Contra Anniversary Collection Gets Three Collector's Editions From Limited Run Games

A physical copy of Super Contra and Turtles in Time...in 2022...amazing! (Standard editions for me. There is just too much stuff.)

Two collections down. Now we just need the Arcade collection released physically. Or maybe that GBA Castlevania collection on cartridge first?

This was a long time coming! Their Classic edition of the Castlevania Collection was very well done, so hopefully Contra gets the same amount of love.

I’m not as fond of this series as Castlevania, though, so Ill probably just settle for the standard edition. Hopefully the Arcade and GBA Castlevania collections are on the way, too!

Konami, we love your money, I mean our fans!

I am hoping Konami makes a Metal Gear Solid collection and somehow doesn't mess it up.
It would probably have to be a multi-part collection. Ideally, it would be:
Metal Gear Solid Anniversary Collection - Volume I

• Metal Gear (MSX2)
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX turbo-R)
• Metal Gear Solid: Integral (PS one)
• Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Nintendo GameCube; it would have to be Nintendo Switch-exclusive)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

Metal Gear Solid Anniversary Collection: Volume II

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC/PS3/Xbox 360/NVIDIA Shield)

Metal Gear Solid Anniversary Collection: Volume III

• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PC/PS3/Xbox 360/PS4/Xbox One)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PC/PS3/Xbox 360/PS4/Xbox One)

They cannot get Bluepoint to do these remasters but hopefully, they can get someone great like M2, building on the pre-existing remasters and improving them beyond said remasters and original versions to make the ultimate versions.

Imagine if Limited Run makes a three-cartridge/disc Metal Gear Solid Anniversary Collection physical release. It would be amazing.

And if Konami can actually see fit to rekindle their ties with Kojima, they should also make a VR remaster of Zone of the Enders 1, to package it as a collection with The 2nd Runner MVRS, alongside HD remasters of SNATCHER (with newly made hand-drawn artwork) and Policenauts (with digitally restored and remastered graphics and FMVs from the original artwork and film negatives [either 16mm or 35mm]).
Konami can even include the non-Kojima games like Portable Ops, Revengeance, Ghost Babel, AC!D, the NES games, and the one we don't talk about.

I thought it was determined from other LRG articles that Limited Run bad because reasons 😉

I personally enjoy Limited Run's business model because it does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a literal limited print run of games that wouldn't otherwise get a physical edition.
Is this something Limited Run Games does to make money from fans? Yes, of course, because they are a for-profit company.
Are they providing a net benefit for video game fans? Absolutely!

Contra Anniversary Collection yah!
Switch has great collection.
Castlevania Anniversary collection
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary
Doom Slayers collection
Super Mario 3d all stars
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha &.Bravo
Collection of Mana
Any other collections?

They're pretty, but I got this for about £3 on sale on the PS4. For the amount of time I've spent playing it, that was about right.

@Jacoby Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection

@Hydra_Spectre I've been wanting an HD version of Snatcher for 15 years. I remember buying it for Sega CD back in 1995 and it was the first game that had a real impact on me. Still my all-time favorite classic.

@Jacoby I have Doom: The Classics Collection from LRG on Switch. First 3 Doom games on cartridge. They're a download only on the Doom: Slayers Collection.

@JustMonika Imagine if they redrew the entire game with a retro anime aesthetic.
The best anime studio out there that still does the retro, pre-digital anime aesthetic of SNATCHER and Policenauts would be Studio Ghibli.

Just imagine if Konami got Studio Ghibli to remaster SNATCHER, while being completely uncensored.
Policenauts would also be one of those games that would benefit from a remaster if they would scan the original artwork and cutscene negatives in a much higher resolution (hopefully 4K).

@Hydra_Spectre I remember talking to a company back in 2010 that would get the licenses for older games and re-release them digitally on PSN but I forgot the name of the company. I talked to them about Snatcher and they were attempting to get the license to release it on PSN but I guess it never happened. See in Japan both Snatcher and Policenauts got an HD overhaul and were released on Playstation Network.

@AndyC_MK111 For the amount of time I've played it is what I meant. Probably spent no more than a few hours in total on these over the past year, as it's a package I'll dip into when I'm in the mood. It's a package I'm glad I've got and I do recognise they're classics, but I knew at the outset that I wouldn't be glued to them for hours at a time until death do us part.

It’s often on sale on the eshop for £3.99 which is what I paid, apart from the physical cartridge and the book the rest of the stuff is just absolute tat.

@CharlieGirl yes because contra needs a niche limited run hahhahaha.

How could the company behind Contra possibly afford to do a proper run of games.

“Reasons”

Missing deliveries.
Extremely overpriced delivery charges.
Extremely long deliver times
Arrogant - to non existent customer services.
Games that then get proper full releases after this “limited run”.
Cheap “extras” that don’t quite fit the description.

All genuine reasons.

You however just say you “like them”

Have you used them much? Have you even opened a special edition?

Before you jump on people that raise genuine concerns about a company that does very little to add to the gaming industry and does a lot of damage to companies working in a similar space at least check what people are raising as concerns

@Jacoby that is exactly the problem I have with LRG that they take your money upfront and you get your game half a year later. I’m ok with the wait but I wish they would do like Amazon and charge you when it’s ready to ship.

Konami is a big company, why won't they sell physical copies to stores that sell games? Besides, I hear bad things about LRG. That they have awful non-existent customer service, and that they take forever to maybe think about shipping your game.

@Angelic_Lapras_King Ha! XD

@Jacoby Blizzard Arcade Collection, Beat Em Up Bundle and Capcom Stadium are other great collections.

@TYRANACLES It is a make-to-order service. Have you ever ordered a tailored suit before? The tailor takes your money upfront and then makes your suit. This is not an unreasonable service. You're paying for a niche product that they need exact order amounts and money upfront to have the exact amount of units on hand to not eat any cost. If they took the money only after shipment people might get charged six months after ordering people can nope out of paying, credit cards could expire and then they're stuck with excess stock. There are actually reasonable logistical reasons why LRG is set up the way they are.

Not saying it is an ideal setup, but they can't just operate like an Amazon Storefront.

@Stocksy "Have you used them much?" Yes, I have purchased 12 games from them, with 2 more on order.

"Have you even opened a special edition?" Yes, for Scott Pilgrim. I was very pleased with it.

@Jacoby Collection of SaGa comes to mind for me, but there are many others, doubtless. That one still needs a physical release...

Yes, of course, because they are a for-profit company.
Are they providing a net benefit for video game fans? Absolutely!

@CharlieGirl The majority of gamers live outside the US, including nearly all the staff of this site, but Limited Run doesn't seem terribly cognizant of this fact. I live less than 1200 km from Raleigh North Carolina, far closer than Los Angeles, Denver or even Minneapolis, but this place may as well be Réunion Island to them.

Down in the city (we have those here), I can find retailers that will order games for me from Play Asia or even Super Rare games, for just a few dollars down. I suppose I could trouble my friends in the States and "borrow" their addresses, but it doesn't seem right to accommodate one company, somehow.

It is disingenuous in the extreme to suggest that Limited Run should get a pass because just because they are capitalists. Not sure what you're driving at here.

I'd totally buy a physical copy of Contra collection...for $10.

@CANOEberry The thing is Limited Run games is an American company manufacturing NTSC version of games. They offer a niche and bespoke service without exclusive clauses so other companies based in the EU/UK can always pick up the slack and offer a similar service there. You're importing a game, and importing is not cheap unless a retailer eats the cost somehow.

This is the point I think @CharlieGirl (they can feel free to correct me if I'm assuming incorrectly) is making. If you want a bespoke and premium item even though there are other cheaper options, you will be paying a premium price. It would be like me complaining that importing a UK-made silk tie costs me more than a cheap Chinese knockoff from Amazon.

For a lot of these games, there are cheaper digital options you can go through if you want the game cheaper. You're paying more to Limited Run because you want a premium item, a bespoke, made-to-order item that is not available through other avenues. Which is fair to be frustrated by! I love UK-made goods, but I cannot get upset by them costing me more than cheaper "lower quality" items. If you feel that digital games are not worth your money and you'd rather pay more for physical games you will be paying more for physical games. That is just how the cookie crumbles there.

That and if you're frustrated with how Limited Run handles the PAL region you can always start up your own company to offer the same service to that market. If there is enough demand you can make quite a lot of coin. It is not about giving Limited Run a free pass, rather it is about understanding the made-to-order and premium service they provide.

@Wexter Thanks for your reply. Possibly I should have been clearer, so here's the thing - I live in the NTSC region as well, and all my gaming hardware was purchased here. I am actually no stranger to visiting the US - before the last few years, I crossed over annually.

OTOH, I have never actually needed to; certainly not to buy gaming stuff. (I think I once bought an SNES game in the USA, but that's about it!) I have no objection to premium pricing if the return is justified. I have copies of titles from Fangamer, Super Rare, iam8bit and, yes, Limited Run (albeit not through mail order). And that doesn't include the stuff I've got from Play Asia. So I will absolutely "pay the freight" to have physical copies... even though I've actually been getting them without paying import costs. Lucky for me, an adult living in reach of multiple large First World cities. But if I feel that way being here, what about our fellow gamers in Europe or Asia, let alone developing countries?

With respect to you and CharlieGirl, I don't think it's fair to take up these capitalist arguments when we're talking about games that were made in Japan. A lot of the blame here should go to the Konamis and Square Enices of the world, but I have to note that Limited Run is provoking a lot of complaint even from American gamers. Anyone in Canada/USA/Mexico who hasn't yet received their copies of the Castlevania Collection or Thimbleweed Park should be asking how I could get them so easily...

@CANOEberry Okay I'm going to stop being polite now. What part of made-to-order do you not get? The reason it is taking longer than usual for customers to get their Limited Run titles is the same reason you cannot buy a PS5 easily (despite the console being almost halfway through its 2nd full year on the market) supply chain issues. This is a company that does a made-to-order business model where they also need to compete for limited factory space with AAA publishers, while also competing with those companies for the very same materials. These materials are also under embargo right now from Russia like precious metals and oil that is used to make plastic. This makes manufacturing luxury goods very difficult.

As for developing worlds or people in Europe they have digital avenues to purchase these titles. Owning a bespoke item is not a right, it is a privilege. The definition of bespoke by the way is "made for a particular customer or user." which in this case are collectors. That and you do not need to own these items either which is my entire argument. You decide the value of the item and if it is worth your purchase. But, if you're buying a premium item you're going to pay a premium price that is just simple economic facts.

As for Square Enix, I don't think they've ever done a collaboration with Limited Run Games. So I have no idea why you are mentioning them here. As for Konami are we really going to talk about the integrity of Konami? Limited Run even producing these games at all sounds like a miracle and a logistical nightmare. If your issue is with smaller digital games only going the Limited Run route... well as developers have mentioned in the past without services like Limited Run they would have never had their games released physically at all. That and for companies like Bethesda, WayForward and Lucas Arts that is a question for them. Maybe greed and cost-cutting, maybe they never had plans in the first place till Limited Run contacted them. We just simply do not know. What we do know is Limited Run never does exclusive contracts so if these companies wanted to they can contact another manufacturer or publisher. That is a good thing.

You seem to just hate Limited Run out of principle and I've never had an issue with their customer service. Some of my stuff has arrived I think at the latest six months after ordering. Which I think is rather fair considering I've ordered a suit once for a wedding from a local tailor that took two months to make (that was not being shipped to me halfway across the world while dealing with logistical issues involving a pandemic). Some people you just cannot please and you sound like one of them when it comes to Limited Run Games.

@Wexter Didn't read after your first sentence. Ignored.

I downloaded this for $5. Way more worth it.

@CANOEberry @OorWullie @CharlieGirl @AndyC_MK111 thank you all for the suggestions. I’ve added some to the wish list!

I downloaded it for 5 bucks. Asking 175 for a bunch of garbage is an insult. LRG is a scam.

Who the hell is buying all of these ridiculous collections? Lonely middle age dudes with way too much extra money.

@JustMonika Japan never got HD overhauls of these games. They were only released as PS one Classics on PS3, PSP and PS Vita.

@Hydra_Spectre You're correct.. Plus the Playstation versions were butchered in comparison to the PC Engine versions. While the Sega CD version is considered the best of all for technical reasons, it was censored here in North America.

@JustMonika SNATCHER was also never released as a PS one Classic.
The PC Engine CD version has slightly better graphics than the Sega CD version, which displays more colours. The Sega CD version does have an improved Act 3 and Justifier Light Gun support.

For Policenauts, the Sega Saturn is the best version, hands down.

@AndyC_MK111 What it means is depending on the order amount it will take a while. Manufacturing games, along with items for collectors editions (which tend to be the ones that take longer on average to receive) takes time. Any time I've ordered a standard edition it's been in my hands within 3 months. That means including shipping and handling. Let's also not forget we've been in a literal pandemic for the past two years that have impacted supply chains.

However, I honestly don't care if you think it is a good service or not that is your opinion. People claiming LRG should just make the games first and then sell them would then complain that it is too limited. So honestly it is a lose-lose LRG haters (which is at this point what it sounds like) who will just hate the service no matter how reasonable you are with why it is the way it is.

@Hydra_Spectre Well yeah, I wouldn't think it would be the 3DO or censored Playstation version, lol. I remember seeing the Japanese 3DO version at a Best Buy when I was little, lol

@Jacoby Just remembered about Namco Museum, another good collection. There's more than one though. This is the one I have. It has 75,% at the moment. It's worth it for Galaga 88 alone.

https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/namco-museum-switch/