Games Bought Thread 3

[A Black Falcon]

PC DD - Steam sale (these sale are almost over... good, I've gotten way too much probably )
--
Freedom Planet - $4.50 - Pretty good-looking indie game inspired by the Genesis Sonic games.

[A Black Falcon]

PC DD
--
Humble 'Cats' Weekly Bundle - got at $1 level for the three basic games (the upper tiers didn't look worth it, I have Torchlight II already)
--
Schrödinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark - Looks like a decent platformer
Pix the Cat - Good game, this is the top reason to get this bundle
Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender (Game listed only for consoles, not PC, on IGN)
--
GOG Sale - Final stuff (40 hours left but no more new deals, just 'most stuff returns for the end of the sale')
--
The Legend of Grimrock II - $6 - sequel to the pretty good first-person dungeon crawler.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - $10 - Very popular JRPG (PSP port)
Crusader: No Remorse - $1.50 - I've never really tried these games, and haven't been convinced I'd like them, but I really should give them a try, after looking at them again they do look fun.
Crusader: No Regret - $1.50
Simon the Sorcerer - $1.50 - Classic adventure game.

And with that I spent over $50 (just pennies over, I believe), so I got Xenonauts free. (Trails in the Sky and Grimrock II are or have been the same price at Steam during their current sale, but that wouldn't have counted towards a free game, so I got them on GOG.) Xenonauts is an X-Com style tactical strategy game.


Xbox 360 DD - free from Games with Gold
--
Thief - Pretty awesome one to get from GwG! I definitely will play this game, the original Thief was a great game.

[A Black Falcon]

NES
--
RoboWarrior - $5, cart only. Bomberman-style game, but single player and with a slightly different setup.

Genesis
--
BlockOut - $5, complete. The Genesis version of this super hard and frustrating 3-d Tetris-style game.

32X
--
Golf Magazine presents 36 Greatest Holes starring Fred Couples - $3, cart and box (no manual) - in polygonal 3d!

Saturn
--
Huper 3D Pinball - $7, complete. Okay-looking pinball game with some of the most ridiculous hype ever in the first paragraph of the manual (quoted below).

Sega Master System
--
Shinobi - $15, complete - A great classic, I'm very happy to finally have this one!
Poseidon Wars 3-D - $15, complete - Lightgun-style shooter, though this game only support the gamepad. That's okay, I'm terrible with light guns. It does support the 3D Glasses, which is awesome; there are very few 3d glasses games, so it's nice to get another one. :)


Hyper 3D Pinball's first page in the manual:

Introduction

So you think you're a hardened gamer? Think again. All those years that you've spent playing infinite variations on the Space Invaders theme count for nothing. All those weekends that you've spent bouncing from one day-glo platform to another in one of the in finite variations on the Donkey Kong theme count for zip. And don't even mention those dazzlingly vapid beat-'em-ups with their endless succession of moronic 'hidden' moves. Until you've mastered the silver ball, you haven't even started gaming.

Pinball is greater than the sum of its parts. At its core is a very simple concept -- all you have to do is keep the silver ball in play. And if this was any other plain vanilla video game, you've able to master it pretty quickly. But pinball's not like that -- it's not a game of absolutes. Even if you hit the ball with a specific amount of power in a specific direction from a specific angle, you won't achieve the same results every time. In pinball, your decision-making ability is tested to the maximum -- you simply cannot expect specific things to happen at precisely the right moment. In effect, pinball is like life. In the outside world, events don't unfurl in a preordained manner. In the real world, random things happen in a random order. Deal with it.

Yes, this is real.

[A Black Falcon]

NES
--
Low G Man - $8, cart only - Fun platformer I've wanted for some time. It's great to finally have it.

Master System
--
Fantasy Zone II - $20, complete - This is a really good price for a complete copy of this game... that's a major reason I got this. I'm not really a fan of the original, but haven't played this one before. Maybe it's better than the first one. I see you do get health this time, that's an improvement for sure!

Playstation 1
--
Soul of the Samurai - $8, complete - Interesting game I've wanted to play for a while. It's part action and part adventure-ish stuff.

SNES
--
Sporting News Baseball - $1, cart only - One of the very few Hudson baseball games to get a US release. This is basically a US version of Super Power League 2 or 3, and it's got the real MLBPA players too. Cool stuff, I didn't really know this existed... it has only 3 stadiums unfortunately, and the usual top-down field view I've never liked much, but still, it's a solid game.

[Dark Jaguar]

Hyper 3D Pinball is apparently parts instruction manual and parts someone's college dissertation and philosophy on life.

[A Black Falcon]

Pretty much. And a diatribe about how much better pinball is than videogames, too.

[Dark Jaguar]

That rant will go down through the ages. I smell the beginnings of a new church.

I'll be honest. I suck at pinball. I really have no idea how to keep the ball from flying right through the middle area of the paddles such that there's literally no way to actually hit said ball. I'm just barely able to control where I shoot the ball if I can do that thing where I let the ball slide along a paddle, but I've got no intuition as to where it's going to bounce to after I fling it off in some direction.

It's odd that this rant claims that Donkey Kong had a million clones when pinball invented "millions of clones". I don't recall seeing any real innovation to the basic mechanics of a pinball machine, except maybe pachinko.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, I'm no good at pinball either. It's something I've played every once in a while, but never found as interesting as videogames... I'd play a few games of pinball as a kid then go play beat 'em ups or something. It's been some time since I played a real pinball machine; there are places with them around, I just don't play them. And in pinball videogames, I'm not great. Hyper 3D Pinball for Saturn is particularly brutal! Last Gladiators (the other Saturn pinball game I got recently) is much more fun, Hyper 3D Pinball is super hard. The ball is way too fast in that game, and there are no difficulty options. My favorite console pinball games are probably Alien Crush (Turbografx-16) and Kirby's Pinball Land (Game Boy); those are quite different from 'real' pinball, and benefit from it compared to attempts at pinball sims back then. The shareware table from Epic Pinball for PC, Android, is one of my all-time favorites too, of course; I don't know if I'll ever manage to fully bring the Android to life, but that sure is an INCREDIBLE computer pinball table for its time!


So uh, Gamestop is having another one of their buy-2-get-1-free sales for July 2 to 4, so... I got a bit much. Let's just say that I now know what the next console I get will be, and it won't be the 3DO or Atari 5200 I was thinking of... (I have games for both of those systems too, but not many, and haven't spent nearly as much on either of those as I did today and yesterday on the system below.)

But first, stuff for systems I do have.

Nintendo DS
--
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals - $0.90, card only - Now I have all three games in this series. The Wii one is best (it's a quality action-adventure game), but the DS games are alright too.
SimCity Creator - $1.80, card only - Looks like it could be fun.

(I was thinking of getting some more cheap DS games, but I forgot about them... ah well, I'll see them again.)

PSP
--
Micro Machines V4 - disc and generic case only, $4.50 - I have this for PS2, but I wanted a handheld version as well -- I've always liked the handheld versions of the Micro Machines games. It's always been a favorite series of mine, and this is the last game with the Micro Machines name on it! It's a good game, too. The graphics don't match the PS2 version, but the gameplay is just as good or better. (I like MM1 and MM3 better on GB and GBC than on consoles/PC, too... MM2 is best on PC, though.)

Wii
--
Kawasaki Jet Ski - complete, free in a B2G1 (would have been $1)
Deca Sports 2 - complete, $4.50 - Hudson (RIP) minigame collection
Tron Evolution: Battle Grids - complete, $1.80 - I played a bit of this game, I like it for sure! Simple but fun stuff.
Tangled - complete, $11.90 - For some reason I've wanted to try this game, and I only would as a part of a B2G1 at this price.
We Ski & Snowboard - complete, $4.50 - The second of Namco's three top sports minigame collections on Wii (We Ski, this game, and ... uh, that bigger one with a full island to explore, house-designing, and stuff.).
Pandora's Tower - $22.50, complete - Now I have all 3 of the begged-for Wii games.
Boom Blox: Bash Party - complete, free in a B2G1 - I finally got around to playing the first game recently, and it's really good! I'm happy to get the sequel.
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga - $4.50, disc in generic case - I like the first game on PSP, so I'd like to try this one too.
Dead Rising: Chop 'till you Drop - $4.50, complete
Gem Smashers - complete, free in B2G1 (would have been $3) - Puzzle game.
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny - complete, free in B2G1 (would have been $18) - Never played any of these games before...

Xbox 360
--
Wheelman - complete, free in B2G1 - Midway open-world GTA-inspired game starring Vin Diesel. I like poor now-dead Midway, so I should try this.
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - free in B2G1, complete. Yes, I got the first Skylanders game, plus a portal and characters (below). I have kind of wanted to try it, and the discounts today (double discount on the figures, ending tomorrow!) made it worthwhile.
Project Gotham Racing 4 - complete, $3.60 - The last game in the pretty good PGR series. I have the first three, but not this one.

Skylanders portal for X360 (original Skylanders/Giants portal) - free in B2G1 (would have been $3)

Skylanders figures I got (all are green-base figures for the original game)
--
Spyro, Stealth Elf, Whirlwind, Gill Grunt (with harpoon), Stump Smash, Flameslinger, Drill Sergeant - figures are 50% off AND B2G1 at the moment (until the 4th only, though the 50% off sale is for a few more weeks), so these figures, all normally $3 each, cost me $1.34 each for 5 of them and free in B2G1s for the other two. Pretty great deal there, if I am going to buy some of the figures. I covered six of the eight elements of Skylanders, so only a few more to have at least one for each element. I have no interest in collecting lots of these figures; I like videogame collecting, not toy collecting. It's pretty annoying that you have to get these figures, either for Skylanders or Amiibos or others (Disney Infinity, the upcoming Lego game that uses this style), just to play the games...


And the new system I'll get is... a 3DS. Yes, I got a bunch of games for a system I don't have yet, though I'm definitely planning on getting one soon. I'll probably get one online, because $200 for a New 3DS is a lot, and used prices are way too high locally, but I got a bunch of games. I won't need more for a while... well, I'll need Etrian Odyssey IV, but sadly none of the three Gamestops I went to today and yesterday had the game. But that should be it for some time.
--
Nikoli's Pencil Puzzle 3D - complete, $4.50 - Hudson sudoku & others collection. One of Hudson's last releases, as Konami shut them down.
Mario Kart 7 - complete, free in a B2G1 (would have been $27)
Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time 3D - disc in generic case (no manual), free in a B2G1 (would have been $4.50)
Crush 3D - complete, $2.70 (I have the PSP game. It's interesting.)
Crosswords Plus - complete, $4.50 (been playing the DS version recently. It's fun, even if this isn't my favorite kind of game.)
Dream Trigger 3D - complete, free in a B2G1 (would have been $3) - Interesting-looking rail shooter.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - complete, $34.20 - The one newest 3DS game I got; I had to get this one, of course. That there's a new 3DS Zelda game coming this year but not Wii U is a major reason I got this system over the Wii U, honestly.
Super Mario 3D Land - complete, $27.00
Tetris Axis - complete, $6.30
Pilotwings Resort - complete, $2.70
Steel Diver - complete, $2.24
Paper Mario: Sticker Star - complete, $18
Sonic Lost Worlds - complete, $18 (Rune Factory for Wii is the game that was free along with these two.)

Maybe I overpaid by getting some of the more expensive ones at Gamestop and not Ebay (though cheaper games are often cheaper at Gamestop), but for store prices the B2G1s result in good prices... yeah, ebay is often cheaper, but it IS riskier as well (condition, will it actually arrive, limited or no return policies, etc.). I use ebay for things I have to get there (imports...), but rarely for US-region games. But anyway, so yeah, I'll be happy to have a 3DS. I just hope I can keep it intact longer than I seem to manage with regular DSes, I'm so good at breaking the hinges on the poor things... :(


Oh, finally, for the record, here are the Atari 5200 games I have, because I didn't list them before. I got these last month, starting in early June when I saw AstroChase and Super Cobra, two pretty interesting, and uncommon, 5200 games. I've seen some 5200 systems around, but none with controllers; that's the tricky part -- controllers, particularly working ones. I'll get one eventually, but later now that I'm getting a 3DS. Even if I don't get the system for a while, I think these were worth getting, Super Cobra particularly going by prices online.

Atari 5200: Pole Position ($3), Qix ($3, with manual), Super Cobra ($3 - great deal!), Berzerk ($4, with manual), AstroChase ($10, pretty cool game from what I've seen, and uncommon), Kangaroo ($6, with manual), Joust ($4), Galaxian ($3, with overlays), and Pac-Man (cart only, free in a B3G1).

[Dark Jaguar]

I don't even know how to tell if a pinball table is "well designed" or not. I've got NO artistic sensibilities for what makes for a "good" table.

[A Black Falcon]

As I said I very rarely play real pinball and only infrequently have played pinball videogames, so I'm not really the best person to ask about what a "good" pinball table design is, but how much there is to do on the table is the most basic thing. Is the table just a basic set of bumpers and drop targets? Are there ramps? How many? How much space is there for the ball to move around? Old pinball machines are often really simple, newer ones flashy and full of stuff to do. Player skill level matters a lot too; an easy table won't be as fun for someone good at pinball.

And at a level above that, how hard are the shots? Are there more challenging ones? And for people who like pinball, one thing I often have heard discussed is about how the objectives on the table work. Any pinball table from the last 30+ years has missions that get you points, and how they work is key. Are they interesting and varied, what do you have to do, etc. I don't like pinball enough to really try to learn everything about how to play a pinball table well, but the pinball videogames I've liked the most I try to at least somewhat figure out.

For an example of 'good' versus 'not', I got the GBC pinball game 3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride several years ago, and absolutely loved it. I'd rank it as one of my favorite handheld pinball games, actually, even though it got mostly mediocre reviews. There is only one table, but it has a lot to do, some challenging objectives, lots of fun bonus minigames to access in that Alien Crush style, and more. So, a while later I got the other GBC pinball game by the same team, Little Mermaid II Pinball... and was disappointed. This game is super simple and easy, it just doesn't have much to it. I quickly got bored and lost interest. It's kind of hard to explain, but the table just doesn't have as much to it (it lacks depth), keeping the ball alive is a lot easier and less rewarding, etc.

I'm sure I'm missing a lot of things that real pinball fans would talk about, though. I don't play real pinball much, and my favorite pinball videogames aren't the realistic simulations, they are the more heavily modified (ie changed to fit the nature of the console they're on, as opposed to being just like a real pinball machine) ones for the most part -- Kirby's Pinball Land, Alien and Devil's Crush, and 3D Ultra Thrillride (GBC version), along with the more realistic (but not a full-on sim) Android table from Epic Pinball.

[A Black Falcon]

... So Skylanders is actually good, I like the game. So, while the 50% off sale is still ongoing at Gamestop... I got some more. Doubt I'll get any more at least from those stores, I got the figures that were interesting (for the first three games, that is).

DS
--
Tsumiki: Block Drop Mania - card only, $3

Wii
--
Skylanders: Giants - complete, $5
Skylanders: Swap Force - complete, $5

Why the Wii versions? Well, Giants costs twice as much for 360 at Gamestop, and they didn't have any copies of 360 Swap Force either (and apparently they want $20 for the 360 version of that game, versus $5 on Wii!), plus that'd require the Swap Force or Trap Team portal, and they have no 360 Trap Team portals around here, only Wii/Sony ones, for some reason. Plus I want to try the Wii versions. After playing some of Giants, the 360 game (I got the 360 version of the first one, remember) has better graphics, but I like the controls better on Wii -- motion for the little QTE-ish and turret-shooting segments is definitely more fun than dual analog. And the graphics aren't THAT much worse; Skylanders does not exactly push the 360, that's for sure. Apparently for the upcoming fifth game the Wii version (yes, there is one) will be a port of the 3DS game, but the first four are the same as the PS360 games.

Anyway, the figures and such. Everything below was 50% off; the listed prices are what I paid.

Wii / Wii U / PS3 / PS4 Skylanders Trap Team portal - $5 - This will work with all four of the Wii Skylanders games that currently exist.

Figures: Dino Rang (SA) - $2.69; Tree Rex (Giants; Giant fig, works with Giants and beyond) - $1.34; Stealth Elf Ninja (TT; works with all 4 games) - $1.34; Cynder (Giants; works with all 4 games)- $1.34; Hex (Giants; works with all 4 games, it's not the Lightcore verison) - $2.69; Wash Buckler (SF; for Swap Force and up only, swappable-halves figure) - $2.24; Blast Zone + Eruptor Lava Barf (SF figs; Eruptor works on all 4 games, Blast Zone is a swappable-halves fig so it's SF and up only) - $3.59; Star Strike (SF; SF and up only) - $3.19; Hot Head (Giants; Giant fig) - $2.24; Trigger Happy (SA) - $2.24.

I got Hex and Cynder (for Undead) and Dino Rang (for Earth) to have all the categories covered for the first Skylanders -- there are many doors that require a fig from that element, and those cover the last two elements. I got two Giants to have some for Giants, you don't need all of them. I got the two swappable figs to have some of those for Swap Force, though I'll probably need more of those eventually annoyingly (doors that require specific combos or something)... that can wait, I'll play the first two games first. The other figs were ones that were cheap and looked interesting -- Ninja Stealth Elf, Star Strike, Trigger Happy.

[A Black Falcon]

... So, when looking for Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga for Wii, which is missing (did I ever get it at all from the store, despite paying for it? Bah...), and failing to find it... I did find two other games while looking in my car: a James Bond 007 (Game Boy) cartridge, and Tokyo Highway Battle for the Playstation. 007 for the GB is a game I've had for some time, but I'm not sure if this is a second copy I got at some point and forgot about, or the one copy I have that has an iffy battery... I'll have to check! Interesting. :) That other game, though... that's one I bought, but lost in the car and never got inside. There was a sales receipt for it from November 2013; I got that game and The Hobbit for Gamecube, a game I did bring inside back then (I covered it in my GC Game Opinion Summaries list, too). How the other game I got then managed to get misplaced where it was for so long is kind of amusing, but at least I have the game now!

Playstation
--
Tokyo Highway Battle - $5 (purchased November '13 and only found now)

Xbox 360 - Digital Download
--
Plants vs. Zombies - This is the current free-with-Games with Gold title. I tried the game out, seems fun. I like tower defense a lot, but hadn't played PvZ. Nice one to get free. :)

[A Black Falcon]

PSP
--
Virtua Tennis: World Tour - $2, disc only

[A Black Falcon]

This isn't a game, but hardware. Early this year I backed the kickstarter for Blinking Light Win, a replacement tray and connector for the NES, hoping that it'd finally make my original NES actually work, something it never has since I got it for cheap more than five years ago.

Well, after a few too many delays, it finally arrived, and I installed it yesterday... and it works! There is one drawback, but the thing does its job great as far as playing games goes. Games actually work with this thing as they never have in this Nintendo, and with the good picture quality composite gives you on a NES. None of those awful vertical lines through the picture here, unlike my NES 2! The drawback is that getting games OUT of this thing is hard -- it has a death-grip on the cartridges, unfortunately. I do understand that the "Zero Insertion Force" mechanism is the problem that causes NES connectors to fail, so there may be no way to have a reliable and also easy-to-remove original NES cartridge connector, but this definitely isn't it. Still, it's far better than what I had before, so I'm happy with it. The only other issue is that there's no real way to play my Japanese games with this, because if I put my Honey Bee Converter in there I'll probably never get it out... so it's the NES 2 for those, I guess, until/unless a Famicom converter for the BLW is made. I'd probably get one if it is.


Also, the new X360 Games with Gold title is out.
Xbox 360 DD - Games with Gold
--
Gears of War 3 - With this, now I have all four of the 360 Gears games, so that's nice. It's not a series I care for much, but if I have part of a series I like to have it all... so it's nice to have them give me the last one for free. (Judgment I got from GwG last year. The other two I have in a disc collection, though I think I have the first game from GwG as well.)

[Dark Jaguar]

There is no "zero insertion force" mechanism. Nintendo basically lied about it the same way they lied about the N64 being a 64 bit system. Their real reason for that whole mechanism was to make the NES seem more like a piece of your entertainment center and less like a "video game console" (basically, look more like your VCR and a lot less like the Atari).

A real zero insertion force system is more like the processor in your computer. You just "sit" the device directly on the pins (then you have to lock it down with a clip). There's no reason they couldn't make something that gripped the cartridge more lightly. After all, every OTHER cartridge based console managed to pull it off. I suspect it's just "wound too tight". If you look at the old mechanism, you'll see that after sliding it into place "lowering" the tray forces the pins into position. I suspect that "death grip" will lighten with repeated use.

For my part, I just do regular work on my NES every 5 years or so. I've found the biggest problem these days has nothing to do with the mechanism and everything to do with filthy cartridge pins. I've got two things for that. The first is a q-tip dipped in alcohol. This resolves the majority of such cases. If that doesn't work (usually owing to some especially stubborn stain on one or two pins) I resort to my circuit cleaning solution I picked up from Radio Shack several years ago. That stuff cuts through just about everything, except the actual circuit board itself :D.

[A Black Falcon]

I mean "zero insertion force" as in when you plug the cart into a regular NES it requires almost no effort, and it's the same for removing it. With a replacement pin connector removing the game gets harder, but the BLW is a lot worse than that. See, it's not just a new pin connector that will fail just like the originals do, it's a replacement for the tray and connector that has a new tray that can't click down, for just straight-in cartridge loading, and a new connector on the end with two pin connectors, one for the board and one for the cart. The issue is that getting carts out of that connector from the cart port is harder than I'd like (it requires too much effort, though wiggling the cart back and forth some first is helpful) and as I said forget about a Famicom converter.

But the benefit is that it's an actual working NES, which this NES has, as I said, never been. I first got it with blinking-light problems. I tried one of those replacement pin connectors, I tried disabling the lockout chip, etc, nothing worked. It could read some games, but not others, for whatever reason (Kabuki Quantum Warrior never worked on the NES 1 for instance), while the NES 2 could read all the games no problem. Well, the BLW finally fixed the issues, and reads carts great! Some have required some cleaning -- my Conquest of the Crystal Palace cart always has problems loading -- but unlike the old NES, where just leaving it in would eventually cause a crash, with BLW once I got it working (cleaned it some) it didn't crash when I left it pause for a while. So yeah, it's very nice to have.

[A Black Falcon]

I got some stuff today. Some I'll talk about later, but this I'll list now:

Atari 2600
--
Seaquest - $1, cart only. Decent Activision game, you play as a sub and shoot stuff and rescue people. The end-label is missing and the label isn't in the greatest condition, but it's good enough, and the price is good.

Also for the 2600, for free (with the other purchases) I got two game manuals. First, Raiders of the Lost Ark, an adventure game where having the manual really is a huge plus because it's somewhat complex; and second, Sega's Tac/Scan, a decent little paddle space shooter. I got the Tac/Scan manual not for the manual part, this game is simple and doesn't really need it; I got it for the other side, which has an awesome, and fairly good-sized, poster! I already put the poster up. It's pretty great stuff. This is the poster: http://www.segaretro.org/File:TacScan_26...Poster.jpg but that doesn't really show the size or color of the poster. This poster is midsized, smaller than a full standard poster size but twice the size of the little posters that often came with '90s cartridge games. Pretty cool stuff.

Atari 5200 - I got two more cheap games because I haven't given up on getting this system. I probably should be getting some more stuff for the TI-99/4A instead -- joysticks and more games, specifically -- but somehow, I want a 5200 more... not sure why.
--
Super Breakout - $1, cart only
Space Invaders - $3, cart with two overlays (not that they're needed, almost nothing is on them...)


Nintendo 64
--
F1 Pole Position 64 - $3, cart only. Yes, I finally got this game despite my reservations; it's a subpar racing game not of much note, but I definitely want to have all of the N64's racing games, so I got it. I played it some, and it's okay but not that great. The graphics are low-poly and simple, though the ad posters look nice and the framerate is solid. Controls are basic arcadey stuff, this is no sim. I'm bad at sims so that's okay, but even though it's easy enough that I can handle it, this game isn't fun or exciting, it's just kind of dull. It is nice to see an N64 F1 game I'm actually competitive at though (on Easy, the default setting), that's not really the case in F1 World Grand Prix or Monaco Grand Prix... but still, yeah, not a game to recommend. It's also the one and only N64 racing game with no multiplayer, sadly enough. Still though, it's not all bad, and is definitely playable and occasionally a bit fun.


Xbox 360 Digital Download - free from Games with Gold
--
Metro 2033 - Another pretty popular title they're giving out for free! Nice. I have this for PC too, and that version is better, but still, it's a nice freebie.


Next, I got these a few days ago but didn't mention it. When I got my tablet computer back early this year, it came with a $25 gift certificate to the Windows Store. I was hoping I'd be able to use it in the Xbox Live store, but you couldn't do that and the gift card expires at the end of this month, so instead I had to find stuff to get in the Windows 8 Store, which is slim pickings. I managed to find some stuff that a dded up to about $23, which is as much as I could get once the tax was added on (since MS charges tax on digital purchases). I can only use these games on the tablet, currently, because you can't access the Windows 8+ Store in Vista. These are the only paid games I have for the system; I mostly use it for the internet and such, and not gaming (portable gaming is better on DS or PSP!).

Windows 8 (or 10) Store
--
Angry Birds Star Wars - would have been $3.50 - meh, why not? I do like the flash games Angry Birds ripped off and Star Wars.
GRIDD 2 - would have been $3 - futuristic rail shooter game, decent fun
Ironworm - would have been $3 - sidescrolling action
Manifest Destiny - would have been $2 - very basic strategy game
Rayman Fiesta Run - would have been $3 - runner platformer
Riptide GP - would have been $2 - 3d racer, I have the second one for PC (Steam). It's well-suited for touch controls, maybe more so than on PC where I was expecting more depth than the series has. It runs fine on the tablet too.
Siegecraft Defender - would have been $2 - tower defense.
Skulls of the Shogun - would have been $4.50 - basic RTS, this game was also published by MS on other platforms (X360, PC). It's good.


Finally, for $5 from ebay I got a new-in-package pair of those adapters that let you replace those old manual-switchbox RF switches some '70s and '80s consoles use with just a little plug. It's got a male F-connection (cable line) plug on one side, and a female phono jack (RCA composite style plug) on the other. Radio Shack packaging, two of them in one package. My Odyssey 2's RF box, or maybe the UHF-to-VHF adapter attached to it (because the box itself only has the two prongs on it), started failing recently and now doesn't really work (the picture rarely reached the TV...), so I wanted something better. These plug-adapters have one downside, which is that you can't daisy-chain them, but manual switchboxes need to have that slider moved around to use daisy-chaining with them anyway, so just having to maybe switch a plug isn't too bad. And the results are great! As I hoped, it improved the O2's image quality. That RF box was definitely degrading it, this plug adapter works better.

[A Black Falcon]

So, finally got it... an Atari 5200. I got the system locally a couple of days ago, then ordered two not-working-right controllers on ebay. They arrived fast and got here yesterday, so I spent the evening trying to get a controller working. Finally I gave up on fixing the issues each one has, and combined the good parts from both to form one fully-working controller, and one with multiple issues (the Start and 7 buttons don't work, and Right on the stick is only half-functioning). Well, it's good for single player games now. :)

Hardware: Atari 5200 model 2 system (2 controller port version), got locally with power supply and RFU for $42. 2 controllers with stated issues, from ebay for $15 each.

Games: I have 11 games already (posted in previous updates) that I got before I got the system, but I got five more today, now that I know the system is working. Now I've bought most of the games available locally at the places I go to -- all 16 of these games were purchased locally, not online. Yeah, pretty nice selection... though most future 5200 purchases will probably have to be online, it's not too common around here (there was so much because people rarely buy them!).

Atari 5200
--
Defender - $3 for discolored cart with 1 overlay (they had a $5 copy with a better cart and manual (but no overlays), but I went with the cheaper one.) - This game is great! I really love Defender, and this is a good port.
Centipede - $4, cart with manual and 2 overlays - Another great port of a classic. The analog controls work quite well.
Missile Command - $4, cart with manual and 2 overlays - Another good game that effectively uses the analog controller. Stick-as-mouse works well.
Pengo - $7, cart with manual - Probably my least favorite of these five games. I have the TI 99/4A knockoff of this game and think it's only okay, but I wanted to try this anyway... meh.
Popeye - $8, cart with manual - Port of the Nintendo platform-action game. This is my third Parker Bros. 5200 game, interestingly. It's fun, and controls reasonably. Hard game though, levels take a long time to finish. (There is also a NES version, but I've never played it...)

[A Black Falcon]

Went to Gamestop and two local places today. The only thing from Gamestop are the last four Wii games, the rest are from elsewhere. None of these places had 5200 games, unsurprisingly, they usually don't. Ah well. No handheld games either. I really should get handheld games more often though, I play them about as much as I do console games but I get so many fewer handheld games. For 3DS I really need Etrian Odyssey IV, but I never see it... I guess I'll have to get it on ebay. Bah. Etrian Mystery Dungeon is easy to find, but I'd much rather play the last real EO game...

Atari 2600
--
Stampede - $3, cart only - Activision game where you wrangle cows, trying to catch them with a lasso.

PS1
--
Marble Master - $3, complete - puzzle game.

PS2
--
Orphen: Scion of Sorcery - $3, complete - I've wanted this game, cool to find it for cheap!

Genesis
--
Zero Tolerance - $3, complete - good price for this okay FPS.

Xbox
--
Taito Legends - $7, complete - great collection I should have gotten years ago. Lots of early Taito classics here. I got the second Taito Legends collection in the late '00s, but not this first one.

Gamecube
--
Baten Kaitos Origins - $28, complete - I got this because it's supposed to be good, but I don't know, I have not-great memories of the first game... still though, I guess I should try it, and it's not a cheap game.

Wii
--
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves - $13, complete - This is the Gamestop price too, but on ebay it costs a lot less... other than this I did quite well today vs. ebay prices, but not this one. Ah well. I do really want the game, and you won't find it for less than this locally...
Elebits - $1, complete
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition - $1.80, complete
Kids Sports Crazy Golf - $1.80, complete - minigolf game, could be amusing
Wing Island - $2.70, complete - Hudson flying game I have wanted to try. Looks like fun.


Finally, for $3 I got a Skylander, the Giants version of Sonic Boom. I have two air skylanders now.

[A Black Falcon]

PSP
--
Full Auto 2: Battlelines - $5, complete - futuristic combat racing game. Simplistic fun game with a ridiculous story. The game feels a bit Burnout-ish, but with lots of guns and shooting.

Xbox 360
--
Assassin's Creed III - $1, discs only - I have the first, second, and fourth games, so why not, for this price? This is a decent series. It's not nearly as great as it could be, and the yearly annualization of it probabaly does more harm than good, but I do at least like the historical settings.

[A Black Falcon]

Atari 5200
--
Dig-Dug - $6, cart and manual. Dig-Dug is a decent game, but I do like Mr. Do more... too bad there isn't a 5200 version of that game. I really need to get the SNES version sometime though! Still, I'm really having a lot of fun with the 5200, so I picked this up; the actual released-games library is quite small.

Atari 2600
--
Tape Worm - $4.50, cart only. Spectravision game, it's a clone of Snake (and similar to Surround, below).
Surround - $1, cart only. Atari game sort of like a predecessor to Tron Lightcycles or Snake.
3-D Tic-Tac-Toe - $1, cart (text-only label) - Early and unpopular 2600 game, it's a confusing four-tier tictactoe game. I want to try it though, it could be interesting..

[A Black Falcon]

Okay, so I know I got a system two weeks ago, but I got games for the 3DS last month, so I really had to get the system too... and I finally did it. It's my first new modern console since I got the X360 a bit over two years ago. I created a Nintendo Network ID now.

Nintendo New 3DS XL - hardware. I got it from ebay, $190 for the system. a red NN3DS complete in box with a thin plastic case to protect the outside, a Gamestop charger (since the system doesn't come with one), and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (complete). That's less than a new New 3DS, and it came with a game, case, and charger too, and all the stuff a new one would have -- the box, AR cards, manual, etc. The system works great and it's awesome I finally have one. I've got 16 games now including the 13 I got last month and the three below.

Nintendo 3DS
--
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - complete, included with system bundle. I wouldn't have bought the game otherwise, as I didn't find MH3 for Wii very interesting, but I'll give the series another chance.

Etrian Odyssey IV - complete, $25, also from ebay. I looked for this game locally but couldn't find it, so I finally got it on ebay. It arrived today. I love the three DS EO games, so I really wanted to play this one too... it's the last game in the main series so far, since all they've done are two 3DS remakes of the first two DS EO games that I somewhat dislike conceptually from what I've heard about them.

Nintendo 3DS Digital Download (eShop)
--
Mighty Gunvolt - I had a code for this that I got as a bonus from backing Mighty No. 9. I couldn't use the code until now because I didn't have the system, but fortunately it worked and got me a copy of this okay but not great-looking game. Mighty No. 9 in general may not have been worth backing, we'll see, but it's nice to get something out of it here beyond just the main game. This is a 2d, 'NES-graphics-style' platformer. The first level has fairly bland level design, but I like the visuals.


Also, and also from ebay, I got a composite AV cable for the TI-99/4A computer. I haven't gotten anything for this system this year, until now, but even now it's only a few things; I thought about getting a bunch of TI99 stuff, but got the Atari 5200 first instead. Still, this is a nice addition that improves the TI99/4A's video quality over the RFU I had before. I also got one game for it, below, also from ebay.

TI-99/4A
--
Protector II - cartridge and manual, $12 including shipping. This is a somewhat rare game from Atarisoft (there isn't even one gameplay video of it on Youtube!), but TI99 stuff isn't valuable, so it didn't cost much. It looks good, but I think you need a joystick to play it properly, so playing it well will need to wait until I get around to buying a pair of joysticks or an adapter; that's one of the things I put off getting when I got the 5200 instead. The game looks a bit like Defender, but not the same, it's not just a clone. It's good to have the manual, it's thin as usual for games this old but is helpful for a game this obscure.


Xbox 360 Digital Download - free from Games with Gold
--
Metro: Last Light - and for the second half of the month they give you the second Metro game. Huh.

[A Black Falcon]

3DS
--
Shinobi - cart in generic case, $6 - I've wanted to try this one.

Wii
--
Thrillville: Off the Rails - disc in generic case, $1 - Lucasarts theme park minigame collection thing.

[A Black Falcon]

Atari 2600
--
Omega Race - $3, cart only. This topdown space combat 'racing' (not really) game is meant for a special controller that I don't have, but I got it anyway because it's a very interesting game with some futuristic-racing elements, and I love that genre of course. I'll need to get the controller, now. :)

Atari 5200
--
Star Raiders - $4, cart and manual - This is a complex-for-the-time space combat simulation. You fly around space, looking for enemies to shoot and protecting starbases. It makes full use of the keypad, and I'm not used to the controls or gameplay yet -- the game has some depth to it, though it is simple in other ways as expected for such an old game. I'm not sure what I think so far, it seems okay. It does make good use of the controller though, with nice analog controls and lots of functions on the keypad. The graphics are decent as well, though if the horrible slowdown when you kill an enemy is unintentional that's not great. Still, it DOES play in full 3d space, you can fly around, warp to various sectors in the map, fight enemies, dock with starbases, and such, so there is a lot for it to manage.

[A Black Falcon]

Sega Master System
--
Action Fighter - cart and case (no manual), $4 (from ebay; that is the price with shipping included). Action Fighter is a pretty good SMS game, one of the better games I have for the system for sure. I'd wanted this game for a long time, but only now finally got a copy. I'm glad I did; this game is a lot of fun! Action Fighter is one part SpyHunter clone, and one part vertical-scrolling shmup. It does both things reasonably well and is a fun game. The game doesn't have Super Spy Hunter (NES)'s flash, or the pure focus of the original game due to the new features, but it's a good game for sure, with the usual good SMS graphics, fine controls, etc. The new stuff, such as more car transformations, the shmup parts, etc., are nice additions too. I like that you can fly, SpyHunter should have had that. :) So yeah, very good game, one of the better ones on the system.


It was also my birthday recently. For electronics-related things, I got a 64GB Micro SD card for my tablet computer, so that it has a lot more storage now, and a $50 gift card for a local store with lots of games and stuff. Haven't spent that yet. Of course my main gifts for myself were the 5200 and the New 3DS. :)

[Dark Jaguar]

Got a new 3DS eh? Nice! You ought to use that 64GB micro SD in that system. It's the same setup I've got. Just be sure to reformat the card as a FAT32 partition, since the 3DS (and all too many portable devices) doesn't support exFAT. (The lack of support is MS's fault. They decided to make it proprietary so everyone's gotta license it from them, and well, why would they do that when there's plenty of free alternatives? Really, portable device makers would be better served with a more modern file system such as EXT4, but MS has never bothered adding in built in support for that file system, so that option wouldn't work well for most consumers either. Frankly, if MS decided to ditch support for FAT32 in their next OS update, at least that would push device makers to consider newer options since "general PC support" would no longer be an argument against it.)

[A Black Falcon]

I got manuals for the Atari 5200 versions of Pole Position and Pac-Man for $1 each. Nice things to have.

Oh, the system came with an 8GB micro SD card, I guess I forgot to mention that. Are there really so many download-only games that I need a 64GB card in the New 3DS? I'd rather have anything with a physical release on cart, of course... but yeah, it's definitely great to have. I've been playing Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Etrian Odyssey IV the most, so far. Great games! The 3d is jumpy a bit too often, particularly if I try to play the system with 3d on and without my glasses (as I often would with a regular DS), but otherwise I like the system for sure.

[Dark Jaguar]

Super Mario 3D Land is another must-have, as is Mario Kart 7, Smash Bros, etc...

[A Black Falcon]

I have Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7: http://tcforums.com/forums/showthread.ph...post135417 but yeah, not Smash yet.

On that note, I used that $50 gift certificate, and with that plus $7 of my money, I got two new games... well, not 2015-releases new, but new-in-packaging releases from recent years, so that's new enough. :) I got two recent strategy games.

Nintendo 3DS
--
Fire Emblem Awakening - would have been $36, new. I had a hard time deciding between Smash and Fire Emblem, but I went with FE because I'm sure I'll play it far more than I would SSB. I played so, so much of the GBA and GC FE games... awesome series, when it's good. And this one is supposed to be good.

PC (yes, physical copy)
--
Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm - $18, new (I consider this about $10 on the gift card and the rest I paid for, I guess). Because I needed to get this sometime of course. I need to get around to playing SC2 more sometime, sure it's no Starcraft (remember, the original SC is my favorite game of all time), but it's good enough I should play it more than I have. Hopefully with my finally buying the first addon I'll do that. The second (and final?) addon releases at the end of this year. HotS comes with a Blizzard notepad, as usual for their boxed releases. I like the Zerg insignia on it, cool stuff. I still hav ea bunch of their old notepads too, from SC, Diablo II, WC3, etc.:) No manual though of course, just a basic-info card.

On that note, the absence of manuals in 3DS games is the worst thing by far about the system. Nintendo cheaping out and ditching manuals is very disappointing.

[Dark Jaguar]

Nintendo? Everyone has "cheaped out" and ditched manuals, or didn't you notice? Heck, Heart of the Swarm came with little more than a leaflet, more or less, and Blizzard are about the only ones even doing that.

Frankly, I'm okay with that. The days when you actually need to read a manual to know what the story is or how to play the game are long behind us. Yes, I do collect manuals for my old games, but I do know where the future is headed. Also, you might notice that all 3DS and Wii U games include a digital manual. They're sorta... "standardized" with all the same basic pages for each one, but it's something. I do wish that at least VC games got the full original manual scanned in though.

Those notepads are a Blizzard tradition. I've never, not even once, actually USED one of those things, but if I ever need to actually write down a note (and I don't have my phone's built in notepad available), I'll know where to find one.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, later Wii and X360 games do not have manuals either, unfortunately. Earlier Wii and 360 games do. On the DS I don't know, probably most of my games don't have cases and the ones that do do have manuals. That's part of why I was surprised to find that 3DS games don't have manuals, after the DS I expected them still to have manuals. Not having a manual in a physical boxed product is so cheap and lazy! Just because everyone's doing it now doesn't mean I'm okay with it. Sure, manuals mean less now than they used to because of better ingame help systems and such, but they do still have a function.

Also, you've never used those Blizzard notepads, really? I have plenty of times over the years, since I fist got one probably in Warcraft II. They're nice.

[Dark Jaguar]

Are you that surprised? I don't know of anyone that's used those things outside of you. What on earth would I use them for? I mean, I know you're a history buff so you're probably regularly writing down the order of glyphs in a tomb somewhere so you know which order to direct a sunbeam onto them to unlock a door or something, but for most of us, it just doesn't come up. Especially now, since everyone has a handheld computer they can take notes on without having to look for a pen or something.

[A Black Falcon]

... What? You'd actually rather deal with horrible tiny tablet/phone keypads rather than just write something down? That's crazy... and besides, smartphones didn't exist back in 1996 when I first gone one of the Blizzard notepads!

[Dark Jaguar]

The few occasions I need to write things down are when I'm out somewhere else. Why would I need to write something down at home? I'm at home! If I'm out, those notepads can take up a lot of space and tend to get stuff all over them, so why bother with that? The phone's touch pad is clunky, I'll grant you, but it's a lot more convenient, and it's stored online so I can access it basically from whatever device I want after that. I just can't really picture a good use for a notepad in my life.

[A Black Falcon]

Why would I need to write something down at home? I'm at home!

... These sentences make no sense to me.

[Dark Jaguar]

What am I going to do? Transcribe an ancient tablet? Get my corded phone and write down someone's phone number like some sort of savage? Write down a P.O. box address I saw on a commercial? What manner of 90's era activity would I be engaging in exactly? I type at home, never had a need to write since "internets" became a thing.

[A Black Falcon]

Xbox 360 Digital Download
--
Battlestations Pacific - This is the current game that is free from Games with Gold.

Goat Simulator (XBLA) - This game is free today, or yesterday I guess now. Maybe it'll still be free if you check soon and don't have it, but I picked it up. I've seen videos of the game of course and it looks amusing, but certainly not content-rich enough to be worth paying for. Well, for free I'll definitely check it ou!

Get my corded phone and write down someone's phone number like some sort of savage?

This probably isn't too surprising, but I hate phones and don't want to ever own a cellphone unless I am required to for something, so I still do this. :)

[A Black Falcon]

NES
--
Darkwing Duck - $25, cart only. This one's a pretty awesome find, I've wanted this game for a long time and finally found a copy for a reasonable price. I played a bit of the game, it's very good as expected. It's one of Capcom's great NES Disney games and is a fantastic sidescroller. It's not cheap, but is worth it, and this is a reasonable price for the game.

Gamecube
--
Lost Kingdoms II - $25, complete. Lost Kingdoms II is an uncommon game; this is the first time I've seen it in a long time. So, when I saw this I had to get it; it's a bit expensive, but the game is uncommon and the price is fair for a complete copy. I do quite like the first Lost Kingdoms, and I've wanted to play the sequel ever since playing the first one back during the GC's life... but I didn't get the game then, and because of its rarity never did end up playing it. Well, I finally will be able to now, and that's great!

Playstation
--
RC Helicopter - $3, complete. This is a basic budget Japanese arcadey flight game. Fly around in a helicopter doing basic tasks. I like these games set in a huge version of a real-world setting, so this could be amusing. It was cheap enough to be worth the try.

[A Black Falcon]

PSP
--
Downstream Panic - $7, complete. Somewhat obscure sidescrolling puzzle-action game. Looks interesting.

[A Black Falcon]

Downstream Panic is actually a pretty good Lemmings-inspired puzzle game. It's good stuff! You move a cursor around, using items and stuff to try to get the fish to the goal. It starts easy but quickly gets tricky, just as it should be. Looking it up, in the US the game was only released on PSP and PS3, but Europe also got Wii and DS versions. The game is called "Aqua Panic" on the other platforms (other than PSP). It's too bad that Wii version didn't release here, that version would probably be good...


Anyway, for some new games, I went to a few places today and got a bunch of cheap games.

NES
--
Double Dribble - $2, cart only - A NES classic! I'm sure it's not that great anymore, but I want to have it.

DS (These are all card only.)
--
Worms: Open Warfare - $1
Zhu Zhu Pets - $1
Jewel Master: Cradle of Athena - $1 - match-3 puzzling, fun stuff.
Style Savvy - $3
de Blob 2 - $2 - The Wii games are pretty good, so I'd like to play the handheld game too.
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns - $7 - The first one is decently good, I've wanted the sequel.

3DS
--
Asphalt 3D - $3, complete - What, a 3DS game with an actual manual? From a probably-bad mobile port? Huh...

Xbox 360
--
Top Spin 2 - $1, complete
Project Gotham Racing 3 - $2, complete
Project Gotham Racing 4 - $3, complete - I had gotten both of these games before, but annoyingly I finally got around to testing them and BOTH discs were unusably busted! Bah, really need to check these things when I could have maybe returned them (but that was quite some time ago :p). The games start, but crash most of the time when you try to race. The PGR4 disc looks unfixably damaged, and for PGR3 it's cheaper to buy another copy than get it resurfaced, so that's what I did.

Wii
--
Red Steel - $2, complete

[A Black Falcon]

SNES
--
Secret of Evermore - cart only, $25. You can sometimes get copies cheaper than this on ebay, but still, it's a decent price for what seems to be a pretty good game. I've never loved Secret of Mana so I've never been sure if I'd like this game, but my first impressions are positive. The graphics and sound are good, and gameplay is solid; I've never loved charge-based combat systems like this, but it works well enough for one of these. This game doesn't have that weird, unpleasant delay that Secret of Mana has, I don't think, so it might play better than that game.

Game Boy / Color (dual-mode black cart game)
--
Daffy Duck: "Fowl Play" - $3, cart only. Fun little platformer with nice graphics. I'm always happy to find another Sunsoft GB or GBC Looney Tunes game, I like all of them so far! There are only a few left -- I don't have the GB/C Speedy Gonzales or Taz games, or the GB version of Maui Mallard that Sunsoft published, but that's it I think.

[A Black Falcon]

NES
--
Super Sprint - cart only, $4. I like top-down racing games, so I'm really not sure why I didn't get this popular one years ago...

GBA
--
Super Dodge Ball Advance - cart only, $2. I've never loved this series, but for $2 I'll give this one a chance, I've never played the GBA game before.

DS
--
Solitaire Overload - $2, card only. This is one of Telegames' collections of puzzle games, they did some on both GBA and DS. Puzzle games are fun and it was cheap, so I'll give it a try.


Xbox 360 DD (DLC) - I usually wouldn't mention DLC, but this is sort of a game, so I'll list it. I actually got this several days back but didn't mention it then.
--
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round - DOA5LR Characters Pack - $15. I got the DLC pack of all five of the new characters Last Round adds. I considered getting the PC version or a 360 DLC collection with some of the DLC costumes too, but those would be at least $40, and this was a lot cheaper... and I don't want to pay for costumes, or at least not often, and certainly not now. This just got me the five new characters and their default costumes, which is plenty. I have a physical copy of DOA5 Ultimate, but I don't think LR has a physical release on the 360, so this was really the only way to get it... but that's okay. So yeah, the innumerable DLC costumes aside I have the whole base game of DOA5LR now.

[A Black Falcon]

Atari 2600
--
Cross Force - cart with manual and Spectravision ad flyer, $6. This game is supposed to be interesting and one of Spectravision's best 2600 games. It's uncommon, too.

Sega CD
--
Dracula Unleashed - $6 - Adventure game with lots of FMV video, and two CDs. I kind of doubt I'll like it, but you never know!

Also I got a Majora's Mask player's guide for $3; I already have the one from Nintendo, but this is from someone else. Why get it then? Well, mostly because it's got a pretty nice, and sizable, Majora's Mask poster in the back, still attached. I'll put it up on the wall. :)

[Dark Jaguar]

You're hanging an icon of a game you don't like on your wall to stare at? Are you plotting revenge?

[A Black Falcon]

It has good art at least... :)

And anyway, the game is okay. I definitely don't love MM, but it isn't bad or something, just okay, with some good things about it and some bad. Maybe I'll even try to finish it someday. :p

Oh, specifically, it's the Versus Books guide. Not sure if I'd heard of them before.

[A Black Falcon]

These games should have cost $51.50 based on the stickers, but because the guy is nice he only charged me $45. So I took a few bucks off of each price to add up to the right total.

Sega CD
--
Lunar: The Silver Star - $38, complete (sticker is $40) - Yes, really. This is a pretty good price for one of the Sega CD's most popular classics! Of course I already have Lunar 1 for the GBA, Saturn (JP), and Playstation, but the original version is pretty important, of course -- it's the first version of this very good game, and it really is different from those later remakes. Lunar 2 for SCD is of course my favorite 4th-generation RPG. Lunar 1 SCD isn't quite as good as that, but it's still a great game, probably among the best 4th-gen RPGs... though I haven't played this version nearly as much as Lunar 1 for PS1 or GBA, or Lunar 2 for SCD, so we'll see. But yeah, it's exciting to have. The box is very cool too, with some great embossed text on the cover... :)


Playstation 1
--
Syphon Filter 3 - $5, complete - So I have the complete PS1 trilogy. That's the main reason I got it. The first two were nothing great, but were okay I guess; I wouldn't get all three if they were awful.


Game Boy Advance
--
Lego Knight's Kingdom - $1.50 (sticker $3), cart only - This is an okay, but generic, top-down action-adventure game. Simple stuff, but it's honestly better than I thought it would be. I got it because, come on, it's a Castle Lego game, for cheap! Of course I had to. I don't buy most Lego games... but a Castle Lego game, I have to have this. It's too bad it's a Knights' Kingdom game, which is one of the least interesting Castle Lego themes ever, but still, it's okay.

Yu-Gi-Oh: Destiny Board Traveler - $0.50, cart only - Yugioh-themed board game-RPG. The gameplay reminds me a bit of a somewhat-simpler version of Goemon Mononoke Sugoruku for the N64, actually. You go around a board, fighting monsters to take spaces and then trying to defeat the others with monsters you put down and such. Seems bland but okay.

[A Black Falcon]

So just before it stops being free, I should mention the free-with-gold X360 game for the first half of October...

X360 DD - Free from Games with Gold
--
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - So the demo for Phantom Pain (because that's what this is) is free, surely as a TPP promo? Huh. I got it because it is free, but don't know if I want to play it or not.

[Dark Jaguar]

Ground Zeroes is actually more like Phantom Pain's prologue chapter. Basically, you need to play it to know what's going on in Phantom Pain, and frankly Konami should never have forced Kojima to cut it out and sell it as a separate game.

That said, it's VERY good and, as a free game, worth the time. Give it a shot.

[A Black Falcon]

I'm sure it was meant like those Gran Turismo Prologue games and such, something to hold people over until the final game could come out, to make money for the publisher at a time when AAA games take a long time... More for the latter reason than the former I'm sure, but it does result in accomplishing both of those things.

Oh, it's kind of weird that MGS4 is still PS3-exclusive. Did they sign some kind of deal with Sony about the game, or something? All other console Metal Gear games are multiplatform, but not that one for whatever reason... they ported that 3-pack of MGS games to the X360, but 4 isn't in it, for instance.


These two deals end ... well, anytime now, the last day was Sunday (weekend deal only).

PSP Digital Download
--
Black Rock Shooter - $4 - Okay RPG that apparently has some good and some bad points.
Z.H.P. - Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman - $3 - okay-looking dungeon crawler with a comedy sentai theme.

... And it used $2 that I had in my Sony account, so it only cost me $5 for both. Sony has this really dumb rule where you can only add money in $5 increments, so there's always some money left over... there's still $1.06 in my account. At least that's $2 less than it was before. I know Nintendo and MS bnoth did similar things before, but they've changed things, or at least MS has for sure... Sony, why are tehy still sticking to $5 minimums? Annoying.

[Dark Jaguar]

I'm sure for the XBox 360 set, it's exclusive for contract reasons, but as for a PC port? I think it's just cheapness on Konami's part at this point.

Fact is, Metal Gear games have been consistently expensive and years in production for as long as I can remember. That's why Snake always says "Kept you waiting, huh?" at the start of each game. It's a running self-aware gag at how long the games take to make. Konami probably had all they could take and forced Kojima to give them SOMETHING they could make money on, but in the past they'd been content with a demo to hype things up.

You really need to sit down and play Ground Zeroes though. It's a pretty dark little story, but it's got a few things to say about... Camp X-ray...