What did you RECEIVE today? PHOTOS EDITION!

[Girls with Guns]

So, in a concerted effort to keep this thread on track: I received one Limited Edition box set from Amazon US today. I was a little peeved because they shipped it in a brown paper bag with no padding whatsoever, but fortunately the set was not damaged at all.


Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 Limited Edition

 

[cfx]

I'm a bit surprised to see people doubling down on physical releases after the announcement. On the one hand it makes sense to have copies that aren't tied to a PSN account, especially with all the things that can cause people to lose access to their DRM-infested digital collections. On the other hand, PS6 not having a disc drive means all those physical games will only be playable for as long as your PS5's drive lasts. Now, I still have consoles all the way back to PS1 that I've kept maintaining and repairing over the decades, but optical drives aren't made to last any more, and modern consoles are far more difficult (maybe impossible in some cases) for the end user to repair.

It's an infuriating game of mental ping-pong that's been going back and forth inside my head for years, and there's no easy answer because (on a long enough timeline) both options ultimately suck.

I try to have at least one backup console for everything especially the newer ones, and am thinking about getting a spare blu-ray drive for the PS5 since it's separate.

It's a bit different for me--I make no secret here that I'm old (60+) and this announcement by Sony has cemented the decision I had already mostly made that I won't be buying a PS6; the PS5 will be my last new console. The fact the PS6 is likely to cost something like £1000+ is also a secondary reason. Given that cost factor, most things I read online think that the PS5/PS6 cross-gen period will be even longer than it was for PS4/PS5, so I also suspect there won't be too many things I'm interested in that I'm not able to get a version of for PS5. That I have almost no interest in most western "AAA" games makes that more likely too as that's the most likely things to be PS6 only I suspect.

Additionally, I have games I haven't played, or played enough, all the way back to the 16-bit generation, so I have more that I want to really play and get the most out of than I will probably get to all of in whatever time I have left on earth, so it's really not that hard for me to make this decision. I don't mean to sound morbid about that, it's just reality and I really have a lot of games and work just kept me from having much time to really play and enjoy them; I always assumed I'd just be able to play what I couldn't before in retirement, and that's what I'm going to do. I had really planned to not buy a PS5 but finally there were enough things there that weren't coming to PS4 that I wanted, that I decided to get that after all, with good timing since I got it before price increases and before the M.2 SSD prices went nuts.

So maybe I'll have the same feeling about the PS6 in the future, but I suspect it being digital only will be enough for me to stick to my plans. I just am not really interested in owning any digital-only console. If I was younger, I'd have to consider what I wanted to do about new games and might make a different choice.

 

[Dai]

I try to have at least one backup console for everything especially the newer ones, and am thinking about getting a spare blu-ray drive for the PS5 since it's separate.

Good point. I'd forgotten about the interchangeable drives on the newer model. My PS5 is the earlier one with the built-in drive.

Of course, in the spirit of everything in life being a trade-off instead of a solution, those add-on drives require a one-time connection to Sony's servers to activate them (IIRC), so replacement drives can only be added for as long as Sony keeps that activation server online.

 

[cfx]

Of course, in the spirit of everything in life being a trade-off instead of a solution, those add-on drives require a one-time connection to Sony's servers to activate them (IIRC), so replacement drives can only be added for as long as Sony keeps that activation server online.

Yes that is correct. I do feel this kind of thing is more likely to remain available than some other aspects of digital, unless Sony just decides they do not want you to be able to do this. For a somewhat relevant analogy, I don't know anymore, but Microsoft still used to activate rather old versions of Office and Windows.

Sony did make one change in that activation procedure--from what I read, originally you had to do this activation even with the version of the console that came with the drive attached. The one I bought did not require this so Sony started pre-activating them; it's the later revision when they upped the storage to 1TB and got rid of the shiny stuff on the housing; it's all matte now (hallelujah!). I know this for sure because I do not connect my consoles to the internet except when it is necessary for downloading or whatever, so I set everything up and tried games before I ever connected to the internet.

 

[Aion (Retired)]

the perfect film for how feel, is this latest preorder forgot about--sent just in time for birthing day

tis a black comedy that ends up leaning more towards the black: an average guy reaches his breaking point stuck in traffic on his way to work on a sweltering hot day. he ends up abandoning his car and going on a bizarre odyssey thru urban hell; culminating in a showdown with a cop played by robert duvall on his last day before retirement

 

[BrokenPhoenix]

Good point. I'd forgotten about the interchangeable drives on the newer model. My PS5 is the earlier one with the built-in drive.

Of course, in the spirit of everything in life being a trade-off instead of a solution, those add-on drives require a one-time connection to Sony's servers to activate them (IIRC), so replacement drives can only be added for as long as Sony keeps that activation server online.

This topic is exactly why I'm turning to PC moving forward for the vast majority of my games. Even if Steam were to go bust, there's always GOG and other storefronts, as well as the ability to pirate games you've purchased that may not be accessible in the future through legal means.

 

[Anime1977]

GASHAPON model kit plus a keyring.

 

[Lucky_Deity]

A number of items from the past couple of weeks.

From Vinted

Mario Kart Wii (with Wii Wheel) and Wii Sports



These are both re-buys for the Wii collection but I never had Wii Sports in a standard sized case which I always wanted when I was younger compared to the cardboard sleeve.

From HMV

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Steelbook)



From All the Anime and Forbidden Planet

DAN DA DAN (S2) (Yokai Edition) (CE) and Pokécology

 

[Geriatric hedgehog]

So Geriatric, you have now become enlightened, or of some such similar disposition...

I most certainly have, especially given that I was thinking of foldable furniture rather than electronics

I try to have at least one backup console for everything especially the newer ones, and am thinking about getting a spare blu-ray drive for the PS5 since it's separate.

It's a bit different for me--I make no secret here that I'm old (60+) and this announcement by Sony has cemented the decision I had already mostly made that I won't be buying a PS6; the PS5 will be my last new console. The fact the PS6 is likely to cost something like £1000+ is also a secondary reason. Given that cost factor, most things I read online think that the PS5/PS6 cross-gen period will be even longer than it was for PS4/PS5, so I also suspect there won't be too many things I'm interested in that I'm not able to get a version of for PS5. That I have almost no interest in most western "AAA" games makes that more likely too as that's the most likely things to be PS6 only I suspect.

Additionally, I have games I haven't played, or played enough, all the way back to the 16-bit generation, so I have more that I want to really play and get the most out of than I will probably get to all of in whatever time I have left on earth, so it's really not that hard for me to make this decision. I don't mean to sound morbid about that, it's just reality and I really have a lot of games and work just kept me from having much time to really play and enjoy them; I always assumed I'd just be able to play what I couldn't before in retirement, and that's what I'm going to do. I had really planned to not buy a PS5 but finally there were enough things there that weren't coming to PS4 that I wanted, that I decided to get that after all, with good timing since I got it before price increases and before the M.2 SSD prices went nuts.

So maybe I'll have the same feeling about the PS6 in the future, but I suspect it being digital only will be enough for me to stick to my plans. I just am not really interested in owning any digital-only console. If I was younger, I'd have to consider what I wanted to do about new games and might make a different choice.

I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. Silver lining for me was the news helping me decide not to buy the next console and stop adding to a collection that I, at present, feel like there is little hope in getting through. Moreso I haven't had the time to revisit and discover classics, which will likely give me more satisfaction than a lot of newer, shinier AAA titles, so I actually breathed a sigh of relief in a way.

Also looking at how you can find a lot of classic games for emulation nowadays, I also live in the hope that having the physical discs may at least give one the option to extract and preserve the games digitally at some point. Other than that hope that platforms like GOG continue their good work with game preservation.

View attachment 45554

the perfect film for how feel, is this latest preorder forgot about--sent just in time for birthing day

tis a black comedy that ends up leaning more towards the black: an average guy reaches his breaking point stuck in traffic on his way to work on a sweltering hot day. he ends up abandoning his car and going on a bizarre odyssey thru urban hell; culminating in a showdown with a cop played by robert duvall on his last day before retirement

Sounds like a blast, didn't know about this one so going on my list. Have a fantastic birthing day @Aion (Retired)

 

[RadFemHedonist]

View attachment 45554

the perfect film for how feel, is this latest preorder forgot about--sent just in time for birthing day

tis a black comedy that ends up leaning more towards the black: an average guy reaches his breaking point stuck in traffic on his way to work on a sweltering hot day. he ends up abandoning his car and going on a bizarre odyssey thru urban hell; culminating in a showdown with a cop played by robert duvall on his last day before retirement

Sounds like a blast, didn't know about this one so going on my list. Have a fantastic birthing day @Aion (Retired)

OMG Aion it is or is gonna be your birthday? Happy birthday!!

I feel like I should prob post an update here of all the stuff and junk I received in the past god knows how many months it's been

 

[Titan]

Received today, from Sentai: (via Stackry)



Received today, from The Game Collection:

 

[Anime1977]

I got them from amazon Japan.

 

[Anime1977]

My pre-order of the girl who leapt through time 4k steelbook has shipped well before the release date.

 

[Girls with Guns]

I received two Blu-rays yesterday - one anime steelbook from Walmart, and one standard edition anime from Amazon.


Robotech: The Macross Saga 40th Anniversary Walmart Exclusive Steelbook
Reborn as a Vending Machine I now Wander the Dungeon 2nd Season

Robotech I picked up more for having it in my steelbook collection rather than for watching the actual series itself, since I'm not much of a mecha fan and I'm definitely not into a dub-only production. Oh well, it is what it is.

I had ordered Vending Machine from Crunchyroll but it was on backorder; then I saw Amazon US had it in stock with next-day Prime shipping, so I canceled the one from Crunchyroll, ordered it from Amazon instead - and BAM! it was here already!

 

[Anime1977]

It not actually out till the 17th of this month but for some reason anime limited has started to send out pre orders very early.

 

[Aion (Retired)]

dunno if its just me, but ima sensing a pattern ere: falling down, the descent... shame the abyss is not due its 4k steelbook to complete the trilogy

fyi: tis a film about 6 womens, going cave explore/climb/tunneling; without a man in sight. goes about as well as one would expect, although not for the reasons expect. they do say womens hate each other the most tbf
cums with a slipcover, which annoyed meeee given just want the steelbook spine on horizontal shelf. that is, till I noted the kinda cool cave/skull difference

oh, and cheers for the bday wishes. i prefer to pretend im ageless and think of it more as birthing day, as (ps: glad u got a chuckle outta my act aggression tidbit ) noted: visualing that alien chest burster scene whilst doing so. i guess im a feminist at heart. still, tis the thought that counts~

 

[Type_VII]

Stuff from this week

 

[NormanicGrav]

July Haul #3

More packages arrived for the final two weeks of the month. This part focuses on the items from Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th.

There's a lot to cover so I'll be splitting the hauls across the next few posts.

---

#6: Capcom Arcade Stadium Vol. 1 & Hi-Fi Rush

Spoiler

Limited Run Games at this point were pretty vague on when their next titles were being released as the range is now quarterly than a specific month. Eventually these two finally arrived which I ordered together, though one of them definitely came out a while back as Video Games Plus eventually received stock.

Starting off with the Capcom Arcade Stadium Volume 1 which is the first time a Capcom title joins the Limited Run Games collection. This is a compilation of classic Capcom games that were released back in 2021 and definitely cheaper digitally but really cool to now own these on cart. Volume 2 is also ordered but not out yet.

In Volume 1 we have three sub-collections. The first is Dawn of the Arcade which includes 1942, 1943: The Battle of Midway, Bionic Commando, Commando, Forgotten Worlds, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Legendary Wings, Pirate Ship Higemaru, Section Z, Trojan, and Vulgus; all of which released between 1984-1988.

The second is Arcade Revolution which includes 1941: Counter Attack, Captain Commando, Carrier Air Wing, Dynasty Wars, Final Fight, Mega Twins, Mercs, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Strider, and Varth: Operation Thunderstorm; all of which released between 1989-1992.

And the third is Arcade Evolution which includes 19XX: The War Against Destiny, 1944: The Loop Master, Armored Warriors, Battle Circuit, Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness, Giga Wing, Progear, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and Warriors of Fate; all of which released between 1992-2001.

There are a couple duplicates in this set if you own either the Capcom Belt Action Collection or the Capcom Fighting Collection which will run better on those releases but everything else in this volume is a good selection of titles.

Next we have Hi-Fi Rush, the 2023 action game by Tango Gameworks (the studio known for The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo), which launched first on Xbox Series X and eventually made its way onto PlayStation 5. The studio was closed down by Microsoft despite the game's success but Krafton rescued them. What's interesting about this physical is that the booklet has English & Japanese versions and I suspect this is the exact same booklet used for the Japanese release published by SuperDeluxe Games.

#7: MediaOCD Haul Part 1: AnimEigo

Spoiler

Next we have an AnimEigo catch-up haul with a couple relatively new releases that came out over the first half of the year. I ordered these alongside the Discotek Media Deep Dive haul and had been staying at Stackry for a good while until another haul helped bring them over here.

Focusing first on the AnimEigo pickups we have three Blu-ray releases with the MediaOCD store exclusive slipcases, which I still find the idea of having the sleeves separately is hit or miss because when you fold them to the correct layout it does feel like the glue is detaching itself.




The highlight of the haul is clearly Alien Nine, the 2001 four-episode J.C.Staff OVA series directed by Jirō Fujimoto and Yasuhiro Irie which gained a cult following over the years and is now back in print in North America thanks to AnimEigo. The classic English dub is also included with this release.




Next is The Dagger of Kamui, the 1985 Madhouse film directed by Rintarō and its a classic title that AnimEigo prior to MediaOCD acquiring the distributor have had in their back catalogue for a number of years and was also given a crowdfunding campaign for its Blu-ray release. The classic English dub is also included with this release and the original Japanese cast also features actor Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun).




And also here is a lesser-known anime with Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope, 2005 Sunrise television special directed by Takashi Annō. It’s an obscure anime and one that I hadn’t heard of until the distributor mentioned it, but it’s cool to see TV specials come to home video even if it takes two decades to get to this point.

 

[NormanicGrav]

July Haul #4

This part focuses on the items from Friday 24th.

---

#8: MediaOCD Haul Part 2: Discotek Media Deep Dives

Spoiler

Discotek Media since the start of the year have been bringing their back catalogue onto the MediaOCD store in a batch per month and has brought back many titles to “print” (basically more available stock in most cases) and it’s also a good opportunity to secure releases that you missed out the first time.

Now the catch here is that the prices on the MediaOCD store are full retail which is more expensive than Crunchyroll Store but in return you do get better packaging for shipment and points that can be used to redeem future hauls (which is what I did by saving a lot of money on the upcoming August pre-orders like Monster and Zegapain).

Anyway here we have another selection of titles that appeared in their Deep Dive batch around May 2025 and have been on the top of my priority list for a while.






First we have a four-part release with Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior, a collection of films and OVAs by TMS Entertainment released between 2006-2008. The first is the 2006 film Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Death in Love directed by Takahiro Imamura (Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon), the second is the 2007 OVA Legend of Yuria directed by Hidehito Ueda (Cybuster), the third is the 2007 film Legend of Raoh: Chapter of Fierce Fighting directed by Toshiki Hirano (Baki), the fourth is the 2008 OVA Legend of Toki directed by Kobun Shizuno (Knights of Sidonia), and the fifth & final instalment is the 2008 film Legend of Kenshiro directed by Toshiki Hirano.

Five instalments released across four releases by Discotek Media (as they bundled the two OVAs on one release). This is more-or-less a reimagining of select arcs from the classic manga franchise so I would recommend either watching the original series or read the manga if you want a complete experience. On a plus side, these did receive an English dub (a proper one, not like the infamous new dub that’s on the latest anime adaptation). Discotek Media released the sets in February 2023, November 2023, December 2023 & March 2024 respectively.



Next we have the Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers collection, which includes the 1988 television series by Sunrise directed by Masashi Ikeda (Gundam Wing) & Mamoru Hamatsu (Glass Mask ’05) that span 39 episodes, as well as three OVA series; 1989’s Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers: Gaiden by directors Kazuki Akane (The Vision of Escaflowne) & Mamoru Hamatsu, 1989’s Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers: Legend of Kikoutei by director Mamoru Hamatsu, and 1991’s Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers: Message by director Masashi Ikeda. This franchise wasn’t on my radar until more recently, especially when Sunrise revealed a new anime series that aired fairly recently. Discotek Media originally released the series on DVD first but was then upgraded to Blu-ray years later. Discotek media released the collection on Blu-ray on December 2021.



And last but not least is Osamu Tezuka’s A Thousand & One Nights, Eiichi Yamamoto’s 1969 film produced by Mushi Production and the first instalment of the Animerama trilogy with Cleopatra and Belladonna of Sadness. Similar to Cleopatra, this is also a double-dip purchase as I own Third Window’s Blu-ray release from years back and the main addition for this Discotek Media release is the inclusion of a long-lost English dub which is neat. This film, despite its fanservice, is honestly a pretty fun time and worth a watch if you want a classic Arabian style anime adventure. Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray in November 2020.

There’s two more Deep Dive titles ordered not long after this one but will make their appearance in the August pickups haul.

 

[NormanicGrav]

July Haul #5

This part also focuses on the items from Friday 24th.

---

#9: Sentai Filmworks Summer Sale Haul Part 1

Spoiler

The other haul that I consolidated with the MediaOCD titles were a number of releases from Sentai Filmworks’ Summer Sale which is one that I have been anticipating for the past couple of months because they have titles that I want for my collection and waited for the right price to grab them.

So the haul was divided into two separate pickups because they were adding a couple more in batches over the course of July, and this first haul was done as soon as the sale had started. And I’m glad that I had done that because a couple of the releases included in this list sold out pretty quickly (not out of print for clarity).




Starting off with a couple more steelbook editions for the collection that went on sale. We begin with 2.5 Dimensional Seduction Season 1 from studio J.C. Staff (DanMachi) and director Hideki Okamoto (Mysteria Friends) which aired in July 2024. First time I heard about the series was the manga which I have been collecting from the Ghost Ship label, a harem/cosplay series which has been doing well reception wise. A second season was also confirmed as soon as the season wrapped up so that’s good.




Next we have a double-dip purchase with Akiba Maid War from P.A. Works (Shirobako) and director Sōichi Masui (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai) which aired in October 2022. The maid girls with weapons series received a release from Anime Limited which I do own, but then Sentai Filmworks one upped them with a better release months later. Their steelbook release includes an 80-page book with character designs, interviews and other artwork.




And going even further into harems and fanservice is Chained Soldier Season 1 from Seven Arcs (Blue Period) and director Gorō Kuji (Bungo and Alchemist -Gears of Judgement-) and chief director Junji Nishimura (Ranma ½), written by the creator of Akame ga Kill! which aired in January 2024. This ecchi harem series caught my interest even further namely due to the second season going viral on social media each time an episode aired and so it’s been on the top of my list to own for a while. I was initially going to focus on the standard release but I figured the second season may get pretty solid treatment, whether it be a steelbook or any other special edition, to match the first season.



And then we have four regular releases; three of which were previously released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks many years ago and were re-released recently which is neat as it means new discs.



First one to highlight as it’s a Blu-ray upgrade from a DVD release and that’s Azumanga Daioh from J.C. Staff (Reign of the Seven Spellblades) and director Hiroshi Nishikiori (Angelic Layer) which aired in April 2002. One of the first anime I had watched and also one of the first manga I picked up. I’m baffled the series hasn’t been rescued in the UK but at least it’s in print again in the US. The Blu-ray is an upscale but I’ll take what I get.

Next we have The Ambition of Oda Nobuna from studios Madhouse (Death Note) and Studio Gokumi (Endro!), and director Yuuji Kumazawa (Sunday Without God) which aired in July 2012. This is a type of isekai where the main protagonist is sent back to the warring states period meeting someone that isn’t Oda Nobunaga. It also has a harem like a lot of anime did back in that time of year. It’s been on my radar ever since I first learned about Sentai Filmworks but waited for a good opportunity.

Moving over to an anime that I have also seen and that’s The Perfect Insider, also known as Subete ga F ni Naru, from A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online) and director Mamoru Kanbe (The Promised Neverland) which aired in October 2015. This is a mystery series with original character designs by Inio Asano (Goodnight Punpun) and it did get a bit over my hand when I watched it at the time but I’ve thought about the series from time to time and figured I’ll rewatch it someday.

And of course we have another harem with Trinity Seven from Seven Arcs (Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls) and director Hiroshi Nishikiori (Azumanga Daioh) which aired in October 2014. I remember this series airing in a season going up against other harem shows of a similar premise, though this one did receive two anime films and its source material was released by Yen Press which is still on-going.

That wraps up Part 1 of the sale haul. Part 2 is arriving as part of the August pickups haul.