15th April 2021, 11:40 PM
Gah, I got lazy again and stopped posting in this thread.
... I did not, however, stop buying gaming stuff. Not in the least. I spent a pretty crazy amount last month in fact. Probably like $800 at least. I got a few games for consoles, most notably some Switch stuff, but the bulk of it was a whole bunch of software and hardware for three old 8-bit computers, the TI 99/4A, Commodore 64, and Commodore VIC-20.
First though, the console games I recieved back on March 11th. This was a web order from Gamestop; they were having a sale and I wanted to get a certain Switch game we have talked about...
Nintendo Switch
--
Super Mario 3D Allstars - $60, new
Luigi's Mansion 3 - $18.50, complete
Super Mario 3D World Plus Boswer's Fury - $60, new
Xbox One / Series X
--
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - $25, complete
Immortal Fenyx Rising - $25, complete (XSX enhanced)
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning - $15, complete
After that my 8-bit computer buying spree began. I started by getting a VIC-20. Now, I already have one with one game, but it doesn't work and never did so I haven't mentioned it before. The one I got was pricey but came with some pretty nice rare games so I hoped it actually worked and bought it. It was $180 for a working VIC-20, untested (ie probably broken) VIC/C64 tape drive clone, a broken Commodore printer, and four games on tape, all complete. Two of those games are pretty uncommon; one isn't available on ebay at all right now, and the other costs $150 in buy it nows. I'm sure it'd sell for less in an auction but those two are rare. And those are why I don't really regret this purchase.
Because, the computer worked... for half an hour. Then, a while after I plugged that printer and tape drive in the screen when black and it hasn't worked again. I don't think I will try that printer again, maybe something's wrong with it. I t's pretty much useless anyway even if it DID work.
Despite this I buought a whole bunch of VIC-20 software, knowing that I would have to soon solve the problem of not having a working computer. And I did. First though, games. I started with VIC-20 games, but then also bought some Commodore 64 games for my C128D I got last year because I have few legit games for that system, and finished off by buying a whole bunch of stuff for the TI 99/4A because that is a pretty interesting computer. I also repaired my TI99 by replacing a failed chip and keyboard, but I will get to that later. It should be fully working now, though, which is pretty awesome; I've never had a TI99 before that works as well as this one does now!
To spoil the ending though, I do now have a working VIC20. I do not have a working cassette drive for it yet, howver; I have one on order but it hasn't arrived yet. So, I haven't been able to play the cassette games below for the VIC-20 and C64. I can play the TI99 tape games I got though, and have trid some of them.
These first four VIC-20 games are the ones that came with the computer that broke immediately. Galactic Defender and Search & Destroy are the rare ones.
Muncher Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Swarm! Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete? (Cassette in case) $180 for the system+games bundle
Search & Destroy Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Galactic Defender Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Additionally, the VIC-20 game I already owned from several years ago is Clowns. I got it complete basically for free with other purchases. It requires paddle controllers.
Then I bought about a dozen more VIC-20 games from ebay over the next week or so, some solo and some in lots.
Gridder Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/22/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $24.00
Gorf Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/22/21 Cart Only $10.00 (not the greatest port of this arcade classic, but decent.)
Omega Race Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games (a good version of this game, though not a match for the Colecovision version.)
Road Race Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games
Raid on Fort Knox Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games
Sky is Falling, The Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games (this game requires paddle controllers.)
Avenger (VIC-20) Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games 03/25/21 $6.00
Amok Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $22.00 (a Berzerk-style game)
Pinball Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this game requires paddle controllers.)
Super Alien Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this is a port/clone of Heiankyo Alien.)
Radar Ratrace Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this is a clone of Namco's arcade game Rally-X.)
Then, in the 8-bit computer mood, I decided to get my poor TI99 working. See, its video chip had been failing for a few years, but sometime in 2020 it died entirely, the system wouldn't turn on at all anymore. I had bought a replacement chip but was too scared to take the thing apart. I decided to finally try, and shockingly, after getting it apart and back together... it worked great! I actually fixed it! Amazing. Now, it helped that the video chip is socketed so I didn't need to desolder a chip from the board, but still it was a bit tricky, the chip did not want to fit inot the socket. After getting it back together it worked! I was pleasantly surprised. However, I found that half of the keyboard keys were dead. I thought it had had a working keyboard before so maybe something wasn't plugged in right. Instead of just using that keyboard though, I decided to look at an untouched TI99 keyboard I had in a bag in my closet, from when I'd gotten a cheap bunch of TI99 carts locally backwhen I bought my first one of these computers in the early/mid '10s. After looking at that keyboard I saw it said Alps on it, which made me want to try that keyboard -- Alps is known to make the best TI99 keyboards. The other keyboard was a Stackpole keyboardm not the worst brand for TI99 keyboards but not Alps quality. After plugging in the Alps keyboard and turning the thing on again... it works perfectly! Sitting in a plastic bag in a store and then my closet didn't kill this keyboard, amazingly enough. Every single key works perfectly. That's just awesome, I've never had a fully working no issues TI99 keyboard before. .. .well, I apparently did, I just didn't realize it... heh.
So with that success I bought some TI99 games. Now, I bought a TI99 tape cable last year, I just hadn't used it much. Now I have used it more. The TI99 doesn't use a custom tape player for software, you can use any compatible recorder. I have one that works well, though I also got a TI Program Recorder (for under $20) that weirdly enough works less well. Heh. It's fine though, it's useful to have.
For $155, I got a 12-game bundle of the first twelve adventture games on the TI99 in the Scott Adams Adventure series., all 'complete' with their manuals. TI99 software didn't have custom boxes, just a generic box with the manual in front, so media+manual basically is complete. Scott Adams was the first popular text adventure game maker and made a bunch of them in computer gaming's early yuears. This bundle was expensive, but far far cheaper than buying these games by themselves! FAR cheaper. And it's pretty cool to have almost all of them. 11 of the games are on cassette, and one is on cartridge.
Strange Odyssey TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Mystery Fun House TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Savage Island Series TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Mission Impossible TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Voodoo Castle TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Adventureland TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Adventure (w/ Pirate Adventure cassette) TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cartridge and Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Return to Pirate's Isle TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Ghost Town TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Pyramid of Doom TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
The Count TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
The Golden Voyage TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
I got a few more TI99 games from other sellers as well. Tunnels of Doom with the cassette was a must; this early RPG is quite fascinating. I had the bootup cart but not the cassette and I wanted a real one, not a copy. It's a pretty cool game I will have more to say on at some point for sure. I've been playing some of it, it's a simple first person dungeon crawler with strategic combat on a separate battle screen (apparently for the first time ever in an RPG) and a full ingame map (amazing!). So yeah, it's 100% playable and fun, lots of slow loading times aside. I am quite impressed.
Tunnels of Doom (w/cassette) TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart, Cassette in Case, and Manual $30.00
Munchmobile TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $17.00 (this thoroughly mediocre title is, oddly enough, based on a SNK arcade game.)
Moon Mine TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $17.00 (this tunnel shooting game makes great use of the TI99 Speech Synthesizer, which I have, and has nice graphics for the system as well.)
Rabbit Trail TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart Only $40.00 (a Donkey Kong-inspired title.)
Shamus TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart Only $30.00 (perhaps not the best version of this multiplatform classic, but it's a solid one.)
These two games I bought individually from ebay. For the first it looked interesting and I wanted an American C64 game on cassette, for once I get that working tape drive. These are rare, in the US almost all C64 owners bought a floppy drive immediately. In Europe cassettes were the primary format into the early '90s, but that was definitely not true here. Only '70s and early '80s computers and earlier such as the VIC-20 or TI99 had software on cassette here. And for the second, Hardball 3 for PC/Genesis is one of my favorite sports gamse ever and I always have wanted to get the original. I know it's not as good but it's a fascinating one to look at regardless.
Pharaoh's Curse, The Commodore 64, C64 03/30/21 Cassette in Case Only $9.50
Hardball Commodore 64, C64 03/30/21 Complete (Disk Game) $24.00
This was a 10-title PC and C64 game lot from ebay. All games are complete in box. I was particularly interested by the Adventure Pak, Sky Shark, Grand Slam Baseball, and Command HQ.
Superstar Indoor Sports PC 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Grand Slam Baseball: Steve Garvey vs. Jose Canseco Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Silent Service Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Sky Shark Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Adventure Pak Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Stock Market: The Game PC 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Decisive Battles of the American Civil War, Volume II Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Superstar Indoor Sports Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Arkanoid II: Return of Doh Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Command H.Q. PC 03/31/21 Sealed $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Arcade Games I Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Then, on 4/1, my third and hopefully final ViC-20 arrived. It is from ebay, but this time I bought the first model of the computer instead of the second, because the original model has a MUCH more reliable power supply -- the model 2 VIC-20 power supplies are, like C64 power supplies, infamous for failing and kiling computers when they go down. (This is one reason why I got a Commodore 128D instead of a 64, as I know I mentioned last year.) I really should have bought one of the first model systems all along, but that software bundle with the second one got me to buy it. It may have been worth it for that, but for the actual machine this is much better because it aactually works right. The computer was $100 with no power supply, and I got an early, metal case VIC-20 power supply for $45. Both work perfectly with no issues. The case on this VIC-20 is very, VERY yellow on the top half, though. I think I'll swap the top halves of the shell with the nice white one from that other VIC-20. It won't match labelling wise because they changed the labels from the early model to the later one, but I'd much rather have the white plastic than the yellowed mess this one has. SO yeah, there's another use of that other VIC-20. (The third broken VIC-20 that I got a few years ago wouldn't be nearly as nice of an option as a case donor, its case isn't as white as the second one and is all nicked and hacked into with damage marks.)
Then I got a few more things for the TI99.
Super Demon Attack TI-99/4A 04/02/21 Cart Only $10.00 - This is a graphically enhanced TI99 exclusive version of the Imagic classic.
Lastly for the 8-bit computers, I ordered a few games from one of the main TI99/4A hobbist websites (not ebay). I got, for $8 each, three cassettes with a bunch of interesting homebrew stuff on them -- one Adventure modules, one Tunnels of Doom mods, and one a couple of games for TI Basic. These I can use and work just fine. I know you could make tapes like this yourself but this was easier and got reliable copies. Additonally though, for $60, I got a brand new game for the TI99/4A. That is the one I will list below. The game below arrived on 4/5, and the three cassettes several days later.
TI99/4A
--
Realms of Antiquity: The Shattered Crown - $60, new. I got one of the last two physical copies of this now sold out title. It is still available for digital download for TI99/4A (if you have a drive emulator to run it on real hardware with) and also on PC on Steam however, which is nice. I hadn't really been following this project, but when I realized a few copies were still available I bought one of them. This game is a classic 8-bit computer RPG style overhead RPG for the TI99 made over the course of more than a decade by a guy who made the whole game himself. The game is quite ambitious, though it has limitations -- the view window is small so you can't see too many tiles around your character, and there isn't an ingame map. This physical box version helps out with things such as a printed map of the world, though. It also has the game on discs, though I can't actually run it on my TI99 -- the game requires an aftermarket 1 MB RAM expansion and also either a peripheral expansion box with two floppy disk drives or a disk drive emulator to run on real hardware, and though I will get things to be able to run this on real hardware eventually, I have not done so yet; the PEBs are expensive and huge, and the best kind of drive emulator (one which has a built in 1MB RAM expansion) is sold out at the moment. The purchase also came with a digital copy though so that's fine for now.
As for console games after that Gamestop order, I only got one more in March. Before its delisting, on March 24th I got ...
Switch DD
--
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (NES Virtual Console) Nintendo Switch, NS - DD (eShop) - $6
And lastly, a few days ago (April 5th) I got a few more console games, some locally and some from ebay.
PS2
--
Romancing SaGa - $20
PS4
--
Gravity Rush 2 - $21, complete
The Last Guardian - $14, complete - yup, finally I have it.
Metal Max Xeno - $7, complete (oddly this is a European copy of the game. A strange find in a local shop, given this game did get a US release too...)
And lastly, this arrived from ebay also on April 5th.
Atari 5200
--
Space Dungeon - $18, complete and unopened. This game came in a large box with the game, manual, and a plastic controller holder that holds two controllers stably in place. This is needed because the game is a twin-stick shooter which you control with the sticks from two controllers, and using two controllers is quite uncomfortable if you're just trying to hold them both. Atari thought of that and released this accessory for the 5200's two twinstick games, which are this game and Robotron. Now, this game usually sells for a LOT more than this, like $50 to $100 in fact. Why did this complete and sealed copy go for so cheap in an Ebay auction? Well, there was a giant hole on the top of the box. Obviously something had chewed through the box at some point and gotten inside, but the owner didn't open it to see. Probably cautious because of the oobvious damage people didn't bid much, so my bid won for a surprisingly low price. I wasn't sure waht I would get, but after opening it (and I oipened this one quickly) I found...just a few little old and long-dead maggotlike bugs, nothing alarming. People should have bid higher for this one, the contents of the box alone are worth way more than I paid! Everything inside was in very good condition except for some damage to the bottom of the box from the bugs, and I cleaned that up. The cart, controller holder, and manual are new and unused. (I did have to toss out the bag the controller holder came in, but oh well.)
As for the game, this game is fantastic! Space Dungeon almost immediately has jumped into my 5200 top three. I've ordered a second 5200-compatible DB15 joystick extension cable so that I can use two controllers more comfortably from my chairs since I only had one, but this game is fantastic and incredibly addictive. This game is really good and I'll be playing a lot of it. It was apparently a Taito arcade game originally, though this is one of its very few home ports.
I don't have Robotron for the 5200, only the 7800, and that verison is not good to control because there isn't a 7800 controller holder and using two of those controllers at once is pretty uncomfrotable. I definitely need a cart copy of 5200 Robotron now.
I think I will be buying less for a while. :p
... I did not, however, stop buying gaming stuff. Not in the least. I spent a pretty crazy amount last month in fact. Probably like $800 at least. I got a few games for consoles, most notably some Switch stuff, but the bulk of it was a whole bunch of software and hardware for three old 8-bit computers, the TI 99/4A, Commodore 64, and Commodore VIC-20.
First though, the console games I recieved back on March 11th. This was a web order from Gamestop; they were having a sale and I wanted to get a certain Switch game we have talked about...
Nintendo Switch
--
Super Mario 3D Allstars - $60, new
Luigi's Mansion 3 - $18.50, complete
Super Mario 3D World Plus Boswer's Fury - $60, new
Xbox One / Series X
--
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - $25, complete
Immortal Fenyx Rising - $25, complete (XSX enhanced)
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning - $15, complete
After that my 8-bit computer buying spree began. I started by getting a VIC-20. Now, I already have one with one game, but it doesn't work and never did so I haven't mentioned it before. The one I got was pricey but came with some pretty nice rare games so I hoped it actually worked and bought it. It was $180 for a working VIC-20, untested (ie probably broken) VIC/C64 tape drive clone, a broken Commodore printer, and four games on tape, all complete. Two of those games are pretty uncommon; one isn't available on ebay at all right now, and the other costs $150 in buy it nows. I'm sure it'd sell for less in an auction but those two are rare. And those are why I don't really regret this purchase.
Because, the computer worked... for half an hour. Then, a while after I plugged that printer and tape drive in the screen when black and it hasn't worked again. I don't think I will try that printer again, maybe something's wrong with it. I t's pretty much useless anyway even if it DID work.
Despite this I buought a whole bunch of VIC-20 software, knowing that I would have to soon solve the problem of not having a working computer. And I did. First though, games. I started with VIC-20 games, but then also bought some Commodore 64 games for my C128D I got last year because I have few legit games for that system, and finished off by buying a whole bunch of stuff for the TI 99/4A because that is a pretty interesting computer. I also repaired my TI99 by replacing a failed chip and keyboard, but I will get to that later. It should be fully working now, though, which is pretty awesome; I've never had a TI99 before that works as well as this one does now!
To spoil the ending though, I do now have a working VIC20. I do not have a working cassette drive for it yet, howver; I have one on order but it hasn't arrived yet. So, I haven't been able to play the cassette games below for the VIC-20 and C64. I can play the TI99 tape games I got though, and have trid some of them.
These first four VIC-20 games are the ones that came with the computer that broke immediately. Galactic Defender and Search & Destroy are the rare ones.
Muncher Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Swarm! Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete? (Cassette in case) $180 for the system+games bundle
Search & Destroy Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Galactic Defender Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/19/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $180 for the system+games bundle
Additionally, the VIC-20 game I already owned from several years ago is Clowns. I got it complete basically for free with other purchases. It requires paddle controllers.
Then I bought about a dozen more VIC-20 games from ebay over the next week or so, some solo and some in lots.
Gridder Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/22/21 Complete (Cassette Game) $24.00
Gorf Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/22/21 Cart Only $10.00 (not the greatest port of this arcade classic, but decent.)
Omega Race Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games (a good version of this game, though not a match for the Colecovision version.)
Road Race Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games
Raid on Fort Knox Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games
Sky is Falling, The Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games (this game requires paddle controllers.)
Avenger (VIC-20) Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/23/21 Cart Only $40.76 for five VIC-20 games 03/25/21 $6.00
Amok Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $22.00 (a Berzerk-style game)
Pinball Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this game requires paddle controllers.)
Super Alien Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this is a port/clone of Heiankyo Alien.)
Radar Ratrace Commodore VIC-20, VIC 03/29/21 Complete (Cartridge Game) $38 for 3 complete VIC-20 games (this is a clone of Namco's arcade game Rally-X.)
Then, in the 8-bit computer mood, I decided to get my poor TI99 working. See, its video chip had been failing for a few years, but sometime in 2020 it died entirely, the system wouldn't turn on at all anymore. I had bought a replacement chip but was too scared to take the thing apart. I decided to finally try, and shockingly, after getting it apart and back together... it worked great! I actually fixed it! Amazing. Now, it helped that the video chip is socketed so I didn't need to desolder a chip from the board, but still it was a bit tricky, the chip did not want to fit inot the socket. After getting it back together it worked! I was pleasantly surprised. However, I found that half of the keyboard keys were dead. I thought it had had a working keyboard before so maybe something wasn't plugged in right. Instead of just using that keyboard though, I decided to look at an untouched TI99 keyboard I had in a bag in my closet, from when I'd gotten a cheap bunch of TI99 carts locally backwhen I bought my first one of these computers in the early/mid '10s. After looking at that keyboard I saw it said Alps on it, which made me want to try that keyboard -- Alps is known to make the best TI99 keyboards. The other keyboard was a Stackpole keyboardm not the worst brand for TI99 keyboards but not Alps quality. After plugging in the Alps keyboard and turning the thing on again... it works perfectly! Sitting in a plastic bag in a store and then my closet didn't kill this keyboard, amazingly enough. Every single key works perfectly. That's just awesome, I've never had a fully working no issues TI99 keyboard before. .. .well, I apparently did, I just didn't realize it... heh.
So with that success I bought some TI99 games. Now, I bought a TI99 tape cable last year, I just hadn't used it much. Now I have used it more. The TI99 doesn't use a custom tape player for software, you can use any compatible recorder. I have one that works well, though I also got a TI Program Recorder (for under $20) that weirdly enough works less well. Heh. It's fine though, it's useful to have.
For $155, I got a 12-game bundle of the first twelve adventture games on the TI99 in the Scott Adams Adventure series., all 'complete' with their manuals. TI99 software didn't have custom boxes, just a generic box with the manual in front, so media+manual basically is complete. Scott Adams was the first popular text adventure game maker and made a bunch of them in computer gaming's early yuears. This bundle was expensive, but far far cheaper than buying these games by themselves! FAR cheaper. And it's pretty cool to have almost all of them. 11 of the games are on cassette, and one is on cartridge.
Strange Odyssey TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Mystery Fun House TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Savage Island Series TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Mission Impossible TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Voodoo Castle TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Adventureland TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Adventure (w/ Pirate Adventure cassette) TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cartridge and Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Return to Pirate's Isle TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Ghost Town TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
Pyramid of Doom TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
The Count TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
The Golden Voyage TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cassette in Case and Manual $155 for the 12-game Scott Adams Adventure bundle
I got a few more TI99 games from other sellers as well. Tunnels of Doom with the cassette was a must; this early RPG is quite fascinating. I had the bootup cart but not the cassette and I wanted a real one, not a copy. It's a pretty cool game I will have more to say on at some point for sure. I've been playing some of it, it's a simple first person dungeon crawler with strategic combat on a separate battle screen (apparently for the first time ever in an RPG) and a full ingame map (amazing!). So yeah, it's 100% playable and fun, lots of slow loading times aside. I am quite impressed.
Tunnels of Doom (w/cassette) TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart, Cassette in Case, and Manual $30.00
Munchmobile TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $17.00 (this thoroughly mediocre title is, oddly enough, based on a SNK arcade game.)
Moon Mine TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart and Manual $17.00 (this tunnel shooting game makes great use of the TI99 Speech Synthesizer, which I have, and has nice graphics for the system as well.)
Rabbit Trail TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart Only $40.00 (a Donkey Kong-inspired title.)
Shamus TI-99/4A 03/29/21 Cart Only $30.00 (perhaps not the best version of this multiplatform classic, but it's a solid one.)
These two games I bought individually from ebay. For the first it looked interesting and I wanted an American C64 game on cassette, for once I get that working tape drive. These are rare, in the US almost all C64 owners bought a floppy drive immediately. In Europe cassettes were the primary format into the early '90s, but that was definitely not true here. Only '70s and early '80s computers and earlier such as the VIC-20 or TI99 had software on cassette here. And for the second, Hardball 3 for PC/Genesis is one of my favorite sports gamse ever and I always have wanted to get the original. I know it's not as good but it's a fascinating one to look at regardless.
Pharaoh's Curse, The Commodore 64, C64 03/30/21 Cassette in Case Only $9.50
Hardball Commodore 64, C64 03/30/21 Complete (Disk Game) $24.00
This was a 10-title PC and C64 game lot from ebay. All games are complete in box. I was particularly interested by the Adventure Pak, Sky Shark, Grand Slam Baseball, and Command HQ.
Superstar Indoor Sports PC 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Grand Slam Baseball: Steve Garvey vs. Jose Canseco Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Silent Service Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Sky Shark Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Adventure Pak Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Stock Market: The Game PC 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Decisive Battles of the American Civil War, Volume II Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Superstar Indoor Sports Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Arkanoid II: Return of Doh Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Command H.Q. PC 03/31/21 Sealed $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Arcade Games I Commodore 64, C64 03/31/21 Complete $78 for 10 PC/C64 game bundle
Then, on 4/1, my third and hopefully final ViC-20 arrived. It is from ebay, but this time I bought the first model of the computer instead of the second, because the original model has a MUCH more reliable power supply -- the model 2 VIC-20 power supplies are, like C64 power supplies, infamous for failing and kiling computers when they go down. (This is one reason why I got a Commodore 128D instead of a 64, as I know I mentioned last year.) I really should have bought one of the first model systems all along, but that software bundle with the second one got me to buy it. It may have been worth it for that, but for the actual machine this is much better because it aactually works right. The computer was $100 with no power supply, and I got an early, metal case VIC-20 power supply for $45. Both work perfectly with no issues. The case on this VIC-20 is very, VERY yellow on the top half, though. I think I'll swap the top halves of the shell with the nice white one from that other VIC-20. It won't match labelling wise because they changed the labels from the early model to the later one, but I'd much rather have the white plastic than the yellowed mess this one has. SO yeah, there's another use of that other VIC-20. (The third broken VIC-20 that I got a few years ago wouldn't be nearly as nice of an option as a case donor, its case isn't as white as the second one and is all nicked and hacked into with damage marks.)
Then I got a few more things for the TI99.
Super Demon Attack TI-99/4A 04/02/21 Cart Only $10.00 - This is a graphically enhanced TI99 exclusive version of the Imagic classic.
Lastly for the 8-bit computers, I ordered a few games from one of the main TI99/4A hobbist websites (not ebay). I got, for $8 each, three cassettes with a bunch of interesting homebrew stuff on them -- one Adventure modules, one Tunnels of Doom mods, and one a couple of games for TI Basic. These I can use and work just fine. I know you could make tapes like this yourself but this was easier and got reliable copies. Additonally though, for $60, I got a brand new game for the TI99/4A. That is the one I will list below. The game below arrived on 4/5, and the three cassettes several days later.
TI99/4A
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Realms of Antiquity: The Shattered Crown - $60, new. I got one of the last two physical copies of this now sold out title. It is still available for digital download for TI99/4A (if you have a drive emulator to run it on real hardware with) and also on PC on Steam however, which is nice. I hadn't really been following this project, but when I realized a few copies were still available I bought one of them. This game is a classic 8-bit computer RPG style overhead RPG for the TI99 made over the course of more than a decade by a guy who made the whole game himself. The game is quite ambitious, though it has limitations -- the view window is small so you can't see too many tiles around your character, and there isn't an ingame map. This physical box version helps out with things such as a printed map of the world, though. It also has the game on discs, though I can't actually run it on my TI99 -- the game requires an aftermarket 1 MB RAM expansion and also either a peripheral expansion box with two floppy disk drives or a disk drive emulator to run on real hardware, and though I will get things to be able to run this on real hardware eventually, I have not done so yet; the PEBs are expensive and huge, and the best kind of drive emulator (one which has a built in 1MB RAM expansion) is sold out at the moment. The purchase also came with a digital copy though so that's fine for now.
As for console games after that Gamestop order, I only got one more in March. Before its delisting, on March 24th I got ...
Switch DD
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Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (NES Virtual Console) Nintendo Switch, NS - DD (eShop) - $6
And lastly, a few days ago (April 5th) I got a few more console games, some locally and some from ebay.
PS2
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Romancing SaGa - $20
PS4
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Gravity Rush 2 - $21, complete
The Last Guardian - $14, complete - yup, finally I have it.
Metal Max Xeno - $7, complete (oddly this is a European copy of the game. A strange find in a local shop, given this game did get a US release too...)
And lastly, this arrived from ebay also on April 5th.
Atari 5200
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Space Dungeon - $18, complete and unopened. This game came in a large box with the game, manual, and a plastic controller holder that holds two controllers stably in place. This is needed because the game is a twin-stick shooter which you control with the sticks from two controllers, and using two controllers is quite uncomfortable if you're just trying to hold them both. Atari thought of that and released this accessory for the 5200's two twinstick games, which are this game and Robotron. Now, this game usually sells for a LOT more than this, like $50 to $100 in fact. Why did this complete and sealed copy go for so cheap in an Ebay auction? Well, there was a giant hole on the top of the box. Obviously something had chewed through the box at some point and gotten inside, but the owner didn't open it to see. Probably cautious because of the oobvious damage people didn't bid much, so my bid won for a surprisingly low price. I wasn't sure waht I would get, but after opening it (and I oipened this one quickly) I found...just a few little old and long-dead maggotlike bugs, nothing alarming. People should have bid higher for this one, the contents of the box alone are worth way more than I paid! Everything inside was in very good condition except for some damage to the bottom of the box from the bugs, and I cleaned that up. The cart, controller holder, and manual are new and unused. (I did have to toss out the bag the controller holder came in, but oh well.)
As for the game, this game is fantastic! Space Dungeon almost immediately has jumped into my 5200 top three. I've ordered a second 5200-compatible DB15 joystick extension cable so that I can use two controllers more comfortably from my chairs since I only had one, but this game is fantastic and incredibly addictive. This game is really good and I'll be playing a lot of it. It was apparently a Taito arcade game originally, though this is one of its very few home ports.
I don't have Robotron for the 5200, only the 7800, and that verison is not good to control because there isn't a 7800 controller holder and using two of those controllers at once is pretty uncomfrotable. I definitely need a cart copy of 5200 Robotron now.
I think I will be buying less for a while. :p
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