Worth it to buy a Saturn?

[Zz Badnusty]

Guardian Heroes was $15 new back in '98
$30 for Panzer Dragoon Saga
$60 for Radiant Silvergun at Electronics Boutique

most of my US Saturn games were purchased for $20 or less.

Dragon Force is one that never got discounted. I watched the stores for a long time on that one. Eventually it wasn't available except at one Toys r Us, when they were down to the last "claim slip" I finally bought it at full price,which was either $54.99 or $64.99.
Sucks that when I sold it a couple years ago I only got like $40 because ebay's search feature wasn't showing results properly. That's when they started moving to using their prefilled game descriptions, since I didnt use that my auctions didn't show in some search results. Who knows how many sellers got screwed on that. It was near mint with the unused memory card sticker too. I never see those memory card stickers in used copies.

[Team Andromeda]

Thankfully the price of Radiant Silvergun is coming down though thanks to the XBLA release. It's already reaching BIN prices of $130.

It's doing nothing to the price at all, The price if the game has been coming down a few years back as more people get supply from Japan. In fact most of the Saturn games aren't that much overpriced and don't much more than when they 1st came out on Import . Mega and Sega CD games has seen a sharp jump up in price these days

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Before Radiant Silvergun came out on XBLA the game was still at the $200 mark on ebay. Within a month or so after it's release those $200 BINs where still there and had stopped selling. The price then started to drop. A few months ago it was in the $160 range and now it's in the $130 range with more lower starting auctions than we used to have. The XBLA release has so affected price as now no one is paying the outrageous BIN prices when they can get the game for $10 on XBLA. The only people who still want the Saturn version of the game are Saturn collectors which has caused it's demand to drop.

It has nothing to do with more supply from Japan, as most of those $200 BINs were from Japanese store owners. Radiant Silvergun was never rare or in short supply. There have always been at least 10-20 copies available on ebay at any given time. The reason it was so expensive was pure demand from the game being hyped up as one of the best games for the Saturn if not one of the best games ever made. That created interest in not only the Saturn collecting community but the gaming community as a whole. Now that you can get it for $10 on XBLA a huge chunk of the gaming communities demand has pretty much disappeared. So the game is dropping in price as a result.

[xelement5x]

It was near mint with the unused memory card sticker too. I never see those memory card stickers in used copies.

You have no clue how hard it is to find those memory card stickers, it took me quite awhile to locate copies with the 3 different stickers, and I'm still not totally convinced that there isn't a 4th sticker type out there, but after watching for years I've still never seen a 4th sticker appear.

[Black_Tiger]

Before Radiant Silvergun came out on XBLA the game was still at the $200 mark on ebay. Within a month or so after it's release those $200 BINs where still there and had stopped selling. The price then started to drop. A few months ago it was in the $160 range and now it's in the $130 range with more lower starting auctions than we used to have. The XBLA release has so affected price as now no one is paying the outrageous BIN prices when they can get the game for $10 on XBLA. The only people who still want the Saturn version of the game are Saturn collectors which has caused it's demand to drop.

It has nothing to do with more supply from Japan, as most of those $200 BINs were from Japanese store owners. Radiant Silvergun was never rare or in short supply. There have always been at least 10-20 copies available on ebay at any given time. The reason it was so expensive was pure demand from the game being hyped up as one of the best games for the Saturn if not one of the best games ever made. That created interest in not only the Saturn collecting community but the gaming community as a whole. Now that you can get it for $10 on XBLA a huge chunk of the gaming communities demand has pretty much disappeared. So the game is dropping in price as a result.

Radiant Silvergun was for sale at every EB in my area back in the day, and wasn't much more than North American Saturn games. It's not like the massive importing of it caused a shortage in Japan either. It's always been common.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Was referring to the past few years on ebay, from about 2005 on. Of course it was cheaper when it came out.

[Black_Tiger]

Was referring to the past few years on ebay, from about 2005 on. Of course it was cheaper when it came out.

I was pointing out the lack of rarity, not comparing prices. All the import games that I saw at EB's or heard about being at various stores across North America were consistent. They must have bought in bulk to keep the prices as close to North American games as they did.

[Zz Badnusty]

You have no clue how hard it is to find those memory card stickers, it took me quite awhile to locate copies with the 3 different stickers, and I'm still not totally convinced that there isn't a 4th sticker type out there, but after watching for years I've still never seen a 4th sticker appear.

Whoever bought my copy got a heck of a deal
I'd played through Dragon Force using a number of different armies years before, and accepted the fact that I'd never set aside the time to play it again. Now it feels like a hole in my collection not owning that original with my store receipt and memory card sticker.

[Da_Shocker]

I'm looking at complete copies on ebay all listed for $39.99. The cheaper ones are Auctions that haven't ended yet and wont end for a few more days, and disc only copies. There's one complete copy for $20 but that's the only one I see. The Lunars are most likely going to cost you about $50 each at the very least if not more. So $150 for all 3 US versions of those games isn't that far off.

Grandia - $30-$40
Lunar Silver Star Story - $50 +
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue - $50 +

Adding that up we get about $130-$140. But theres tons of Lunars on ebay in the $70-$100 range. So I'd say $130 is best case scenario and $150+ is a more realistic scenario.

Meanwhile the Saturn versions add up like this:
Grandia - $8-$10
Lunar Silver Star Story - $5-$15 ($20-$30 for MPEG version)
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue - $15-$25

So best case scenario for the Saturn is $28 for all three. Worse case scenario is $50 for all three. You could even splurge a bit and get the MPEG version of Silver Star Story instead for $65 total. That's still possibly less than one of the PS1 versions of the Lunars.

Dude stop cherry picking Grandia all under 30 dollars CIB. If you think 30 dollars is to much to pay for an english translation then IDK. But let's dig deeper you have to own either an imported Saturn, a modded Saturn or 4 in 1 cart. With the PSx version you simply need a PSx. I can go to a thrift store and find a PSx for 9.99. Looking for a Saturn LOL not so easy. I have seen one CIB Saturn for 34.99. And I have them in a gaming galaxy for 30 dollars.

So let's take a look at this
PSX 10 dollars
Grandia 30 dollars

that's 40 dollars spent

Saturn 30 dollars
Grandia 10 dollars

now then you have to a way to play it

http://www.segastyle.com/store/

mod chip 37.50

4 in 1 cart 25.94

max is 77.50

lowest is 65.94

Even the cheapest Saturn method is still 25.94 more than the PSx. No wait I would have to throw a memory card in there so that would be a dollar or 2 more for the Psx.



http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=grandia+ps1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item4ab92f7e04

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item3cc8170d26

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item2572419ba3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item19d2863277

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-RPG-...item19d2532137

Notice how NONE of the high priced games have 0 bids on them. If anybody wants a CIB copy of Grandia then they will not pay an arm and a leg for it. I don't count WD games because there is no such thing as a cheap WD game in the first place. And I see that you didn't mention the SCD version of Lunars. Which of course are dirt cheap.

[gamevet]

Radiant Silvergun was for sale at every EB in my area back in the day, and wasn't much more than North American Saturn games. It's not like the massive importing of it caused a shortage in Japan either. It's always been common.

I wish my nearby EB had carried that title. I never saw it, but I was lucky enough to get Shemue II Europe from them.

[Da_Shocker]

I'm looking at complete copies on ebay all listed for $39.99. The cheaper ones are Auctions that haven't ended yet and wont end for a few more days, and disc only copies. There's one complete copy for $20 but that's the only one I see. The Lunars are most likely going to cost you about $50 each at the very least if not more. So $150 for all 3 US versions of those games isn't that far off.

Grandia - $30-$40
Lunar Silver Star Story - $50 +
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue - $50 +

Adding that up we get about $130-$140. But theres tons of Lunars on ebay in the $70-$100 range. So I'd say $130 is best case scenario and $150+ is a more realistic scenario.

Meanwhile the Saturn versions add up like this:
Grandia - $8-$10
Lunar Silver Star Story - $5-$15 ($20-$30 for MPEG version)
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue - $15-$25

So best case scenario for the Saturn is $28 for all three. Worse case scenario is $50 for all three. You could even splurge a bit and get the MPEG version of Silver Star Story instead for $65 total. That's still possibly less than one of the PS1 versions of the Lunars.

Dude stop cherry picking

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item4ab92f7e04

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item3cc8170d26

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item2572419ba3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item19d2863277

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandia-Sony...item3cc82c6d1e

That is 5 CIB copies of Grandia for under 30 dollars. Now as I have said before I don't count WD games because they are all extremely expensive. But stop being such a rapid Sega fanboy. Why haven't you mentioned anything about the import PSx version of Lunar. Which are readily available and jsut as cheap as the Saturn versions. You also have fail to mention the FACT that you can't play import games out of the box. So let's examine total cost which you haven't taken into consideration.

I can go to the goodwill and find a complete PSx for 9.99 I see them all the time now a Saturn requires more effort. Great Escape had a CIB Saturn for 34.99 and Gaming Galaxy sales them for 30 dollars.

PSx 10.00
Grandia 30.00
Memory card 1.00

That's 41 total dollars spent

Saturn 30.00
Grandia 10.00
+

mod chip
37.50

or
5 in 1 cart

25.94

http://www.segastyle.com/store/

At the very least you're going to spend 65.94 with a max of 77.50. So that makes your Saturn is cheaper argument null and void my friend. And let's not get into memory card which are extremely expensive. Unless you get lucky and are able to get this 10 dollar one at 10 dollars. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sega-Saturn-...item2ebfab406e

[Barone]

Trekkies also mentioned the MPEG version of the games, which are more expensive and require the uncommon VCD card that usually costs $20-$30 + shipment from Japan.

No, he isn't a fanboy... He just forgets to mention every detail against the Saturn and inflates/invents/promotes every detail that may be used against the PS1.
He just doesn't have any "luck" when talking about the PS1 and its games. Poor Trekkies...

[Team Andromeda]

Before Radiant Silvergun came out on XBLA the game was still at the $200 mark on ebay

That was just was sellers trying to make a quick buck. If you shopped around or used some other Import shops you'll soon be able to pick the game up much cheaper .

Radiant Silvergun was never rare or in short supply

Huh ? I've never said it rare , its just one of those titles that Saturn owners never really wanted to part with as its a showcase for the system . There's far rarer games on the Saturn that cost much less to buy. Way before the game came out on XBLA the game price was coming down a bit thanks to imports shops like VGI or Yahoo Japan getting some more supply in.

[Team Andromeda]

Trekkies also mentioned the MPEG version of the games, which are more expensive and require the uncommon VCD card that usually costs $20-$30 + shipment from Japan.

No, he isn't a fanboy... He just forgets to mention every detail against the Saturn and inflates/invents/promotes every detail that may be used against the PS1.
He just doesn't have any "luck" when talking about the PS1 and its games. Poor Trekkies...

Fanboy or not I think you've all missed an important point here . The Saturn and PS versions are not has good as the Mega CD versions imo, more so for Lunar II; Where the Art on the charters is better and there's more animation on the battles in the Mega Cd version - If Lunar your thing, The Mega CD versions are the ones to own

So let's examine total cost which you haven't taken into consideration

Fair point, but if you going to have a go at him , remember another thing ... Lunar 1 and II was never relesed on for Pal for the PS- So again you'll have to import and have you system modded to play in on the PS on Pal.

[Da_Shocker]

Fanboy or not I think you've all missed an important point here . The Saturn and PS versions are not has good as the Mega CD versions imo, more so for Lunar II; Where the Art on the charters is better and there's more animation on the battles in the Mega Cd version - If Lunar your thing, The Mega CD versions are the ones to own



Fair point, but if you going to have a go at him , remember another thing ... Lunar 1 and II was never relesed on for Pal for the PS- So again you'll have to import and have you system modded to play in on the PS on Pal.

We were talking about the American and Japanese versions. My knowledge of pal stuff isn't as thorough as it is for here and Japan