What is your most expensive shmup game you own?

[To Far Away Times]

I have most of the CAVE 360 ports, Einhander on PS1, Axelay on SNES, Ikaruga on Gamecube, Thunderforce III & IV on Genesis... nothing really extravagant though.

[Warp_Rattler]

Apparently it's Space Harrier (if that formally counts?) because the going eBay prices for the Working Designs/"Spaz"-published Saturn Sega Ages collection are inflated to stupid levels. I don't really keep track of current prices and had just looked a few weeks ago to see if it was worth my while to sell off some of my lesser-used titles. The eBay average* even seems to be higher than Radiant Silvergun, which I had assumed would be my most expensive one.

* (which I know is not actually reflective of any sort of real-world value)

Night Raid

I was surprised at the average listing prices for this considering how it's always seemed like a fairly obscure title (from developers who also seem to be much less talked-about these days). The game mechanics were really unique but never quite clicked for me, for some reason. I'm way past the phase where I tried to accumulate games solely for their rarity/value, but every time I see prices like this I think, "man, you should have just held on a few years longer..."

[Jonpachi]

Night Raid

I was surprised at the average listing prices for this considering how it's always seemed like a fairly obscure title (from developers who also seem to be much less talked-about these days). The game mechanics were really unique but never quite clicked for me, for some reason. I'm way past the phase where I tried to accumulate games solely for their rarity/value, but every time I see prices like this I think, "man, you should have just held on a few years longer..."

Night Raid, frankly, sucks. The whole "Hug Launcher" mechanic is half-baked and lacks the player agency or strategy that the reflect mechanics of a Giga Wing or Mars Matrix have. It ends up just feeling like a shitty bomb with a charge meter, and the game built around it doesn't do much to help it shine. It's an ugly game too, really lacking personality or style in any memorable way. It's very much the sort of thing you bust out for that rare occasion someone knowledgeable enough to give a shit comes into the room, but little more (and that's never gonna happen either).

[Warp_Rattler]

It's very much the sort of thing you bust out for that rare occasion someone knowledgeable enough to give a shit comes into the room, but little more (and that's never gonna happen either).

That was pretty much the entire rationale for most of the games I owned back in my collecting phase, which was especially silly given that I knew precisely 0 people IRL who would ever stop by and be excited.

Glad to hear my memories of the game aren't too far off. I don't recall exactly how the scoring played out but there was something interesting about the option to try for a positive or negative high (low) score or keeping your score as close to zero as possible. I feel like it was never actually as satisfying in execution, though.

[bobhasashotgun]

This thread made me check how much my snes games are going for and I honestly can't believe how much the prices have shot up. Space megaforce is worth at least 3x the price I payed for it.

[Bassa-Bassa]

I paid about 100€ for an immaculate Harmful Park copy looong ago. How much it goes for these days?

Just checked Ebay. The last complete copy sold at US$800. Nuts.

On the other hand, hasn't the price of Raiden Fighters Aces JP gone down quite a bit recently (US$180)?

[Herr Schatten]

To my own surprise, according to pricecharting.com, my most valuable shmup is a complete PAL copy of Lords of Thunder for the Mega CD. I think I bought it for next to nothing from a forum member here a couple of years ago.

In second place I have SMS Power Strike II. Back when I picked it up, I paid 70 €, which I thought rather expensive, lol.

[Tachikomatic]

Would probably be my LE of Bullet Souls: Infinite Burst on 360.

[davyK]

I have a refurbed Asteroids Deluxe cabinet but not counting that my candidates would be (all CIB):-

SDOJ Platinum for 360,
Muchi Muchi Pork/ Pink Sweets for 360,
Bangai O for N64,
Radiant Silvergun (no spine card) for Saturn,
Raiden III for PS2 (PAL),
Super Aleste for SNES (PAL),
RType III for SNES (PAL),
UN Squadron for SNES (PAL).

Have PAL Cannon Spike for Dreamcast if that counts. That's getting pricey.

[BrianC]

Border Down Dreamcast
Radiant Silvergun Saturn
Dodonpachi Saidaioujou Xbox 360
Muchi Muchi Pork/Pink Sweets Xbox 360
Zanac x Zanac PS1

I also have a CIB Alien Soldier for Megdrive.

[cj iwakura]

Probably MUSHA Genesis(which I got for an absurd price at a flea market many years ago), and maybe Deathsmiles(360) or Caladrius Blaze(LRG's PS3 release with more typos than a Chinese bootleg subtitle track for Sailor Moon).

[Starfighter]

That pricecharting-site was pretty nifty, was able to get a quick overview in no time! Thanks! Turns out my most expensive one is Ibara, followed by Radiant Silvergun and apparently Crimzon Clover...?

[ummo]

SDOJ or the Muchi Muchi Pork&Pink Sweets pack, not sure. Trying to get Sakura Flamingo now

[PFG 9000]

I've got a complete, legit copy of Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire on PCE. It's hard to gauge a price because legit copies rarely show up on ebay, and bootlegs are so prevalent. But it's probably in the $900-1000 range.

I'm also going to try to sell it this weekend. It's a great game, but I can't justify holding onto such a pricey game when I've played it so little.

[cj iwakura]

I've got a complete, legit copy of Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire on PCE. It's hard to gauge a price because legit copies rarely show up on ebay, and bootlegs are so prevalent. But it's probably in the $900-1000 range.

I'm also going to try to sell it this weekend. It's a great game, but I can't justify holding onto such a pricey game when I've played it so little.

It's also on the TG16 mini, if you ever feel a pressing need to play it afterward.

[Sengoku Strider]

I have an MVS->AES converted Pulstar cart, no idea what that's worth on the open market. Otherwise just Radiant Silvergun or Musha Aleste, whose values seem to stay pretty close to one another.

I do have a bunch of other things CIB that sit in the $150-$250 range like Super Aleste, Axelay, Arrow Flash, Gaiares, Nexzr, Thunder Force IV, Gate of Thunder, Kingdom Grand Prix, Elemental Master, Sengoku Blade (Saturn), Shienryu, MD Darius EX, I'm probably forgetting some others. But I haven't yet taken the plunge on any of the really expensive stuff like Hyper Duel, Eliminate Down, Sapphire, etc. I only splashed out on Radiant & Musha because I knew there were just certain games I had to have to feel like I was building a collection that was really mine.

[Kiken]

I have an MVS->AES converted Pulstar cart, no idea what that's worth on the open market. Otherwise just Radiant Silvergun or Musha Aleste, whose values seem to stay pretty close to one another.

Most MVS->AES conversions sit around the $200-$300 range.

[jd213]

Not sure how much it goes for now, but Cyvern is probably my rarest arcade shmup. Bought it a long time ago on a whim, I like it's gameplay but never bothered getting gud at it since I'm not too fond of pre-rendered sprites nowadays.

Have all the carts for Raiden Fighters and Viper Phase 1 New Version, those are probably getting up there in value but I still enjoy them so won't be selling them anytime soon.

Used to have an original copy of Sapphire, but sold it in the mid-2000's when it was only worth around $300.

[Vexorg]

Right now it would easily be my Dodonpachi PCB. I sold off a lot of my arcade games a few years ago, but still have that one (as well as several less expensive ones), although I have nothing to play it on right now. I'm seriously considering buying a candy cab of some sort after we move to our new house though.

Sold off a copy of MUSHA for Genesis many years ago, starting to regret that one...

[Azathoth_0]

I picked up a complete copy of MUSHA from a local video store in 2001 ($6), which is by far the most expensive shmup I own. That's one of the few times I picked up a cart for cheap that wound up going through the roof.

Probably 10 years I picked up an A-Jax/Typhoon PCB that was in a horribly bad condition Super Cobra cab for $75. I had never played or even heard of A-Jax prior to that, it wound up being a decent game that I enjoyed.

[To Far Away Times]

I turned down an R-Type 3 SNES cart for like $50 eight years ago. Ugh.

[Warp_Rattler]

apparently Crimzon Clover...?

Whaaaat? How did this get to be so expensive? I don't think I touched the original since World Ignition came out; is there any reason to go back to it over the updated ones, or is this mainly a physical collecting thing?

[MommysBestGames]

Wow, my understanding of prices for my games are way off.
I've only got console games of worth, but I *thought* surely it was my complete Radiant Silvergun, Saturn.

But nope, I have complete copies of MUSHA and Space Megaforce... and after checking ebay, a nice Space Megaforce is going for over 1k?!? (I mean I do Love the game, but why is it sooo much more than other games??)

Anyway, bought them when they came out originally, probably at the Toys R Us or the EB in the mall (both long closed .
I've always hated cardboard SNES boxes, they are much harder to keep looking nice than the Genesis boxes.

[pablumatic]

Wow, my understanding of prices for my games are way off.
I've only got console games of worth, but I *thought* surely it was my complete Radiant Silvergun, Saturn.

But nope, I have complete copies of MUSHA and Space Megaforce... and after checking ebay, a nice Space Megaforce is going for over 1k?!? (I mean I do Love the game, but why is it sooo much more than other games??)

Anyway, bought them when they came out originally, probably at the Toys R Us or the EB in the mall (both long closed .
I've always hated cardboard SNES boxes, they are much harder to keep looking nice than the Genesis boxes.

U.S. versions of games generally go for far more ridiculous prices than Japanese versions. No other reason. Only the really rare Japanese stuff like Eliminate Down or Battle Mania II can meet and exceed what collectors will pay for U.S. games. Silvergun's prescence on the Xbox may have kept it valued lower.

These days I put my SNES carts in "Bit-box" plastic clamshell cases from Stone Age Gamer. Far better than messing with those fragile cardboard boxes.

[evil_ash_xero]

I have some expensive shmups, but Recca takes the cake.

[Starfighter]

apparently Crimzon Clover...?

Whaaaat? How did this get to be so expensive? I don't think I touched the original since World Ignition came out; is there any reason to go back to it over the updated ones, or is this mainly a physical collecting thing?

I would bet it's just a collecting thing, but I don't really know. I have only played the original version, perhaps I should give World Ignition a try in the future.

[Kiken]

Just wondering, did anyone on this forum ever manage to snag one of the Super Limited Editions of Akai Katana Shin for 360 (the one that came in a PCB box with all of the arcade move sheets)?

[Grinning Cat]

Just wondering, did anyone on this forum ever manage to snag one of the Super Limited Editions of Akai Katana Shin for 360 (the one that came in a PCB box with all of the arcade move sheets)?

I did I've actually been thinking of selling it...but I have no idea what it's even worth. The game itself is still sealed/unopened

[Kiken]

Just wondering, did anyone on this forum ever manage to snag one of the Super Limited Editions of Akai Katana Shin for 360 (the one that came in a PCB box with all of the arcade move sheets)?

I did I've actually been thinking of selling it...but I have no idea what it's even worth. The game itself is still sealed/unopened

Mind sharing some photos of the set before you sell it? And yeah, I've not seen one go up for sale so I have no idea what the going rate for it is.

[NeoStrayCat]

Well, that I know currently myself is Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced, and that's the LE, but at least that was decently priced for what it was going for. (around $100 w/T+FS.) Though, who knows if that may change in the future if I feel like to get a more expensive STG that I would be intrested to check out, but I think I'm good for now (unless otherwise noted, lol).

And yeah, I think I read about that specific LE on the JP version of Akai Katana Shin which looked like a box that had stuff smilar to a PCE board with the gameplay info sheets. Would be nice to see that if its true. Also, there's just the regular LE which is just the big box that usually comes with a soundtrack on it in some (or most) CAVE X360 LE's that I know so far.