YOURTURN

As of right now, I have my flight book and loft reserved for six weeks. So I am planning to just play Final Fantasy VII between now and the time I have to respond to anything here. Or post something. Or whatever.

Pretty much every Squaresoft RPG I got my hands on for the SNES. Games like the Persona series overwhelm me with the "dating" system, but these games have me wonder if there is a combination of things I am not doing correctly.

I think the game shames people who do not have the ability to have a block-like physique. Especially with the way they promote it on the PS4. Which is why I asked my therapist if getting an Xbox Series S would help end the body shame they had put me through. Yes. And that is why I shall never forgive Square Enix for putting Dragon Quest X on the 3DS. Because in 2017 I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could not live without it by my side. But then I spent so many nights thinking how those sellers did me wrong. And I grew strong. And my budget learned how to move along. I buy my import games from online stores. So that is a conundrum for me. But in most cases I consider them to be a sub-set. With top priority being tied to any games that either Square Enix or VGS has to sell. I say "Sure." simply because there are cases where some regions have region-free exclusives, and others are sold via retail in said area. With the Shantae series being the latter of the two examples. Up to the collector, but I still say "Sure." for the same reason. Especially since Square Enix released a few Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games that were digital here in a physical format elsewhere.

I think it was that one guy who threw a chair at me after I said "Graded CIB games are technically sealed games."

Personally? I would like that. And Video Game Sage: The Forum: The Video Game as well. With everybody's avatars in place of an arcade style wrestler's head. I would dispute, but Greg is into Asian game collectors.

I wouldn't have because she also likes lemon tarts on her pizza. Now if it was my heavily tattooed girlfriend who constantly called Jerry "Maury"... That would a case where I would have thrown two chairs at him.

That reminds me... Has anybody wore a "Make Atari Great Again" cap while waving a "Billy Mitchell -> 1,062,800 <-" flag every time the Odyssey2 was mentioned there?

Yes me. I mean your argument is similar to the time GoCollect published an article that literally has one sentence saying "A WATA 9.8 A+ will sell for higher than a VGA 9.8 A+." as a reason why people should choose Wata over VGA. LINK: https://blog.gocollect.com/should-i-grade-my-video-games/ Which is ironic because the difference between a sealed game and a graded game is the material used to seal it. Because in the end you still have people whining about both not being used for their intended purposes. But seriously. If graded games are that much of an issue for you, just press the "Ignore this topic" and move on. Because there are other forums that welcome anti-grading collectors. Just not this one. And I am the guy wondering why the hell you are not using your time and energy to do a topic on authentic Asian game releases. Just not a @fcgamer style topic. We cannot afford to have Jerry Springer be a regular here.

Your choice of using them, but I officially found less of a reason to send them my PS5 games. I mean I do like their DS/3DS cases, but I do wish they did not have their PS3/PS4/PS5 case look so... Spacious.

And you argument is simply "Two distant cousins cannot be related because one is Irish and another is second-generation Chinese." All because things have changed, and the semblance is only found by those who look for it. Point being is that "sealed" and "graded" are still interconnected regardless of any changes made by said "grading" companies. With the obvious being tied to those who hate both since "games are meant to be played" and not "treated as pieces of art."

Let's see... - I started with Commodore 64 games, as Odyssey2 games were no longer being published. - Then replaced that with NES games since the home computer limited me to Apple games. I also got into the GB scene during this time, which was fun. - Then replaced that with Genesis games, which resulted in me trading those in for a used SNES. - Then I tried to get into PS1 games, which had me trade my first console for a Nintendo 64 and one game. - Then I returned to the PS1 scene because I could not afford a PS2. This ended because I ended up selling it to buy a scum bag a very nice gift. And that resulted in me buying my PS2 in the end. - Between my PS2 and PS3 days I tried out the GBA and DS. Both were a mixed bag in the end. - After I phased out PS2, I tried the PS3 scene. That ended with me reporting them to the ESRB board, and that act had Sony's legal team tell me that they were finally going to investigate the HafuGirl situation others complained about. - Between my PS3 and PS4 days, I delved into both the PSP scene and Vita scene. But I ended up making the mistake of delving into the toy scene. Which has me wonder if I would have been better off if I didn't. - Between my PS4 days to my burnout in 2022, I delved into the 3DS scene... Made two attempts to establish a solid Dragon Quest collection... Tried other series... And simply gave up on a lot of franchises. - Between my return to today... I am solely focusing on physical Japanese Final Fantasy releases on the PS5. At this point the money I lost during my adult days, more specifically my SSI days, could have been put towards a small apartment in Tokyo. Meaning... I hope to have no more revisions at this point.

You mean like the rumor that claims @OptOut was actually "kneeling" next to his son in that one photo?

And speaking of those chatty AIs... I found one I had in 2014.

I have seen it before. And I agree with everything you said. Simply because atop of what those Transformers collectors have said, Japanese Famicom collectors also have deemed a full Famicom set to be every commercially available game. Which totals to 1,053 titles. While some have argued on how the Disk System games should be tallied. All because out of the 199 titles made for that system, those that have to be digitally downloaded are extremely limited. With little chance that every found copy retains the game on it. Atop of the fact that those who limit a "full set" to what LRG, etc. have sold are ignoring the fact that modern consoles are now international. Which means they should include Japan releases (e.g. Dragon Quest Heroes I&II for the Nintendo Switch) to that list. All because it is categorically no different than me buying a PS4 copy of Shantae through LRG when the Japan release is commercially available. Along with the digital download titles, since Nintendo started that trend via their Famicom Disk System days. Again, stuff that says a "full set" does not need to include any sub-sets. Which is probably why my return has me currently focus on the Japanese portion of the Final Fantasy franchise. With the primary focus now being limited to both the PS5, and my goal putting both first and "early purchase" variants on the top of my list. Even though most western gamers will ignore the benefits since those games are both foreign and new.

That is one of the few issues I had with the "full set" debate. I mean my old findings had somebody say that Bandai's Family Fitness set was a "test market" run. Which makes the argument delve into what variants should be added, etc. With me feeling that if SE is indeed a 'test market' title, it should be part of the same titles that were exclusive to other test markets. Even if that becomes a hyperbole in itself. But it is like what you said, games today have numerous title differences and nobody says you need this or that to complete any sets. My argument has always been "If it was a standard retail release, it is part of the full set. But if there was a special condition to get it, such as a test market, it is part of that category's set." Which is why I am not treating my current focus as one where I need to go out of my way to get [insert Final Fantasy title here] if it is a "limited to these online stores" kind of release. And yet will hunt down a "early purchase" sticker variant if it is tied to a standard retail release. It is just that way for me since the rules people put on these things is insane. And I do mean "Trial Edition" releases should be considered part of a "full" PS1 set if SE and NWC is part of a "full" NES set. Which is one of those reasons why I quit the need to collect Transformers. One group I found talked about how it is impossible to truly build a full Transformers collection. And yet the group I was invited to had an "expert" tell me that TakaraTomy did not expand one of the sub-sets the other group talked about. Where as a Japanese PS4 collector is considered to have a full set even if they have one copy of every title, even if they do not have the deluxe, etc. variants.

Well... A few days after my birthday, in September, 2016, I got dressed but still felt a little depressed. My original plan that day was to visit Akihabara and maybe eat at Carl's Jr. there. I was about to convince myself not to do anything, and instead just watch TV or play some video games. But instead I heard a voice telling me to go there. So I did and ended up attending the official Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light event. Wearing a Legend of Zelda t-shirt. With my photo being tied to said event, even though I took pics of the costumes worn in that game's commercials as well. Doing every activity had me be rewarded with both a stamp and a Emblem of Roto coaster that was made out of cork. And at the end, I got to do a slot game that would determine what type of postcard(s) I get. With me hoping that I got the standard because I cannot play the game here (it's a Japan exclusive). I ended up winning three postcards of Nokturnus, with somebody saying "Sugoi!" while the repeat happened.

Seeing that I said contempt, and not content, I am just going to (edit) what I said. And instead say this event is why I am finding it cheaper to be a Final Fantasy otaku than it is to be a Dragon Quest otaku. With this being the last event I attended just for Final Fantasy VII Remake. Everything was at a sane price.

Now @Dr. Morbis, let me tell you what I mean You got one, two, three games in my collection Games that mark the difference between me being a collector and me being a bum With a capital "B" and that rhymes with "G" and that stands for games And all week long your VGS youth'll be fritterin' away I say, your young men will be fritterin' Fritterin' away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too Get the game in the console, never mind gettin' hit points anulled Or the screen door patched or the beef steak pounded Never mind pumpin' any...erm..."water" While other VGS collectors are caught with the NA database empty On a Saturday night and that's trouble Yes you got lots and lots of trouble I'm thinkin' of Reed looking for games in a store called Knickerbockers VGS promoting t-shirt wearing lurkers, peekin' in the forums after school You got trouble, folks Right here in VGS, trouble with a capital "T" And that rhymes with "G" and that stands for games (BTW, I only feel contempt because I still don't have a place to display my games after they are graded. )

I also want to add that I do not recommend submitting any games for grading if it is done for "investment" purposes. If you have a client, or clientele, that will pay premium for something like that... Then be my guest and do it. The rest are just tossing away their money simply because just having a game graded does not mean their job is done. Simply because there is more fiscal responsibilities to collecting graded games than just have them graded. So grading? There are options. - With CGA, you can simply buy a custom case with a slide bottom. I do recommend upgrading to their "Archival" level acrylic for those who choose to do this. - Versus CAS, where you can choose to skip the grading process, with the savings being $3, as they do great work displaying everything that makes said game complete. Other than that? I can only say getting them graded is worth it for those who want help preserving their games. CIB or otherwise. Just because nobody is limited to the lone copy they own these days.

At this time? My answer is "Yes." If you know me, you will know that I spent a good chunk of my life loving video games. With the Odyssey2 being my first console, and the Commodore 64 being the computer that got me into RPGs. But I also had days where I could not afford to buy what I needed to play a specific game. With more recent times making my then franchise otaku-level Dragon Quest fandom more of a learning curve than an experience. I mean the downside to what I am experiencing is nowhere close to my PlayStation days. Where I would make a point to visit my local Pizza Hut just to get a demo disc that contains Final Fantasy VIII. And be excited to pick up the latest copy of the PlayStation magazine just because it included anything tied to Final Fantasy Tactics. Nor is it the same feeling when my NES copy of Final Fantasy said my save data was corrupted and had to be deleted. Which I blame Jack on. Seeing how I was in the final part of the final dungeon. Grinding just to make sure I was tough enough to beat the final boss. Because if you know Jack, you know that he made me a... Strange of Paradise. But even then it has taken me a little less than 11 years and 2 months to feel contempt with what I have. Simply put...I have gone from hunting down a sealed copy of Final Fantasy VII International to owning a sealed Japanese copy of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. With me being contempt simply because the latter received a low print run thanks to the whole PlayStation 5 shortage scenario. Thus being part of video game history that many will often overlook. For me this meant that PlayStation 5 games, and not just every game mind you, has a similar feeling to the days Nintendo did their test market runs. As in that while those games were reissued later on, having something that was either a part of, or even impacted by, a piece of video game history is what I wanted to experience ever since I found Nintendo Age. With the bonus being tied to those who have made the idea of doing a "focus run" sound fun. Which is what I am doing once again. With all of the changes allowing me to focus on the "What's next?" segment of my hobby. Thus, making me finally feel content with how things are for me.

Those who are doing it pay $3 to $5 USD to find out that not only is their collectible both authentic and complete, there are also no signs of it being tampered with. Such as touch ups just to make it look more mint so they can ask for more money. Things that amateur detectives often overlook just because their two eyes are not trained to detect said irregularities. And based on what CAS says about them not grading NES titles, the overall cost is around $3 (their cost) to at least $5. With the rest being handling and cases fees. And any mishandlings be free of charge.

@Brickman is correct. I used to deal with Japanese GB/GBC games. And I found that them being sealed was never a factory thing prior to the GameCube release there. And even then they also had those games packaged differently. It was not until the Wii did all of the games have a more uniformed look in terms of both packaging and being wrapped. As for allegedly... They are saying that the boxes do not appear to be opened. Some sellers did open them in the past, but they often had a way to do it carefully. And only did it when they wanted to be sure all of the contents are there. Thus the whole "no wrap" scenario back then. While these days I am more prone to take that seller's word than what Super Potato's grading system says. (It's a 6 year old situation. Involving a incorrectly graded GBC variant copy of Dragon Quest Monsters.)

EDIT: Sold.

So today ended what was almost an 11 year, 2 month scenario for me. With it being 4 days from being the 5th anniversary of when I first got to see the "premier images" of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Which itself is also the 5th anniversary of the day I finally got to try anything from Shake Shack. And before I continue, I want to thank @rokushadows again for the prize. I also want to thank-- [His speech was cut short in favor of a YouTube-type commercial.] Edited out the rest...