Some people are collectors. They buy a game, like it, and then must own everything that goes along with it. I’m not one of those people, but if I find a good game I do like to explore the others in the series to see if it has anything else to offer. That in mind, I hope to use this special edition of the Bargain Bin to highlight some cost-effective ways to play your way through the entirety of a few classic series, and point you in the direction of some not-so-classic series that can be played without bankrupting your gaming fund.

Final Fantasy

There are a lot of Final Fantasy games. Moreover, there are a lot of Final Fantasy spin-offs. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll be ignoring those today, which sadly excludes some good titles (forgive me, FF Tactics), but will also make it easier for you to buy everything you need to make it through the numbered series. You might notice a few abnormalities here. I make you buy an NES, for instance, to play the original Final Fantasy, even though I include the Dawn of Souls collection for GBA. Additionally, I include the DS version of Final Fantasy IV, even though the GBA port is far cheaper. I do this because I do value quality, and even though cost is the ultimate issue here, I’d rather show you how to play the best versions of each game rather than sticking you with a crappier, but cheaper version.

NES System - $18.95

PlayStation 2 Slim - $65.00

Nintendo DS Lite - $100.00

Final Fantasy - $9.82 (NES)

Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls - $12.95 (GBA)

Final Fantasy III - $9.99 (DS)

Final Fantasy IV - $18.00 (DS)

Final Fantasy V - $17.41 (GBA)

Final Fantasy VI - $23.99 (GBA)

Final Fantasy VII - $66.88 (PS)

Final Fantasy VIII - $11.50 (PS)

Final Fantasy IX - $9.94 (PS)

Final Fantasy X - $9.54 (PS2)

Final Fantasy XI - $39.99 (PS2)

Final Fantasy XII - $6.99 (PS2)

Total Cost: $415.95 (Note: Used Amazon.com Prices are Subject to Change)