Memoirs of an Old (school) gamer:
Summer 1992, After the months of buying and trading Snes games at “the fondly remembered” import shop in Grand Concourse, Bronx,NY.
The street fighter craze was at it’s MAX level, the impending release and multiple magazine coverage of the hit game coming to SNES was almost unavoidable. Me in my search to secure a release copy at launch (Pre order at the time was a quirky concept) i try my best to charm the “lovely asian lady” into doing just that, but she had other plans. She suggested that instead of waiting for what would likely be many months for the NA release, i should just pay in advanced for a Super Famicom version (specially since it was common knowledge that you could “mod”your Snes to play JPN releases.
And so began my long journey into the rabbit hole of import gaming AND SEGA. Confused? Allow me to explain.
I DID prepay for my SF 2 (import) copy, And the
‘lady”was very happy (she should be, the import costed: $149.00)
But here i was, Dreaming about how i would be able to play the “RAW” “PURE” form of SF2, Straight from Japan and that I would be able to play it WAY ahead of the rest of the US (or so the sales pitch went) LOL. sales pitch or not, i was deeply excited for that fact.
...but then, the plot thickens.
When it came time to pick up my shiny import version, i was sure to be first there when the shop opened, only to be greeted by the “lovely”shop owner with an expression on her face more likened to a mad dog.
She was very “upset” because the shipment didn't arrive.
I was devastated, We pondered there, looking at each other with unease.
Then she said: “how about if instead of picking the game up you instead take home the Sega Genesis?” then she added: “And when the game arrives i can call you to pick it up...”
By this point my blood was boiling and the thought of not getting my SF2 fix AT HOME was maddening...yet her proposal actually didn't sound half bad (as silly as that may sound) It was crazy, but it made sense.
As a (mostly up to that point) Nintendo gamer, I had (like many) been enthralled by the marketing where had both companies playing their respective roles: Nintendo the ageing champ vs the Cool rebellious Upstart Sega Genesis that was going to kill Nintendo’s dominance.
So i always (also up to that point) had unconsciously created a “loyalty”towards Nintendo and couldn't even look at the “competition”...yet i always wondered.
So i caved in and took the Genesis home. the sadness created by my lack of SF2 fix, was replaced by this crazy concept: “Multi console gaming”
and the rest was history.
Oh and in the end i went and got the import, (again paying $149) played the hell out of it (even got a game Genie to use the boss codes) and was greeted to the fact that the US version was coming sooner than expected..a mere 2 months after...sigh.
I bet in the month of July, 1992 there was a “lovely” asian lady somewhere...very happy indeed. jajajajajaja
