estate. In his collection I found these set of games which I've been unable to find value of. 

They are apparently reproduction carts from Timewalk games which shut down over 10 years ago. I have FFIV, V and VI all factory sealed. Only listing or seller I could find for a price idea was ebay with listings at 1000.00 which I don't consider because noting has sold

[Sumez | 2,967]

Obviously it's a bootleg, so it has no genuine value, but I if you can find the odd collector who for some reason is interested in these things, maybe they can put a value on it. You're dealing with supply and demand within an extremely limited audience of maybe a handful of people at best though, so it's really up in the air.

[RH | 4,915]

All I know is at one point certain Timewalk items were quite collectible.  I wouldn’t quote me on this but I think they were the first bootleg company to try and take making repros and ROM hacks serious and they wanted to make quality items that were worth owning.

Timewalk shut down right before I started collecting so I recall for a few years after, some of their items went for a pretty penny, but that was 7-8 years ago and the market has changed.

Your best bet might be to take good photos and put them up For Offer on sites like here, Facebook Marketplace and maybe Game Sale on Reddit (although r/GameSale requires a price to be posted.) 

These are pretty niche.  I think they will likely only appeal to the long time collector that was around well before the  Wata/COVID boom.

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

7 hours ago, Sumez said:

Obviously it's a bootleg, so it has no genuine value,

....guessing you've never heard of Timewalk then.

OP, are these just the regular versions as far as you can tell?   They did some limited stuff too.

[a3quit4s | 4,103]

Timewalk final fantasy 2 sold for $113 on 8/22 but it was open. I agree that the ones posted for near $1,000 out of Canada are outrageous and someone just fishing for a whale. If that were the true market price there would be more sold listings. Even if they were selling for $500 a piece I think that is a big ask. If you were selling separately I’d ask for $250-$300 a piece with a discount if someone buys them all. You could sit back and wait for more though if you like. Prices are definitely down from the pandemic though. Even an open CIB FFIII Timewalk is sitting there at $250 CAD. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by a3quit4s

[Sumez | 2,967]

1 hour ago, captmorgandrinker said:

guessing you've never heard of Timewalk then

Sure I have, they are pretty notable bootleggers. I had no idea they were no longer in the game though. 

[Brickman | 3,994]

That’s odd, your picture is the same as the eBay picture. 

Anyway, these are pretty niche items in an already niche hobby so they’re probably not going to have a huge buying audience. They’re also bootlegs of games that already have official translations in physical form on other consoles.

I agree with a3quit4s, $200-300 or a bulk deal for all three. If you’re looking for a quick sale $180-200 might get it sold quickly. You could always chuck it up here FO or FS and see if anyone is interested.

[DiscreetT | 1]

2 hours ago, Brickman said:

That’s odd, your picture is the same as the eBay picture. 

Anyway, these are pretty niche items in an already niche hobby so they’re probably not going to have a huge buying audience. They’re also bootlegs of games that already have official translations in physical form on other consoles.

I agree with a3quit4s, $200-300 or a bulk deal for all three. If you’re looking for a quick sale $180-200 might get it sold quickly. You could always chuck it up here FO or FS and see if anyone is interested.

your picture is the same as the eBay picture. 

Yes sorry I pulled the picture from Google as a reference, I don't have my phone cord to upload the images I took on my phone 

[sp1nz | 613]

TimeWalk's NES games were sold at $68-70 and SNES games at $95 brand new from their shop. I saw some insane sold listings back in the day but eBay can be easily manipulated and people get a wrong perception. Looking at recent eBay sold listings the perception for TimeWalk stuff seems to be $70-200 opened and $200-400 sealed depending on the game. Maybe put them on sale for $100-200 each (with best offer if you try the higher end), since I don't doubt there are some people out there that would drop at least $100 on each.

[VmprHntrD | 1]

I remember these when I was just about done doing this stuff online, and those prices seem right.  I wouldn't drop more than what they sold for originally if that maybe.  They're just glorified bootlegs of the originals and people have done more and better in some ways since.  This is a niche within a niche, within a fanboy service as you'd have to just care about that dead group, what they did, and what the game is, and that's a lot of IFs.  Drop a high value and let it wait with offers, or start it at the old new price from back then and see what happens.

[fcgamer | 4,729]

On 8/28/2023 at 1:11 PM, Sumez said:

Obviously it's a bootleg, so it has no genuine value,

Lololololololololololololololololololololololol. Please tell me another joke. Hummer Team's original Aladdin game (which you would consider a bootleg, though I personally would consider an unlicensed original) sold for $1000 at open auction a few years back.

@OP: Timewalk games stuff was always considered high quality back in the day, and then they did the golden Duck Tales release which Capcom allegedly authorized, though the team shut down possibly due to getting too big or due to legal threats, those were the two main theories back in the day.

Ask someone like @Ferris Bueller about the value and going rate of these, he may know.

As for myself, I'm a fan of "repros" and fanmade stuff as much as the next guy here, but to say it has *no genuine value* as Sumez stated, I just don't believe that at all. If the current listings are at $1000, list yours at $500 and take offers.

 

 

[Sumez | 2,967]

At least read my entire post before you go off about single snippet of it

[fcgamer | 4,729]

5 hours ago, Sumez said:

At least read my entire post before you go off about single snippet of it

I did, and it was really condescending. 

[Sumez | 2,967]

Dude, it's an unlicensed bootleg release, and even selling it at all is illegal.

There's a super niche collector market for it, so of course someone is willing to pay for it, given you can find a buyer. But that doesn't change the facts.

[a3quit4s | 4,103]

2 hours ago, Sumez said:

Dude, it's an unlicensed bootleg release, and even selling it at all is illegal.

There's a super niche collector market for it, so of course someone is willing to pay for it, given you can find a buyer. But that doesn't change the facts.

I don’t disagree but you’re saying people who collect Final Fantasy are super niche? Aren’t they a dime a dozen like Zelda collectors like myself? Plus we’ve relativity seen Timewalk stuff regularly sell for way over what its MSRP was. Shit I paid a boatload for some of the Moonshake records for games I enjoy but don’t love. 

[Sumez | 2,967]

5 minutes ago, a3quit4s said:

I don’t disagree but you’re saying people who collect Final Fantasy are super niche?

People who collect bootleg releases.

If I make my own cartridge with one or more FF games on it, and put some nice artwork on it, does that mean "people who collect Final Fantasy" has to buy that cartridge? That makes no sense.

Of course if we're just talking someone who wants a cool cartridge version of the FF5 translation to play on their SNES, and don't want to bother making it themselves, this item has some interest. But the moment it's being put up for sale for more than it costs to produce or buy from any other bootlegger, that group of people is no longer the target audience for this, because they can get it cheaper.

The problem with bootleg collecting is, how do you define if the release is "genuine" or not? I'm sure you can find some sort of hard-to-fake tell that this was produced by Timewalk, but then you also have to justify why that itself gives the item any value.
If someone else makes a boxed release of SNES Final Fantasy 5 patched with the fantranslation, and the same artwork on it, is that worth the same, or less? And if so, why? How do you tell that it was made by Timewalk or someone else, and more importantly why does that make a difference?

Given the interest by the relevant collectors, there will be a difference, and it will affect the value. But it's a slippery slope, and it makes establishing the actual market value of items like that quite difficult. Ultimately it's of course all a question of what someone out there will be willing to pay, which is what I was saying in my first post. And that "someone" might be a very small single-digit number.

 

[a3quit4s | 4,103]

I dunno I still feel like you’re really stuck on the bootlegging thing and undervaluing Timewalks name and its ability to command a premium. Certainly not $1,000 a piece but definitely over MSRP at $150-$250 a piece with less as a discount for the lot. 
 

Either way, it’s always good to have conflicting sides when establishing value. Every bit helps. 

[Ferris Bueller | 495]

On 8/27/2023 at 11:00 PM, DiscreetT said:

They are apparently reproduction carts from Timewalk games which shut down over 10 years ago. I have FFIV, V and VI all factory sealed. Only listing or seller I could find for a price idea was ebay with listings at 1000.00 which I don't consider because noting has sold

Let's start with the fact that Sumez doesn't know what he's talking about and I just blocked him, for what that's worth. Ain't got no time for that.

Timewalk Games games have value, some more than others, depends on the title. There are some people out there with listings that are astronomical, but they are indeed worth more than just some bootleg. I consider Timewalk FF games to be more common, but also more popular.

I would guess they all sell for at least $100-250 each, but because you have the series, I would suggest potentially listing them as a group? Just a thought, not sure if if it's a good idea. I like OBO because there are always auctions that go under the radar and someone gets a steal. (Talking about listing as 99 cent open auction here) Unless you list like all your uncle's stuff at once, because sometimes a big sale garners more eyes and then titles go for above value, I'd do $500 per or $1500 for the set OBO and see what happens.

There was a slipcase that went with the Final Fantasy Timewalk series when sold as a set that you never see. If you run across that, that would be special. If you have any questions or want more info, let me know.

They are a niche item, but that niche is growing. I just helped someone with a book about collecting and they included some Aftermarket games, like Timewalk's releases. I had to pull about my shelf because the internet is not as rememberful as people think it is and a lot had been wiped. Should be an interview with me in it when it comes out, link below.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgccfg/the-video-game-collectors-field-guide

Man, that other guy. He comes off like he knows what he's saying and just doesn't. Clown shoe.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Ferris Bueller
Point.

[Sumez | 2,967]

47 minutes ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Let's start with the fact that Sumez doesn't know what he's talking about and I just blocked him, for what that's worth. Ain't got no time for that.

[fcgamer | 4,729]

15 hours ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Let's start with the fact that Sumez doesn't know what he's talking about and I just blocked him, for what that's worth. Ain't got no time for that.

It's nice to be having a conversation with someone who knows something, for once.   Shouting to the gods like I'm some sort of court jester gets tiring after awhile.

Quote

Timewalk Games games have value, some more than others, depends on the title. There are some people out there with listings that are astronomical, but they are indeed worth more than just some bootleg. I consider Timewalk FF games to be more common, but also more popular.

I would guess they all sell for at least $100-250 each, but because you have the series, I would suggest potentially listing them as a group? Just a thought, not sure if if it's a good idea. I like OBO because there are always auctions that go under the radar and someone gets a steal. (Talking about listing as 99 cent open auction here) Unless you list like all your uncle's stuff at once, because sometimes a big sale garners more eyes and then titles go for above value, I'd do $500 per or $1500 for the set OBO and see what happens.

There was a slipcase that went with the Final Fantasy Timewalk series when sold as a set that you never see. If you run across that, that would be special. If you have any questions or want more info, let me know.

The part that seems to get lost on people like @Sumez is the context and time from which these games were conceived. Whether Timewalk Games will at the end of the day be just a small footnote in gaming history, who knows, but at the time they had quite the reputation with their high-quality "reproductions", and they even did that Duck Tales cartridge that was seemingly done with a blessing from Capcom themselves, which IMO may just be enough to cement them a notable spot in gaming history books.

As someone who does not generally collect games for North American machines, the Timewalk stuff never had much of an appeal for me personally, especially since it was being made in the modern times and it was just translations of games; however, ten years have quickly passed or whatever and suddenly I get it and can see these as collectible pieces that folks might want to document and collect! It's funny how those things work.

Quote

They are a niche item, but that niche is growing. I just helped someone with a book about collecting and they included some Aftermarket games, like Timewalk's releases. I had to pull about my shelf because the internet is not as rememberful as people think it is and a lot had been wiped. Should be an interview with me in it when it comes out, link below.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgccfg/the-video-game-collectors-field-guide

Context is so important when looking at this type of stuff, which is why I don't really see much collectability in anything being made at will by Aliexpress. The Timewalk items are different though, just as how a bootleg Super Mario cartridge from Stendo has value, or the 168 in 1 multicart, which is also quite historically significant.

Quote

Man, that other guy. He comes off like he knows what he's saying and just doesn't. Clown shoe.

Agreed. He needs to break free from his puritanical shackles. Even Nintendo themselves, Konami, etc. were doing tons of "weird" stuff back in the day, so to just say "Oh, it doesn't have a shiny license on it so it's worth nothing" is just ignorant.

[RH | 4,915]

I forgot Timewalk made the gold DuckTales carts in the lunch boxes as press kits.

That’s a legit personal grail for me.  

[Khromak | 769]

TBF this isn't a matter of "a shiny license", this is literally IP theft.

This isn't an "unlicensed" release, like Nintendo didn't give their official seal of quality to a company to release their game on a Nintendo platform.

Square paid some people to make a game, they own the rights to produce the game, and another company made commercial releases of their IP. This isn't some administrative rubber stamp, it's literally a crime.

Edit: just to be clear, I agree that bootlegs can have value, and some are better quality than others. But I don't think we should downplay the "unlicensed" part of this as just being some kind of manufacturer nonsense.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Khromak

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

12 minutes ago, Khromak said:

TBF this isn't a matter of "a shiny license", this is literally IP theft.

This isn't an "unlicensed" release, like Nintendo didn't give their official seal of quality to a company to release their game on a Nintendo platform.

Square paid some people to make a game, they own the rights to produce the game, and another company made commercial releases of their IP. This isn't some administrative rubber stamp, it's literally a crime.

Edit: just to be clear, I agree that bootlegs can have value, and some are better quality than others. But I don't think we should downplay the "unlicensed" part of this as just being some kind of manufacturer nonsense.

Every repro falls under this same umbrella.   

As far as a crime, so are speeding, jaywalking, and apparently wearing patent shoes with no underwear in Cleveland.

[Khromak | 769]

Yeah, I agree. That's why I don't buy repros, and don't endorse or promote them. Unless a product got a license from the IP owner, I will not purchase it.

Whether we like it or not, IP law exists for a reason. Nobody would spend $100m paying developers to make a game, including pay voice actors, animators, writers, graphical artists, etc. if they knew that anyone who could produce the disc and sell it on etsy for $20 could cut into their profits.

Like it or not, when someone puts the effort in to make a thing, they have the right to determine how money is made off of their work. I, for one, am perfectly OK with that.

Anyway these cartridges are neat and all, I'm sure plenty of people want to buy them and they're a neat little collectible, and certainly interesting from a historical perspective since this bootleg company gained some notoriety before they were shut down. Hopefully OP gets a decent chunk of change off these items, and they go to someone who can appreciate them.

[fcgamer | 4,729]

43 minutes ago, Khromak said:

TBF this isn't a matter of "a shiny license", this is literally IP theft.

Konami was literally bootlegging their own games! Nintendo might have done some shady thing up in Korea too.