Zombie's Ultimate X-COM Collection

[Zombie]

Last night I went over all the game versions still in the mail and compared it to what I have so far. Seems like I'll have a spare copy of the Amiga 500 version (of all things). So if any of you are interested in a copy (great condition), drop me a PM or email and we can discuss cost or trade details. I'd much rather give you guys a shot at it first before I post it on eBay.

 

Finally got a complete copy of the Telstar Doubles version of EU and Syndicate (I presently only had the EU disc). So that's another item I'd be willing to sell or trade in the future.

 

Things have started to cool down for my collection lately. I basically have most versions out there right now except for a few oddballs so there isn't much new. I'll continue to keep an eye out for things I don't have, but if any of you see something, don't hesitate to let me know.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Yesterday I was surfing the different eBays to see if there were any items up for sale which I didn't have. It was a general search, without respect to payment method or shipping. On the German eBay I saw a few things which I don't have. Obviously I'm missing the German version of UFO yet (it probably came out with both a floppy and CD-ROM, but I only saw the CD-ROM).

 

Another one I'm missing is the Mega 3-Pack compilation containing Carmageddon, Ecstatica II and Apocalypse. Saw that offered by a German seller and instantly wished I lived in Germany. It was brand spanking new in the cellophane too. Pretty expensive though... I kind of got discouraged seeing a bunch of stuff I didn't have. That changed this evening. While doing a more intensive search I came across a copy (used, but looks new to me) of the Mega 3 Pack for really cheap. Better yet, it was a Buy-It-Now auction, so no babysitting the item when the auction ends. Nice! That lifted my spirits a bit. One more off the list then.

 

Got my eyes on a couple more items, but the auctions close in a couple days so we'll see if I get lucky.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Today I received a bunch of packages in the mail and it literally felt like Christmas morning! (Well, better, since I got what I wanted)!

 

One package was Telstar Doubles which is a compilation of UFO and Syndicate. I of course, immediately took scans of the covers and then investigated it closer. Looks like there may be an English version of the Telstar Doubles as I have the German one. Needs more research though. Still a great find as the German editions are sometimes hard to find.

 

Second package was the Mega3Pak compilation consisting of Carmageddon, Ecstatica II and X-COM Apocalypse. The box cover was even better looking in my scans than the auction pics. Nice!

 

The third package was smaller than the other two and that turned out to be the copy of Enforcer which I thought might be French. Yup, I'm happy to report it's a bona-fide French version alright. Wow, another great find!

 

Scans of all these games are up on the respective site pages, so take a stroll in my virtual museum to view the new additions to the family.

 

On another note, I'd like to thank Koloth for providing me with pictures of some of the items from his collection: the "X-GUM Ublo Defense" bubble gum packaging, the Popper figurine and the HUGE store display box from Apocalypse. You can find these pics at our newest site page here at StrategyCore: X-COM Promotional Items. Enjoy!

 

- Zombie

[Knan]

Hmm. Looks like there may be a Powerplus A500 version out there as well.

 

https://hol.abime.net/1788/diskscan

 

They also have boxshots of different european cd32 versions and such. Nice site. I like all the scanned reviews from old magazines, like the one here:

 

https://amr.abime.net/issue_622_reviews

[Zombie]

Wow, good find. I didn't even know a Powerplus release of the Amiga version existed. I'll have to keep an eye out for it, but won't hold my breath. Some of these releases for the Amiga are nearly impossible to find the way it is. You never know though, I ran across a couple great finds so far.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Wow, I took a closer look at that page Knan, and suddenly got this giant sinking feeling in my stomach with all those Amiga versions I'm missing. But at least I know what I'm looking for now. Thanks again! A Microprose Alarm clock exists? I'd like to have one of those!

 

Well, I stumbled upon another copy of the Japanese PSX version the other day and had to buy it because the cost wasn't that much more than the one I already have and it was unopened, brand new, and still in the shrink wrap. Didn't think I'd ever get the opportunity to find a copy in that condition ever again, so I purchased it. Could always resell it for a tidy profit, but I might as well keep it now.

 

Finally got a hold of the "Power, Corruption & Lies" compilation featuring Dune II, Beneath a Steel Sky, Fleet Defender and UFO. Shipping to the US was fairly high but I expected that with all the weight. Still, it was a good price overall so it's a nice addition.

 

Found a rerelease 1.2 version of UFO Defense (American) the other day. Only the CD is featured on Moby, but I will have that as well as the box and contents too. Also purchased an expensive unopened American Apocalypse version which apparently has a limited edition poster inside. I think it should also have a card to send in for the popper figurine. We'll see when I get it (should be arriving soon-ish).

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Found a rerelease 1.2 version of UFO Defense (American) the other day. Only the CD is featured on Moby, but I will have that as well as the box and contents too. Also purchased an expensive unopened American Apocalypse version which apparently has a limited edition poster inside. I think it should also have a card to send in for the popper figurine. We'll see when I get it (should be arriving soon-ish).

You can find the classic series rerelease covers of UFO Defense on the UFO Game Versions page. And I'm positive that every American release of Apocalypse came with an Apoc poster and a card to send in for the popper figurine. Wish I knew what I know now, otherwise I would have tried to purchase a bunch of those popper dolls for $4.95+S&H back in '97!

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Nothing much happening with my collection lately. The final dregs of my buying spree are slowly starting to trickle in now. Received the Power, Corruption & Lies compilation in the mail over the weekend and added the scans to the Game Compilations page. It's in awesome condition and the box is as heavy as a couple bricks due to all the discs and manuals crammed in there (the Fleet Commander manual is the primary culprit). Bought a disc containing some demos on it (including X-COM Apoc) which was called "Ken & Brian's Favorite Demos". Don't know who Ken or Brian are but if they liked Apoc, that's good enough.

 

- Zombie

[reaper]

it has to be said Zombie-

 

WE ARE NOT WORTHY

[Zombie]

Hehe, well it's only a collection. Nothing to get too excited about really. I just tend to take things to the extreme sometimes. Don't know if that is good or bad but it sure makes life interesting.

 

Speaking of my collection, I have the English version of the UFO/Syndicate compilation arriving soon. The box looked to be in rough shape, but at least that is another one off the list. Received the European English version of Enforcer in the mail today. I'll try to get scans of that up on either Sunday or Monday.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

As promised, I scanned the cover of UK Enforcer today and it's now up on the Enforcer Game Versions page. With that addition it appears I'm only missing one more: the Spanish/Portuguese version. Haven't seen this one yet, but I'm confident I'll find it eventually. If I ever get it, that would mean I completed 4 games in the series: TFTD, Apocalypse, Interceptor and Enforcer. That's something to look forward to...

 

Also, I put scans of the UFO/Syndicate Telstar Doubles (UK&French) version up today here. The cover wasn't as bad as I originally thought - just a few scuffs and creases here and there and a tear on one of the corners. There is a little mold on the inside, but it's dried up. I might try to lightly bleach it as mold has a tendency to reconstitute itself when moisture levels are high enough again.

 

It's amazing how many compilation versions are out there. I've seen versions floating around which I never even knew existed. Usually they are just out of reach too - either the seller will not ship to the US or doesn't offer a payment type I can manage. It's a real struggle sometimes.

 

- Zombie

[Slaughter]

Museum is getting crowded!

[Zombie]

So is my apartment! I'm considering installing some shelves to house my collection instead of dumping them into a box.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Let's see, I'll probably have a couple more games arriving this month. I recently purchased the English A500 (non-budget) version for EU. It was really cheap, but it's pretty worn too.

 

Another great find was the German A500 version. It was more expensive than the other one, but it looks to be in great shape. (See? Price sometimes does reflect condition!)

 

A recent letdown was that I lost the auction for the German CD32 version. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to bid earlier than I liked and didn't put in a high enough amount. Can't win them all, but this would have been a good addition nonetheless.

 

There are a couple more versions which I may be getting as well, but it'll be a while. I'll let you guys know what happens.

 

By the way, I saw this over at eBay Italy (Mega 3 Pak compilation in Italian). I contacted the seller to see if he would consider PayPal or a personal check as payment, but he rejected that idea. I really want this one, so if any of you could give me a hand, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

- Zombie

[Bomb Bloke]

Carmageddon: the most discussed game than race that scandal has made because it was possible to invest the pedestrians (to those times it was still a innovation…)

 

Good times, good times...

[Zombie]

I finally found a copy of the Sold Out version of Enemy Unknown and won the auction today. (This is the one with the blue label like on Moby Games). It came with the original big box too. Great stuff! Even better? It only cost 1.30 + 5.00 GBP which translates to $10 USD. Now I can cross another version off my list.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

I recently purchased the English A500 (non-budget) version for EU. It was really cheap, but it's pretty worn too.

Just got this in the mail today. It's in a lot better shape than I thought. The box was almost new and so are the floppies. The only thing a little worn is the manual, but I don't care too much about that. Anyhow, I took scans of it and threw it up on the UFO Game Versions page.

 

A few days ago I thought I stumbled across a new version of Interceptor, but I wasn't sure. To find out, I contacted the seller and asked him if the UPC code matched the number I had. It did. That's a fairly effective way of determining what I'm missing yet.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

I think I stumbled upon a different Amiga version. It has a yellow sticker on the front mentioning that the limited edition MicroProse travel alarm clock is inside just like the CD32 version. I don't think the actual alarm is included, there's probably a card inside which allows you to send away for it like the Apocalypse Popper doll. And this isn't the CD32 version, it's either the A500 or 1200 version. Not sure which it is, so I asked the seller some questions.

 

Crikey! All these Amiga versions is like a mini-collection in itself.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

I suddenly got into the Christmas spirit when the postman stopped by on the 24th with a package for me. What was it? Why, the Sold Out version I purchased recently. Anyway, you can find scans of the box as well as the CD sleeve in the UFO Game Versions page. Besides a small spot where an old sticker discolored an area on the front cover, it's in near-new condition and as far as I can tell, complete. What a great find!

 

- Zombie

[Bomb Bloke]

Doesn't look familiar, guess I saw the other Sold Out one...

[Zombie]

Could be, as there are a number of Sold Out versions out there. I think there may be 3-4 different ones if I'm not mistaken.

 

Right, so over the weekend I purchased a couple German versions of X-COM from magazines. The first is the PC Player 9/2000 issue which has UFO: EU. The second is the GameStar 10/98 issue which has TFTD. Both are full versions of the game, not demos, so it should be interesting to see what they are. Have no idea where I'm going to put the scans of the games yet, perhaps the compilations page is the best place.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Got my copy of the A1200 (Travel Alarm Clock) version of Enemy Unknown in the mail today and added scans to the ufogameversions page. It has a different UPC than the normal A1200 version so obviously it's not quite the same release. Unfortunately, my copy didn't include the card to send away for the alarm clock. I'll keep looking.

 

- Zombie

[Zombie]

Zombie, if you ever manage to spot a copy of the Terror Unknown compilation in your hunt (in any condition), give me a yell.

Good news! I just purchased a complete copy of the Unknown Terror compilation from a seller in the UK. He was willing to ship anywhere, but I needed this copy first! If I come across another copy I'll be sure to let you know, NKF. And if the next seller isn't willing to ship to you, don't worry. I'll be glad to forward it to you. It might be a long wait to see another copy though, this is the first one I've seen in 6+ months.

 

Anyhow, this compilation wasn't cheap. 40 GBP plus a hefty 20 GBP for shipping. And with the US dollar being weak against most currencies, the exchange rate increased the total to $80 USD. (Though the exchange rate is a little bit better than this summer when one USD could only get half a British pound). At least I have it though. Will let everyone know when it arrives.

 

- Zombie

[NKF]

One more rare item to cross off the list. Thinking of US$80 in terms of my currency at the current exchange rate, ouch! That's quite a hefty price to pay for a couple of games and books you already have.

 

The odds of picking up a loose disc are probably just as low as a complete set showing up. Don't worry about it. Nostalgia can wait some more. I'm also gunning on the markets stabilizing a little.

 

- NKF

[Zombie]

The odds of picking up a loose disc are probably just as low as a complete set showing up. Don't worry about it. Nostalgia can wait some more.

I'll still keep an eye out for you. Every once and a while there are people who offer things which they know little about and therefore the price may be a little more reasonable. So deals can still be had, it's just that you have to be at the right place and at the right time and have lady luck on your side. That's how I was able to pick up my first copy of the X-COM Collection for basically free.

 

I'm also gunning on the markets stabilizing a little.

Doesn't look like improvement is coming soon. We can probably expect an upturn in the market sometime around this time next year. With people watching their money a little closer now, some are resorting to selling some stuff to make a quick buck. A down market can be a boon if you have the guts (and the cash) to invest. The Unknown Terror collection could be viewed as an investment opportunity, though not by many I suppose.

 

- Zombie