2nd December 2012, 5:08 PM
DS - I don't know if I'd mentioned the details, but my DS finally broke pretty much for good a few weeks ago. Sure, it already had a scratched-up touchscreen, only semi-functional shoulder buttons (R particularly rarely worked), and a broken hinge, but it still functioned so I used it... until the broken hinge started causing worse problems and the upper screen stopped working most of the time. Yeah, that was a problem, and probably not really a fixable one. So I've been looking for a new DS; I want a 3DS XL, but they're too expensive right now, so I decided to just stick with the original, because I do want a DS with the GBA port (for accessories that use that port, mostly), and don't think the Lite is better, really (smaller, sure, but the d-pad is better on the original, and I like that GBA carts don't stick out...). So I was looking for an original DS, probably, unless I found a pretty good deal on something else. However, I just wasn't willing to pay $50 or $60-something for one, so finding something took a while...
Until, today, in one of the Gamestops around here, I found, of all things, a Graphite Black original DS in very good condition, and for just $40. Now that's the price I was looking for! Now I knew I hadn't seen this color much, if at all, so that was cool... but looking it up now, it's actually a color only released in Japan! So yeah, this is a Japanese DS (which, of course, works fine with US games because it's region free). Not too common too, going by EBay, though they don't go for much more than the regular ones I think. Still though, that's pretty cool. And it really is in great condition; it's got some minor scratches on the outside, and a few marks, but overall it looks barely used. It even comes with the original graphite black Nintendo-branded stylus (my first Nintendo-brand DS stylus, actually; my original one came with a Gamestop stylus, and the other ones I got were no-name), yet another GBASP/DS charger (I have like four of the things now, several official and several third party...), and the original wrist strap too. Not sure what I'll do with that -- I've never used the things with handhelds myself, so I'll probably just remove it -- but it is neat to have, I guess.
So yeah, that was awesome. I've been looking in stores and online for an original DS for several weeks now, but everything I found was either $60 (for other ones I saw locally) or $50-plus for systems in clearly decent condition (on EBay). Well, holding out for a better deal paid off this time!
I didn't get any of the below games at that gamestop, I just got the system, but did get stuff from a few other stores today, which are the below titles.
PS2
--
Jet X2O - $1.50, complete
Wild Arms 5 - $21, complete (complete with outer cardboard box and artbook)
The below were all buy 2 get 1 free.
PS2
--
Primal - free, would be $5, complete
Saturn
--
Maximum Force - $13, complete - Lightgun shooter from Midway. It does actually sell for that much on EBay; this is a case of paying more for the Saturn version even though the PS1 version is a little better (it runs slightly windowed on Saturn), mostly just because I like the Saturn more, but eh... it's a decently good game, and isn't particularly common, so why not.
Soviet Strike - $5, complete - The fourth of the five Strike games, and the last on a Sega system. I haven't played this one, but I don't really like the three Genesis/SNES Strike games. I do kind of like the fifth one, Nuclear Strike, though, so we'll see about this one.
DS
--
Space Invaders Extreme 2 - $10, complete - I like Space Invaders Revolution for DS, the first of this gameplay style, and Space Invaders Extreme 1 (I have it for PSP), so I was wanting this one, and finally got it. Seems pretty good!
Xbox
--
Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition - $5, complete. I have the second game, so I've been wanting this one. The Starfighter games aren't anywhere remotely as good as the Rogue Squadron ones, but they're decently fun Star Wars flight combat games, anyway.
Genesis
--
Red Zone - free, would be $10, cart only - Very graphically impressive helicopter action/topdown run&gun game from the same team behind Sub-Terrania. Graphics might be better than the gameplay, but it's visually impressive at least, and plays okay. The helicopter parts almost look 3d, what they pulled off here is crazy...
Sega CD
--
Ecco the Dolphin/Sega Classics Arcade Collection [5-in-1] Dual Jewel - $2, case with discs only. This was a packin disc set with a later version of the Sega cD that came with Ecco (and maybe also Sonic CD, because they also had in a Sonic CD packin edition case that I didn't get because I own that game's regular release). I got this for Ecco, because Ecco CD is pretty good -- it's the Genesis game, with amazing CD music added in. I've played it, but it's great to own the game! As for the 5-in-1, it's the same as the 4-in-1 Sega Classics SCD disc I already have (from the SCD model 1 packin Sega Classics 4-in-1/Sherlock Holmes dual jewel), just with one more game tossed on the disc, so now it has Super Monaco GP included (Genesis ver.) in addition to the Genesis versions of Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi, and Columns, and that weird with-CD-audio-but-no-two-player-mode CD edition of Golden Axe you only get in these two collections. I got this for Ecco, not this disc, that's for sure.
Until, today, in one of the Gamestops around here, I found, of all things, a Graphite Black original DS in very good condition, and for just $40. Now that's the price I was looking for! Now I knew I hadn't seen this color much, if at all, so that was cool... but looking it up now, it's actually a color only released in Japan! So yeah, this is a Japanese DS (which, of course, works fine with US games because it's region free). Not too common too, going by EBay, though they don't go for much more than the regular ones I think. Still though, that's pretty cool. And it really is in great condition; it's got some minor scratches on the outside, and a few marks, but overall it looks barely used. It even comes with the original graphite black Nintendo-branded stylus (my first Nintendo-brand DS stylus, actually; my original one came with a Gamestop stylus, and the other ones I got were no-name), yet another GBASP/DS charger (I have like four of the things now, several official and several third party...), and the original wrist strap too. Not sure what I'll do with that -- I've never used the things with handhelds myself, so I'll probably just remove it -- but it is neat to have, I guess.
So yeah, that was awesome. I've been looking in stores and online for an original DS for several weeks now, but everything I found was either $60 (for other ones I saw locally) or $50-plus for systems in clearly decent condition (on EBay). Well, holding out for a better deal paid off this time!
I didn't get any of the below games at that gamestop, I just got the system, but did get stuff from a few other stores today, which are the below titles.
PS2
--
Jet X2O - $1.50, complete
Wild Arms 5 - $21, complete (complete with outer cardboard box and artbook)
The below were all buy 2 get 1 free.
PS2
--
Primal - free, would be $5, complete
Saturn
--
Maximum Force - $13, complete - Lightgun shooter from Midway. It does actually sell for that much on EBay; this is a case of paying more for the Saturn version even though the PS1 version is a little better (it runs slightly windowed on Saturn), mostly just because I like the Saturn more, but eh... it's a decently good game, and isn't particularly common, so why not.
Soviet Strike - $5, complete - The fourth of the five Strike games, and the last on a Sega system. I haven't played this one, but I don't really like the three Genesis/SNES Strike games. I do kind of like the fifth one, Nuclear Strike, though, so we'll see about this one.
DS
--
Space Invaders Extreme 2 - $10, complete - I like Space Invaders Revolution for DS, the first of this gameplay style, and Space Invaders Extreme 1 (I have it for PSP), so I was wanting this one, and finally got it. Seems pretty good!
Xbox
--
Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition - $5, complete. I have the second game, so I've been wanting this one. The Starfighter games aren't anywhere remotely as good as the Rogue Squadron ones, but they're decently fun Star Wars flight combat games, anyway.
Genesis
--
Red Zone - free, would be $10, cart only - Very graphically impressive helicopter action/topdown run&gun game from the same team behind Sub-Terrania. Graphics might be better than the gameplay, but it's visually impressive at least, and plays okay. The helicopter parts almost look 3d, what they pulled off here is crazy...
Sega CD
--
Ecco the Dolphin/Sega Classics Arcade Collection [5-in-1] Dual Jewel - $2, case with discs only. This was a packin disc set with a later version of the Sega cD that came with Ecco (and maybe also Sonic CD, because they also had in a Sonic CD packin edition case that I didn't get because I own that game's regular release). I got this for Ecco, because Ecco CD is pretty good -- it's the Genesis game, with amazing CD music added in. I've played it, but it's great to own the game! As for the 5-in-1, it's the same as the 4-in-1 Sega Classics SCD disc I already have (from the SCD model 1 packin Sega Classics 4-in-1/Sherlock Holmes dual jewel), just with one more game tossed on the disc, so now it has Super Monaco GP included (Genesis ver.) in addition to the Genesis versions of Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi, and Columns, and that weird with-CD-audio-but-no-two-player-mode CD edition of Golden Axe you only get in these two collections. I got this for Ecco, not this disc, that's for sure.
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