I have been to japan a few times, I always wanted to have a Japanese GameCube, and some other Japanese systems, so I started to collect my favorite games to collect them, but after collecting these games, after around 5 years, I completely stopped, then games I wanted are the rare ones and the prices are crazy, it cost double the price or triple the price of a new retail switch game, and sometimes there is a little of bad luck, after just buying a very expensive game, and this game is finally coming to the switch eshop, so for more is more important to play them than to collect them, so in the end I stopped buying them. So for the GameCube games in japan, I can see it is illegal to rent them, so people only has 2 options for playing them, buying the game or from some friend to lend the game to you, also many people live in very small apartment, so it is impossible to have a big collection, so probably most people buy them, play them and then sell the game in the store and buy a new game. So I think this is the reason the Nintendo brand games like Mario, Mario kart, etc they are very easy to find anywhere, probably that’s the reason they are cheap, and also everybody plays rpgs in Japan, so they are super common games, like paper Mario, baten kaitos, I saw some of them in a book off store, the price was like a new retail switch game, 60,000 yens, but still I think is not hard to find. About the spines, I have been to a book store, for some reason in Japan they love using neon colors, so there are orange neon, pink neon, green neon, these are the most common colors, so the spines are this colors, so when you go to look into the books, the spines looks all a mess of different colors, I have no idea why it si like this, I was just looking for a japan travel guide, so hard to find because all books looks so similar and my kanji reading ability is very low, there are like 2000 different kinds of kanji to be able to read the newspapers, I only know like 200 kanjis, so this makes almoust impossible to read yet for me. So maybe they used the same style as the magazines to decorate the other side of the GameCube cases. And for the cases, I think I like the American covers style more, but I like the small Japanese cases, so having an hibrid, the American style in the small cases I would like that. But this became true for the switch games, they have the small cases, and it has the American cover, so the switch has become my favorite console of all time. And also I just remembered something, in japan some consoles are super cheap, I bought a black Wii in book of for 2,000 yen, this is like 15 dollars, it was just the console, no cables, no controllers, no nothing just the console, I used it back home with my American cables and controllers and worked fine, but you need Japanese games. Also the GameCube is the same, so cheap, like 2,500 yens, like 20 dollars, also just the console no controllers or cables or box, of course the boxed complete one or more expensive, but the loose ones are super cheap, also my súper famicom like 3,500 yen, so cheap, when I putter a game inside it did not work, probably that’s the reason they sold so cheap, so I just used a technich I saw on TH-cam, use a credit card with a very thin cotton cloth, put some alcohol, inserted the card very gently like 6 times, and pum! Now it plays everything, and was super cheap, and I have used so far for 4 years and still works perfectly. But I stopped buying retro games, so expensive, I just focus now in ps5 and switch, but now because of the internet and stuff, you don’t even need to go Japan, you can create a Japanese account a very easily download the Japanese exclusives or just buy in play asia.
Ahh, also your Mario party 7 and final fantasy game, in the front or back comes written something like this セット用 I don’t remember the other kanji, but セット means set and 用 means “for”, well I cannot read clearly, but for sure it means it is part of a set, and it doesn’t have a code bar, so the final fantasy had a card box outside with the link cable for the gba, and the Mario party came with a microphone, so the outside boxes are missing.
Japan doesn't have the same collectors mindset as the US and other regions, due to many simply not having the room to store large collections, so a lot of the games that here in the West would be considered rare due to people keeping hold of them, are far easier to find over there as many would simply play the game they wanted and trade it in. As such the 2nd hand market in Japan is also thriving as older games always sell for much more reasonable prices, rather than games costs hundreds of dollars for something that's really only worth $10-20.
They also take care of their belongings. Making any 'bad' Japanese copy a very good condition in the west. Most Japanese items I got are close to new. I have to cross my fingers in Europe when someone say good condition.
@@user-vi4xy1jw7e I didn't explained myself fully. Some items presented by spawn would be considered bad by Japanese standards. They consider a very good condition close to new. Something very rare in other places. Because they don't have the culture to take care of objects.
They also just don't view video game collecting as being normal or mainstream. If you collect Gundam models and stuff, you're building something and it's productive to them. Whereas collecting games, movies, manga, etc. is viewed as just hoarding. Physical is quite popular there, but I think they just sell it off once they finish it lol
GameCube games are relatively easy to find out here in Japan. The tourist areas are tougher because of hunters. But in a small town I live in I walked into a shop and bought Chibi Robo for $35.
This reminds me of the differences in the commercials between America and Japan. The American versions just didn't know what to do with the games to show off their appeal, and weren't always true to the nature of the games. The Japanese versions just felt more confident about the quality of the games and the console itself, and accepted the creativity.
"The American versions just didn't know what to do with the games to show off their appeal, and weren't always true to the nature of the games." Can you elaborate further?
I never knew that Japanese GC games were packaged like that. I think I prefer it to what we got in Europe (which looks to be the same as the US). I always thought it was crazy that such a small disk ended up with a full size box. Something more in the size of the PSP game boxes would have made more sense
The only Japanese Gamecube game I ever bought was Giftpia, it doesn't have any English but there is a translation guide out there. The game is about a boy that misses his coming of age ceremony and as a result is arrested and sentenced to community service.
@SpawnWave, I live here in Japan and most of the games you showed are fairly common to find out here. Plus the prices are very good. However, if more people like you start collecting these JPN PAL versions, then the prices will start soaring. I've started to see a bit here and there.
The spines are meant to be aligned right-to-left since that’s how Japanese books are usually written. It’d look odd if some of the collection was facing the other way, but I think best to have them facing that way.
As someone who has bought many games directly from Japan, I have found it is super common that the Japanese version is usually noticeably cheaper than its American counterpart.
The rabbit hole is deep.. I am willing to bet that not emphasizing Link on the US cover was due to how so many fans had compained about the art syle around when it came out.
lol Spawnwave discovering Japanese games? what is the world coming to? Japanese games collecting has been my go to for years now! Bookoff/Hardoff stores is a must when visiting Japan. Other option is to use the proxy bidders on Yahoo Auctions. We need a Spawnwave episode in Japan, though all the retro stores easily accessible by tourists have gotten a lot more expensive and rarer games harder to come by. Stores off the beaten path or places that require a long drive in more remote cities still have a ton of stuff for excellent prices! Consoles are dirt cheap too! Junk sections are gold if you can fix consoles or don't mind dirty or scratched up consoles. Picked up a CECHA00 Fat backwards compatible PS3 for $70, no yellow ring, though hdmi doesn't work but the multi-out does. Gonna try fix it eventually.
It's crazy how much the NTSC-US version of Pokémon Box goes for, I own the PAL version and it was never something special for me, just something that's nice to have.
I just recently bought Super Mario RPG on super Famicom and paid like 25 bucks from an eBay seller. I saw a video from someone who went to Japan and the game was like 5 bucks American. Great video as always
Back in the day I did import the Japanese Soul Calibur II because I could not wait anymore for the EU Pal release. Freeloader boot up. That was really special then. Japanese text was a challenge, but I completed it with my brother. I still have it as a special place in my ❤.
As someone who (in addition to video games) collects movies on physical media (DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K Blu-Ray), I can definitely relate to the rabbit hole you are going down right now. Without even having to import from other regions (though that can factor into this as well), with movies over the years there have been things like retailer exclusive slipcovers, steelbooks, and other packaging variations. It's definitely a slippery slope once you start going down that road! In recent times I've been trying to break myself away from it, but it has not been easy. This has been less of an issue with gaming for me since most average games come out with just one standard packaging art in the US, and that's it. Though there are exceptions, of course. Oh, and custom cover art can be a slippery slope as well. LOL As for these Japanese Gamecube games specifically, I do like the overall packaging style. I have no intentions of going down that path myself (I have most of the Gamecube games that I want, and don't see myself adding much to it). On the one hand, I can kind of appreciate the US Gamecube games coming in DVD-sized cases since it does make it easier to line them up along side the cases of the same size from other consoles on the same type of shelves, etc. BUT I do appreciate the smaller size of the Gamecube packaging. Frankly DVD cases (and even Blu-Ray cases, despite being smaller) never needed to be as big as they are. From a standpoint of saving space, I would have preferred if they came in something more akin to the size of a standard CD case, but still made of the same kind of plastic, etc. as a DVD case. Gamecube games coming in the same size of case in the US was even more absurd from that perspective. So in that sense, I can appreciate the cases from Japan for being a more reasonable size in proportion to the disc. Also, in watching this video, the case that the Gameboy Player boot disc game in makes more sense. It wasn't something made specifically for that disc, but rather was one of these same cases with no artwork.
Also if you have an Action Replay for the GameCube, it has a freeloader in it that allows you to play import games without modded system or having the other region systems.
The paperboard jackets makes them look so much nicer but sadly over time they get folded, chipped and stained easily. Adguard bit looks top notch! Also that backdrop might look good for News Wave too.
Double- dash was an amazing game i wish they’d bring back the double driver and swapping mechanic to modern Mario Kart games for Switch. Or a double-dash mode.
I collect for the 3DS and was thinking about collecting the Japanese titles also as I love the black labels and cases compared to the usual white that you normaly see everywhere
7:30 just looked up Luigi’s mansion and it is suuuper cheap. Didn’t even think about buying it until now lol. I don’t have a GameCube that will play the Japan version but I’m definitely buying a copy since Luigi’s mansion is my favorite Nintendo franchise and it will look great in my collection. Thanks spawnwave!
I still have Pokemon Box in like new condition which I bought back then at Pokemon Center NYC. It's the version that comes in a box with the link Cable. Thinking of selling it since I need the cash but I am wondering if selling now would be a mistake.
I prefer the NA gamecube releases mostly because its a lot easier to keep them in good shape, it pains me to see my japanese gamecibe games have all those little dents and imperfections. But the only japanese games ive bought are all exclusive to the ntsc-J region (Naruto clash of ninja 3&4, Kururin Squash, Doshin the Giant, etc..) may pick up some others down the line if i find them for very cheap, but happy with sticking to japan exclusives for now
It's fairly easy to play any text-based Japanese games without knowing any of the language if you use the translate feature on the Google Lens smartphone app.
The European Pokèmon Box is anywhere from 60$ loose to 200$ CIB. For anyone collecting games with English or other languages available that is the way to do so. I did a mashup. I got Pokèmon Box disc only PAL for $60 and the Japanese version for $20 (in 2018) back when the US version was over $600. Basically I wanted the Japanese case to use with my European disc and I stored the Japanese disc in a binder. The reason I got the European version is that with modern TVs PAL is not an issue and the Pokèmon storage functionality works with the US GBA games in English. The Japanese version can work but is in Japanese and requires the Japanese GBA games or a cheat applied through Swiss or Action Replay to work properly with the US and European GBA games. Pokémon Box also has a side feature where you can play Ruby or Sapphire on the TV like a Gameboy Player (but emulated). This works via dumping the save from your GBA game and passing it to the emulator which runs a rom of the game stored on the disc. This means that since the U.S. and PAL English GBA versions are the same, Pokèmon Box PAL release will work with US carts for this feature. Japanese versions won’t work properly with the non Japanese versions as they would try to use that English save on a Japanese emulated version which is in Japanese of course.
Those Japanese gamecube games, and their box covering art look really cool. Me, I plan on collecting ntsc gamecube games too. I want to get Lost Kingdoms 1 and 2. That game series is cool.👍😄
I bought 2 copies of Pokemon Box (NTSC) via pre-order when it came out. We actually used them a lot (one for my husband and one for me...). It was so long ago though that I don't remember where we ordered it from - I was thinking it was one of the Game stores but maybe not.
I went to Japan in the spring and bought a pristine JPN Wii for like $7 and it has been so fun playing Japanese versions of very inexpensive GameCube games. Now with google translate you can just use your phone camera whenever you are stuck to deal with the language barrier.
I bought a bunch of hardware on JPN auctions and I have a HUGE pile of games that were included. I really like the package style they used for a lot of their games. Especially the PS1 games.
The pricing thing was the biggest factor that led me to start buying some games from Japan. Couldn’t afford a US copy of Path of Radiance but I could afford the Japanese copy so that’s what I got. I’ll admit I like the look a bit better as well, even if the proportions are different.
@@tobiasrasmussen4090 Really depends on the console in question. Some consoles like the DS, GBA, Game Boy, PS3/4/5, Switch are region-free so they’ll accept games from any region, sometimes they’ll even be in English but it depends on the game in question. Other consoles like the PS1/2, GameCube, Wii, 3DS are region locked so you have to either have a Japanese console or perform some kind of mod to your system, be it a mod chip of some kind or a softmod.
@@tobiasrasmussen4090also depends on the game. Your probably not gonna care too much about Japanese on a game like Mario kart. But a more test based, or story oriented game you would probably miss out a lot on.
I still can't believe Pokemon Box is that sought after. I remember buying it at launch and enjoying it for what it was at the time. I regret losing the link cable that came with it but I still have everything else. It's been sitting on my shelf for all these years.
Right? It wasn't even all that hard to get. It was easily available from the Nintendo online store. I can only guess that most people didn't know about it, and the ones who did are hanging onto it. I'm certainly not getting rid of mine.
The NA version of Pokémon Box was only sold at the Pokémon Center store in New York before it was converted the Nintendo World Store (now known as Nintendo New York), it was also sold on their website back then for $19.99. I remember looking at the website as a kid, but unfortunately never ended up being able to get it. I also have family in New York, and on one of my Summer visits I asked my aunt if she could take me to the Pokémon Center store, but she said no. Then, I asked again next year, and she took me, but this was the year after they finished converting it into the Nintendo World Store, which was cool, though I still miss not having been able to see the Pokémon Center, as well as regret not getting Pokémon Box. The Pokémon Center store also apparently had various event Pokémon. Though, fans got hold of one of those distribution machines and have worked to preserve those events.
The retro market here in Japan is very different. They don't have a lot of room to keep a collection of games but also they aren't interested in old games either. I've found a PS3 slim complete in box, a PS2 slim, two PS4 controllers, and a bunch of PS1 games in my buildings recycle on different occasions.
as much as I like colours a simplistic spine for games seems far more effective for when you're going through a shelf of games trying to decide which to try next
A lot of people here are talking about collecting/playing these game I’m curious how you play these text heavy games? I know there’s a region difference but. I mean just the text. Loved seeing the cover differences
I actually decided on a JP GameCube because the game cases were so adorable. Then I realized the prices were no where near as insane as US copies. Yikes. Same reason why I get JP Pokémon games.
That demo disc is included in multiple box sets of Japanese GameCube games. I've gotten that same one in a Gundam game and the GBA player startup disc. Additionally, if you are trying to collect these with plans of playing them, the Action Replay disc from Datel will allow you to bypass the region locking of the GameCube so you don't have to mod a system or import one. I started collecting Japanese GameCube games when I got an absolute steal on the Tales of Symphonia edition system years ago, nearly complete (missing the controller and jewel) for less than the price of an NTSC GBA player start up disc. Been able to snag games like Melee, Double Dash, and Kirby Air ride for under $10 each.
@dapperfan44 as far as I know, not a single Japanese GameCube game has English language options. That didn't start being a thing until PS4 and Switch games. As far as learning Japanese, it isn't necessary. It basically comes down to memorizing the menu through trial and error. It does help to learn Katakana though, as most of the time, menu options are English words spelled out in katakana, so knowing that you can learn menuing in games faster.
My favorite collectible game in my collection is my Japanese copy of FFXII. Not the Ultimate Hits version, but the original release edition. Still sealed and in mint condition. So many times I’ve wanted to open it and watch the bonus disc, but I found it on TH-cam. Doubt I’ll ever open my copy.
I’m actively looking into building my GameCube collection at all times when I go to conventions and retro gaming stores. I am perfectly fine with not having Pokémon Box in my collection. I already got Colosseum and Pokémon XD.
There are some great Gamecube (and Wii) games that didn't come across the pacific. One of my faves was Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen 4. A big reason Japanese games are cheaper (like on Saturn/Dreamcast/Gamecube that I use to collect) is Japanese gamers don't hold onto games. They buy it, beat it, then trade it in to get new games. Mostly this is because of limited space. Then there are games that are highly sought after like Street Fighter Zero 3 saturn because it was never released here and gamers feel that version is the best (like people feel the Saturn version of SFZ3 has tighter controls than the Dreamcast version.)
I saw your tweet the other day where u bought Wind Waker and I loved the artwork so much that I picked up one also! I was surprised the case was so much smaller than the US version. Thanks for sharing! 👍🏻😊
I bought a Hanshin Tiger GameCube last year and have been collecting Japanese copies of games to play on it since they're so much cheaper than the NTSC versions. I had 50+ GameCube games growing up but sold them as a teenager so this is kind of a cheap way to get to play these games again. Plus I'd love to learn to read Japanese so these games may come in handy for that!
Been a while since I've seen japan GameCube games. There's actually another option to playing these games other then modding or getting a Japanese GameCube. A disc called Freeloader that can break through the GameCubes' region lock so you can play japan GameCube games on an NA GameCube
I don't think Japanese seller will be that stupid to raise prices like crazy. They don't watch metal Jesus and well any English TH-camr to see what's going on
@@PreciousAlpschindler rare games will be rarer because tourists will buy them and take them out of the country. And since average westerners can't keep anything in a good shape, items will be lost. And thus making them even rarer. Don't forget that natural events like tsunami, earthquakes can destroy items and thus making a bigger scarcity. And never forget GREED. Why would any Japanese fuck gaijin over prices? They already do in restaurants.
@spawnwave yes. These games are COMMON. Finding vintage games is pretty normal because Japan doesn’t have a mass trash culture and people don’t move as often as American people so there’s a lot of opportunity to have stuff stack up.
What would be cool is if they allowed us to choose the art that we would like to have. I know that will never happen, but I would love to have some of these Japanese box arts. Even some of them ones from Europe are better than the ones in the US As for the way that they are designed for shelves typically things are read from right to left which is why it looks better when they are flipped like that. I myself have games organized in a way that I read the order that I want them in reading right to left .
Not sure if this is cheap or not, but in the UK I stumbled across a game store selling GameCube games for £10-£15 (Pikmin, Mario etc.). The weirdest thing is that the store isn’t a retro game store - it just sells used games for current consoles. That was literally the only retro games they had 😂
Oh boy, I get that feeling haha, just a few days ago I won a Japanese auction that included 3 gamecubes (one of them was the orange one), 2 gb players and a few games. All of that would be so expensive over here in Europe but that auction was only 50 bucks, very affordable if I say so myself even if you include shipping later on.
The North American market disliked the cell shading of wind walker is probably why the it’s cover art was basically just the title. Probably hoping people who didn’t keep up with gaming would buy just on the name.
I don't mind all the spines being different, I actually kind of like it. I just don't like when 99% look the same and then 1 or 2 just look different. But if they are all different it's cool
I wonder if Freeloader would still work to play those JPN games 🤔. It probably would, but connecting my NGC to confirm that ain't an easy thing to do. Ah, I remember that VJ demo stage, what sold me on the series.
I've 100%'d Wind Waker so many times that I could play it in Japanese without being confused. You could also play Mario Kart Double dash and smash bros no prob
Dude, I take care of my shit ultra carefully to the point of OCD. The way you flip that manual. I don't even want any temporary curvatures in my pages (3:49).
5:08 The color looks better on the American version and his staff has sparks on it. I noticed that Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is also cheaper in Japan. I want to be able to read the game though. I'm glad I was able to get the European version at a reasonable price and it works on an American 3DS. You don't even need to set up the language since the game will be set up to the language that the console is in or just default to English if it's in a language that it doesn't support. I have the Platinum GameCube. I have no intention of giving that away. Tales of Symphonia is a good game. It's no surprise that there's a Japanese version of it. It sucks that the Game Cube version is the only version that runs at 60 FPS even though it looks like crap in terms of quality compared to other versions.
Somebody in my area in the USA was selling like 12 titles cib first party titles except like 3 for 70usd. Didn't grab them and they sold 4 days later. Still bummed out
I bought a big Japanese GameCube lot from Japan on eBay, boug it for less than $200....it came with alot of stuff...some of the accesories are well worth the price too.
Still, the question remains: Why Buying These Games Was A Mistake ? :D That disc with Pokémon Box is Gamecube e-Catalogue Spring 2003 featuring 115 games with infos but only a playable demo for Viewtiful Joe, hence the flyer with the controls.
I’ve collected several Japanese game cube games, got all the Mario party games for super cheap… still waiting for some games to show up in a decent price
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I have been to japan a few times, I always wanted to have a Japanese GameCube, and some other Japanese systems, so I started to collect my favorite games to collect them, but after collecting these games, after around 5 years, I completely stopped, then games I wanted are the rare ones and the prices are crazy, it cost double the price or triple the price of a new retail switch game, and sometimes there is a little of bad luck, after just buying a very expensive game, and this game is finally coming to the switch eshop, so for more is more important to play them than to collect them, so in the end I stopped buying them.
So for the GameCube games in japan, I can see it is illegal to rent them, so people only has 2 options for playing them, buying the game or from some friend to lend the game to you, also many people live in very small apartment, so it is impossible to have a big collection, so probably most people buy them, play them and then sell the game in the store and buy a new game. So I think this is the reason the Nintendo brand games like Mario, Mario kart, etc they are very easy to find anywhere, probably that’s the reason they are cheap, and also everybody plays rpgs in Japan, so they are super common games, like paper Mario, baten kaitos, I saw some of them in a book off store, the price was like a new retail switch game, 60,000 yens, but still I think is not hard to find. About the spines, I have been to a book store, for some reason in Japan they love using neon colors, so there are orange neon, pink neon, green neon, these are the most common colors, so the spines are this colors, so when you go to look into the books, the spines looks all a mess of different colors, I have no idea why it si like this, I was just looking for a japan travel guide, so hard to find because all books looks so similar and my kanji reading ability is very low, there are like 2000 different kinds of kanji to be able to read the newspapers, I only know like 200 kanjis, so this makes almoust impossible to read yet for me. So maybe they used the same style as the magazines to decorate the other side of the GameCube cases.
And for the cases, I think I like the American covers style more, but I like the small Japanese cases, so having an hibrid, the American style in the small cases I would like that. But this became true for the switch games, they have the small cases, and it has the American cover, so the switch has become my favorite console of all time.
And also I just remembered something, in japan some consoles are super cheap, I bought a black Wii in book of for 2,000 yen, this is like 15 dollars, it was just the console, no cables, no controllers, no nothing just the console, I used it back home with my American cables and controllers and worked fine, but you need Japanese games. Also the GameCube is the same, so cheap, like 2,500 yens, like 20 dollars, also just the console no controllers or cables or box, of course the boxed complete one or more expensive, but the loose ones are super cheap, also my súper famicom like 3,500 yen, so cheap, when I putter a game inside it did not work, probably that’s the reason they sold so cheap, so I just used a technich I saw on TH-cam, use a credit card with a very thin cotton cloth, put some alcohol, inserted the card very gently like 6 times, and pum! Now it plays everything, and was super cheap, and I have used so far for 4 years and still works perfectly.
But I stopped buying retro games, so expensive, I just focus now in ps5 and switch, but now because of the internet and stuff, you don’t even need to go Japan, you can create a Japanese account a very easily download the Japanese exclusives or just buy in play asia.
Ahh, also your Mario party 7 and final fantasy game, in the front or back comes written something like this セット用 I don’t remember the other kanji, but セット means set and 用 means “for”, well I cannot read clearly, but for sure it means it is part of a set, and it doesn’t have a code bar, so the final fantasy had a card box outside with the link cable for the gba, and the Mario party came with a microphone, so the outside boxes are missing.
I would love an update on how to improve the output of the gamecube to 1080p TVs, those black bars these days are rough. Thanks!
Japan doesn't have the same collectors mindset as the US and other regions, due to many simply not having the room to store large collections, so a lot of the games that here in the West would be considered rare due to people keeping hold of them, are far easier to find over there as many would simply play the game they wanted and trade it in. As such the 2nd hand market in Japan is also thriving as older games always sell for much more reasonable prices, rather than games costs hundreds of dollars for something that's really only worth $10-20.
They also take care of their belongings. Making any 'bad' Japanese copy a very good condition in the west. Most Japanese items I got are close to new. I have to cross my fingers in Europe when someone say good condition.
@@MacRoss1792Huh? Some of these are in pretty okay condition.
@@user-vi4xy1jw7e I didn't explained myself fully. Some items presented by spawn would be considered bad by Japanese standards. They consider a very good condition close to new. Something very rare in other places. Because they don't have the culture to take care of objects.
@@MacRoss1792yea, those would be bargain bin games
They also just don't view video game collecting as being normal or mainstream. If you collect Gundam models and stuff, you're building something and it's productive to them. Whereas collecting games, movies, manga, etc. is viewed as just hoarding. Physical is quite popular there, but I think they just sell it off once they finish it lol
GameCube games are relatively easy to find out here in Japan. The tourist areas are tougher because of hunters. But in a small town I live in I walked into a shop and bought Chibi Robo for $35.
What town?
lol i bought my chibi robo for ¥900 its like $8 or less
Oh dear….finding a new category to collect is dangerous for sure.
😳
This video was such a click bait. And that was an understatement.
@@smilingpsychooh good it wasn't just me. I skimmed the hell outta this one. Garbage
@@paradisealivegames2403use 2x speed lol
The backwards spine thing is because Japan reads right to left. Manga, books, etc all face the opposite way due to this.
DVDs are the same as they are here afaik
@@MechaDragonX you’re correct my bad
He’s so dumb and knows nothing for someone who claims to be a Nintendo lover.
As someone who collects and resells Japanese imports, Japan also uses the NTSC standard. Referring to American games as NTSC is incorrect.
This reminds me of the differences in the commercials between America and Japan. The American versions just didn't know what to do with the games to show off their appeal, and weren't always true to the nature of the games. The Japanese versions just felt more confident about the quality of the games and the console itself, and accepted the creativity.
"The American versions just didn't know what to do with the games to show off their appeal, and weren't always true to the nature of the games."
Can you elaborate further?
I think because parents of America complain about so many things, they just didn’t know how to market to America
What happened to Dorcas?
I've never even heard of pokemon box. Crazy finding out that games existed so many years later.
The smaller case looks a lot better then the over size ones, makes more sense with how small the disks are.
I don't agree
@@user-vi4xy1jw7eyou have a right to that opinion. Even if the opinion is wrong
I'm so glad Japanese Gamecube games are getting the love they deserve! My Japanese copy of Pikmin 2 is one of my favourite games in my collection.
It comes with exclusive e-Reader features.
I never knew that Japanese GC games were packaged like that. I think I prefer it to what we got in Europe (which looks to be the same as the US). I always thought it was crazy that such a small disk ended up with a full size box. Something more in the size of the PSP game boxes would have made more sense
The Japanese packaging is great! Small and simple.
More compact and KEWT❤
Japanese books are faced/read backwards to western books which might be why the spine on the right looks more correct which would be normal in Japan
The only Japanese Gamecube game I ever bought was Giftpia, it doesn't have any English but there is a translation guide out there. The game is about a boy that misses his coming of age ceremony and as a result is arrested and sentenced to community service.
@SpawnWave, I live here in Japan and most of the games you showed are fairly common to find out here. Plus the prices are very good. However, if more people like you start collecting these JPN PAL versions, then the prices will start soaring. I've started to see a bit here and there.
Also, these games are displayed white side out on the shelves in stores.
Japan isn’t PAL, it’s NTSC-J.
The spines are meant to be aligned right-to-left since that’s how Japanese books are usually written. It’d look odd if some of the collection was facing the other way, but I think best to have them facing that way.
As someone who has bought many games directly from Japan, I have found it is super common that the Japanese version is usually noticeably cheaper than its American counterpart.
The rabbit hole is deep.. I am willing to bet that not emphasizing Link on the US cover was due to how so many fans had compained about the art syle around when it came out.
To be fair, Japanese is read right to left, so it makes sense that the nicer looking side would be opposite from how ours would be.
With so many non-Japanese who bought all of the games from yahoo auction, I'm not surprised if the price to go high just like in ebay.
I picked up the Japanese Zelda 4 swords sealed with GBA/GC link cable for ¥300 (around $3) years ago when I was in Tokyo, best bargain I ever found!
lol Spawnwave discovering Japanese games? what is the world coming to?
Japanese games collecting has been my go to for years now! Bookoff/Hardoff stores is a must when visiting Japan.
Other option is to use the proxy bidders on Yahoo Auctions.
We need a Spawnwave episode in Japan, though all the retro stores easily accessible by tourists have gotten a lot more expensive and rarer games harder to come by.
Stores off the beaten path or places that require a long drive in more remote cities still have a ton of stuff for excellent prices!
Consoles are dirt cheap too! Junk sections are gold if you can fix consoles or don't mind dirty or scratched up consoles.
Picked up a CECHA00 Fat backwards compatible PS3 for $70, no yellow ring, though hdmi doesn't work but the multi-out does. Gonna try fix it eventually.
FWIW, both Japan and NA are “NTSC”. I think you meant to say “NTSC-U” to distinguish it from “NTSC-J”.
It's crazy how much the NTSC-US version of Pokémon Box goes for, I own the PAL version and it was never something special for me, just something that's nice to have.
Im from Japan and no we don't like seeing these old games around and we look down on people who purchase them..
The Japanese spines make a lot of sense when you consider the orientation of the spine on Japanese books.
I just recently bought Super Mario RPG on super Famicom and paid like 25 bucks from an eBay seller. I saw a video from someone who went to Japan and the game was like 5 bucks American. Great video as always
Can you play it in English?
I got a cheap copy from Etsy they're bootleg copies but I didn't care as long as the game played.
@@Fluera nah, but i played and beat that game like 30 times so i should be fine trying to play and understand Japanese
Back in the day I did import the Japanese Soul Calibur II because I could not wait anymore for the EU Pal release. Freeloader boot up. That was really special then. Japanese text was a challenge, but I completed it with my brother. I still have it as a special place in my ❤.
how did you import it
Probably using Lik-Sang.
@@danieljimenez1989 ?
This looks like full blown addiction. The only fix is to send all of those to me.
It's too bad he's sending them to me first 😂
my gf is from Kyoto so when i visit her she oftens shows me the surplus amount of N64 and GC games at the retro places
Lucky you!
As someone who (in addition to video games) collects movies on physical media (DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K Blu-Ray), I can definitely relate to the rabbit hole you are going down right now.
Without even having to import from other regions (though that can factor into this as well), with movies over the years there have been things like retailer exclusive slipcovers, steelbooks, and other packaging variations. It's definitely a slippery slope once you start going down that road! In recent times I've been trying to break myself away from it, but it has not been easy.
This has been less of an issue with gaming for me since most average games come out with just one standard packaging art in the US, and that's it. Though there are exceptions, of course.
Oh, and custom cover art can be a slippery slope as well. LOL
As for these Japanese Gamecube games specifically, I do like the overall packaging style. I have no intentions of going down that path myself (I have most of the Gamecube games that I want, and don't see myself adding much to it). On the one hand, I can kind of appreciate the US Gamecube games coming in DVD-sized cases since it does make it easier to line them up along side the cases of the same size from other consoles on the same type of shelves, etc. BUT I do appreciate the smaller size of the Gamecube packaging. Frankly DVD cases (and even Blu-Ray cases, despite being smaller) never needed to be as big as they are. From a standpoint of saving space, I would have preferred if they came in something more akin to the size of a standard CD case, but still made of the same kind of plastic, etc. as a DVD case. Gamecube games coming in the same size of case in the US was even more absurd from that perspective. So in that sense, I can appreciate the cases from Japan for being a more reasonable size in proportion to the disc.
Also, in watching this video, the case that the Gameboy Player boot disc game in makes more sense. It wasn't something made specifically for that disc, but rather was one of these same cases with no artwork.
Also if you have an Action Replay for the GameCube, it has a freeloader in it that allows you to play import games without modded system or having the other region systems.
You got to remember is japanese version of pokemon box doesn't work with the other region Gameboy advance games.
The paperboard jackets makes them look so much nicer but sadly over time they get folded, chipped and stained easily. Adguard bit looks top notch! Also that backdrop might look good for News Wave too.
Double- dash was an amazing game i wish they’d bring back the double driver and swapping mechanic to modern Mario Kart games for Switch. Or a double-dash mode.
would be cool
I collect for the 3DS and was thinking about collecting the Japanese titles also as I love the black labels and cases compared to the usual white that you normaly see everywhere
7:30 just looked up Luigi’s mansion and it is suuuper cheap. Didn’t even think about buying it until now lol. I don’t have a GameCube that will play the Japan version but I’m definitely buying a copy since Luigi’s mansion is my favorite Nintendo franchise and it will look great in my collection. Thanks spawnwave!
Will it work on the Wii thinking about buying it
I love how Jon just awkwardly stands there looking around implying that he's a potential victim of hacking/phishing.
I still have Pokemon Box in like new condition which I bought back then at Pokemon Center NYC. It's the version that comes in a box with the link Cable. Thinking of selling it since I need the cash but I am wondering if selling now would be a mistake.
I would absolutely sell now. Gamecube prices are so inflated
I prefer the NA gamecube releases mostly because its a lot easier to keep them in good shape, it pains me to see my japanese gamecibe games have all those little dents and imperfections. But the only japanese games ive bought are all exclusive to the ntsc-J region (Naruto clash of ninja 3&4, Kururin Squash, Doshin the Giant, etc..) may pick up some others down the line if i find them for very cheap, but happy with sticking to japan exclusives for now
I'm glad I can walk down the street to the retro shop and pick these up any day I want.
Way to rub it in.
It's fairly easy to play any text-based Japanese games without knowing any of the language if you use the translate feature on the Google Lens smartphone app.
The European Pokèmon Box is anywhere from 60$ loose to 200$ CIB. For anyone collecting games with English or other languages available that is the way to do so.
I did a mashup. I got Pokèmon Box disc only PAL for $60 and the Japanese version for $20 (in 2018) back when the US version was over $600. Basically I wanted the Japanese case to use with my European disc and I stored the Japanese disc in a binder.
The reason I got the European version is that with modern TVs PAL is not an issue and the Pokèmon storage functionality works with the US GBA games in English.
The Japanese version can work but is in Japanese and requires the Japanese GBA games or a cheat applied through Swiss or Action Replay to work properly with the US and European GBA games.
Pokémon Box also has a side feature where you can play Ruby or Sapphire on the TV like a Gameboy Player (but emulated).
This works via dumping the save from your GBA game and passing it to the emulator which runs a rom of the game stored on the disc.
This means that since the U.S. and PAL English GBA versions are the same, Pokèmon Box PAL release will work with US carts for this feature. Japanese versions won’t work properly with the non Japanese versions as they would try to use that English save on a Japanese emulated version which is in Japanese of course.
Cool, thanks for the info
Those Japanese gamecube games, and their box covering art look really cool. Me, I plan on collecting ntsc gamecube games too. I want to get Lost Kingdoms 1 and 2. That game series is cool.👍😄
I bought 2 copies of Pokemon Box (NTSC) via pre-order when it came out. We actually used them a lot (one for my husband and one for me...). It was so long ago though that I don't remember where we ordered it from - I was thinking it was one of the Game stores but maybe not.
I went to Japan in the spring and bought a pristine JPN Wii for like $7 and it has been so fun playing Japanese versions of very inexpensive GameCube games.
Now with google translate you can just use your phone camera whenever you are stuck to deal with the language barrier.
I bought a bunch of hardware on JPN auctions and I have a HUGE pile of games that were included. I really like the package style they used for a lot of their games. Especially the PS1 games.
The pricing thing was the biggest factor that led me to start buying some games from Japan. Couldn’t afford a US copy of Path of Radiance but I could afford the Japanese copy so that’s what I got. I’ll admit I like the look a bit better as well, even if the proportions are different.
How do you like play the games? When it is in japanese, i am thinking about buying some myself
@@tobiasrasmussen4090 Really depends on the console in question. Some consoles like the DS, GBA, Game Boy, PS3/4/5, Switch are region-free so they’ll accept games from any region, sometimes they’ll even be in English but it depends on the game in question.
Other consoles like the PS1/2, GameCube, Wii, 3DS are region locked so you have to either have a Japanese console or perform some kind of mod to your system, be it a mod chip of some kind or a softmod.
@@tobiasrasmussen4090also depends on the game. Your probably not gonna care too much about Japanese on a game like Mario kart. But a more test based, or story oriented game you would probably miss out a lot on.
Yes, Japans retro market is much cheaper than the US. In fact everywhere outside the US is cheaper.
I still can't believe Pokemon Box is that sought after. I remember buying it at launch and enjoying it for what it was at the time. I regret losing the link cable that came with it but I still have everything else. It's been sitting on my shelf for all these years.
Right? It wasn't even all that hard to get. It was easily available from the Nintendo online store. I can only guess that most people didn't know about it, and the ones who did are hanging onto it. I'm certainly not getting rid of mine.
Not sure that GameStop operates in Japan. So there’s nobody there to to throw these away.
The NA version of Pokémon Box was only sold at the Pokémon Center store in New York before it was converted the Nintendo World Store (now known as Nintendo New York), it was also sold on their website back then for $19.99.
I remember looking at the website as a kid, but unfortunately never ended up being able to get it. I also have family in New York, and on one of my Summer visits I asked my aunt if she could take me to the Pokémon Center store, but she said no. Then, I asked again next year, and she took me, but this was the year after they finished converting it into the Nintendo World Store, which was cool, though I still miss not having been able to see the Pokémon Center, as well as regret not getting Pokémon Box. The Pokémon Center store also apparently had various event Pokémon. Though, fans got hold of one of those distribution machines and have worked to preserve those events.
The retro market here in Japan is very different. They don't have a lot of room to keep a collection of games but also they aren't interested in old games either. I've found a PS3 slim complete in box, a PS2 slim, two PS4 controllers, and a bunch of PS1 games in my buildings recycle on different occasions.
Pokemon box is about £80.00 in the UK
as much as I like colours a simplistic spine for games seems far more effective for when you're going through a shelf of games trying to decide which to try next
I really prefer the Japanese versions of the boxes. From the size to the art. The American boxes and art never really grabbed me.
A lot of people here are talking about collecting/playing these game I’m curious how you play these text heavy games? I know there’s a region difference but. I mean just the text.
Loved seeing the cover differences
I actually decided on a JP GameCube because the game cases were so adorable. Then I realized the prices were no where near as insane as US copies. Yikes. Same reason why I get JP Pokémon games.
That demo disc is included in multiple box sets of Japanese GameCube games. I've gotten that same one in a Gundam game and the GBA player startup disc.
Additionally, if you are trying to collect these with plans of playing them, the Action Replay disc from Datel will allow you to bypass the region locking of the GameCube so you don't have to mod a system or import one.
I started collecting Japanese GameCube games when I got an absolute steal on the Tales of Symphonia edition system years ago, nearly complete (missing the controller and jewel) for less than the price of an NTSC GBA player start up disc. Been able to snag games like Melee, Double Dash, and Kirby Air ride for under $10 each.
What's your experience with Japanese imports? Can you change them to English, or do you need to be able to read Japanese to navigate menus?
@dapperfan44 as far as I know, not a single Japanese GameCube game has English language options. That didn't start being a thing until PS4 and Switch games. As far as learning Japanese, it isn't necessary. It basically comes down to memorizing the menu through trial and error. It does help to learn Katakana though, as most of the time, menu options are English words spelled out in katakana, so knowing that you can learn menuing in games faster.
My favorite collectible game in my collection is my Japanese copy of FFXII. Not the Ultimate Hits version, but the original release edition. Still sealed and in mint condition. So many times I’ve wanted to open it and watch the bonus disc, but I found it on TH-cam. Doubt I’ll ever open my copy.
That Is a shame, videogames were meant to be played. Not to rot in sealed boxes forever. 😟
I’m actively looking into building my GameCube collection at all times when I go to conventions and retro gaming stores. I am perfectly fine with not having Pokémon Box in my collection. I already got Colosseum and Pokémon XD.
John do you like chick fil a breakfast biscuits??
There are some great Gamecube (and Wii) games that didn't come across the pacific. One of my faves was Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen 4. A big reason Japanese games are cheaper (like on Saturn/Dreamcast/Gamecube that I use to collect) is Japanese gamers don't hold onto games. They buy it, beat it, then trade it in to get new games. Mostly this is because of limited space. Then there are games that are highly sought after like Street Fighter Zero 3 saturn because it was never released here and gamers feel that version is the best (like people feel the Saturn version of SFZ3 has tighter controls than the Dreamcast version.)
As a collector of Japanese Gamcube games, they are super fun to collect for. The only downside is the cardboard covers are very fraile
I collect Japanese PS1 and PS2 games since last year, it's fun!
That same case was used in the NTSC release of the GameBoy players disc. It even has the cardboard sleeve.
I saw your tweet the other day where u bought Wind Waker and I loved the artwork so much that I picked up one also! I was surprised the case was so much smaller than the US version. Thanks for sharing! 👍🏻😊
699k subs? Oh hell yeah! I've been here since about 7k subs. Awesome to see SpawnWave's star rising and rising.
My favorite JP GameCube game is melee. In Japan it's called Smash Bros DX and has some really cool box art
This is definitely a dangerous category to collect, once i bought a couple, i couldn't stop buying them
But what's the point? Can you read Japanese?
@user-vi4xy1jw7e most NA GameCube games have gotten really expensive so I think that alone is a reason
I bought a Hanshin Tiger GameCube last year and have been collecting Japanese copies of games to play on it since they're so much cheaper than the NTSC versions. I had 50+ GameCube games growing up but sold them as a teenager so this is kind of a cheap way to get to play these games again. Plus I'd love to learn to read Japanese so these games may come in handy for that!
Been a while since I've seen japan GameCube games. There's actually another option to playing these games other then modding or getting a Japanese GameCube. A disc called Freeloader that can break through the GameCubes' region lock so you can play japan GameCube games on an NA GameCube
And now the prices of the Japanese NGC games will explode...
Yea, that is the dark aspect from game collecting. They help to increase the prices in the stuff they are wanting to collect. 🤑
I don't think Japanese seller will be that stupid to raise prices like crazy. They don't watch metal Jesus and well any English TH-camr to see what's going on
@@PreciousAlpschindler rare games will be rarer because tourists will buy them and take them out of the country. And since average westerners can't keep anything in a good shape, items will be lost. And thus making them even rarer.
Don't forget that natural events like tsunami, earthquakes can destroy items and thus making a bigger scarcity.
And never forget GREED. Why would any Japanese fuck gaijin over prices? They already do in restaurants.
Gamecube games are fairly common. I always look through the selection at my local bookoff.
Japanese imports are also NTSC format, just a different region than US NTSC
@spawnwave yes. These games are COMMON. Finding vintage games is pretty normal because Japan doesn’t have a mass trash culture and people don’t move as often as American people so there’s a lot of opportunity to have stuff stack up.
I was in Japan back in April, seen plenty of Famicom, Super Famicom and N64 games, not too many GameCube games.
I've always joked about the Japanese Star Fox Adventures back saying that fox already beat the game because it's so bad. Lol
What would be cool is if they allowed us to choose the art that we would like to have. I know that will never happen, but I would love to have some of these Japanese box arts. Even some of them ones from Europe are better than the ones in the US
As for the way that they are designed for shelves typically things are read from right to left which is why it looks better when they are flipped like that. I myself have games organized in a way that I read the order that I want them in reading right to left .
Not sure if this is cheap or not, but in the UK I stumbled across a game store selling GameCube games for £10-£15 (Pikmin, Mario etc.). The weirdest thing is that the store isn’t a retro game store - it just sells used games for current consoles. That was literally the only retro games they had 😂
John, you Jinxed yourself, now that you made a video on it the prices will skyrocket 😅!
I'm traveling in Japan right now, and I picked up Dragon Quest X for about $30. Cheap games are everywhere.
Oh boy, I get that feeling haha, just a few days ago I won a Japanese auction that included 3 gamecubes (one of them was the orange one), 2 gb players and a few games. All of that would be so expensive over here in Europe but that auction was only 50 bucks, very affordable if I say so myself even if you include shipping later on.
Guess you going to have Jordan on an errand request run when he is in Japan next month.
The way you were handling that really clean copy of Pokémon Box gave me anxiety 😬
The North American market disliked the cell shading of wind walker is probably why the it’s cover art was basically just the title. Probably hoping people who didn’t keep up with gaming would buy just on the name.
I don't mind all the spines being different, I actually kind of like it. I just don't like when 99% look the same and then 1 or 2 just look different. But if they are all different it's cool
it's nice how the title on both sides of the cardboard has one with English and the other with Japanese
I saw so many GameCube and N64 games that were extremely cheaper while in Japan. I got a complete box of a Japanese Pokemon Crystal for $80ish...
I wonder if Freeloader would still work to play those JPN games 🤔. It probably would, but connecting my NGC to confirm that ain't an easy thing to do.
Ah, I remember that VJ demo stage, what sold me on the series.
I've 100%'d Wind Waker so many times that I could play it in Japanese without being confused. You could also play Mario Kart Double dash and smash bros no prob
Dude, I take care of my shit ultra carefully to the point of OCD. The way you flip that manual. I don't even want any temporary curvatures in my pages (3:49).
5:08 The color looks better on the American version and his staff has sparks on it.
I noticed that Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is also cheaper in Japan. I want to be able to read the game though. I'm glad I was able to get the European version at a reasonable price and it works on an American 3DS. You don't even need to set up the language since the game will be set up to the language that the console is in or just default to English if it's in a language that it doesn't support.
I have the Platinum GameCube. I have no intention of giving that away.
Tales of Symphonia is a good game. It's no surprise that there's a Japanese version of it. It sucks that the Game Cube version is the only version that runs at 60 FPS even though it looks like crap in terms of quality compared to other versions.
Somebody in my area in the USA was selling like 12 titles cib first party titles except like 3 for 70usd. Didn't grab them and they sold 4 days later. Still bummed out
I like how he says NTSC when he means US games, meanwhile Japanese games are also NTSC 😂
I bought a big Japanese GameCube lot from Japan on eBay, boug it for less than $200....it came with alot of stuff...some of the accesories are well worth the price too.
Still, the question remains: Why Buying These Games Was A Mistake ? :D
That disc with Pokémon Box is Gamecube e-Catalogue Spring 2003 featuring 115 games with infos but only a playable demo for Viewtiful Joe, hence the flyer with the controls.
I’ve collected several Japanese game cube games, got all the Mario party games for super cheap… still waiting for some games to show up in a decent price
I've been actually actively searching for a good Mario Sunshine listing for the JP version but most of what I see is alot of really damaged cardboard
Both are NTSC, NTSC-U for America and NTSC-J for Japan.