An extremely rare game for the original Nintendo Famicom (the NES) has just fetched a bank-breaking ¥401,010 (some $4,250) at auction.
The game in question is the fascinatingly titled 危険物のやさしい物理と科学 / Kikenbutsu no Yasashii Butsuri to Kagaku, or “The Tender Physics & Science of Explosive Materials”; as you might guess from the title, the game relates to handling volatile materials.
It was in fact a training tool (part of the “Space College” series) jointly developed between Konami and industrial end-user Idemitsu Kosan Ltd. (one of the world’s largest petroleum refiners) in 1990, and intended for employee educational use only.
Its rarity, and subsequent popularity with collectors, stems from the fact that is what is called a 非売品 / hibaihin, a game never offered for sale publically, of which there are a great many for the NES, ranging from normal games unreleased for some reason to training products such as this.
For NES maniacs, or possibly shrewdly speculating collectors, the game clearly represents an irresistible draw.
So much so that, in the Yahoo auction, its initial asking price of ¥1,000 was soon inflated drastically, attracting 50 bids in four days, ending at ¥401,010. The special adapter required to play the game (Q-ta) was included in this price, though shipping was not.
The game was confirmed by the seller, who “tested it at a friend’s place”, to be in working order after five years in storage, and to be in reasonable condition. Let us hope so.
Sadly, images of this fascinating game in operation are extremely rare, so we are left to imagine what wonders of safety training delight it must hold.
| 
Marshmallow Imouto Succubus Hits The Beach
Bishoujo Mangekyou Fan Translation Emerges
Samurai Rising – Square Enix: You Guessed it!
Mangaka Pay Tribute to Kyushu
Street Fighter V Enlists Guile
Chinese Death Simulator “Hopefully Won’t Explode”
Re:Zero “In The Nick Of Time!”
Muma Astacia Sultry Succubus Ero-Figure
Hundred Sloppy Kissing Anime
Greek Woman “Born Without A Vagina!”
Let It Die Trailer Unforgettably Fierce
Shinjuku Station Reveals “All Yu-Gi-Oh Cards Ever!”
KanColle Arcade Scores A Direct Hit
Bakuon!! Relentlessly Cute
Fuwary Gymnastics Girl Onahole Frighteningly Flexible
Star Fox Animated Short Takes Flight
Big Order “Big & Scary!”
Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei Really Retro
Monster Hunter Generations Monstrous As Ever
Live Action Naruto Stage-Play Filthier Than Ever
Goddess of 2ch: “What A Cute Hole!”
Alice Margatroid Ero-Cosplay by Hiyo Nishizuku Full of Cheer
Sheryl Nome Bunny Girl Cosplay by Mike Super Scandalous
Marvelous Madoka Mizugi Cosplay by Mashiro Yuki
Marie Rose Cosplay by Mike Undeniably Sexy
Tasha Tracer Cosplay Truly Tantalizing
Witch Craft Works Cosplay by Kagune Intensely Seductive
Kaine Cosplay by Yuricha Flawless
Kasumigaoka Utaha Cosplay Pretty Pure
Goddess of 2ch “Another Bathing Beauty!”
You could buy lot of butter with that money.
Isn't there even a rom in circulation?
I guess not since it's a game unreleased to the public.
It must have cost a bomb!
hahah nice one :P but wow.. o.O 4000 u could buy a lot of butter with that
That game is downloadable in a rom site. I dunno if it's still up though...It was way back 1999.
Really? May I see the site pls? (*interested)
I highly doubt that. I've spent quite sometime searching for a rom and have come up blank.
I couldn't even find a screenshot.
Sorry to disappoint you budding petroleum handling safety experts, but I think this one is going to slip by...
GET THIS MAN A ROM DUMPER!
holy shit that's awesome but shit $4000 @@
And...this is why I just like emulators and roms, in instances where I can. Or where it just makes sense.
If I can't buy it in a way that'll support the company, I'll just emulate it. This stuff is nice and all if you're a collector, but it doesn't support the companies at all. It's sad that some people would want to make downloading this as a rom illegal and not want to release it for re-buy on Virtual Console. It's unethical.
Did you miss the part where people were saying you cant even find a ROM for this?
I think everyone missed the part where we heard that this is a hazardous materials safety training tool, written in Japanese.
Or are there really that many budding safety experts wanting to learn Japanese procedures, 20-year-old ones at that?
Ah yes, I supposed I commented before reading other comments is why. I also just skimread the article.
Well then we can only hope that someone who does own the cartridge does upload the rom onto the internet. For archival purposes. Don't want to see a single game disappear from history.
Sure, start taking up a collection like they did to dump the English NES Earthbound cartridge. I'm pretty sure the buyer isn't going to have a ROM dumped (which would erode much of the value) unless there's financial incentive to protect against that.
To be honest, if I was that person, I would still be more worried about it disappearing from existence than keeping it's value.
Call me a good Samaritan you might. Or an idiot of no caring for money. But I believe in gaming, and the preservance of gaming history, not collecting.
But then again I suppose if you wanted to be so sharing, you could make the auction paid via a paypal through a site that hosts roms. And have everyone pitch in who wants the sucker. Instead of pay for the whole thing yourself.
I wonder how much other games are near forgotten to history. I shudder the thought.
Can it be considered abandonware?
Forgottenware?
That's at least 5 in a half months worth of rent for me.
Where do these otaku keep getting their money from?
I'd like to know myself, because my ass is always broke!
Using consoles to train employees. The Japanese truly are a generation or two ahead of the rest of the world.
Honestly, I'm more curious about the reason for a converter than I am about the game.