Treasure Hunter March 2017 – Back by Unpopular Request

When life hits, it hits you hard. My last Treasure Hunter column was in January 2015. It’s been over TWO years since I searched for gaming and anime treasure to write about. After spending some time researching and writing this article, I realized this column fell by the wayside because it is so time intensive. Depending on the month, game releases can be reasonable or completely overwhelming. Still, I really wanted to bring this column back, so I’ve set up a plan to do my research more carefully (i.e., a few days before I want to publish a post).

Fortunately, the release of a major console seemed like the right time to write about special, limited, and collector’s editions of stuff and fired me up. March is usually a busy time of year and with the release of the Nintendo Switch there’s a lot of gaming excitement in the air. Unlike previous columns, I’m not going to worry about releases with pre-order bonus items that go away upon release. That narrows down the games and anime I might cover, but for this month there is still plenty of stuff to drain your wallet.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Release: March 3 | Price: Originally $129.99 | Publisher: Nintendo of America

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was delayed quite a few times, but that was for the best given how the Switch’s barren launch lineup needed a heavy-hitter. BotW is that heavy-hitter. It released to critical acclaim and has garnered almost universally positive reviews. The Master Edition is a beast of a collection with its Master Sword statue, a carrying case for the Switch, a map of Hyrule, and a 24-song soundtrack. If you’re trying to buy the Master Edition of the game or even the Special Edition, you’re out of luck. Both versions are sold out or go for ridiculously high prices on second-hand markets. I seriously hope no one is paying $500 for this game, which is $200 more than the Switch itself.

NieR: Automata | Release: March 7 | Price: $189.99 | Publisher: Square Enix

Fans of action RPGs have something to look forward to with the release of NieR: Automata. This unexpected sequel to the original NieR surprised fans when it was first announced, given how the poorly the game sold. Unlike the first game, Automata is exclusive to the PS4. The Black Box Edition features numerous goodies like a hardcover art book, figurine, and the soundtrack on disc. Unfortunately, this edition is exclusive to Square Enix and is sold out on their store. If you want a copy it’ll cost you over $400 on Ebay, or you could hope that Square gets copies back in stock.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands | Release: March 7 | Price: $219.99 | Publisher: Ubisoft

Call of Duty and Battlefield may be months away, but fans of shooters have something to look forward to in March with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. The game promises to combine the freedom of an open world game with the tactical appeal of an FPS, as you deal with a huge drug cartel in Bolivia. The Ghost Edition of the game is exclusive to GameStop and it’s packed with a large statue replica of Nomad, Ghost Recon iron on patches, a lithograph, and a metal game case. At a going price of over $200, I’m sure this will appeal mostly to hardcore Ghost Recon fans. If you’re not a fan of GameStop, I’d opt for getting the Gold Edition directly from Ubisoft, which has a more interesting statue and posters, and costs $60 less.

Danganronpa 1•2 Reload | Release: March 14 | Price: $59.99 | Publisher: NIS America

Danganronpa 1•2 Reload is the perfect chance to become acquainted with the Danganronpa series if you missed out on both Vita games. Just think of it as a more violent version of the whodunit style of adventure and visual novel gaming found in the Ace Attorney series. The Limited Edition ships with a 40-page hardcover art book, the soundtrack on two discs, Monokuma sunglasses (for the bad bear in all of us), a sticker, and a spiffy box to hold everything in, NIS style. Unlike the other games above on this list, this LE is actually reasonably priced and easy to buy. If you’ve always wanted to get into Danganronpa this might be the easiest way to do so, provided you own a PS4, and/or aren’t interested in the three anime series.

Wolf Children | Release: March 14 | Price: $49.98 | Publisher: FUNimation

Wolf Children is a fun movie, especially if you’re a fan of Mamoru Hosoda’s work. It’s the story of a woman named Hana who fell in love with a man who turned out to be part wolf and/or a werewolf. They married, had two children, then he suddenly died, leaving Hana alone to raise their children—who are also part wolf. The Collector’s Edition ships with a 52-page art book.

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth + | Release: March 17 | Price: $39.99 | Publisher: Nicalis, Inc.

The Binding of Isaac is a fascinating game. It combines Christian themes, with the imagination of a child, a crazed and abusive mother, and is all wrapped up in the form of a twin-stick shooter that’s also a roguelike/roguelite. If you like random dice rolls, lots of death, and a bit of a gross-out factor you’ve probably played The Binding of Isaac in some form. Afterbirth + has been available on the PC for quite some time, but the Switch version marks the first time it’ll be on console (with PS4 and XB1 versions coming later). The Launch Edition is bundled with two sticker sheets, alternate cover art, and a 20-page instruction booklet (a paper manual being a collector’s item is definitely a sign of the times we now live in).

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