I LOVED Working Designs as a localization company. Lunar 2 is still my favorite game of all time. WD is the reason why I bought the Arc the Lad collection, Alundra, Vanguard Bandits and Lunar Silver Star Story back in high school, and I never sold ANY of them. I still have the Omake boxes From AtLC and L2 with all the stuff they came with. I had no they were worth as much as they are today. Doesn't matter though. They are NEVER getting sold.
I recently purchased Lunar and Lunar 2, as well as Arc the Lad Collection with the Omake boxes and all the goodies, cloth maps, leather manuals, outer boxes, etc. I was eyeing them a few years ago but never pulled the trigger. Now that stuff is climbing in price, I got them before they get to be absolutely ridiculous. Speaking of climbing prices, I completed my PSP collection a few years ago. I'm glad I did because some of that stuff is getting expensive too. Stuff like Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Persona 3 Portable, Hexyz Force, Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner, Ragnarok Tactics, Ys Seven and others are getting pricey.
I own all these games, PS1 is my favorite console to collect for. It was such a cool GEN for video games and all these games ooze with style and killer soundtracks.
I have a few of these games in some form, such as Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, Tactics Ogre, and Tales of Eternia (UK import) all on PSP. But I have a complete copy of P2 Eternal Punishment on PS1. I bought it for $85 in 2017. I'm glad I got it when it was still reasonable. And I got a complete copy of Suikoden II not long ago for a "really good" price for what it is ($250).
Tales of Destiny II turned out to be one of my favorite games from the PS1 era. I didn't get my hands on it until about 5 years ago, so no nostalgia involved. Fantastic, fantastic game with a wonderful cast and world map. A huge improvement over Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Destiny.
About 6 years ago, I decided I wanted to collect all the RPGs on the PS1. At the time, Suikoden 2 was $100 and Valkyrie Profile was $70. I’m really glad I own all the RPGs on the system and more importantly I’m glad I didn’t pay what they’re going for today!
PS1 is really one of the most difficult consoles to collect right now. I don't see it going down any time soon, and that's very sad given the amount of good JRPGs in the console. My rarest game for PS1 is thankfully my favorite one on the console, Xenogears. Great video !
Xenogears isn't rare, it just has gone up in price over the past couple of years. 2 years ago a complete black label copy was only about $45-$55 now it's doubled that.
I was lucky enough to get a copy of Suikoden II off eBay years ago for around $110. It wasn’t factory sealed and the jewel case has a crack in it but the game arrived with a fully intact instructions manual and a CD without scratches. I love playing it and I’m not planning on ever selling it.
I have Persona 2 EP and Valkyrie Profile... I guess this has taught me that the longer you hold on to things the more valuable they become.. until they are forgotten again. Keeping them is worth far more to me.
@@cd5sircoupe PSP port missing some features like: Stretches the aspect ratio of the original to fit the psp's widescreen. It also suffers from slowdown that wasn't in the original. (Frame drop.) lost some functionality due to the PSP not having L2/R2 buttons. (PSP version was lacking an item sort that the US PS1 version had.) Besides new cutscenes, nothing was added. No new dungeons or characters/gear. PSP version is recommended only if you can't find or aren't willing to spend a lot of money for the PS1 version.
I got Valkyrie Profile for $80.....and that was 10 years ago. What a bargain! I own it, Arc the Lad, Koudelda, Suikoden 2, and Persona 2. Glad I bought them when I did.
Koudelka is utterly underrated. Its such a shame we didn't get more genre bending survival horror RPGs. Both Koudelka and Parasite Eve are utterly fantastic - it's a match made in heaven.
Honestly, the idea that a classic game's mechanics may seem archaic as you described isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes an rpg can be too convoluted, and it's a breath of fresh air to play one so straightforward.
Valkyrie Profile can be had on the PSP for a reasonable price, but even PSP games are steadily climbing (all of the Persona games are already quite expensive). As far as Suikoden II goes, if you are willing to spend the money on a copy and you need to budget your money, you can save money up and purchase a copy. But you might need to forgo other games in the meantime.
I did not realize some of these prices have lost their dang minds! They've doubled since 2020. A great list of games, but theres definitely easier ways to play a lot of these games luckily. Enjoy them however you can.
I wasn't aware for a while either. I'm sitting on a relative gold mine now, but I delayed on getting some other titles. I'm snatching some up now before it gets much worse.
Same here. I actually bought it shortly after its premiere, but second-hand. Only recently did I find out that its value grew at least ten-fold. Still, there's no way I could part with it. Way too much sentimental value.
Gotta say I love that you're covering games I rarely see discussed, like Arc the Lad, Vanguard Bandits, and Koudelka. Love that I found your channel recently.
Man I had great taste as a kid, somehow ended up with Legaia, Xenogears, Suikoden 1,2, Vagrant Story, I loved weird a nime and RPG's so when I saw rare stuff I snapped it up as a kid. Pissed off my dad.
I've been buying all the expensive ps1 rpgs that are on the ps3 store. most of them are $5.99. totally worth it if you really want to play some of these
Have you ever heard of Ring of Red for the ps2? I have never heard anyone talk about that game, though it's an amazing strategy rpg. I'd love to hear your opinion of it
I can still remember picking up Suikoden 2... my mother wanted to buy a small gift for my brother before visiting the hospital (gal bladder removal) and I was roaming around and saw this game for cheap. There were only 3 copies left. When I showed it to my brother he was surprised as he said ''I think that one is quite rare''. Naturally, nothing about buying more copies for ''collecting'' purposes came to my mind as a teenager... like most Pokemon fans... who throw/give away their cards...
I have most of this games. I'm so glad i kept my Persona 2 Eternal punishment and Valkyrie Profile games since childhood and only paid $20 each for them!
I own as well most of those titles that i still play on my portable psone, that i thankfully bought back in the days. I love Arc the Lad, i have the Box that contains 5 CD I II III and Tournament (Arc III is made os 2 CD) as well as Lunar Box with awsome gadgets included as the Lunar Pendant. Great video thanks!
jRPGs are generally among the most expensive and sought after games for older systems. It shouldn't come as a surprise -- they were usually released in small copy numbers (aside from mainline Final Fantasy games) and at the same time most of them were objectively very good. Regarding the list, you could probably include Symphony of the Night. It wasn't a pure RPG, but it did have RPG elements. BTW: if you're on a budget and have a modded PS1, you might consider buying these games from other regions, as they can sometimes be considerably cheaper (for example, Koudelka in PAL version is still relatively affordable).
That's honestly what I do. I buy most of my ps1 games from Japan since they're fairly cheaper. I recently got megamn x3,4,5,6 legends 1 +2 and Tron bonne for about 150$
I bought Koudelka on a whim 10 years ago, choosing between it and Parasite Eve and did not regret my choice. I was mostly intriqued by the combination of horror and rpg. Dunno if it being the European version had something to do with it being quite affordable?
I have heard of all the games on your list before, i have only played Valkyrie not on the PlayStation 1 but the PSP version, there are only minor difference's and some new cutscenes, it's a great game and I'm glad it made your list, thanks for making a cool rare and expensive PS1 games list TVGS good job ✌️
I played through Suikoden II back in the day, but I only borrowed it from a friend. Honestly, can't recall who of them had it, but if they didn't sell it already they're sitting on quite the item.
It's worth noting that Shadow Hearts takes place in the same setting as Koudelka, with the mummy-like Roger Bacon being a character in both, and Koudelka herself having a cameo in Shadow Hearts.
Tales of destiny II is one of my all time favorite RPGs!!! Played it through and beat it twice! Still have a block on a memory card saved with over 70 hrs clocked! Good times
Rhapsody a Musical Adventure is one of the few PS1 games to make me cry playing it, it was wonderful. I regret selling it now, If I'd only have known the DS version wouldn't include the English songs.
hey man, first i want to say love your videos!! i have arc the lad collection, suikoden (the first one), lunar the collector edition and legend of dragoon.
I got my original Suikoden II PAL copy from local auction around 10 years ago for something around 30zł (8$). The only problem with it is that it's in french xD Can't really speak french, but still definitely worth it just for bragging rights and looking amazing on shelf! English version was going for exorbitant prices...
Okay... going over the list, since I am the RPGaholic. Kind of addicted to them, y'know. Arc The Lad Collection - I passed on this one back in the day, don't remember why. ---- Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure - Oh yeah, definitely bought this one. It came with a bonus CD with music from the game, which caught my eye, and it gave me a fun experience. ---- Vanguard Bandits - It looks interesting, but I don't think it was ever available near me. ---- Tactics Ogre - Okay... having played Ogre Battle, this was on my "Want To Play" list since I found out about it. The only problem was that I could never find it for sale anywhere around me. ---- Torneko - The Last Hope - Sadly, same story as last time. Wanted to play it, never could find it. ---- Koudelka - As a Shadow Hearts fan, I found out about this after the fact, and was able to pick it up used years ago. ---- Valkyrie Profile - I think I had too many games in my actual play pile that I passed on this at the time... and now will probably never own a physical copy. ---- Tales of Destiny II - Yeah, I was really late to the Tales series. Again, will probably never own a physical copy, but it does look fun. ---- Suikoden II - I tried, but could never get into the series at the time. ---- Persona II Eternal Punishment - I really like all the Shin Megami Tensei games I've played, and I don't remember ever seeing this one near me. In the end... I own two on the list and want to play a whole lot of the others.
The two versions of Rhapsody are pretty different, just as a heads up to anyone interested. The plot and dialogue are the same, but the DS version uses a traditional turn-based battle system compared to the grid-based tactical one on PSX. The DS version also uses only the Japanese vocal tracks for the songs. The PSX version has English lyrics.
I hope to be able to play all of these games some day. I have beaten Gensou Suikoden II and Arc the Lad. I have played a lot of Arc the Lad 2, but I never finished it. The other games I haven't played, but I have heard of many of them. They all look amazing!
I had Rhapsody, Vanguard Bandits, Persona II and Suikoden II :) Suikoden was my favorite one, by having the possibility of playing with 151 different characters, awesome story with plot twists, a bunch of different battle systems. It's a SO UNDERRATED jrpg.
I don't think it's too underrated nowadays. Most RPG fans know about it. Nice list you have there. I've been eyeing Vanguard Bandits a little bit. How do you like it? I have Suikoden II, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and Arc the Lad Collection (complete with all of the extras and goodies it came with). On my PSP, I also have Tales of Eternia (actually Tales of Destiny 2 but a UK import), Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, and Tactics Ogre. So I cheated there. :)
Pretty sure Tales of Destiny 2 got renamed due to copyright issues with "Eternia". Its the name of the world in the He-Man franchise and they owned the rights at the time.
Tecmo's Deception was awesome... but I hated how the save file took up nearly an entire memory card worth of blocks. Well, at least you could save. Unlike some of the launch games such as Battle Arena Toshiden.
It is sad to see so many great games become unplayable due to their price. Fortunately some of these games have been released as online purchases. That said, I would love to play Koudelka and unfortunately I can't afford it.
This makes me sad. I had about half of this list at one point in time but the only way I could get new games is if I traded in the old ones. I had the whole arc the lad collection with the thumbstick covers and such too , loved that set
I feel that. For me I had to sell a lot of games after losing my job. I had a few on this list. (Back in the day) But I am no collector, I just play them on emulator or burn a copy. I would gladly rebuy the game if it is available physical on a modern format. But I refuse to pay these made up inflated prices. I support developers not random guys on ebay.
I’m lucky enough to have a bunch of rare games for the ps1. Star Ocean second story, Valkyrie profile, xenogears, wild arms 1 and 2, and lunar silver star story and lunar 2.
From Koudelka to Eternal Punishment... Got them all. A tiny tip for those wanting to finish Tales of Destiny 2/Tales of Eternia... Read carefully the indications for hte last boss fight in order to avoid unnecessary disc destroying rage... It's an expensive game after all.
Woah! A fellow Welshman! Have to admit that I had never heard of vanguard bandits until it showed up as a digital ps1 classic on PSN. That’s how I got to play it for far less than the cost of a physical disk. And it’s also hard to go for buying tales of destiny 2 for that cost when eternia was released widely on the psp years later. Same with valkyrie profile, tho the psp release has a few quirks and lazy stretched graphics.
Man, I'm so glad I bought Eternia before it jumped in price! When I bought it back in 2005 it was only like $60. It's my favorite Tales game though so to me even $300 is a price I'd pay for it lol!
I bought it in 2016 and even then it was only $90. I also got Valkyrie Profile for $70, Suikoden 2 for $100 and both Persona games for around $80 each. It’s crazy how much these RPGs have jumped since then.
Your favorite Tales game? Really? I mean, it's a pretty good game, but I don't think it's anywhere near as good as some other titles. I imported a UK copy on PSP (Tales of Eternia) several years back. It's fairly cheap still.
@@jkemp6791 Yeah I got a complete copy of P2: Eternal Punishment in November 2017 (I just started a new job at the time) and paid $85 for it. I'm stunned that it quadrupled its price in 4 years. Keep an eye on PSP games. They are climbing in price too. I got all 3 Persona games years ago that came out on PSP, and none of them are cheap anymore either.
It’s definitely got some age on it. And yeah that’s true the PSP version is a lot cheaper. I have both and I tend to play the PSP version. What’s your favorite Tales game?
@@Tasuke I own a lot of Tales games (and even some collector's editions), but have only actually played 3 so far: Tales of Eternia (PSP) - Good game, but not amazing. Interesting combat, ok story, but really liked the world map. Tales of the Abyss (3DS) - Excellent game. Luke starts off as a butthole, but really progressed as a character in the game. Great humor. Tales of Graces f (PS3) - Awesome game. This game is probably just a little outside of my top 10 games of all time. I laughed so much throughout this game. Sofie was a badass. The Mystic Arts were fantastic. I also own Legendia, Symphonia Chronicles (comes with both games), Xillia 1 and 2, Zesteria, Berseria, and Arise, but have yet to play them. I just have a large backlog of games overall.
Working Design had the best gaming collection packaging I've ever seen all the way until now. They had amazing games and so glad I bought them when they were still affordable and even when they were released. I have to admit, ps1 and 2 were my all time favorite jrpg collection I have plus the largest. I do miss the fat booklets games used to come with in the ps1 and 2. Now, I don't even know why they bother to put in a single sleeve of paper in new games.
The only one I don't have is Vanguard Bandits. It was my intention to get it but sadly I never seen it on the shelves near me. Another one I missed is Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth. Those late in a console's life releases are always a pain to find.
I own cib copies of Tales of Destiny 1 and 2 along with having the soundtrack for...one of the games. Don't remember which lol Also own cib copy of Revelations Persona
Historically speaking, Suikoden II and Valkyrie Profile were the two expensive PSX RPGs, going as far back as 15 years. Paying $200 for a game was considered insane in the mid 2000s and these two were of the handful that commended such prices (across all platforms), which should tell you something about their quality and collector demand. That's when and for how much I bought them, I am extremely surprised that they barely increased in price compared to the rest of the PSX RPG library; for instance all the other games you mention here I picked for $30-50 at around that same time 2006-2008 (with Rhapsody being the rarest and most expensive of them).
You could do a video on PS1 tactical RPGs. There are many most people won't now about like Eternal Eyes, Saiyuki: Journey West, Vandal Hearts 1 ( and i guess 2),etc
I have most of these. Valkyrie Profile is one I owned for a long time before a jackass roommate of mine got mad that I wouldn't let him play Tekken 3 so he scratched it up to shit. It was beyond toast by then.
A lof of these were ported to the PSP, Valkyrie, Tales, Suikoden, to name a few, they feature widescreen and some has extra content, but, not all of them were brought outside of Japan, which is a shame.
Can't find my arc the lad. But I have all the dragon warrior collection and definitely have torneko. Never knew games were going for this much. Glad I hoard my games.
Lol, was starting to think this was a list of strategy RPGs for a while there:D Torneko was the first on the list that MIGHT qualify as a different category, though you could make a serious argument that Valkyrie Profile was the first.
6 months after this video was made, Persona 2 Eternal Punishment is going for $465 CIB according to pricecharting. I'm glad I got my copy a few years back.
I'm surprised Persona 1 wasn't included in this list! I'm so glad I own some of these games. Years ago my game collection was stolen from me. Yup. Every. Single. Game. Despite that I was determined to buy back nearly every game and now I cherish them more than ever!
Oh so you're from Whales! That's so cool I'm Brazilian and I never met anyone from there... I like your accent, it's cute and I was wondering were you could possibly be from lol now I know😄
Another top vid 👌. Thanks for putting the name of the game on screen at all times now aswell. Not sure if you did it as per my request awhile ago or not but thanks anyway lol. I'm not the best at reading or spelling and I like to jot a title that looks good down on a list. This makes it easier for me. Cheers dude 👌.....also I didn't know you were Welsh 🏴. My mum's side of the family is Welsh and we visit at least twice a year. I love Wales!!! Koudelka is a sweet game aswell. I got my copy for £20 of a guy from eBay lol.
Good Lord, those prices are crazy. I notice that nearly all the games mentioned were not only RPGs but Tactical RPG on top of that. So I'm assuming they didnt make too many copies of any of these games to begin with?
Sadly no. It's actually quite ironic, as I can't think of any PS1 RPG that was a bad game. And the vast majority were excellent. I don't think one could say the same about any other genere at the time.
@@fukngroovnkc3700 My version is in English. It's possible that there are other EU versions for Germany, Spain, France and such. Back in the 90's there usually weren't any language options.
I've got Arc the Lad and Rhapsody. Never felt like starting Arc, got bored after an hour of Rhapsody. I bought Valkyrie Profile off eBay long ago, but never received it.
And a few years ago these only cost 40-60$. Pandemic had some impact to retrogame prices. I don't have a bottomless purse so i'll keep waiting for a collapse that won't come.
It started getting bad a few years ago honestly, but didn't start getting out of hand till about January 2020ish before the pandemic was really in full swing. The months since have just kept driving prices upwards.
I LOVED Working Designs as a localization company. Lunar 2 is still my favorite game of all time. WD is the reason why I bought the Arc the Lad collection, Alundra, Vanguard Bandits and Lunar Silver Star Story back in high school, and I never sold ANY of them. I still have the Omake boxes From AtLC and L2 with all the stuff they came with. I had no they were worth as much as they are today. Doesn't matter though. They are NEVER getting sold.
I recently purchased Lunar and Lunar 2, as well as Arc the Lad Collection with the Omake boxes and all the goodies, cloth maps, leather manuals, outer boxes, etc. I was eyeing them a few years ago but never pulled the trigger. Now that stuff is climbing in price, I got them before they get to be absolutely ridiculous.
Speaking of climbing prices, I completed my PSP collection a few years ago. I'm glad I did because some of that stuff is getting expensive too. Stuff like Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Persona 3 Portable, Hexyz Force, Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner, Ragnarok Tactics, Ys Seven and others are getting pricey.
I own all these games, PS1 is my favorite console to collect for. It was such a cool GEN for video games and all these games ooze with style and killer soundtracks.
Same here, the PS1 is just so good!
I'm missing Koudelka. It's on my list.
This and the SNES Gen are my favorites of the whole gaming cycle.
Same for me here . Snes and ps1 were the golden age for rpgs
I have a few of these games in some form, such as Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, Tactics Ogre, and Tales of Eternia (UK import) all on PSP. But I have a complete copy of P2 Eternal Punishment on PS1. I bought it for $85 in 2017. I'm glad I got it when it was still reasonable. And I got a complete copy of Suikoden II not long ago for a "really good" price for what it is ($250).
Tales of Destiny II turned out to be one of my favorite games from the PS1 era. I didn't get my hands on it until about 5 years ago, so no nostalgia involved. Fantastic, fantastic game with a wonderful cast and world map. A huge improvement over Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Destiny.
About 6 years ago, I decided I wanted to collect all the RPGs on the PS1. At the time, Suikoden 2 was $100 and Valkyrie Profile was $70. I’m really glad I own all the RPGs on the system and more importantly I’m glad I didn’t pay what they’re going for today!
I decided to do it a year ago, but I've been gaming rpgs since the 90's ....baaad timing😐
Question: Do you collect/play Japan-exclusive titles too?
@@SuryaBudimansyah - I do! I own a ton of PS1 imports. Some rare stuff, too, like Adventures of Little Ralph and Harmful Park.
PS1 is really one of the most difficult consoles to collect right now. I don't see it going down any time soon, and that's very sad given the amount of good JRPGs in the console. My rarest game for PS1 is thankfully my favorite one on the console, Xenogears. Great video !
Yeah the prices are getting ridiculous recently! Thanks for watching.
Xenogears isn't rare, it just has gone up in price over the past couple of years. 2 years ago a complete black label copy was only about $45-$55 now it's doubled that.
The magic that the PS1 generation games captured is unrivaled. Miss those days.
I’ll second that, was the best time to be a gamer!
Games today try their hardest to try and capture that same magic and very few can
Rhapsody is definitely underrated
I was lucky enough to get a copy of Suikoden II off eBay years ago for around $110. It wasn’t factory sealed and the jewel case has a crack in it but the game arrived with a fully intact instructions manual and a CD without scratches. I love playing it and I’m not planning on ever selling it.
I bought the game when it originally came out. Its probably my most treasured title.
@@alexandrasvulfgang1205 Good job! Yeah, it took me a long time to get the copy that I have so I have no intentions on selling it.
If it bothers you too much, you can get another jewel case pretty cheap.
@@medmuscle I don’t mind. The game is in great condition and I feel I got it for a good price.
I have Persona 2 EP and Valkyrie Profile... I guess this has taught me that the longer you hold on to things the more valuable they become.. until they are forgotten again. Keeping them is worth far more to me.
Absolutely love Koudelka. Absolute A-class game! She is also amazing, such a great personality!
I have a friend who owns Valkyrie Profile and every time I see him I try and convince him to sell it to me...so far he hasn't budged 😂
Haha persistence is key 😅
Well, I have 2 copies. Both in pristine condition. I can sell one... for the right price 😝😉 (more than those 300 bucks!)
Ugh tell me about it, I really want to play Valkyrie Profile at some point, at least a port of sorts would be enough to satisfy my interest in it.
@@bobafett4265 There's a PSP port available.
@@cd5sircoupe PSP port missing some features like:
Stretches the aspect ratio of the original to fit the psp's widescreen.
It also suffers from slowdown that wasn't in the original. (Frame drop.)
lost some functionality due to the PSP not having L2/R2 buttons. (PSP version was lacking an item sort that the US PS1 version had.)
Besides new cutscenes, nothing was added. No new dungeons or characters/gear. PSP version is recommended only if you can't find or aren't willing to spend a lot of money for the PS1 version.
I got Valkyrie Profile for $80.....and that was 10 years ago. What a bargain! I own it, Arc the Lad, Koudelda, Suikoden 2, and Persona 2. Glad I bought them when I did.
I remember getting the Arc the Lad collection and thoroughly beating 1 and 2 all so I could play 3, and I just....never got around to playing 3.
Koudelka is utterly underrated. Its such a shame we didn't get more genre bending survival horror RPGs. Both Koudelka and Parasite Eve are utterly fantastic - it's a match made in heaven.
I’ll second that. I loved the way it blended its horror elements and RPG mechanics. Was so good!
The only game im missing from this list is Torneko. I am an rpg collector and i strive to keep collecting them until the end. lol
Same with me too ..but I'm missing more games.
I have some other rare RPGs not on this list though...
Honestly, the idea that a classic game's mechanics may seem archaic as you described isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes an rpg can be too convoluted, and it's a breath of fresh air to play one so straightforward.
I'm glad I finished my PS1 collection before these skyrocketed in price, though some of the top end games were still pricy
Yea seeing Suikoden 2 dethroned is weird.
Valkyrie Profile and Suikoden II are two I've always wanted in my collection. Hopefully someday.
Valkyrie Profile can be had on the PSP for a reasonable price, but even PSP games are steadily climbing (all of the Persona games are already quite expensive). As far as Suikoden II goes, if you are willing to spend the money on a copy and you need to budget your money, you can save money up and purchase a copy. But you might need to forgo other games in the meantime.
I did not realize some of these prices have lost their dang minds! They've doubled since 2020. A great list of games, but theres definitely easier ways to play a lot of these games luckily. Enjoy them however you can.
I wasn't aware for a while either. I'm sitting on a relative gold mine now, but I delayed on getting some other titles. I'm snatching some up now before it gets much worse.
Suikoden II is the rarest PS1 RPG that I own. Have had since around the time it came out. The Suikoden series has always been one of my favorites.
Same here. I actually bought it shortly after its premiere, but second-hand. Only recently did I find out that its value grew at least ten-fold. Still, there's no way I could part with it. Way too much sentimental value.
@@Qba86 Yeah, mine is definitely not for sale either. I enjoy replaying it every once in a while far too much to part with it.
Gotta say I love that you're covering games I rarely see discussed, like Arc the Lad, Vanguard Bandits, and Koudelka. Love that I found your channel recently.
Thanks infamous, glad you’re enjoying the content 🙂
Man I had great taste as a kid, somehow ended up with Legaia, Xenogears, Suikoden 1,2, Vagrant Story, I loved weird a nime and RPG's so when I saw rare stuff I snapped it up as a kid. Pissed off my dad.
Did he pay for them? :)
I've been buying all the expensive ps1 rpgs that are on the ps3 store. most of them are $5.99. totally worth it if you really want to play some of these
"for these who need to work, go to the bathroom, or school ". I really didn't know the bathroom was that time consuming xD.
Haha well it depends how much pizza or curry I’ve consumed
Hence the beauty of a Switch Lite!
Glad I got these when I was a tiny kid! Awesome list and great video!
Thanks Don! Yeah, they are shooting up in price these days.
What’s sad is that so many of these titles are available for like $5 on the VITA/PSP digital store that’s soon to be closed.
Have you ever heard of Ring of Red for the ps2? I have never heard anyone talk about that game, though it's an amazing strategy rpg. I'd love to hear your opinion of it
Great game! I haven’t played it in an age though. I’ll have to include it in an upcoming PS2 video 🙂
I still have that one! Anything with giant mechs is all right with me 😃
I can still remember picking up Suikoden 2... my mother wanted to buy a small gift for my brother before visiting the hospital (gal bladder removal) and I was roaming around and saw this game for cheap. There were only 3 copies left. When I showed it to my brother he was surprised as he said ''I think that one is quite rare''. Naturally, nothing about buying more copies for ''collecting'' purposes came to my mind as a teenager... like most Pokemon fans... who throw/give away their cards...
I have most of this games. I'm so glad i kept my Persona 2 Eternal punishment and Valkyrie Profile games since childhood and only paid $20 each for them!
Suikoden II is my favorite jrpg of all time
One of the greats!
I own as well most of those titles that i still play on my portable psone, that i thankfully bought back in the days. I love Arc the Lad, i have the Box that contains 5 CD I II III and Tournament (Arc III is made os 2 CD) as well as Lunar Box with awsome gadgets included as the Lunar Pendant. Great video thanks!
jRPGs are generally among the most expensive and sought after games for older systems. It shouldn't come as a surprise -- they were usually released in small copy numbers (aside from mainline Final Fantasy games) and at the same time most of them were objectively very good. Regarding the list, you could probably include Symphony of the Night. It wasn't a pure RPG, but it did have RPG elements.
BTW: if you're on a budget and have a modded PS1, you might consider buying these games from other regions, as they can sometimes be considerably cheaper (for example, Koudelka in PAL version is still relatively affordable).
That's honestly what I do. I buy most of my ps1 games from Japan since they're fairly cheaper. I recently got megamn x3,4,5,6 legends 1 +2 and Tron bonne for about 150$
Not to mention the import exclusives!
I bought Koudelka on a whim 10 years ago, choosing between it and Parasite Eve and did not regret my choice. I was mostly intriqued by the combination of horror and rpg. Dunno if it being the European version had something to do with it being quite affordable?
Did you ever get parasite eve? Its a good game
@@ThugNinja I got the second game yes.
I have heard of all the games on your list before, i have only played Valkyrie not on the PlayStation 1 but the PSP version, there are only minor difference's and some new cutscenes, it's a great game and I'm glad it made your list, thanks for making a cool rare and expensive PS1 games list TVGS good job ✌️
I played through Suikoden II back in the day, but I only borrowed it from a friend. Honestly, can't recall who of them had it, but if they didn't sell it already they're sitting on quite the item.
It's worth noting that Shadow Hearts takes place in the same setting as Koudelka, with the mummy-like Roger Bacon being a character in both, and Koudelka herself having a cameo in Shadow Hearts.
Remember playing Koudelka with a friend who owned it, that game should get a remaster or whatever so we can enjoy the game once again
Tales of destiny II is one of my all time favorite RPGs!!! Played it through and beat it twice! Still have a block on a memory card saved with over 70 hrs clocked! Good times
Rhapsody a Musical Adventure is one of the few PS1 games to make me cry playing it, it was wonderful.
I regret selling it now, If I'd only have known the DS version wouldn't include the English songs.
I bought Suikoden 2 on release date with the strategy guide. I can’t believe how rare it has become!
That's because there was no reprint. Their first run release is the last.
hey man, first i want to say love your videos!! i have arc the lad collection, suikoden (the first one), lunar the collector edition and legend of dragoon.
Thanks Ronald! Glad you enjoy the videos 🙂
What made Suikoden 2 so rare is the low print run it had at the time. It cost me $125-150 when I got it almost 20 years ago.
Yeah its always been up there in price. I got my copy back in 2008 for $107.
So the damn game has never been cheap, & never will!!
Some 24-25 years PSX games haven't aged a day.
Wow, I have Rhapsody, Tactics Ogre, Suikoden 2, and Persona 2 and I'm not a collector. Just bought them retail price back in the day.
I got my original Suikoden II PAL copy from local auction around 10 years ago for something around 30zł (8$). The only problem with it is that it's in french xD Can't really speak french, but still definitely worth it just for bragging rights and looking amazing on shelf! English version was going for exorbitant prices...
It doesn't have an English option?
Okay... going over the list, since I am the RPGaholic. Kind of addicted to them, y'know.
Arc The Lad Collection - I passed on this one back in the day, don't remember why.
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Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure - Oh yeah, definitely bought this one. It came with a bonus CD with music from the game, which caught my eye, and it gave me a fun experience.
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Vanguard Bandits - It looks interesting, but I don't think it was ever available near me.
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Tactics Ogre - Okay... having played Ogre Battle, this was on my "Want To Play" list since I found out about it. The only problem was that I could never find it for sale anywhere around me.
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Torneko - The Last Hope - Sadly, same story as last time. Wanted to play it, never could find it.
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Koudelka - As a Shadow Hearts fan, I found out about this after the fact, and was able to pick it up used years ago.
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Valkyrie Profile - I think I had too many games in my actual play pile that I passed on this at the time... and now will probably never own a physical copy.
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Tales of Destiny II - Yeah, I was really late to the Tales series. Again, will probably never own a physical copy, but it does look fun.
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Suikoden II - I tried, but could never get into the series at the time.
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Persona II Eternal Punishment - I really like all the Shin Megami Tensei games I've played, and I don't remember ever seeing this one near me.
In the end... I own two on the list and want to play a whole lot of the others.
Rhapsody was also released on the Nintendo Ds and can be got for a much more reasonable price on that!
The two versions of Rhapsody are pretty different, just as a heads up to anyone interested. The plot and dialogue are the same, but the DS version uses a traditional turn-based battle system compared to the grid-based tactical one on PSX. The DS version also uses only the Japanese vocal tracks for the songs. The PSX version has English lyrics.
I hope to be able to play all of these games some day. I have beaten Gensou Suikoden II and Arc the Lad. I have played a lot of Arc the Lad 2, but I never finished it. The other games I haven't played, but I have heard of many of them. They all look amazing!
I once owned a copy of Valkyrie Profile PS1 which I regrettably sold just before it skyrocket in price. At least I still have the PSP version to play.
I had Rhapsody, Vanguard Bandits, Persona II and Suikoden II :) Suikoden was my favorite one, by having the possibility of playing with 151 different characters, awesome story with plot twists, a bunch of different battle systems. It's a SO UNDERRATED jrpg.
I don't think it's too underrated nowadays. Most RPG fans know about it.
Nice list you have there. I've been eyeing Vanguard Bandits a little bit. How do you like it? I have Suikoden II, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and Arc the Lad Collection (complete with all of the extras and goodies it came with). On my PSP, I also have Tales of Eternia (actually Tales of Destiny 2 but a UK import), Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, and Tactics Ogre. So I cheated there. :)
Pretty sure Tales of Destiny 2 got renamed due to copyright issues with "Eternia".
Its the name of the world in the He-Man franchise and they owned the rights at the time.
Rarest (and cherished) ps1 game that I own, would be the Deception series, by Tecmo.
Tecmo's Deception was awesome... but I hated how the save file took up nearly an entire memory card worth of blocks. Well, at least you could save. Unlike some of the launch games such as Battle Arena Toshiden.
Please do another video and go in depth on the Lunar series. I own Valkyrie profile, suikoden 1-5, and a few others. Really enjoy your videos!
It is sad to see so many great games become unplayable due to their price. Fortunately some of these games have been released as online purchases. That said, I would love to play Koudelka and unfortunately I can't afford it.
This is a reason why emulation exist
Gotta learn Japanese then I guess, most games are quite affordable over there in comparison to the west.
PAL version goes for between a quarter and a third of the US NTSC price, so if you want a physical copy in English, you also have this option.
This makes me sad. I had about half of this list at one point in time but the only way I could get new games is if I traded in the old ones. I had the whole arc the lad collection with the thumbstick covers and such too , loved that set
I feel that. For me I had to sell a lot of games after losing my job. I had a few on this list. (Back in the day)
But I am no collector, I just play them on emulator or burn a copy.
I would gladly rebuy the game if it is available physical on a modern format. But I refuse to pay these made up inflated prices.
I support developers not random guys on ebay.
I’m lucky enough to have a bunch of rare games for the ps1. Star Ocean second story, Valkyrie profile, xenogears, wild arms 1 and 2, and lunar silver star story and lunar 2.
Star Ocean 2 starts to be expensive as well. I have a friends who owns a lot of expensive ps1 games like Castlevania, Lunar, Suikoken 2 etc
From Koudelka to Eternal Punishment... Got them all.
A tiny tip for those wanting to finish Tales of Destiny 2/Tales of Eternia... Read carefully the indications for hte last boss fight in order to avoid unnecessary disc destroying rage... It's an expensive game after all.
Opening music?
Woah! A fellow Welshman!
Have to admit that I had never heard of vanguard bandits until it showed up as a digital ps1 classic on PSN. That’s how I got to play it for far less than the cost of a physical disk. And it’s also hard to go for buying tales of destiny 2 for that cost when eternia was released widely on the psp years later. Same with valkyrie profile, tho the psp release has a few quirks and lazy stretched graphics.
Man, I'm so glad I bought Eternia before it jumped in price! When I bought it back in 2005 it was only like $60. It's my favorite Tales game though so to me even $300 is a price I'd pay for it lol!
I bought it in 2016 and even then it was only $90. I also got Valkyrie Profile for $70, Suikoden 2 for $100 and both Persona games for around $80 each. It’s crazy how much these RPGs have jumped since then.
Your favorite Tales game? Really? I mean, it's a pretty good game, but I don't think it's anywhere near as good as some other titles. I imported a UK copy on PSP (Tales of Eternia) several years back. It's fairly cheap still.
@@jkemp6791 Yeah I got a complete copy of P2: Eternal Punishment in November 2017 (I just started a new job at the time) and paid $85 for it. I'm stunned that it quadrupled its price in 4 years. Keep an eye on PSP games. They are climbing in price too. I got all 3 Persona games years ago that came out on PSP, and none of them are cheap anymore either.
It’s definitely got some age on it. And yeah that’s true the PSP version is a lot cheaper. I have both and I tend to play the PSP version. What’s your favorite Tales game?
@@Tasuke I own a lot of Tales games (and even some collector's editions), but have only actually played 3 so far:
Tales of Eternia (PSP) - Good game, but not amazing. Interesting combat, ok story, but really liked the world map.
Tales of the Abyss (3DS) - Excellent game. Luke starts off as a butthole, but really progressed as a character in the game. Great humor.
Tales of Graces f (PS3) - Awesome game. This game is probably just a little outside of my top 10 games of all time. I laughed so much throughout this game. Sofie was a badass. The Mystic Arts were fantastic.
I also own Legendia, Symphonia Chronicles (comes with both games), Xillia 1 and 2, Zesteria, Berseria, and Arise, but have yet to play them. I just have a large backlog of games overall.
I'm so glad I picked up the Arc The Lad trilogy off the PlayStation Store before they were delisted.
Love your videos.. have you ever considered making a topp 50 or 100 games list.😃👍
If I'm not mistaken suikoden 2 is available PSN store with cheap price
I think buying those Rare games Are hard than the game difficulty itself
I miss these games. I like The Legend of Legaia too ❤
Working Design had the best gaming collection packaging I've ever seen all the way until now. They had amazing games and so glad I bought them when they were still affordable and even when they were released. I have to admit, ps1 and 2 were my all time favorite jrpg collection I have plus the largest. I do miss the fat booklets games used to come with in the ps1 and 2. Now, I don't even know why they bother to put in a single sleeve of paper in new games.
The only one I don't have is Vanguard Bandits. It was my intention to get it but sadly I never seen it on the shelves near me. Another one I missed is Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth. Those late in a console's life releases are always a pain to find.
I have both of those but honestly, Hoshigami just isn't worth having, it is a nightmare of a game.
@@andrewhegstrom2187 I wanted to like that game so badly, but it's just too damn hard!
video starts and crowbcat flashback kicks in instantly
I own cib copies of Tales of Destiny 1 and 2 along with having the soundtrack for...one of the games. Don't remember which lol Also own cib copy of Revelations Persona
Historically speaking, Suikoden II and Valkyrie Profile were the two expensive PSX RPGs, going as far back as 15 years. Paying $200 for a game was considered insane in the mid 2000s and these two were of the handful that commended such prices (across all platforms), which should tell you something about their quality and collector demand. That's when and for how much I bought them, I am extremely surprised that they barely increased in price compared to the rest of the PSX RPG library; for instance all the other games you mention here I picked for $30-50 at around that same time 2006-2008 (with Rhapsody being the rarest and most expensive of them).
Suikoden 2 going to the PS Store slowed its price increase.
You could do a video on PS1 tactical RPGs. There are many most people won't now about like Eternal Eyes, Saiyuki: Journey West, Vandal Hearts 1 ( and i guess 2),etc
Wow I had totally forgot about playing through Koudelka and that it existed until I saw this!
Vanguard Bandits, Valkyrie Profile and Persona 2 EP... I love these games so much!!!
Such great RPGs!
I have most of these.
Valkyrie Profile is one I owned for a long time before a jackass roommate of mine got mad that I wouldn't let him play Tekken 3 so he scratched it up to shit.
It was beyond toast by then.
Silky smooth 60fps ;) this video will probably make me have to add more rpgs to my psp haha
Haha like butter mate!
Excuse me. Did you just say I'm holding on to a $310 game. I always knew I was destined for greatness.
A lof of these were ported to the PSP, Valkyrie, Tales, Suikoden, to name a few, they feature widescreen and some has extra content, but, not all of them were brought outside of Japan, which is a shame.
Can't find my arc the lad. But I have all the dragon warrior collection and definitely have torneko. Never knew games were going for this much. Glad I hoard my games.
Lol, was starting to think this was a list of strategy RPGs for a while there:D Torneko was the first on the list that MIGHT qualify as a different category, though you could make a serious argument that Valkyrie Profile was the first.
I have all ps1 rpgs on duck-station and gameshark included 👍
6 months after this video was made, Persona 2 Eternal Punishment is going for $465 CIB according to pricecharting. I'm glad I got my copy a few years back.
Some to come to mind for me are Brigandine, Legend of Legaia and Lunar: Silver Star Story.
I love Koudelka, excellent prequel to Shadow Hearts!!
It’s such a solid game!
It is what now?
I remember playing the PSP version of Valkyrie chronicles
I'm surprised Persona 1 wasn't included in this list! I'm so glad I own some of these games. Years ago my game collection was stolen from me. Yup. Every. Single. Game. Despite that I was determined to buy back nearly every game and now I cherish them more than ever!
The worst pain is when you trusted a friend & was actually a snake, sorry that happened yo
@@fukngroovnkc3700 thanks man! It was my sister's ex bf who was a bum who stole my games. Never even got an apology too. Oh well such is life!
Vanguard Bandits and Torneko are 2 of the few JRPGs I don't own on the PS1.
I'm glad I can say I still own every one of these.
Oh so you're from Whales! That's so cool I'm Brazilian and I never met anyone from there... I like your accent, it's cute and I was wondering were you could possibly be from lol now I know😄
Another top vid 👌. Thanks for putting the name of the game on screen at all times now aswell. Not sure if you did it as per my request awhile ago or not but thanks anyway lol. I'm not the best at reading or spelling and I like to jot a title that looks good down on a list. This makes it easier for me. Cheers dude 👌.....also I didn't know you were Welsh 🏴. My mum's side of the family is Welsh and we visit at least twice a year. I love Wales!!! Koudelka is a sweet game aswell. I got my copy for £20 of a guy from eBay lol.
Thanks Moose! Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂
Good Lord, those prices are crazy. I notice that nearly all the games mentioned were not only RPGs but Tactical RPG on top of that. So I'm assuming they didnt make too many copies of any of these games to begin with?
Sadly no. It's actually quite ironic, as I can't think of any PS1 RPG that was a bad game. And the vast majority were excellent. I don't think one could say the same about any other genere at the time.
I recently managed to buy a mint condition version of Koudelka for only $75, so I'm pretty pleased about that.
Version?
@@fukngroovnkc3700 PAL version.
@@Tyran_Trick oh yeah thanks, so is the language the only difference ?
@@fukngroovnkc3700 My version is in English. It's possible that there are other EU versions for Germany, Spain, France and such. Back in the 90's there usually weren't any language options.
@@Tyran_Trick I found out the difference between them is a slower frame rate for the PAL versions
Tales of Eternia was ported to PSP, but half of all the copies have a game breaking bug. Only UMD version 2.5 is safe.
I've got Arc the Lad and Rhapsody. Never felt like starting Arc, got bored after an hour of Rhapsody. I bought Valkyrie Profile off eBay long ago, but never received it.
Torneko is a brilliant game and its sad,that games like it ,with atleast the quality of it,are rare.
Very cool list, You should touch on Shadow Tower if you do another one!
Own all of these CIB. Great video.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
And a few years ago these only cost 40-60$. Pandemic had some impact to retrogame prices.
I don't have a bottomless purse so i'll keep waiting for a collapse that won't come.
It started getting bad a few years ago honestly, but didn't start getting out of hand till about January 2020ish before the pandemic was really in full swing. The months since have just kept driving prices upwards.
How had I never heard of Rhapsody before?! Game looks beautiful.
It’s a great rpg!
Don't buy DS version it miss some tracks but if price is issue then buy.
It’s easy…
I got all of these 🙃 got two copies of Suikoden 2. One still sealed
I’ll never give up my ps1 copy of Persona 2!