Hey now!
I've been alluding to a significant retro pick-up for a couple weeks now, and I figured it's time for the big reveal:
A complete boxed Magnavox Odyssey2 system with hardwired controllers, and CIB Speedway! / Spin-Out! / Crypto Logic! pack-in game, along with:
CIB games:
- Match-Maker! / Logix! / Buzzword!
- Cosmic Conflict!
- Bowling! / Basketball!
- Pac-Man K.C. Munchkin!
- Computer Golf!
- Football!
- Space Alien Invaders Plus!
Loose games:
- Baseball!
- Blackjack!
- Blockout! / Breakdown!
Um... why do all the game titles end with exclamation points? That''s kinda annoying, you know? It's like the ALL CAPS of the pre-internet era or something.
But I digress. Here's the topper:
- An almost-CIB Quest for the Rings set (one piece is missing). Finally, an O^2 game whose title doesn't end in an exclamation point. That's because it's so cool, it doesn't have to shout about how cool it is. Of all the games I got with the system, this is the one I'm most interested in giving a whirl.
While the entire collection's cosmetic appearance could use a fair deal of cleanup, I figured I got a decent deal paying $80 for the lot.
Where did I find all this, you ask? Well, it originally belonged to my best friend, who kept it locked away in his attic for a couple decades. Weird thing is, I knew he had it ever since I've known him, but never thought to ask him about it, even after seriously getting into vidya collecting. Then, a few weeks before Christmas, he told me he was planning to sell it, and asked if I could offer it for sale to "those guys on that video game site you hang out at" on his behalf. I told him I'd think about it.
Well, I DID think about it-- which quickly turned into me thinking of other O^2 collectors on the site and how they love to gloat about their ownership of such an interesting bit of retro hardware, and lord it over the have-nots at every opportunity (you KNOW who you are). That's when I realized that I wanted to lord it over the have-nots too, and laugh at them for being the underprivileged little peons that they are. Because I'm nothing if not compassionate.
Anyhoo, I called my bud to let him know my interest, he mathed out a price, I agreed to it, we tested it out to see if it still worked, I threw him the four Andys, he threw me the whole shebang, and now I'm better than all you pathetic non-O^2-owning losers in every single way.
The cold, hard truth hurts, doesn't it?
'Late
Hey now!
So, you think you're greener than I am when it comes to gaming?
Then you've got another think comin', mister!
I'm so green, I could run around in the nude on St. Patrick's Day, and be completely pinch proof!
Ummm...
Wow, sometimes I even creep myself out.
*Cough* Moving on: I'm a big proponent of the whole "Reduce-reuse-recycle" philosophy. The vast majority of my collection is second-hand, which means I'm REUSING stuff that others have, in a sense, RECYCLED by directly selling to me via yard sales or indirectly via thrift stores. And by selling or donating, they've REDUCED their stock of unwanted games. Heck, I do a little recycling of my own with some reselling here and there, which generates my favorite kind of greenery.
And need I point out that the whole reduce-reuse-recycle deal also lessens the impact of our carbon footprint on... something or other. Actually, I don't fully understand the mechanics of the whole "carbon footprint" deal, so I'm probably talking from where the sun doesn't shine in this instance. If only I hadn't lost the number to Al Gore's direct line; I'm sure he could explain it to me...
But, what about supporting local small businesses? Hey, you can't get a smaller, more local business than a weekend garage sale just down the road! Fortunately for me, I reside in a region that usually has decent weather year-round, with sprawling suburbs that range from lower-middle to upper-middle class. These conditions provide a lot of opportunities for good deals, and a wide range of selection on Saturday mornings! Which, sadly, I've been unable to take advantage of lately, 'cuz I work Saturday mornings... *SOB*
Hey, you know what? If I expand the scope of "local" to include the San Francisco bay area, and throw in a few BIG businesses-- because hey, why not?-- no one's closer to the action than I am! There's Namco Bandai Electronic Games Inc. in San Jose which, according to Google maps, is 15.9 miles away from my front door. Then there's Redwood City some thirty-odd miles up the peninsula, home of Electronic Arts Inc., Konami of America, and Capcom USA Inc. Just beyond Redwood City is Foster City, where Sony Computer Entertainment of America is based. Then it's on to the city itself, where Sega of America has called home for over a decade after moving from Redwood City. And we mustn't forget Atari, which came into existence just a few miles up the road forty years ago.
And while they're neither exclusively nor directly involved with gaming, I mustn't forget eBay and NetFlix, both of which are a mere eight-minute drive away from me. Speaking of driving: I've delivered pizzas to both of these places on several occasions back in the day, and neither of 'em were very big on tipping. Just an FYI...
And speaking of pizza: I am well aware that Chuck E. Cheese's was founded 'round my neck of the woods. Man, are you guys really so jealous of my greenness and locality that you'd throw that in my face? Sheesh-- grow up, willya!
In all seriousness, however, I really do support the reuse and recycling of game software and hardware, though not exactly for noble reasons. Basically, I'm a cheap@$$, and will add just about any game of interest to my collection if the price is right, regardless of its cosmetic condition. All that matters to me is that it plays properly. That isn't to say that I won't trade up-- or is it level up?-- for an item in better condition if the opportunity arises. I do have some vanity after all.
I also support a local business-- an e-waste recycler, no less-- also for less than noble reasons. Thanks to a conversation I struck up with one of the company's managers at a garage sale, I'm allowed to look through their stock of wasted stuff for spare parts... so long as I have e-waste of my own to, er, "exchange." haven't found much yet, but at least I have an avenue there.
Anyhoo, I wish you all a happy Earth Day. Stay green my long-haired tree-hugging compatriots!
Oh yeah, and keep it on channel 3.
'Late
|
|
