Shining Force 3 – Scenario 2 & 3 – Sega Saturn
Shining Force 3 is known for its intricate yet compelling story, great in-game graphics, and simple but addictive gameplay system. It is considered one of the best RPGs (role-playing games) ever created. The first part of the Shining Force 3 trilogy, “God Warrior of the Kingdom”, was released in North America, Europe and Asia. However, the second (“Target Child of God”), as well as the third (“Bulzome Rising”) instalments, were never released outside of Japan. This is attributed to the release of the game at the end of Saturn’s life and the imminent release of Sega Dreamcast.
The approximate eBay price – between PS80 and PS100 for the entire trilogy.
Time spent on the game: Many, many hours
Rent a Hero No. 1 – Sega Dreamcast & Xbox
Taro Yamada lives with his sister and parents in a strange mix of Japanese culture and suburbia. He is asked to order pizza. The delivery man delivers the pizza and also gives Taro a Rent-A-Hero uniform. Taro dons the battery-powered suit and is ridiculed by his father for wearing an outfit that looks like Godzilla. Taro, not realising the power of the suit’s strength, knocks his father out. Enter your hero – Rent-A-Hero.
Rent-a-Hero-DreamcastThe obscurity of Rent-A-Hero is evident from the very start of the game. This offbeat action-RPG game will have you doing a variety of tasks. These include rescuing kittens from trees and fighting Dr Trouble. You’ll also receive a set-top box called “Dreamcast” by a company called “SECA”, which will alert you to superhero jobs now that you are a part-time superhero.
This “B-Movie”, despite its American appearance and feel, never made it to North America or Europe. It was primarily due to the inclusion of jokes about Japan. Rent-A-Hero made minor appearances in North America, Europe and Fighting Vipers Megamix.
Estimated eBay price – currently not listed on eBay
Learn Japanese at an approximate cost of PS1000
Dokidoki Majo Shinpan – Nintendo DS
Translated to mean “Thump Thump Witch Judgment!” Doki Doki, also known as “Thump-Thump Witch Judgment” or “Heart-Pounding Magical Investigation”, epitomizes the absurdity of Japanese videogame culture.
As Akuji, a junior high student, you assume the role of an Angel who has asked you to find a witch who has entered his school. Akuji (or, more disturbingly, you) must use the touch screen and stylus of the Nintendo DS to search suspects for a “witch mark”. The majority of the “suspects”, who are Japanese schoolgirls, fit perfectly into the Japanese obsession.
In a nutshell, you are responsible for searching your school campus for schoolgirls and pawning each one while trying to make a witch mark. According to the Japanese instruction manual, you should play a game where no one can see you. It is sound advice. Otherwise, it could be over.
Approximate eBay price – PS20-PS30
Time spent in prison: 5-10 years
Guitar Freaks & Drummania – Playstation & Playstation 2
Many people don’t realize that the Japanese made fools of themselves in their living rooms long before we Europeans. While many credit Guitar Hero and Rock Band for creating the guitar and drum game craze, Konami was the one who actually made it with their arcade releases in 1998 of Guitar Freaks and 1999 of Drummania. The latter was later transferred to the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3 in Japan.
Players will use a plastic guitar that looks similar to the Fender Jazzmaster. They must press the buttons which correspond with the coloured bars on the screen and then move the pick lever until the yellow line crosses. The player can tilt the guitar up briefly, similar to Guitar Hero’s “Star Power”, to earn extra points while playing the notes. This is the stuff of rock stars.
Konami didn’t stop at just introducing buttons to a toy guitar. Drummania is a collection of five pads that represent a hi-hat and snare drum as well as high tom, low, and cymbal. Similar to Guitar Freaks, players can watch the coloured notes scroll down and hit the drum when they reach the yellow line.
It is not clear why Guitar Freaks wasn’t released in North America and Europe. However, Drummania was never produced for American markets because John Devecka (creator of Drumscape) held the US patent for “drum simulator games”. This patent was later purchased by Activision.
The price range for both the games and guitar/drums is approximate PS100-PS250
Your friends’ laughter at you, while you lose all your dignity, is the approximate price.
Segagaga – Dreamcast
Segagaga was released in Japan on March 31, 2001, at the end of the Dreamcast’s lifespan. It is Sega’s final song before it leaves the hardware industry. Segagaga has been regarded by many as the epitome of what is lacking from the videogame market today – originality.
Segagaga, at its core, is an RPG. However, rather than the classic save the world/princess storyline, your challenge will be to save Sega against the forces that video game creators experience every day. Sega’s “Sega simulation” is a reminiscence of the past before it stunned the world by pulling the Dreamcast from production. Sega is saying, “How would you have done that?” “.
Segagaga’s concept isn’t far off the truth, as it turns out. Sega may not have known the outcome of the Dreamcast’s short life span, but it is possible that the development of the game began early or halfway through. Sega decided that DOGMA (Sega’s rival in-game) logo was too similar to Sony’s PSX logo and that the game was recalled. The DOGMA logo bears a striking resemblance to the PSX logo. It is possible that Sega was thinking of Sony when creating the game.
A contingency plan called “Project Segagaga” was developed when the company was founded in 1951. In 2025, the program is launched to save Sega’s main competitor, DOGMA. Sega has a 3% global market share. Segagaga assigns two teenage boys to keep the company as part of its plan.
Approximate eBay price – PS50
It takes approximately 30 minutes to find a copy.
