A look at my video games collection: These games that are now worth a fortune! #2

This article may seem, at first glance, rather presumptuous with a tendency towards self-plebiscite. However, that is not the purpose. Although exhibiting these jewels, now inaccessible, tends to flatter the ego of the person who owns them, this new series of a look at my collection of video games will not only allow me to make an assessment and a formal inventory of my collection that began at the very beginning of this new millennium. Sixteen years of purchases and piling up of all kinds have allowed me not only to make huge discoveries about the video game heritage but also to build my ideal game library, not to say ultimate, for the gamer that I am. Indeed, all this at a cost that seems obvious and it has been a long time since I have not browsed the different sections offering the sale of these wonders on Ebay but also on specialized forums. After a quick overview in order and the amazement that followed, I propose you to discover these games in my possession which are now being taken away at a golden price !

Introductory Edit : A wind of madness has recently hit the retrogaming market, inexorably inflating the prices of particular securities. Faced with the evidence that this type of collection is increasingly becoming a prestigious fair, it is becoming difficult to expect an exact quotation of the copies I am about to reveal to you. The time when the collection was accessible is now over ! A small minority of people now have the means to own these artifacts.

Rendering Ranger R2 / Super Famicom / 1995 / Virgin Interactive

Developed on the sly by Manfred Trenz, better known for his work in the Turrican series, Rendering Ranger is a project that almost never saw the light of day. The design of the title having started in 1992, the game has been postponed many times. Technically ambitious, Rendering Ranger R2 had to unveil the full potential of Nintendo's 16-bit system without using additional chips. A major challenge that eventually discourages the Softgold publisher who was in charge of distributing the cartridge, especially because of the long development times required to optimize the game's code. Nevertheless, the game did not fall into oblivion and was only available on Japanese stalls at the end of 1995. To live up to its promises, Rendering Ranger R2 is a fabulous blend of Run'n Gun with a hint of shmup in these intermediate phases. Unfortunately released far too late, the game was only available for sale for a short period of time and produced very few copies. It is estimated that only 5000 units were delivered in this way, rendering its visibility and availability nil. Today, highly sought after for its playful virtues as well as for its rarity, Rendering Ranger R2 is traded at prices beyond comprehension. It is also one of the most counterfeit cartridges on the platform, fuelling all the desires of opportunists who see the opportunity to make easy money. Faced with this phenomenon, there is only one way to authenticate the originality of the cartridge : Open it to check the roms contained on the PCB ...

Current price on the forums : 2000€ / Ebay price: 3500€

Coryoon / PcEngine / 1991 / Naxat Soft

A small shmup that doesn't look like any other, but ultra fun and colorful, Coryoon is in the tradition of the shmup that made the Hudson Soft console famous. Just like a Magical Chase, borrowing the traditional codes of any good game from this particular genre, Naxat Soft's production is characterized by an omnipresent humour and a graphic touch very focused on everything that is "Kawaii". Praised by the console's hardcore fans, Coryoon has a strong sympathy capital that led collectors to take this little gem en masse. This makes it one of the most desired titles on the platform.

Current price on the forums: 500€ / Ebay price: 600€

Battle Mania Daiginjo / Megadrive / 1993 / Vic Tokai

Undoubtedly one of the best shmup of Sega's console and which remains undoubtedly one of the most obscure titles of the machine, despite all its intrinsic qualities ! Following the first opus, Battle Mania Daiginjo is totally immersed in the animated Dirty Pair series: hilarious humour, badass female heroes, an exceptional soundtrack, gameplay phases that let the machine's capabilities take centre stage and a more than impressive lifespan for this type of game. Completely unnoticed during its period of existence but later rediscovered by the Sega-fans, Vic Tokai's work quickly reached a status of a cult game, to such an extent that a frenzy seized this coveted object. In addition to its collector's aspect, I can only recommend you to try this game which will make you spend a memorable moment on the console in the black dress !

Current price on the forums: 800€ / Ebay price: 1000€

Twinkle Star Sprites / NeoGeo / 1996 / ADK

To continue on the theme of shmups, let's look at the case of Twinkle Star Sprites and its reputation as a more than original and competitive game. Having made the heyday of the NeoGeo arcade system, this ADK production offers a two-in-one game. Based on the classic shmup process, Twinkle Star Sprites offers nothing less than confronting an opponent against each other, using a split screen. For the first time, it was possible to play against an opponent in a game that was already well refined. Very technical and appealing to the players' strategic sense,Twinkle Star Sprites quickly becomes addictive and very impressive when playing with friends. As a result, the game left its mark on many minds and remains unparalleled in this field to this day. However, very few copies of this hit were produced on the original platform, either in its MVS version (arcade) or in its AES version (home console). I was lucky enough to acquire an MVS version when I had the opportunity to start my NeoGeo collection in the early 2000s, and this for a fairly modest fee. In other words, for the moment, I made a hell of a deal!

Current price on the forums (MVS version): 450€ / Ebay price: 600€