Areala Asks: Your Gaming Holy Grail (20160506)

[Areala]

This shouldn't be too terribly difficult. When it comes to gaming, everybody's got one (usually more than one) title, console, magazine, bit of ephemera, etc... that they really, really, really want above any other. So this question is simple: what's your Holy Grail of video games? If somebody could grant your wish and immediately provide you with just one thing, what would you pick and why?

You have one week to answer, then the topic will close forever, and we'll move on to our next discussion. Thanks in advance to all who participate, and hey, who knows, maybe posting an item from your wish-list will entice someone else on here to part with it.

*huggles*
Areala

[twiztor]

firstly, i disagree with the term "holy grail". in the biblical sense, there is only one "holy grail". to use it as 'this is which mass-produced game i want more than any other' is a far cry from it's meaning. that said, i am aware of its general-term use in the collecting community. just wanted to state my displeasure of the term.

semantics aside,

the game i most wish i had that i'll likely never own is Clayfighter: Sculptor's Cut for the n64. it goes for around $500 right now, which is completely out of my price range. for those unfamiliar, "Sculptor's Cut" is a variant/reprint/limited edition of Clayfighter 63 1/3. It was mainly available as a rental-only from Blockbuster. It features the same gameplay but adds (i think) 4 characters unavailable in the original release. I remember seeing this advertised in some magazine of the time (likely Nintendo Power) and thought it was awesome and i needed it. obviously, that never happened....

[Sean697]

It's hard because I know I could afford almost anything gaming related if I really wanted it bad enough. I mean even the outrageously rare stuff I could find a way to make it work if I felt I absolutely needed it. I just have an aversion to paying high prices for unessesary things.

So my holy grail thing I guess is something I could go buy if I really wanted to. But I refuse to pay asking prices.

It would probrably be Radiant Silvergun on the Saturn. It's something I always wanted to aquire for a reasonable price. Just I've never seen it reasonably priced.

Alternately , an arcade machine. Or let's say three or 4. Likewise I don't think owning an arcade machine is out of the question or extraordinarily expensive. It just seems impracticable to find a place in my house and pay shipping and track the ones down I want down. But if someone were to say I got this Shinobi Machine, Golden Axe 2, moving Outrun cabinet, and Point Blanc and I'll pay to ship them to you, I wouldn't say no.

[te72]

semantics aside,

the game i most wish i had that i'll likely never own is Clayfighter: Sculptor's Cut for the n64. it goes for around $500 right now, which is completely out of my price range. for those unfamiliar, "Sculptor's Cut" is a variant/reprint/limited edition of Clayfighter 63 1/3. It was mainly available as a rental-only from Blockbuster. It features the same gameplay but adds (i think) 4 characters unavailable in the original release. I remember seeing this advertised in some magazine of the time (likely Nintendo Power) and thought it was awesome and i needed it. obviously, that never happened....

If you only knew what we did to games in general when I worked there... sooooo many were done in by what is known as a "field destroy," an unfortunate waste where we literally destroyed product and wrote it off. Apparently that was a better tax write off than donating them to charity or something along those lines.

Can't say I ever saw this Sculptor's Cut, but I worked there through the GC/Xbox/PS2 era.

It's hard because I know I could afford almost anything gaming related if I really wanted it bad enough. I mean even the outrageously rare stuff I could find a way to make it work if I felt I absolutely needed it. I just have an aversion to paying high prices for unessesary things.

Being a geek with adult money is a weird thing, isn't it? I mean, I COULD feasibly go and buy a four player TMNT Turtles in Time arcade machine, but should I? Then again, given some of the other weird objects (often impulse purchases) in this house, it's not like it would raise too many eyebrows to those that know me.

...and they let me have a mortgage. That part still baffles me. How did a kid like me ever become responsible enough for home ownership? I still watch cartoons and eat Lucky Charms.

As for my one videogame related thing I would want... hmm. I got to meet Nobuo Uematsu and have a signed front cover of FF7 from that meeting, so in all honesty, I'd say that would be a hard one to top, personally. I fully intend on turning a third of the basement into an arcade, complete with skee-ball machine, but like Sean points out, it's just a matter of saving the money and making it happen someday. I'm a big Initial D fan, have been for years. They had some rather fun arcade units, one of which I recall playing at Gameworks in Tempe, AZ, about 8 or 9 years ago. It had a tilt function, where the cabin of the machine would swing you around quite a bit. It was disorienting at first, but talk about immersive! Maybe something like that would be my wish for a unique game related request.

[twiztor]

oh snap!
i didn't even consider arcade cabinets. fuck, if we're including those, i absolutely need both of the 4-player cabs, X-Men (1992) and the Simpsons (1991). Plus a skee-ball machine. i mean, shit, if i'm building an actual arcade somewhere, Area 51 is a must. damn you all for making me go down this rabbit hole. Now i just want to play Lucky & Wild again, it's been like 15 years.

[Sean697]

As for my one videogame related thing I would want... hmm. I got to meet Nobuo Uematsu and have a signed front cover of FF7 from that meeting, so in all honesty, I'd say that would be a hard one to top, personally. I fully intend on turning a third of the basement into an arcade, complete with skee-ball machine, but like Sean points out, it's just a matter of saving the money and making it happen someday. I'm a big Initial D fan, have been for years. They had some rather fun arcade units, one of which I recall playing at Gameworks in Tempe, AZ, about 8 or 9 years ago. It had a tilt function, where the cabin of the machine would swing you around quite a bit. It was disorienting at first, but talk about immersive! Maybe something like that would be my wish for a unique game related request.

Or you could get this. Initial D with real cars.

http://youtu.be/3I-a5onDg7s

Edited May 7, 2016 by Sean697

[landamo]

firstly, i disagree with the term "holy grail". in the biblical sense, there is only one "holy grail". to use it as 'this is which mass-produced game i want more than any other' is a far cry from it's meaning. that said, i am aware of its general-term use in the collecting community. just wanted to state my displeasure of the term.

I got something that actually falls into the use of that term. The Nintendo Playstation prototype. There is no way in hell I'm ever going to get my hands on it but damn that would be a cool one of a kind item to have.

[3DOExperience]

This makes my head hurt! I guess I would have to say the black version of the M2 prototypes. They do exist I know that.

[te72]

oh snap!

i didn't even consider arcade cabinets. fuck, if we're including those, i absolutely need both of the 4-player cabs, X-Men (1992) and the Simpsons (1991). Plus a skee-ball machine. i mean, shit, if i'm building an actual arcade somewhere, Area 51 is a must. damn you all for making me go down this rabbit hole. Now i just want to play Lucky & Wild again, it's been like 15 years.

Haha, sorry bud... having an arcade unit in my own home has been a dream of mine for a long while now. Probably since a kid I went to school with, his dad had one in their basement.

You forgot about TMNT though, both arcade games were also 4-player. That's kinda what I am aiming for. Some nice options out there, but a bit spendy.

Or you could get this. Initial D with real cars.

THAT... IS... AWESOME. Friend of mine up here sent me some info on a motion platform, this particular one was a very serious piece of equipment, used for simulation. Think along the lines of iRacer, or other PC sim racing games. Have a spinout, YOU have a spinout, because the entire platform rotates, apparently quite fast. I'd really love to have one, but between the size, weight, and cost, it's not exactly something you would have in the house.

That said, I'm in the process of building an old Supra, so my own reality isn't too far from what the guys were doing by Fourth Stage in Initial D...

I got something that actually falls into the use of that term. The Nintendo Playstation prototype. There is no way in hell I'm ever going to get my hands on it but damn that would be a cool one of a kind item to have.

Hey, beat me to it, I was gonna mention that after the M2 prototypes were mentioned above.

[MisterXiado]

When I was a kid, the Neo Geo AES. Now that I have one... hm. I think that I no longer want anything. Not that I have everything, but I don't enjoy much of anything anymore.

[E-Day]

I wouldn't mind having a Sega VR prototype headset, even if it doesn't work. There can't be many of those floating around. Or a legit sega Neptune prototype. Or a CDX? I think I would go with the Sega VR.

[te72]

Not that I have everything, but I don't enjoy much of anything anymore.

I'm curious as to why, if you wouldn't mind my asking? Personally, I find that the accessibility of the modern world makes experiences (music, games, movies, etc) a bit less special. Hobbies I once loved and enjoyed, I have a bit of a "meh" attitude toward these days.

I wouldn't mind having a Sega VR prototype headset, even if it doesn't work. There can't be many of those floating around. Or a legit sega Neptune prototype. Or a CDX? I think I would go with the Sega VR.

CDX? At first I read that as CDi, thinking you meant that horrible awful Phillips "game" system from the mid 90's. Then I realized you probably mean something else...

Also, I'm wondering if the VR I played with at the AZ state fair about 20 years ago wasn't from Sega? All I remember was trying to shoot a pterodactyl (holy crap I spelled that right on the first try?) and being VERY disoriented. Was still a hoot though.

[Sean697]

I'm curious as to why, if you wouldn't mind my asking? Personally, I find that the accessibility of the modern world makes experiences (music, games, movies, etc) a bit less special. Hobbies I once loved and enjoyed, I have a bit of a "meh" attitude toward these days.

CDX? At first I read that as CDi, thinking you meant that horrible awful Phillips "game" system from the mid 90's. Then I realized you probably mean something else...

Also, I'm wondering if the VR I played with at the AZ state fair about 20 years ago wasn't from Sega? All I remember was trying to shoot a pterodactyl (holy crap I spelled that right on the first try?) and being VERY disoriented. Was still a hoot though.

No that wasn't from Sega. And that was Dactyl Nightmare.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_%28gaming%29

Edited May 11, 2016 by Sean697

[perfinpuz]

Sega CDX is a Genesis and Sega CD all in one system released in 1994. It is known as Multi-Mega in Europe and Asia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis

Look at Variations - - -> First-Party Models

[marktrade]

Well I guess the dream has always been to have my own arcade room, either a really cool basement like some people have with a pool table or an actual commercial establishment. For a time I seriously considered renting a small storefront and stocking it with pinball machines and just leaving it there unsupervised, but I felt convinced it would not make enough money to justify the cost. Of course it wouldn't be necessary to think about running an arcade business if one existed already and I could just go there. That would be nice.

I want very much to just play Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball sometimes. Pinball aficionados hate that game because it has no diagonal ramps and is simplified in other ways in order to accommodate the expensive bulky CRT gameplay, which is seen as a gimmick. "More video game than pinball" they would say, with me wondering why that was a bad thing. I like both video games and pinball and was really delighted by their combination. It represents the end of the pinball industry for fans, but I would love to own a Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball machine.

One of those rare instances where the pinball machine outclasses the movie.

[te72]

No that wasn't from Sega. And that was Dactyl Nightmare.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_%28gaming%29

Fantastic memory you have there, that was the one. I miss being easily impressed sometimes.

Sega CDX is a Genesis and Sega CD all in one system released in 1994. It is known as Multi-Mega in Europe and Asia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis

Look at Variations - - -> First-Party Models

Ahh, ok, I do recall seeing that in a mall many years back. Crazy how expensive those were!

Well I guess the dream has always been to have my own arcade room, either a really cool basement like some people have with a pool table or an actual commercial establishment. For a time I seriously considered renting a small storefront and stocking it with pinball machines and just leaving it there unsupervised, but I felt convinced it would not make enough money to justify the cost. Of course it wouldn't be necessary to think about running an arcade business if one existed already and I could just go there. That would be nice.

I want very much to just play Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball sometimes. Pinball aficionados hate that game because it has no diagonal ramps and is simplified in other ways in order to accommodate the expensive bulky CRT gameplay, which is seen as a gimmick. "More video game than pinball" they would say, with me wondering why that was a bad thing. I like both video games and pinball and was really delighted by their combination. It represents the end of the pinball industry for fans, but I would love to own a Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball machine.

One of those rare instances where the pinball machine outclasses the movie.

You sir, if you find yourself in Vegas sometime, need to visit the pinball museum. I want to say it's east of the strip on Tropicana, but don't quote me on that. It's a great place to drop a couple twenties and kill a few hours.

As for your idea of renting a storefront, consider that a business needs to make money to stay in, well, business. A passion on the other hand, can lose money and still be rewarding. I would LOVE to restore and modify older, lesser loved or lesser known cars, and sell them for a reasonable price to other quirky car folk like myself. However, I know well enough that car restoration really isn't a good business model, because it takes a ridiculous amount of time to do, and the market for the majority of cars won't pay what you put into them. That said... if I ever won a ridiculous lottery jackpot, it would certainly keep me pleasantly occupied when I wasn't helping out others with whatever.

[Sean697]

I have a CDX...

[Areala]

Mine will probably make a few of you crack a grin, but my personal pick for most-sought-after game-related item would be a Hello Kitty Japanese Dreamcast.

http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Kitty-Dreamcast-Skeleton-Pink/dp/B0001PWG6U

It's basically a Dreamcast made out of clear pink plastic instead of the normal white/grey scheme, with Hello Kitty decals on the lid, but it also came with an adorable pink version of the Dreamcast keyboard, a pink controller, and a pink VMU. Needless to say, it only came out in Japan.

There is another similar-looking Dreamcast for Sakura Wars, which was a solid pink on the console and controller instead of clear pink. I'd take that one instead if I couldn't have a Hello Kitty Dreamcast.

*huggles*
Areala

[kitsunebi]

Most of the things I would want don't actually exist, like a new Wing Commander game or a working Xbox emulator.

So I'd like to consider the things that DO exist, but not the way I want them to. For example, the Power Glove is nothing but so much bric-a-brac - an amusing collectible, but of no value as a useful peripheral. But imagine if it was as awesome as you imagined it when you first heard about it as a child. Seriously, this seemed like pretty much the most BADASS THING EVER.

Of course it wasn't. But a Power Glove as mind-blowingly cool as you thought it would be, or perhaps a virtual reality system that came anywhere NEAR what we were promised decades ago would be my pick.

[Sean697]

Mine will probably make a few of you crack a grin, but my personal pick for most-sought-after game-related item would be a Hello Kitty Japanese Dreamcast.

http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Kitty-Dreamcast-Skeleton-Pink/dp/B0001PWG6U

It's basically a Dreamcast made out of clear pink plastic instead of the normal white/grey scheme, with Hello Kitty decals on the lid, but it also came with an adorable pink version of the Dreamcast keyboard, a pink controller, and a pink VMU. Needless to say, it only came out in Japan.

There is another similar-looking Dreamcast for Sakura Wars, which was a solid pink on the console and controller instead of clear pink. I'd take that one instead if I couldn't have a Hello Kitty Dreamcast.

*huggles*

Areala

I think there was a hello kitty email client that you got with that thing as well. One of the people I follow on Twitter has that and just got the matching keyboard.