Hardcore?

Something must be wrong with me.

I love fighting games. 2D fighters to be specific. I have a shit ton of them for Dreamcast. And I'm still looking for more.

I really don't know why I am though. I love to play them, and when I get into a groove, I don't pick up anything else. But those grooves are rare. And actual competition is nonexistant, because no one gives a crap about dusty 2D relics. So most of those games are just sitting there, waiting to be played.

Perhaps even worse than the fact that I'm still hunting is just what I am hunting for. The only two games I really need to complete the collection are Capcom VS SNK 2 and at least one of the King of Fighters games from 2000 on. These can all be found on the Playstation 2 for 30 bucks or less (and the KOF games come in two game compiations), and are easy to find online. Picking up a PS2 this summer and all these games would be a cinch, and the console would still be good for other titles.

Instead of doing this, I'm looking to buy Japanese imports of Cap VS SNK 2 and KOF 2001 for about 40 bucks each. I don't even know if I'll understand half the menus since they'll be in Japanese. Why the hell do I have the desire to go this more expensive, somewhat stupid path?

I think my hardcore gamer blood is starting to affect me in a bad way. I'm becoming a Dreamcast purist, who wants the games for the system, import or not, rather than getting the translated and much cheaper versions on another console. And why? Is it "hardcore cred"? I've yet to meet anyone who would take a look at my collection and have some newfound respect for me. Am I just trying to back up all my talk about being a serious gamer with evidence that no one will care about? I really don't know, and I'm not buying anything right away. But I really wonder if I'm acting crazy, or just "being a fan"

Edit: Speaking of fighters, there's a new review of a kind of old game on LC1201. I've had this sucker sitting there forever, and I finally got a chance today to type it up. I'd also like to point out that the actual address www.lc1201.com might not work for the next week. I just renewed the name, and found out that Bravenet is using a new registrar, so until the name is transferred to them it may or may not work. You can always get there by going to justice.cs.loyola.edu/~cmwolfe of course.