This week’s question posed to the LVLs. staff was this: are there any games you sold, lent to a friend and never got back, lost, or otherwise have had vanish from your collection? Nester was first on the draw, so we’ll begin with him:
I never really get rid of my games, so this isn’t a big issue for me. However, there was a short period in the ’90s when I started to think that I should sell my old games, and there were a few unfortunate casualties of that phase.
First, Super Smash T.V. for the SNES was actually a really good port of the arcade game. I played it a lot back then and got pretty good at it. Maybe that’s why I decided get rid of it, but I kind of wish I hadn’t. There is an authentic arcade version on Midway Arcade Treasures, but the emulation isn’t quite as smooth as the reprogrammed port.
Then there’s Mega Man in Dr. Wily’s Revenge and Mega Man III for the Game Boy. I have no idea why I let go of these. I loved them, and considering how rare and sought-after they are today, it would’ve been nice if I still had them.
There were a few other games as well, but these were the significant losses. I don’t suppose there’s any real point in tracking down new copies other than simply for nostalgia and collection purposes. I have greater regrets over games that I never bought in the first place, despite having the desire and opportunity. But that’s another discussion.
There are definitely a few things I wish I hadn’t sold or traded in over the years. The first that comes to mind would be Dracula X for the SNES. The game itself is nothing to write home about, especially now that you can play the Turbo Duo version in America. Even so, it ended up being worth a ton of money on the second hand market. I had no idea that would happen back in 1996!
I used to own Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre for the PS1, as well. Unfortunately, money was tight for me back in 2002, and I had to trade those two games in to get some new stuff. I don’t regret getting Silent Hill 2 or the original Kingdom Hearts with the credit from those trades, but I do feel like a dolt to have gotten rid of such valuable (and enjoyable) games.
There’s been many a game I’ve sold, but there’s a few in particular I can look back on and ask myself “why did you do that?” Here’s some that leap to mind:
Persona 2 (PS1) – This game didn’t really click with me, but I’m not sure if I gave it the chance it needed. Of course, now I realize it was a rather rare release, so I don’t know if I can rectify that mistake without paying an arm and a leg for it. There’s the PSP remake, yes, but that’s the half we didn’t get in the first place. XD
Dragon Warrior (NES) – This is probably the easiest one to rediscover, but I was a little appalled with myself when I bought the rest of the NES games and realized I no longer had the first. XD
Vandal Hearts (PS1) – I didn’t really lose this to a sale or to a friend, but to itself. My disc stopped working! Cleaning it didn’t help, either. So, to the trash it went. 
Bomberman 64 (N64, obviously) – I have not gotten 
over this one. I sold it off as a young adult and I can’t for the life of me remember why. Some people may not like its structure all that much, but I thought it was a pretty well-made platformer with a great multiplayer component. If I see it ever again, it will be mine.
Is it cynical that we regretted getting rid of games that later went on to become rare and valuable, rather than games that we genuinely miss playing?
I don’t like to get rid of games because most of them have sentimental value to me. Like a photo album, each game represents a part of my life, and if I go back and play them, the sights and sounds take me back in time. It stirs up memories and details that I may have forgotten. It’s impossible to put a price on that.
I usually don’t get rid of games that I love. In fact, I can’t think of an example where that happened off the top of my head. I liked Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle on PS1, but they were too difficult to make much progress on. Thankfully, the PSP remake of Tactics Ogre is much, much more user friendly.
That’s an interesting point, Nester. As of late I’ve been selling off some games, some of which were very cherished memories of mine. However, what good does holding on to the Commodore 64 M.U.L.E. do when I can’t play it anymore? Will I ever go back to the DC Skies of Arcadia when the Gamecube port more than suffices? Is Paper Mario that fond of a recollection that it must be kept, despite my non-interest in revisiting it? These were all questions I asked and ultimately chose against keeping. And honestly, I don’t feel that terrible about it. MULE will always be in my memories, even if the disc itself is not. My first memories of Skies on the DC were supplanted by the ones with the ‘Cube. Paper Mario was overshadowed by its ‘Cube sequel, the much better game. The games I regret not owning anymore tend to be games that I had an attachment to over the rare or financial aspect of them.
