Hey now!
Yikes... I've been working on this off and on for almost a month now. What can I say: the demands of work and other high-priority things kinda slow down the whole blog-writing process.
In any case, I'll now reveal to you my Tuesday finds from May, which was fairly weak right up to the final Tuesday... and then the floodgates opened somethin' fierce.
May 1: I hit a couple places after work and came away with:
- Super NES console $5.00
- Namco Museum 50th Anniversary (Greatest Hits) PS2 $2.99
- Super Mario Ball (AKA Japanese Mario Pinball Land) $1.99
- Super Donkey Kong 2 (AKA Japanese Donkey Kong Country 2) $1.99
[img width=514 height=382]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/929e/zobo93f2bp8kx815g.jpg[/img]
Weird thing about the Japanese GBA games: I bought 'em at a place that usually premium-prices imports and rare second-hand games. I was so sure they'd be priced above what I'd be willing to pay, I almost didn't bother to ask the clerk to pull 'em outta the display case. For the first time in a blue moon, going against my better instincts actually paid off...
May 8: I found no games or hardware, just a lotta reading material.
- Fourteen Nintendo Power, GamePro, and EGM back issues, $0.29 each
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 strategy guide, $1.99
[img width=700 height=471]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/6791/8er3xdccddarndx5g.jpg[/img]
May 15:
- TMNT: Mutant Melee (Xbox) $3.19
- Nintendo 64 12-cartridge cabinet $2.60
[img width=283 height=385]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a7df/kz87fl3jgj9srjs5g.jpg[/img]
I'm actually using the N64 cabinet to store my loose SNES carts in; apparently they were designed to hold either type.
May 22:
- Official PlayStation Magazine back issue $0.29
- Prima Conker: Live & Reloaded strategy guide $2.00
- BradyGames GTA: San Andreas strategy guide $2.00
[img width=700 height=290]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/2e01/eocbumux83vs5qn5g.jpg[/img]
May 29: Now, THIS is more like it:
- Four Nintendo Power back issues $0.29 each
- Six Official Xbox Magazine game demo discs with sleeves, $1.99 $0.99 each
- Joytron Strap Touchpen for DS, $0.79
- Pokemon Battle Revolution Nintendo Power strategy guide $1.50
[img width=515 height=298]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/d8cb/f0n376p458qcvfd5g.jpg[/img]
- Populous (SNES) $1.99
- Namco Museum Remix (Wii) $5.95
- Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (GC) $0.95
- Guitar Hero (PS2) $3.99 $0.99
- Guitar Hero II (PS2) $3.99 $0.99
- A trio of CIB Master System games for $2.99 $2.09 each:
- Choplifter
- Alien Syndrome
- Missile Defense 3D
- A pair of CIB PSP games for $1.95 each:
- Crush
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy
[img width=700 height=378]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/df00/lj2xwlcb4x5nj2p5g.jpg[/img]
The biggest pick-up of the day, however, was:
- Blaze Twin Shock Home Arcade 2-player controller for PlayStation (and PS2), $11.99.
[img width=475 height=385]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/2f18/6w5nwkn55hutmwn5g.jpg[/img]
Finally, then there was this $1.99 grab:
[img width=232 height=251]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a1c1/p444ypacpj7jylz5g.jpg[/img]
(Don't tell You-Know-Who about this one)
The TL;DR Sidebar
May's biggest non-gaming Tuesday score: I found a boxed Nerf Vortex Praxis disc-shooter for just $5.99.
[img width=640 height=399]http://paradisdesbebes.com/home/wp-content/uploads/products_img/hasbro%20nerf%20vortex%20praxis.jpg[/img]
Like this, only the box wasn't in as good a condition.
I'm pretty sure someone messed up on the pricing at the Goodwill where I picked this up. Now, that is some crack-smoking pricing I can actually get behind! Speaking of which...
May's biggest crack-smoking moment almost went to the Gilroy Goodwill, which was asking $19.99 for a standard-ish GameCube controller. That's right, just the controller; I asked about it, and they confirmed it.
But the Morgan Hill Goodwill claimed victory when I discovered a sealed pack of three Game Boy Advance 3-cartridge cases like these...
[img width=393 height=500]http://i2.listal.com/image/productsus/1000/B00095LMJY/games/3-pack-game-boy-game-case-game-boy-advance.jpg[/img]
...for $19.99.
Yes, you read that price correctly.
$19.90-freakin'-9.
For plain ol' plastic cases.
Without any games in 'em.
Needless to say, they're really hittin' the pipe down in Morgan Hill...
'Late
[img width=640 height=480]http://i.imgur.com/xtQjXl.jpg[/img]
And Garou: Mark of the Wolves is done! How come it's not called Fatal Fury anyway? It's got to be the best Fatal Fury game out there. Of course I'm saying this having played only a handful of the Fatal Fury series, but this includes the original -- first on an actual NeoGeo cab back in the day, and then soon after the home port on SNES. And though I didn't stick with the series too closely, I have remained an SNK fighting fan, even if I've really only slowly cherry-picked various entries in their series' here and there over the years.
That said, I can say that I'm quite glad I picked this one for my Summer Gaming list. First off, it was refreshing to go back to a fighting game where you (a) pick just a single character to master rather than a team from (b) a rather small roster. That's right, I said a small roster is a good thing. At least in this case. It was fun to not feel overwhelmed by familiarizing myself with 30 or 40 possible fighters. In fact, I started with Terry as he's quite familiar to me. Got myself warmed up (after picking up a SF4 fightpad for 360) and then started experimenting with other fighters.
[img width=165 height=165]http://hardcoregaming101.net/fatalfury/hotaru.png[/img]
And then I picked Hotaru. That's really all it took for this fine game to click with me completely. She's fast and great with kicks. And just like that I made it through Arcade Mode. I should confess that continues happened. This wasn't a 1CC. But I had made the deal with myself that beating this game meant using three continues (or less) -- or rather spending one dollar in the arcade. And in all honesty, I did use that third continue and was biting my nails on that last boss battle.
Ah, but cross another game off the list! And it's a game I highly recommend to any other fighting fans who may have overlooked it.
[img width=480 height=640]http://i.imgur.com/X1YmCl.jpg[/img]
Other Progress:
Cthulhu Saves the World - is what I've been playing the most of. I've put several hours into it and am currently wandering around a green cat's spaceship. I think the game is fantastic.
Daytona USA - I've done a bit of racing. Still on that first Beginner track, and my best placing so far was 9th. I still have a lot to learn on this one.
X-Men - I played with some random stranger online. But I disconnected after three continues (as above). Although I'd really like to try to get a six-player co-op game going to experience it in its fully glory.
 Episode 3 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...orum/index.php?topic=9841
On iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/u...collectorcast/id524246060
On YouTube: http://youtu.be/xrkaxV0iULc
On Pod-o-Matic: http://rfgenerationcollectorcast.podomatic.com
Hot off the heels of the Collectorcast Episode 2 which explored our favorite places to pick up games online were following up with the obvious, the best local areas to hunt for games!
Well discuss several obvious places and explore the ups and downs of each, but with any luck well be able to shed some light on a few unexpected options that might be available close to home.
As usual we dig through the RF Generation forums and blogs since our last recording and highlight some of the best finds over the last few weeks. And WOW were there some awesome scores this time around. If you haven't been keeping up with the new posts for a while then the Collectorcast will be worth a listen to for that alone.
Show notes:
Music: Streets of Rage 2 (SEGA Genesis)
0:00 Intro
3:39 Small Scores
20:19 Local Collecting
1:33:10 Conclusion
Sites mentioned in the show:
http://gametz.com
www.gamefly.com
www.cheapassgamer.com
www.gogamexchange.com/Locations.aspx
http://discreplay.com/locations.html
www.craigslist.com
www.kijiji.ca
www.yardsaletreasuremap.com
www.gamerspots.com
This marks the end of week four of my Summer Game Challenge. Before I start, I first want to share a pic of Rollergames I promised a while back. It would have been a part of my challenge, but I started just a little too late. C'est la vie.
[img width=640 height=480]http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7981/rollergames.jpg[/img]
After a recommendation from crabmaster2000 I decided on Tombs and Treasure. Judging from the name I really thought it would be a Wizardry-style game. I even dug up some graph paper in anticipation of the challenge. Instead I got.. well, a very unique game.
[img width=640 height=480]http://gamesdbase.com/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_NES/Title/big/Tombs_-_Treasure_-_1991_-_Infocom.jpg[/img]
At the very core Tombs and Treasures (T&T) is a Japanese take on the PC adventure game genre circa 1987. It has all the hallmarks of the adventure genre, from item management to strange, often cryptic clues about how to advance in the game. Where the Japanese twist comes in is a extremely strange leveling and combat system, overhead world movement (with the actual locations within various ruins), and anime-style characters. Doesn't sound bad, does it? Trust me when I say this, it is bad. Clunky controls, seemingly redundant interaction choices, and a overly large overworld that adds at least a few hours to the adventure.
I don't think I want to go on more about the game. Suffice to say that to those that insist on playing T&T without a guide (I turned to one four times), let me give a bit of advice:
1) There is a definite linear progression to the game, so if you have not completed certain actions (and leveled up) the game will not let you progress.
2) Get a notebook. With it make a map of the overworld, a glossary of all items that you find, as well as any conversation that you have.
3) The only place you can save the game is at the Nunnery. This should be the first place you mark on your map.
4) While I am not a huge advocate of overly using FAQs and guides, I think a simple enemy list with the required level to win would go far in making the game more palatable, as this would make it easier to see if you've forgotten an item, an action, or any other myriad of things that keeps you from leveling up (which is completely transparent and behind the scenes). I will be very happy to provide anyone with this information.
Overall the game took me over twenty hours to beat, not counting a few palate cleansing "breaks" (where I managed to beat both Limbo and Bastion).
[img width=640 height=480]http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/4397/tat1.jpg[/img][img width=640 height=480]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2756/tat2y.jpg[/img]
Whew, that was rough.
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Ironsword
Dr. Chaos
Total Recall
Ultimate Stuntman
Tombs and Treasures
Swords and Serpents
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Driver: San Francisco
X3: Terran Conflict
X3: The Albion Prelude
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Posted on Jun 23rd 2012 at 01:24:59 AM by ( SirPsycho) Posted under death |
The topic of todays post has been in the works for quite some time. And the topic of today is When is a console considered dead?
Traditional logic would say that a console is dead as soon as official support for it dries up and no new games come out from the big publishers. In the more recent generations those usually consist of watered down sports games or low budget niche titles that last for a handful of years after the console is no longer manufactured or sold. Well take a look at a few cases which turn this easy to grasp idea on its head.
First off well take a look at a system which keeps selling, which is still being made despite being over 10 years old and no new official games coming out for it. Im talking of course about the monstrous Playstation 2. Brand new systems can still be purchased directly from Sony and even in retail outlets in larger cities. Why is this? It still sells, slowly sure, but it sells consistently and for a hefty profit. For the budget minded gamer or for collectors the Playstation 2 is the best system out right now because of this reason. Brand new systems are still available and there is a massive library of games that can be found online or in stores for $1-15, a starter set of a brand new system and a dozen games can be had for less than $150 easily.
The rest of this post can be read at my offsite blog: http://whydidiplaythis.wordpress.com/
Before deciding to roll up my power pad and pack it away it only seemed right that I finish up the last 2 power pad titles I have in my collection.
Both of these games gave me a problem that I didnt encounter with the rest of the power pad titles. My running was very twitchy onscreen and jumps seemed less responsive than the other games. Athletic World in particular was quite frustrating, especially the events with animals to jump over. The only event I found particularly enjoyable was the river rapid. The squatting and jumping was fun, but..... the fish you had to dodge ruined the experience for me.
Super Team Games was just boring compared to most of the others. Just what you'd expect. The Skateboarding part had potential, but was ultimately lame.
Now I just need to pick up the last 2 Power Pad titles I'm missing, Street Cop and Short Order/Eggsplode.
NES Games Finished In 2012
(click on a title to view the video)
Silver Surfer
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones
Ghosts n Goblins
Tetris
Pro Wrestling
Gradius
Zanac
Adventure Island
Karnov
Trojan
Excitebike
Baseball
Spy Hunter
Adventure Island II
Tennis
Battletoads
Shadowgate
Battletoads/Double Dragon
Pinball Quest
Section Z
Godzilla
Hydlide
Marble Madness
Back to the Future
Darkman
Terminator 2
Robocop
Total Recall
Predator
Robocop 2
Robocop 3
Hudson Hawk
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Batman Returns
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters
Die Hard
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Krion Conquest
Adventures of Dino Riki
Ultima: Exodus
Legacy of the Wizard
Air Fortress
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Darkwing Duck
Ultima: Warriors of Destiny
Legends of the Diamond
Pro Sports Hockey
Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball
Yoshi's Cookie
Kick Master
Zombie Nation
Stadium Events
Super Jeopardy!
Joust
Yoshi
Dance Aerobics
Adventures of Bayou Billy
Pipe Dreams
Ski or Die
Werewolf: The Last Warrior
Simpsons: Bart vs The Space Mutants
City Connection
American Gladiators
Roundball 2-on-2 Challenge
720
Athletic World
Super Team Games
Future Plans - You may not have seen many videos uploaded to the old youtube channel lately, but I havnt been slacking. Been logging many hours into Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Bases Loaded.
Wow, its been a long time. This year has been really dry for me, every time I browse the small scores thread, I get more and more jealous of the finds other people are getting while I'm stuck in a drought. But I suppose its not all that bad since I'm out of room for most of my systems anyway. I've resorted to having some SNES and some Genesis games on the floor because there's just no room left on the shelves for them. The PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, and PS1 are all right behind them, with room for less than 5 games left on each of those systems. Maybe that's why I've been apathetic toward getting up early to hit up garage sales like I used to. This past weekend was the first time I actually woke up early and got out there on Friday and Saturday, but it still didn't do me any good. And don't get me started about the flea market this year, its gone to total crap. It used to be 75% people selling their personal stuff and 25% professional sellers. The last few years its been 50% and 50%, last year was closer to 25% and 75% and this year is more like 99% professional and 1% regular people. At first it seemed like the flea market quadrupling in size was a good thing, but if all they're going to sell is overpriced storage unit junk and crappy Dollar Store junk, it doesn't really matter how big it is. I guess that's just the evolution of flea markets though. They start out small with good stuff, get a bit bigger and have more good stuff, then they get too big and commercialized and the buyers that made them popular quit going and all your left with is people coming from church, retired people, and hipsters that just browse and don't actually buy anything. Before long, the whole thing collapses, and is either gone for good, or the process can start again.
Enough of my rambling, I know that's not why you read these, you want to see those deals! I hope your not too disappointed with my meager finds over the last couple months.
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles '12 - #2
[img width=640 height=480]http://i.imgur.com/aduwMl.jpg[/img]
I decided to skip the inverted castle at the end and just killed Richter. I figured that since I still have 9 games on this list to get through... Though I did save my game right before that battle so I can always come back to it if I have time after beating the others.
I actually really enjoyed SOTN. I did use maps and check the bullet points of a walkthrough to see which items I should be looking for or which bosses are where, etc. So admittedly this made the game more linear for me (which I liked) but now that I'm familiar with the castle I feel like I could come back to it and explore some other time. And I liked the game enough that I can see myself doing so.
Once I figured out the importance of grinding and finding better gear, the game really became a lot of fun. Surprisingly, the only boss that gave me any real challenge was Orlox who I had to fight probably a half-dozen times. Jerk.
Consider this a Summer Gaming victory!
[img width=480 height=640]http://i.imgur.com/6StWjl.jpg[/img]
Other progress:
I've played about a half-hour of Sonic Adventure. It seems good, though not as good as the bit of SA2 I've played. It definitely looks great. My biggest complaint is figuring out where I'm supposed to go next. I feel like I spend about five minutes playing a level, then I spent fifteen walking around aimlessly looking for the next level. So we'll see. I've beaten the first Eggman battle in the Ruins, and I found some new sneakers.
Played about fifteen minutes of Jet Set Radio Future. Another great looking game. I basically just did the little tutorial, but I'm not actually sure how to start the game. I feel stuck in the little intro hub. If I try to leave and go to another area, it just sends me back to the hub. I should read the manual though.
Spent about a half hour on Ninja Gaiden Black. Mind = blown, graphically. It doesn't even look last gen to me. The controls feel so smooth as well. The problem was after a half hour I hit a game over, and lost my progress. I'm guessing you can only save at certain points? Again... I should read the manual.
Indigo Prophecy I started with before Symphony of the Night, and am on the third scene I believe. Though I have an odd problem... my PS2 is run through a ViewSonic NextVision N6 to convert the composite signal to VGA. Most games look just fine this way, but Indigo Prophecy seems overly dark. Like so dark that I'm having trouble seeing items or areas of rooms. I tried messing with brightness settings on the monitor to no avail. I'm contemplating just switching to the Xbox version since my 360 is run through HDMI.
And finally Grand Theft Auto: Vice City... I think this will be the main game I focus on from my list right now. I've put in an hour or so and am starting to really enjoy it.
Today, I am proud to announce, that with my acquisition of the NES Game, The Magic of Scheherazade, I have finally completed my goal...100 NES Games are finally mine!! 
Current Games: *100*
Remaining: 0
It's been a long, somewhat rough, road to 100, but in the end, I have prevailed. Across many trades and many purchases, I have reached my goal. Along the way, I've met many friends who have helped me reach my goal in one way or another. I would like to take this time to thank them:
slackur - He could be described as my first friend here on RF Generation. I received several NES Games from him as a Christmas Gift one year.
bickman2k - He could be described as incredibly patient. He put up with me so much in the Chat Room, not complaining once about any of my rants.
singlebanana - He could be described as a very generous (and patient) trader. He sold me an Atari 2600, which reignited my passion for gaming during a Gaming Fatigue burnout.
NES_Rules - He could be described as quiet. He traded me an Atari 7800, which led me to study Gaming History more.
Zagnorch - He could be described as funny. While I've never done any deals with him, I did get him to admit that the Power Glove wasn't that bad. (This was in one of his Blog Posts)
Duke.Togo - He could be described as a Collector. When I had some concerns about giving up my Famicom, they disappeared when Duke.Togo contacted me for it. I know it's in good hands with him.
For the people I can't think of descriptions for:
Tynstar
Shadow Kisuragi
Crabmaster2000
nupoile
Marriott_Guy
noiseredux
Well, that's it. Thanks for the support everyone. You don't know how much I appreciate it. May my number of NES Games soar higher one day, and hopefully, the rest of this year turns out good here at RF Generation. Well then, as we all say here...
KEEP IT ON CHANNEL 3!!
For the most part this is just some stuff I've found in the last few weeks. All of it could just go into the "small scores" thread but I figured if it was in my blog I could feel free to post a bunch of big pictures and blabber on endlessly.
Continue reading After 20 years, I found it!
Hey everyone! Nothing super exciting to post about but got some goodies. Last week my brother and I went to a Goodwill Electronics store and picked up:
*Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis - CIB - $3.99
*Star Wars Dark Forces- Jewel Case Version with Extras for $1.99
*Monopoly Star Wars - $1.99 - ANYONE HAVE AN EXTRA BIG BOX FOR THIS GAME.
*Crash Bandicoot PS1 Greatest Hits - $1.99
THEN even with the College World Series going on I found time to go to Gamers and I picked up these beauties I think at a fair prices.
*Mario is Missing! - Complete in Box for $19.95
*Super C - Complete in Box for $16.95.
So overall not bad. ALSO!!!!! We have a cart of Mario is Missing! and Super C up on eBay message me if anyone is interested in them.
Here's the pictures and please comment.
[img width=700 height=526]http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab172/niceguy1283/GoodBytesPurchase6-7-2012.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=526]http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab172/niceguy1283/GamersPurchase6-16-2012.jpg[/img]
Welcome back. As of today, I have decided that Famicom Games WILL count in my quest to get to 100 Games. Why? Well, they were here before NES Games, and since many of them were released in the US anyway, I've decided that they count now.
Current Games: 89
Remaining: 11
Oh, and by the way, if you want to see what games I have, check my collection. Please do not keep asking me here, and yes, I do update it now. 
With another 5 Games added to my Collection, I move slowly, but ever closer to my ultimate goal. Victory awaits me at the end of this long road, and man, will it be sweet!
Current Number: 81
Games To Go: 19
...What? That's it. Go home already! I was just updating you all on my quest! 
Hey all. I was able to pick up 5 Games at the local Retro Game Store yesterday, kicking up my Number of NES Games to 76. I'm so close to victory, I can almost taste it!
...and that victory, for whatever reason, tastes like a Well-Done Burger from an old restaurant that I wish was still open around here.
Also, I will be doing Punchout for my next PGGS. You all can thank bickman2k and wildbil52 for that.
See you next entry.
[img width=469 height=354]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmLjItuIxBg/TjmAbrXpnbI/AAAAAAAAAHA/AZAnImoiPtM/s1600/reset.PNG[/img]
Remember that Summer Gaming list I posted a couple of weeks ago? Well I had a big change of heart. Mostly because I couldn't seem to get into the majority of the games I started up. So I scrambled and came up with a list I feel much better about:
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Cthulhu Saves the World
Daytona USA
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Indigo Prophecy
Jet Set Radio Future
Ninja Gaiden Black
Sonic Adventure
X-Men
Please leave words of encoragement below!
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