Rare retro games retailing for exorbitant prices is nothing new, but a Japanese manual for the 1995 side-scrolling action platforming game Magical Pop’n has been making rounds on social media for its ridiculously high selling price. Discovered by X user and retro game collector Kandori Taro, the manual is priced at 217,000 JPY (over $1,400 USD). Interestingly, an old label still stuck to the packaging valued the manual at only 100 yen, or about $0.6.
Though Magical Pop’n was met with mixed reception as a game, it has become an exceptionally rare collector’s item over the years because it cast Ai Iijima as the voice of protagonist Princess. Ijima was a celebrity who famously made a successful transition from the adult film industry into mainstream entertainment. She died at the young age of 36, shortly after retiring from the public eye. Since Ijima’s photos and comments are printed on Magical Pop’n’s box and manual, these items have become extremely valuable even when sold separately from the game itself.
While some are surprised by the manual’s actual price, those aware of Magical Pop’n’s legacy are more concerned about its authenticity. The 100 JPY price tag could have been the manual’s previous price, whereupon it was changed after the seller learned of its true value.
On a side note, just to let others know how serious he is about collecting, Kandori Taro revealed that he owns not one, but three copies of Magical Pop’n. Considering how much a single manual goes for, it’s safe to say that finding and acquiring those copies wasn’t cheap.
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