The world of video game preservation has suffered a devastating blow that has left the community of visual novels in shock. a trial version of Tsukihime of the year 1999, considered one of the “Santos Grails” of collecting. It has been reported as destroyed after its arrival in the United States. What should have been the delivery of a historic piece turned into a nightmare of plastic fragments and crushed paper. This incident is not only the loss of a physical object, but the disappearance of one of the few remaining records of the birth of a Japanese entertainment empire.
The origin of a type-moon legend
My Tsukhime Trial Edition (月姫 体験版) finally arrived, one of only 50 copies in the world. Only to discover that US Customs had removed all the bubble wrap and physically destroyed the floppy disk. Will file a report but literally crying right now😭#TYPEMOON #Tsukihime #月姫 pic.twitter.com/i8Mup326Zs
— Keripo (@TehKeripo) February 26, 2026
The historical importance of this piece lies in its humble origins long before Type-Moon achieved world fame with Fate/Stay Night. Only 50 copies of this floppy disc were manufactured and sold during Comiket 57, with an original price of just 100 yen. Being a trial version of Tsukihime, represents the first contact of the public with the story of Shiki Tohno before it became a multimedia phenomenon. for media historians. Each of these 50 units is an essential time capsule to understand the evolution of the genre of visual novels in Japan.
A package destroyed by customs
The experience of the collector who acquired the piece went from the maximum illusion to absolute horror when opening the shipment. According to reports, the game had been carefully packaged with bubble wrap and protected with rigid cardboard for international transport. However, upon receiving it, the floppy disc was completely destroyed and the original poster that accompanied it was totally crushed. A label on the package indicated that the shipment had been opened and resealed by the United States Customs Service (U.S. Customs). The photos Of the damage shared online show a negligence that has outraged experts from all over the world.
A critical blow to digital preservation
The reliability of the game’s story is compromised when objects of this rarity disappear forever.. Tsukihime It’s not just a game; It is the basis on which the entire type-moon universe was built. By reducing the number of physical copies, the ability to study and preserve the original software in its original format becomes more and more difficult. It is a brutal reminder of the fragility of ancient physical media in the face of modern logistical management.
A priceless historical loss
The destruction of this copy of Tsukihime It represents one of the saddest events in the recent history of software collecting.
This incident should serve as a warning sign of how cultural goods are handled at international customs. It is unacceptable that a piece of which only 50 units on the planet are treated with such carelessness, especially when it was adequately protected. lose a fragment of the origin of Tsukihime It’s like losing an original manuscript of a famous literary work. Not only does the collector lose the money invested, but we all miss the opportunity to ensure that future generations can see where it all started for Type-Moon.
