Populous

Populous is a real-time strategy game where the player takes the role of a deity influencing the development of civilizations.

You shape terrain, guide followers, and use natural disasters like floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes to influence or eliminate opposing tribes.

Known as the TurboGrafx-16 outside Japan, the PC Engine (1987) punched well above its small form factor and was hugely successful in Japan despite a limited Western release. Because the Western TurboGrafx-16 library is comparatively small and undersold relative to the platform's technical merits, complete-in-box North American copies are notably scarcer — and pricier — than their Japanese PC Engine counterparts.

Gamevaro tracks Populous for PC Engine with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.

Adding Populous to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This PCE release dates back to 1989.

Only a handful of market sales have been tracked for Populous, suggesting it doesn't trade hands very often — a sign of relative scarcity compared to more common PC Engine titles.

Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.

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