Collector’s Log #5: The Year-End Extravaganza

This is likely going to be the final Collector’s Log entry of 2025, and it’s got so many games that it’s going to be more of an overview than a game-by-game breakdown. Between the last of the Thanksgiving Weekend purchases and a fun trip to a local video game store, there’s a lot to cover.

The second of two eStarland orders from Thanksgiving Weekend to arrive had cool games, as well as another OEM memory card for the original PlayStation. Apocalypse stars Bruce Willis and is a pure action game. I picked up the strategy guide for it earlier in the year, and had been meaning to upgrade the copy of the game I had. I’ve only read about the game, so I want to get some playing time on it. Big Ol’ Bass 2 is the last of the Fisherman’s Bait trilogy and is delightfully over the top. Metal Gear Solid VR Missions is a game that unlocks FuncoLand memories, as it’s something my District Manager and I would play to determine who would pay for lunch when he visited– which always seemed to be me. The other three games filled holes in my library of original PlayStation games. I have to admit that I’m a bit curious to try Rayman Brain Games, which just goes to show how much of a nerd I am. Edutainment? Bah.

From Steel Collectibles came a copy of Running Wild for the original PlayStation, which was ordered as an upgrade for what I had in my library. The game is now fully complete, including a sheet of memory card stickers that I had been saving. What is Running Wild? Well… it’s an animal racing game. Sony slapped the Crash Bandicoot logo on the cover, but the small print says “From the producers of…”– which isn’t Naughty Dog. The producer is Universal Interactive, and the development team is Blue Shift… so the relationship to Crash is very loose. It’s an okay game that seems to have kid appeal with its anthropomorphic characters.

Although this release is for a modern console in the Switch 2, it’s still very retro and fits in nicely with my love of arcade games. Digital Eclipse does such a wonderful job with compilations of older games, and this is no exception. I’m admittedly more of a Street Fighter guy, but I’d be lying if I sad that Mortal Kombat hasn’t always interested me due to its characters (kharacters?), lore, and… gore. And having Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero available is kind of special. Maximilian Dood’s playthrough (CONTENT ALERT: Language) is a favorite watch and rewatch of mine, and has often gotten me to want to play the game more. Digital Eclipse does what it can to make the game a bit less… unfair in this version. This is as much a documentary on the history of Mortal Kombat as it is a kollection of games in the series. I can’t wait to see what compilation comes next. (Psst! How about Activision?)

I found a set of six sealed original PlayStation games for $65 on eBay and jumped on that deal. As a fan of sports games, I’m happy to have sealed copies of Backyard Soccer and Striker Pro 2000 as upgrades to copies I had… plus Monaco Grand Prix and Ultimate Fighting Championship are completely new to my library. The jewel here, though, is the not-sports game: Independence Day. When you see a K-A ESRB rating, you know the game is older… and getting a sealed copy (despite being a bit dinged up) is sweet. Of all the sealed games I’ve acquired (and opened), not too many go back to early 1997 or before. Maybe I’ll open this up on July 4th, 2026. As an aside, as much as some collectors will give eBay a hard time and refer to “eBay pricing”, I maintain that decent deals do exist– you just have to look for them. Be selective, and be vigilant when it comes to what you’re looking for.

Last but not least, these games came from a visit to Retro World Games in Indian Orchard, MA. The big one here is Goemon’s Great Adventure for the Nintendo 64, a game that I legit didn’t think I’d ever own. I’ve heard interesting things about it, but I never saw it in the wild– until this visit. It was pricey (over $120), but in line with market value. Also for the Nintendo 64 comes a complete-in-box copy of Mario Tennis. I enjoy both Mario Tennis and Mario Golf for the console, but my loose copy of Mario Tennis is also a Not For Resale variant and I didn’t have a regular cartridge. I landed a pair of original PlayStation games, in Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider and Chocobo Racing. Sheep Raider is a game that I had skipped for awhile, but watching/reading reviews online made me rethink that decision. I’m a Looney Tunes guy, too, so I’m sure I’ll find something cool. Chocobo Racing is an upgrade to the disc-only copy I’ve had for a few years now. Finally, there’s a pair of PlayStation 2 games here that are, again, upgrades. .hack//G.U. Reminisce upgrades my disc-only copy that I picked up way back in 2011. It also completes my .hack set, as I now have both series fully complete. And then there’s Champions: Return to Arms. I absolutely need to spend some time in the Retro Room soon to replay both of the Champions games in the series, both of which are really fun hack & slash games. Return to Arms allows you to use your created character from the first game and has some other nifty features. This copy is pristine– and will go nicely with the formerly sealed/never-played copy of Champions of Norrath.

It’s been a fantastic year for collecting, and I don’t know that I can top it. I will be sharing my collecting goals and thoughts for 2026 before year’s end, as I’ll still be adding things. Which things will be the question…