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'

Acquisition #149: Binary Land (Famicom)

Full disclosure: I went on a bit of an eBay binge shortly after the holidays and ended up buying a bunch of Famicom, GameBoy Advance, PlayStation and even PSP games.

The game seen in the photos below--Hudson Soft's Binary Land for the Famicom--was one of the aforementioned pick-ups.

I know a good number of you won't believe me, but I didn't buy this one because of its overt pinkness. In fact, it's one of my favorite Famicom games (here's a video of its first stage), and the only reason it took me so long to add it to my collection is that complete-in-box copies of this unique, arcade-y title don't seem to pop up on eBay all that often.



Sure, this copy's box is kind of banged up, but I don't mind. Actually, I like that its previous owners showed it some love.

Here's a better look at the game's awesome box art, by the way:



It's hard to hate on a game that features a pair of adorably pastel penguins, isn't it? It's also hard to hate on a game that has a logo made up of a number of hearts.

Or at least it's hard for me to hate on a game that meets such criteria.



Going back a bit to my comment about the love this copy of Binary Land was shown by its previous owner(s): as you can see in the photo above, the back of its box features a smidge of handwriting. I don't suppose any of you can suss out what it says?

Regardless, expect to see a number of "Acquisition #123" posts in the coming weeks that focus on the remainder of my recent eBay haul.

See also: previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Acquisition #143: Magical Puzzle Popils (Game Gear)

If you visit this blog with any regularity, you've likely seen a mention or two (or five) of the Tengen-published puzzler known as Magical Puzzle Popils in Japan and Popils: The Blockbusting Challenge in Europe.

As I'm sure you can guess from the frequency of those mentions, I'm a pretty big fan of this Game Gear title, which was designed by the man responsible for both Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands, Fukio Mitsuji.

In fact, I'm such a big fan of this game that earlier this year I bought a loose copy of it via eBay. (You can see a photo of that acquisition and read more about it in this post.)

Given that, some of you are likely to be a bit surprised to hear that I recently picked up a complete-in-box copy of the very same game. Why did I do that, you ask? I think the cover art shown in the following photos is all the response I need to share.

In addition, I've also long wanted to own (and mindlessly flip through on a regular basis) Magical Puzzle Popils' manual. So, in a way, you could say this particular acquisition was kind of a two-for-one deal for me.

Expect to see scans of said manual in an upcoming "Manual Stimulation" post, by the way. Also, a few additional photos of both the front and back sides of this game's box will be uploaded to my Flickr photostream shortly, so keep an eye out for them, too, if you're so inclined.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Acquisition #131: TwinBee (Famicom)

True story: I've never been much of a fan of the first game in Konami's TwinBee series.

The PC Engine port of the series' second quarter-muncher, Detana!! TwinBee? Always up for a round or two (or more) of it. And that game's Super Famicom-centric follow-up, Pop'n TwinBee? One of my all-time-favorite shmups.

The original TwinBee, though, has never impressed me. Actually, it's generally produced the opposite reaction--thanks to its pedestrian graphics (especially when compared to its above-mentioned counterparts) and its plodding gameplay.

So, imagine my surprise when I came across a complete-in-box copy of the Famicom version of this antiquated "cute 'em up" on eBay recently ... and found myself wanting to buy it.

I have to (rather sheepishly) admit that the main reason I found myself wanting to buy it was its box art. I mean, just look at it: 

Although I wouldn't say TwinBee's packaging is the among the best I've ever come across, it's certainly among the most colorful. Also, it features flying frogs, knives and strawberries--what more can you ask for in a piece of cover art?

Anyway, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, I went ahead and bought that complete-in-box copy of TwinBee. It helped that it was fairly cheap, of course, but it's possible (OK, likely) I would have picked it up even if it had cost me a few bucks more.

Now all that's left for me to do is put down my computer (and the camera that took the photos above), hook up my trusty Twin Famicom and finally take the game for a spin. 

See also: Previous 'Acquisition 123' posts