5 year search for this mega rare SNES item is finally over! SNES collection complete!

Man, I've been collecting CIB SNES games since 2007. I've only seen this game "3 Ninjas Kick Back" CIB on eBay like twice... maybe 3x in the past five years. (I searched just about everyday, too). In case you didn't know, the box and manual for this title is infamous for its extremely high rarity level. It's definitely up there in the top 5, maybe top 3 hardest to find SNES boxes/manuals list. No one knows for sure why it's so rare. Some have claimed it to be rental only, but that's never been confirmed. From what I recall growing up, it was a regular release, but rather obscure (neither GameFan nor EGM ever even PREVIEWED it). It might have had a low-print run, but loose copies are always floating around the net a-plenty. We may never know...

Late last year I won the manual (mint) for $180 BIN. I snatched it up quick, knowing I was halfway there. (Sometimes it's just easier and cheaper to piece a CIB one by one). Now I just needed the box.... something I been searching for since 2007!

There was a guy offering just the box for $1000 BIN forever (since early 2011?) on eBay, but that's just ridiculous. I noticed him lowering it over time. By February 2012 it was at $700. Still a little high for my blood, but I was so close to completing this bloody game. So I decided to sell off some games in attempt to get as close to $700 as possible. I sold:

1. Incantation CIB
2. Magical Pop'n cart only Super Famicom
3. Dracula X with manual (both doubles)
4. Lot of 15 SNES games (all doubles of games I later bought CIB years ago)
5. Zero Kamikaze SNES manual (double)

This gave me $535 paypal.

I messaged the eBay seller hoping he'd drop his price. I offered $350 but he said he's received better offers, sorry. Later that same day I realized he dropped his BIN from $700 to $600. Now I was really excited (with my $535 paypal balance). So I reupped my offer to $475 hoping he'd bite. He said he'd agree on $550, but also asked me if I wanted more pictures. I said yes, please send me extra pictures. Because the box wasn't mint mint (but still a solid and respectable 8/10) I asked for $515, figuring he'd understand and accept.

He agreed!

I ended up using $526.35 of my $535 paypal balance. I love it when you buy stuff from balance. It just makes forking over a large sum of cash more doable in my view. I know it was a lot of money, but not bad seeing it go from originally $1,000 to just $526. This also completes my SNES collection, so I can now enjoy my "retirement" without worry of checking eBay twice a day as well as Craigslist. It's so nice to finally cross the last want off your list. BTW, if you think this price is crazy, I know there was a CIB mint copy of 3NKB that sold for $1,500 (!). It's pretty LEGIT rare, to say the least.

As for the game itself, I actually like the game. I find it to be (surprisingly) enjoyable. I beat it last year (after several tries, it's pretty tough) and was surprised by the fact that I liked it. Not a gem by ANY stretch of the imagination, but bloody heck, I liked it... the music was surprisingly cool and it came straight out of the movie (which I watched after beating the game). I was taken aback by how much the voice samples and music in the game matched the movie's. (i.e. Tum Tum going "LET'S MURDERIZE 'EM!" from the movie and from when you select him as your character). I don't know if I'd go so far as to call the game underrated, but it's one I like enough to keep and would probably replay at some point in the future... I also like how the 3 ninjas have differing abilities. For instance, Tum Tum is such a small target to hit! I know I'm in the minority but yes, I like 3 Ninjas Kick Back. I hope to try it out 2 player with my cousin sometime... we actually grew up loving the original 3 Ninjas movie.

With the purchase of 3NKB box, I am effectively done with my SNES collection and happily retiring, so to speak. My vacation? Playing my entire library one by one (the games I haven't played yet... this oughta last me for the next solid 6-7 years...) and cranking out more reviews for my SNES fansite RVGFANATIC

Time for some pics! Manual is pretty nice with some helpful, colorful descriptions.








Actually not a bad little movie-game. YMMV, but I certainly enjoyed it. Love how the back looks!

 

Congratulation on completing your collection!!!

So what next, any other systems you might go after?

 

Thanks. For now, I'm content and set. The nice thing is, the backlog of games to play either doesn't go up, or decreases with each game I play (through). That's the nice thing about being set! I know some would tell me (as they have in the past) that I'm missing out on a lot of great non-SNES games, but I know I can't play 'em all, and I find maxing out one system to be highly satisfying. SNES is my all-time favorite, Saturn comes in a very distant second. I like to keep things as simple as possible It also makes picking which game to play next a whole lot easier (I don't have to decide which SYSTEM first, I just jump straight to which game)

 

While (as a non collector) I think you are crazy for paying that much for a box - I can understand the need to complete a set.

Congrats on what is quite insane, but no doubt satisfying.

 

It's cool that you were able to sell all that stuff as I feel the same way, it definitely lessens the blow of spending $500+ on a box. But CONGRATS! That's super awesome to have a complete boxed set. Any chance of posting a pic? I'd love to see the whole collection. <3 the SNES.

 

The box art for that game is sensational, i have a much higher appreciation for American/Euro artwork these days.

 

Congrats indeed! It's such a lovely feeling picking up a personal grail!

Baseley - lol. I hope that's saracasm, or a case of sooo bad it's actually good.

 

Aha deffo so bad it's good, though I actually love the checkered Master System ones with just a fist or sports ball on them!

 

One of these days I'll throw up some pics. Right now I haven't full displayed them yet as many of my boxes were acquired and shipped flat without their tray in 2007. Those boxes are currently in a storage bin. I will definitely put out a "my collection" article with some pics and stories on my site someday.

Baseley, lol.

 

congrats !
I know how it feels looking for something everyday on ebay for 5 years and finally finding it

 

I sure hope you insure everything.

 

Great that you managed to collect it after looking for so long. Congrats!

 

nice work on achieving the complete collection

 

Awesome! I have to say I'm jealous. I wonder what a complete Snes collection would even be valued at? Also you may want to keep an eye out for Nightmare Busters by Super Fighter Team. It's the only upcoming snes game that i know of. Any way congrats on the complete set looking forward to more pictures.

 

Wow, Nightmare Busters is actually being released. That's interesting.

 

Hot damn, that's expensive. Adding this to my list of "reasons why I do not want to complete a collection for a single system."

 

Nicely done!! I soon to complete a console's release one day, maybe when I get the money to

It doesn't beat finngamer spending $300~ on tatty manual to finish his collection.

 

By complete collection you mean ALL games released in the US?

That's impressive.

 

Well done Steve, I'd love to see some more photos of your collection

 

Congrats! I didn't even know this game existed until now.