What to look for when buying Akumajo Dracula X?

[LowRes]

Hey guys,

I'm late to collecting PC Engine and this is one game I've always wanted to buy.  I'm aware PCEWorks has made a new run of this game and I want to make sure the one I buy is a real copy. 

Is the only way to tell from the disc? I read there is a PCEworks logo on the disc.

[crazydean]

So, you're a collector who doesn't want original games?

[CrackTiger]

There is a PCEWorks logo that sometimes appears on more than the disc, but it's designed to look like something that should be there on an authentic copy.

There are lots of crooked sellers who like to mix fake tray liners, maps, manuals etc in with legiot items, so make sure to pay attention to the pics and read the full descriptions.

[LowRes]

So, you're a collector who doesn't want original games?

No I want to make sure I get the original game, not the PCEworks version

[crazydean]

So, you're a collector who doesn't want original games?

No I want to make sure I get the original game, not the PCEworks version

My bad. Not sure how I missed that in the original post.

[jperryss]

PCEWorks disc on the left, original disc on the right.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v0zfji7eyrsks0m/drx.jpg?dl=0

[LowRes]

PCEWorks disc on the left, original disc on the right.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v0zfji7eyrsks0m/drx.jpg?dl=0

Ahhh it's very different.  Thanks for that, now I know I won't the wrong one

[LowRes]

There is a PCEWorks logo that sometimes appears on more than the disc, but it's designed to look like something that should be there on an authentic copy.

There are lots of crooked sellers who like to mix fake tray liners, maps, manuals etc in with legiot items, so make sure to pay attention to the pics and read the full descriptions.

Will do, and thanks for the help!

[Keith Courage]

There is also a JP pceworks disc. It looks exactly like the original other than it says pce works in the bottom center under the bats and castle.

[NoSexGex]

There is also a JP pceworks disc. It looks exactly like the original other than it says pce works in the bottom center under the bats and castle.

It's this one that i've heard of people getting duped with the most. I saw a local store get burnt buying one of these, the guy that traded it in got 100USD for it too

[Nazi NecroPhile]

If it comes with an energy drink or a rubber stake dildo, it's probably not legit. 

[LowRes]

Well I finally did it.  hit-Japan had one for $300 in what looks like very good condition.  They accepted my offer of $220 shipped.  A little more than I wanted to spend but everything I ever bought from them arrives well packaged and near mint.

Never spent this much for a game but I feel this game is worth it

[NoSexGex]

hit-Japan had one for $300

Good god that's ridiculous, even for a "starting price" that's embarrassingly high.

But it's good to hear u got one for less though

[soop]

Hit Japan are really good, I think I got over half my games just from them.  And usually their prices are pretty good, but I think $300 is quite high.

I picked up my copy (thanks in part to this thread) for £109.  I think the manual is falling apart a bit, but I think I'm ok with that.  It's my birthday present to myself.

[SignOfZeta]

In the past I bought a lot from HJ, but that was when they rarely had any $300 item on their store. It started out as pretty much a disposale service for then-worthless games but now with the retro boom it's become a real money maker.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

His asking prices suck, but I still buy from him.  You have to be willing to low ball hard, and I imagine it helps if you're buying several titles at once to make it more worth his while.

[Gypsy]

In the past I bought a lot from HJ, but that was when they rarely had any $300 item on their store. It started out as pretty much a disposale service for then-worthless games but now with the retro boom it's become a real money maker.

His asking prices suck, but I still buy from him.  You have to be willing to low ball hard, and I imagine it helps if you're buying several titles at once to make it more worth his while.

Yeah pretty much. Back when no one cared about Japanese games HJ was great. Often they would have the only eBay copies of some random herpaderp Dreamcast game I was buying from them. And they would still take offers then too, I think they were just happy to actually sell this shit. Now of course it's changed, with way more interest so it's not terribly surprising they jacked up their asking prices. It won't be me but hell someone just might pay full price sometimes.

Also I did buy a bit from them on offers I want to say last summer, so it's still doable. Sometimes though I just don't feel like dealing with that dance, when there are quite a few reasonable sellers that start their listings a lot lower (and also have obo on).

[bob]

jesus, for $220, i hope you LOVE it.

[soop]

His asking prices suck, but I still buy from him.  You have to be willing to low ball hard, and I imagine it helps if you're buying several titles at once to make it more worth his while.

Yeah I got that impression.  I think they definitely value customers who buy more than one thing at once.  I hadn't bought anything for a while, but I got a pretty good deal on SFC Final Fight 1/2 and Muscle Bomber last week.  There are some stores (mainly outside of Japan tbh) that will sell SFC games for nearly as much as SNES variants, and they usually almost always cost far less.

Oh, and another thing is, they deliver really fast.  From Japan to England they usually ship in less than a week.