Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III....66 (complete w/box)Ah...Working Designs.
Alundra was the first game I bought from them, but wasn't hooked til Lunar 1 & 2. When I saw that packaging, it stood out a glittering sapphire. The quality was superb from the behind-the-scenes extra right down to the hard-cover booklet. On top of that, they brought over great, underrated niche classics (i.e. Popful Mail, Arc the Lad, Magic Knight Rayearth, etc.) that most "companies" wouldn't dare touch with a 10-foot pole. No matter what big or difficult the task, Victor Ireland will see to the end. They were the best friend any gamer would want.
Parasol Stars was the first game they released here. Judging by Hucard art and manual, the quality was superior to most (if not all) Turbo games prior to it. And you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, they defined quality in the video game industry. It was very sad to hear my favorite company had to close down on 2005.
Nowadays, Atlus acts as WD's spiritual successor. They continue pumping niche classics, never afraid to get down and dirty. I'm grateful to them and all the work they put through. But they can never fill WD's shoes left in this gamer's soul. Working Designs may you rest in peace and pray, like the phoenix, you will rise from the ashes and mark your brilliant and fiery return.
BTW where in the hell are you finding these boxed games? Is it just ebay or stores near you? Garage sales? Just curious.
Turbo grafx are hard to find in the wild, especially boxed games. Half of my collection comes eBay and the other from fellow game collectors and players. Like you, I can't always snatch up the first thing I see. I only commit large funds when I find a hot deal that I can't pass up. Otherwise I dismiss myself when the price get too high.