In today's hard-working edition of Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Kadin regales us with his epic quest to purchase an imported copy of Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and challenges you to top his tale.
What's the most work you've gone through to obtain a game? I'm going to date myself here but we're all friends right? Good.
Back in late 1991, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was released in Japan. At the time, I was a huge Zelda nut. Anything having to do with that series I wanted to play. Now it's true that there weren't many versions out yet but that doesn't mean I wasn't obsessed.
I'll mention now that I live in Sacramento, CA. In early 1992, there was a company that imported games from Japan and they were based in Los Angeles. I can't remember the name but I used to talk with them at great lengths about various import titles. I got to know one of the guys that worked there quite well and he told me about how they just got the game in. What? He had it and I didn't? WTF? Yeah I know I don't speak or read Japanese but I could give a shit… I wanted that game!!!
I somehow got it in my head that while I could talk this guy into selling this import to me and shipping it (it was their last copy), that it would take too long. I seriously had NO patience back then and honestly that hasn't changed much today. In the matter of a few minutes I made the decision to take the next day off and drive down there to pick up this game. I planned to drive down that Friday afternoon and return the next day… in less than 24hrs. I had to work on Sunday of course…
At the time I was dating a really cool girl. We jumped into my Camaro about an hour later and headed down to LA. We only packed a few things to get us by for the overnight. I have a cousin that lives in Lancaster which is maybe 2/3 of the way to our destination. Everything was going great about 2 hours in when suddenly I blew my back left tire. Luckily I had one of them crappy doughnut spares and somehow my girlfriend ended up putting it on. I don't know how that latter part played out but now I remember part of the reason why we're no longer together… but I digress. Anyhow, you know how they tell you you're not supposed to drive over like 45-50mph on those things? Yeah right. It was 70mph the entire rest of the way there. I'd worry about the tire later – Zelda was within my reach!
So we eventually get there, stay the night with my cousin and I proceed to pick up the game early the next morning. Not even an hour into our trip back, my girlfriend and I get into probably the worst fight we'd ever had. In the car. Just us. Nothing but open land for a good 4-5 hours to go. I think she was complaining about not giving her enough time or something like that, I don't know, I wasn't really paying much attention…
We got home and worked out our issues. Honestly I think I said whatever I needed to say to simply get to the end result: makeup time. Then followed of course with the TRUE owner of my heart: Zelda.
To summarize: roughly 750 miles driven in less than 24hrs and I lost a tire, eventually my girlfriend and $100 for a game I couldn't understand. Oh and the game ended up coming out 2 months later here in the states which I bought and then never played my import again.
Anyone want to top that? This story still gets brought up to this day by my best friend – usually to each new girl I'm dating. Good times.
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