Another Year has past and time to go over what I found was the best pieces I added to my video game collection in 2023.
List is based on anything from rarity to just something I got excited to add to my collection or just loved playing this year.
I'd love to hear your best pickups for the year, It don't have to be 30, just pick the top 5, 3, or even one.
It could be a rare game, a game you played the most this year or something you always wanted and finally got this year.
So lets start my list of the top 30 pickups I got in 2023.
30. Cybervision 2001 Home ComputerAn odd computer console from the late 70s that only sold at Montgomery Ward's. I saw this up for sale on Ebay and tossed a low bid on on it and to my surprise I won it. I really don't think anyone cared about this thing. lol
It's one of those systems that looked so 70s and wanted it in my collection, A system that will always get a reaction of "what is that?".
29. Wonder Boy in Monster Land (SMS)A friend was selling his collection and he had a huge collection of SMS games, This was one of the games I've been wanting in my collection for years,
I finally got copy for a great deal and I finally got to play this game on the SMS.
28. LG DVS CD-i (VE-200)I love adding odd and rare game consoles to my collection and this was so cool to find at a great price. There's a lot of CD-i consoles variants and when I see lists
of CD-i consoles this one is missing a lot. It appeared on eBay for an okay price, but I threw out an offer and it was accepted. Another system most people will see in my game room and not know what it is.
27. NIV Bible & The 20 Lost Levels of Joshua (GB)This was a game that only makes this list because of it's rarity, I saw this on eBay for close to $600 and put it on my watch list, and I get sent an offer of under $200 and it came with the manual, I look online and saw only other one was sold for $500 and it was cart only. I had to take the offer.
26. Car Batter Joe (GBA)This came into my local used game store with it's manual. It was priced at about $200, It sat there in the glass cabinet for a long time. One night I decided to trade in a tub full of scrap games I picked up from garage sales that I might have paid $100 for and they offer me close to $500 in store credit and I got this rare GBA game.
25. Final Fantasy I-VI Collection - US RELEASE (Switch/PS4)These are one of the games I was so glad I was able to get an order in. I got both US ESRB versions, the PS4 version is the one that is more rare due to it didn't get an international release like the Switch version did. I bought that version to open. At this time the PS4 version will be one of the rarest and most expensive for the system in the future. I feel blessed I was able to get a copy of both.
24. Street Fighter Collection (SAT)Another game my friend sold me, He had a lot of the rarest games for Saturn, He sold me this as part of the lot I needed for my collection. I'm always happy to find Saturn games for my collection.
23. Heart of the Alien (Sega CD)I don't find Sega CD games often and when I went long distance game hunting I find a small game store I've never been too before and they had a huge selection of Sega CD games, I made a decent stack of games I needed in my collection and the owner made me a great bundle deal.
22. Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800)I've been slowly trying to get more 7800 games, I usually just look for loose carts, but I saw an open bid for a sealed copy of Scrapyard Dog and made bid and won it for about half of what people ask for a sealed copy.
21. Psycho Fox (SMS)this was part of the bundle I got from my friend, Another SMS game that I've been wanting in my collection and its not a bad platformer to play too.
20. Hurricanes (SNES)This game was never on my list of games I wanted till my buddy got a copy and I found out its a platformer and not a Soccer game. While its not the greatest game its still better then I thought it going to be. Guess its based on a cartoon from the 90s. But it was on my hit list once I found it to be kind of hard to find.
I made a HUGE trade with a big collector (there's more on this list).
19. Brutal: Above the Claw (32X)I sold a ton of extras to a big reseller and used that money to get two games in my collection. This game was underpriced and sealed at a game expo.
The other game I got you'll see later on this list.
18. Mega Man Star Force 2 Zerker × Saurian (NDS)I love the Mega Man series and this was one of the few I was missing. Found it at my local used game store and got it for a great price.
Think I still need three more Mega Man games on the DS.
17. Avenging Spirit (GB)When I saw LRG do a reproduction cart, I almost bought it but I looked up to see if it got an original release, It did and I didn't recognize it due to its bland cover. I passed on buying the Reprint and watched auctions for an original copy. months later I see one with an open auction, I watch it and bid near the end and won it for about half the price of what others sell for. (whoo hoo)
It's a fun game, I don't know why they didn't put a ghost on the cover of this game instead of a gangster with a tommygun.
16. Ogre Battle (SNES)This was a game that felt like a torn in my side for years, Years ago I went game hunting with a buddy and he found this game before me and I missed getting one, then I was at an expo and I saw a copy at a good price and I wanted to see what else the show had and came back and it was sold, then later I find one at a good price online and I get a fake copy (yes I got my money back) Then out of nowhere I find one at a random game store I stopped at. It was in such great shape and a good price, I asked the owner if he could open the game for me and he did, it was the real deal and I picked it up.
15. Nintendo Switch OLED Zelda EditionWhile I know, this system isn't that rare or anything, But when I saw the leaked pictures of the Tears of the Kingdom Switch, I wanted one so bad.
I'm not one that goes bonkers for variant color consoles, But every time I see a Zelda or Metroid special edition system, I'm in.
14. Soul Star (Sega CD)When I bought that Heart of the Alien on Sega CD I also got this game, one they had a great price for it and they made me a bundle deal. It's a cool shooter, I always get excited getting new Sega CD games in my collection, I had a good year for getting Sega CD games this year.
13. Dungeon Explorer (Sega CD)This was a part of the HUGE trade I made with a large collector, and I loved this game. This game is basically Gauntlet on the Sega CD.
Great Multiplayer on the Sega CD. So glad I got a copy of this game finally in my collection.
12. Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom - Collector's Edition (Switch)I love Zelda games and when Breath of the Wild came out I felt this was one of the best Zelda games in a while. Then I get Tears of the Kingdom and I couldn't put this game down. For me this was my GotY. I beat this game into the ground. I'm sad to hear the next Zelda is not going to be apart of this series of Zelda but I hope they keep the open world with the next Zelda.
11. Ardy Lightfoot (SNES)This was a game I've been watching for on eBay for a long time, The games that appeared online where ether in rough shape or way overpriced.
Then I made a HUGE trade with a big collector and he had this game in great shape and he had it in the box. I traded a ton of my extras to get a bunch of rare game I needed for my collection, there's more from this trade ahead.
10. Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus (SNES)This was part of the HUGE trade, He had the game brand new in box, he was the one who broke the seal. Now this game is not good, but I loved the weirdness this game is. I love my weird games and I've been trying to get a copy for years and I finally get one and complete the weird Heath Hero games on SNES.
9. Futurama (PS2)There was two high value games I was missing on PS2, This was one. Then my local used game store got a copy in and in great shape. I'm also love the Futurama series. I used my store points and got it for a great price. The game is okay, I only really recommend it if your Futurama fan.
8. Dungeons & Dragons Collection (SAT)This was a game on my watch list on eBay for a long time, I couldn't pull the trigger till I could find a good deal for one. When my friend was selling his collection and I saw this in there, I bundled it with everything else I was getting and got it for a lot less then online.
7. Golden Axe Warrior (SMS)Another hard to find SMS game my friend sold me in that bundle from his collection. I never played this game before and never looked up footage.
I thought it was going to be like the other Golden Axe games but it turns out to be a Zelda clone. One of my new favorite games for the SMS.
6. Super Turrican 2 (SNES)Part of the HUGE trade with a big collector, this was another game I had a hard time finding in the wild or a good deal online. When I found it in his collection for trade I jumped to add it the games to trade my extras for.
5. Sonic Blast Man 2 (SNES)Another game from the HUGE trade, another one of the SNES games I wanted in my collection and I finally got it.
4. Flink (Sega CD)Part of the HUGE trade, This game was a game I almost bought years ago for like $50 and then I kicked myself because the game shot up in price not long after that. Glad I was able to get it in this trade.
3. Earthworm Jim - Special Edition (Sega CD)Part of the HUGE trade, I had a tough time finding this game at all in the wild. I had to include it in this trade.
2. Radical Rex (Sega CD)Part of the HUGE trade, I knew this was the number one game I had to get from this collector, This game usually at most has only one copy (if your lucky) appear
on sale online. He even wanted me to know that he saved the sticker that was on the original seal. This might be the most valuable but I feel it is rarer then
Snatcher, Popful Mail or maybe even Keio, right now there's six CIB Keio's and only one CIB Rad Rex on eBay as of writing this. Glad to have this in my collection.
1. The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire (32X)This had to be number one, This was the other game I used the money I got selling a ton of extras to a big reseller. At an Expo I saw this game CIB and the seller made me a deal I couldn't say no too.
I knew this was my only chance to get this game in my collection so I had to pull the trigger and buy it. With this and Brutal off the 32X list I might just complete the 32X collection in the future.
And that's my best additions to my collection in 2023, Every year I wonder if I can top that last and this year I got a lot of grails off my list.
I hope everyone got at least one grail off your list of some kind, and may 2024 be better then the last year for all of us
in both collecting video games and in life. Here's too a wonderful 2024.
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