With this copy of Donkey Kong Jr. no Sansuu Asobi, my Famicom 'Pulse Line' collection is now one step closer to being complete

A part of me has fretted (only slightly, I assure you) for some time that I'd never own a complete copy of Donkey Kong Jr. no Sansuu Asobi--a Famicom game that's better known to folks outside of Japan as Donkey Kong Jr. Math.

I know that probably sounds silly to a good number of you, especially considering we're talking about an educational title, but here's the thing: I really want to complete my collection of the 14 "Pulse Line" carts Nintendo released for its maiden console in 1983 and 1984. (Some of my previous purchases in this vein can be seen here and here. Oh, and here.)



Seems like an easy enough task, right? Actually, it would be pretty easy to accomplish if it weren't for one thing--complete copies of Donkey Kong Jr. no Sansuu Asobi (as well as Popai no Eigo Asobi, or Popeye's English) can be pretty darn pricey, especially on this side of the pond.

As a result of all of the above, I all but gave up on the idea of owning anything other than a loose cartridge of Donkey Kong Jr. no Sansuu Asobi some time ago.



That is, until the copy seen in the photos published throughout this post popped up on eBay a number of months ago. Although I can't remember what this particular auction's starting bid was, I have no such problems recalling its selling price: $30. Or was it $35? OK, so maybe my memory isn't the best in the world.

Regardless, I got it for a whole lot less than the $100 to $200 price tags I've regularly come across over the last few years.

Sure, the game's still only marginally fun--although I'd argue that it's more enjoyable than most let on--but as you can see here, that $30 or $35 nabbed me some really sweet Donkey Kong Jr.-branded box art as well as a rather nice cartridge and instruction manual.

See also: 'A few photos (and words) that hopefully showcase why I consider Yume Penguin Monogatari to be my second-favorite example of Famicom box art'

My Famicom 'Pulse Line' cart collection is complete

After finally acquiring copies of Baseball and Golf, my collection of Famicom "Pulse Line" carts is complete.

Granted, not all of them are of the "complete-in-box" variety, but such copies of Donkey Kong Jr. Math and Popeye English are both hard to come by and expensive.

The photo above features 11 of the 14 "Pulse Line" carts Nintendo released at the beginning of the Famicom's lifetime: Baseball, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, Golf, Gomoku Narabe Renju, Mah-Jong, Mario Bros., Pinball, Popeye and Tennis.

I left out Devil World because its box is bigger than the others.

For another photo of my Famicom "Pulse Line" collection, go here. Also, close-up shots of Baseball and Golf can be seen here and here.

More Flickr-ized Famicom cartridges

Yep, I recently picked up--on the cheap, thankfully--a few more of the "pulse line" Famicom carts via eBay. Specifically, I bought Devil World, Donkey Kong Jr. Math and Popeye English--each of which can be seen below. (Click to view larger versions.)

To see a few more shots of Devil World, check out the first page of my Flickr photostream. Photos of the rest of my (still small) Famicom cart collection can be seen here.

See also: 'On being an anal-retentive game collector'

RE: Something old or something new?

You know how I mentioned (in this post) that I'm wasting way too much time pondering how I'm going to spend the birthday/Christmas money I'm sure to receive from my parents in the next few months?

Well, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to blow at least part of that presumed windfall on a red Twin Famicom. The reason: I recently bought nine old Famicom games through eBay. (Six of them are showcased in the photo below.)

I've been interested in Nintendo's first batch of Famicom games--released on those iconic "Pulse Line" cartridges that can be seen in WarioWare D.I.Y., for instance--ever since I laid eyes on this photo of Donkey Kong Jr., but the high price of many of these titles kept me from buying any of them.

A few weeks ago, though, I came across a pair of auctions on eBay that included nine of these "Pulse Line" Famicom games, each of which came with their original boxes and manuals. Long story short, I ended up winning both auctions for a fraction of what I would have expected to pay for these particular titles.

Anyway, although I'm now the proud owner of nine (of 14) "Pulse Line" games--Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, Gomokunarabe, Mah-Jong, Mario Bros., Pinball, Popeye and Tennis--I currently can't play any of them. Hence, my decision to pick up a Twin Famicom as soon as possible.

In the meantime, check out my Flickr photostream if you're at all interested in seeing a few more photos of my recent acquisitions.

See also: 'Something old or something new?'