Ascending Or Pretending? - Ristar (Sega Genesis)
Is this superstar going to the moon?
“Ascending or Pretending” is the latest series here at Physical Forever where we analyze valuation trends of video games. We look to see if a title is continuously increasing in value, or maybe just hitting a valuation bubble that might eventually burst.
Ristar is an interesting gem in the Sega Genesis library. Released just THREE MONTHS before the launch of the Sega Saturn system, this outer space hero is a first party release for the Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear. It was released very late into the systems lifespans in February of 1995 for the United States. Originally Sega thought Ristar would eventually become the next Sonic the Hedgehog. However, Ristar did not sell so well, due to it being under marketed and all attention was honed in on the Saturn system release. It’s a cute little platformer that plays similar to Sonic, except instead of using spin attacks, Ristar can extend his arms and head-butt enemies into oblivion. It has beautiful graphics, great music and solid gameplay, some of the best the system has to offer. If you have not tried it and cannot get ahold of the cartridge, you can find it on the Sega Genesis Collection or on the Nintendo Online Sega Genesis expansion. My brother and I personally had a complete copy of this game when I was a child, purchased from the now defunct FuncoLand for a mere $24.99, complete in box. I am sure we sold it for much less to fund a future purchase, the coveted Nintendo 64 system. I later acquired this game back into my personal collection, as I have a certain nostalgia for this star-studded hero.
Speaking of the cartridge, finding a nice complete in box Ristar is becoming a pain. Because of the late release in the Sega Genesis lifespan, this title was not released with a plastic clamshell case, but a cardboard box with slipcover. Finding this cardboard in decent shape is very tough to find, given that the print run was a lot smaller than other Sega Genesis classics. Pricecharting currently has a complete in box Ristar going for over $320 and rising. This is a drastic increase from just two years ago when you could have had one for around $150. Even just this year, the price was around $250 in January, and has increased by $80 in just eight months. If this keeps up, Ristar has the potential of reaching over $500 by next year. Only time will tell if we see those prices.
My advice is if you have this game in your collection to HOLD off from selling this if you can. The trends are that the price of this game is still rising, and is showing no signs of stopping. Even with this title readily being available to play on modern consoles, the data is showing that the physical copy of Ristar is on the move. If you are looking to acquire this cartridge for your collection, better do so soon before the prices become unobtainable. I personally am very fond of this title, and think it makes a Sega Genesis collection stand out. Do you have Ristar in your collection? Is it complete in box? Are you thinking of offloading it due to the price spike? Comment below and let me know what you think of Ristar!
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