HoshiChiri

I have Xenosaga 3 & .hack//quarantine... but boy, this is not a good list. It feels very random- here's a couple well-known 'expensive' games across all but the newest Playstations. I mean, I don't expect these to be good, but why not focus in on one console? Plus, as Tanooki pointed out, cost & rarity aren't the same thing. My copy of Mesaze! Senkyu-oh was extremely annoying to get- but it's hardly the most money I've spent on a PS1 game. I prefer retro Youtube folks for this kind of thing- you get to see the game in action, and get better suggestions (as opposed to click at friendly titles.)

4. Astro's Playroom (PS5) This is a WONDERFUL lil' "pack-in" game! While it's definitely too short/easy (probably by design for new players, to be fair), it's absolutely dripping with charm! Having all the background bots acting out classic titles while collecting hardware & peripherals gives a unique vibe- like 25+ years of gaming history has led up to this moment, of you playing this game. Kind of a weighty feeling for such a light game- and a total nostalgia bomb for anyone who's been playing since 1994. I hope they expand on this later on- I'd pay money for an 'extended cut'!

3. Yakuza 5 (PS4) Wow, it has been awhile since I rolled credits on something- it's been a busy few months, to put it mildly! Anyway- as always, great fun with this series. I adore rythmn games, so I spent WAY too much time on Haruka's chapter. I was a little disappointed with the ending- very much a 'but what happens to them?!' moment. At least I know there's one more game to try for closure. It'll be a bit though... I actually rushed the ending a bit to wrap things up before Saturday. Because I'm supposed to pick up my PS5 Saturday! Ichiban awaits! ?

Probably not, but I'm paranoid- partially because Xbox's website says not to use the 3-hole plug on a 2-prong brick (but not why), & partially becuase in my old setup I had to use a converter plug on my PS3 becuase without it there was a nasty feedback buzz (meaning somehow there was power coming through the ground to the system.) I've never had to convert mid-cable before, so I have no frame of reference for it.

I think other stores around have media still, but it has been a bit since I was in a different Goodwill. It's REALLY disappointing, it's right next to the bus stop & everything!

Deseret Industries, actually- the Goodwill I have easiest access to bizarrely has no media outside of books. No CDs, no DVDs, nothing. It's WEIRD.

Decent lil' haul from the thrift store today! Got a laugh out of it... the games locked in the case were licensed fare like Zhu-Zhu pets, & some Wii shovelware. But out on the shelf proper? These! There were some other decent titles too, but The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) & Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS3) don't really appeal to me. Thought about grabbing Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) for trade-in at Gamestop, but opted to leave it as a deal for someone else. I'm happy with what I got!

Short version is: I have this plug on the brick; So I need this cable to use with it; But this is the cable I found: So the question is- how safe is it to use that cable? In theory, if the 3rd hole is just a ground it'll run fine... but if a surge comes up through the plug, it has nowhere to go & could hurt the system. At least maybe? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

So, I was digging around through various cables & such of the in-laws, & figured out one of the 360s in the house wasn't hooked up at all, & set about fixing that. Found the AV, the spare connect, digital sound adapter, power brick... but not the cable that goes from the brick to the wall. But this should be easy, right? It's a standard cable, common on printer bricks, I'll grab one at a thrift store. Which I did- only 75 cents! Got home, and that's when I learned there's more than one 360 power brick. Oops. Anyway, based on my research, the cable I picked up is a '3 prong shroud female', and the brick's only got 2 prongs. Is it safe for my to use this setup? I imagine the 3rd prong goes to ground. Part of me thinks it should be fine- there's just an unused hole, right? Part of me worries if any current heads down that third line with no prong to guide it, it'll bounce around the brick & fry it. Should I be hunting down the right cable instead?

Definitely one of the weirdest I've played- although when I first set it up, I didn't plug in the mic right away & got a funny snippet of your assistant panicking that they'd gone deaf before realizing oh, it's just the mic's not plugged in. Anyway, my choice for this is gonna be Muscle March. A Wii port of an unreleased arcade game, where you play a string of over-muscled characters chasing down the guy who stole their protein powder. Very simple game, but incredibly silly. Second choice is Cho Chabudai Gaeshi (Super Table Fllip). Japanese arcade game that consists of flipping a plastic table mounted to the cabinet once. Excactly once. It's surprisingly entertaining, especially if you have someone around to explain this weird cabinet to!

Part thrift, part local nerdry shop- but still worth mentioning! Did a big purge of stuff with the in-laws, grabbed these checking out the store after: The Crusi'n cart was 8 bucks- nothing crazy, but now I have a game for the eyetoy I bought for a dollar a few years back. We separated some of the better 'nerd' items (autographed anime dvds, figures in-box, etc.) & took them to a stop owned by the son of one of my sister-in-law's coworkers. I thought, maybe 50 bucks? Anime stuff isn't super hot right now. And I did get some games: Here's the kicker: turns out, one of the figures I had sells for around $100- no idea Rwby still had that kinda pull! Which meant I had enough credit for one more thing... I'M SO EXCITED! I've wanted a Coleco tabletop for years, but couldn't justify the cost for what is essentially a cooler Tiger handheld- I'm stoked to have one for a pile of Goodwill-bound tat! It's badly in need of new contacts (posted that in another thread), but otherwise it works! I love it!

Whoo! Necropost! But a relevant one! I just got me a Galaxian tabletop, which didn't work at first. A bit of Brite boy later revealed the very obvious problem: Yeah- not surprised it won't work with a GIANT HOLE IN THE CONTACT! The unit does work- I put a piece of tin foil over that hole & it fired right up- but clearly, new contacts are in order. Anybody know where I can get some? A Google search doesn't immediately reveal anything.

I honestly agree- I mean, it would sell a lot more than a few dozen copies. Evercade carts are cheap enough that a lot of people (myself included) are just going for a complete run on it. BUT- a lot of what's on the Channel F comes off less like a game & more like bits you'd put together to make a game (especially the early carts). I genuinely question how many people would want to actively play these games, as opposed to owning them as a curiosity. Now, if they could develop a controller for use on the VS, that's a little different- the Channel F has such a unique controller you could make a case for a bundled set!

I'd call them arcade platformers, but that's probably not the best option- I'm sure other people use that term for titles I'd consider side scrollers or beat-em-ups.

I picked up Solatorobo so many times at Gamestop, watching it go all the way down to $25-30ish (I forget exactly how much). I figured I'd buy it when it hit $20. Then it sold. Then the prices skyrocketed. I think I spent $100-150 when I finally did buy it. It's gone up even more, so I'm glad bought it when I did- but if I hadn't been so stingy in that Gamestop! Alternatively, found a Gamecube kiosk disc in a thift store for under $10... but in a massive moment of stupidity didn't even check the price for sure, becuase people don't really want these never-available-to-the-public demos, right? WHY DID I THINK THAT?! I KNOW BETTER THAN THAT!

I've got 7 of the 10 games for the mini, and- it's fine, I guess? The name is appropriate- they're minigames. Not the most fleshed out experiences out there. It's a good choice for a 'novelty' system, since despite being shallow the games are all quite playable & fun. I'm genuinely not sure it's worth the current going rates online though- if you do decide to get one, be sure to check japanese sites. Sometimes you get a better deal.

So, the store I work for closes in 2 weeks, & they are taking down the lil' TVs by our fitting rooms. Since they have no remotes, the guy in charge of liquidation wants to just recycle them- but the guy who has to do the work would rather not. So that means if somebody wants a TV, they can just take one! The particulars: -TVs are varied sizes, but all around the 17-19" range. Multiple brands, mostly Toshibas. -All TVs work, but have dirt/wear appropriate to being in a store for a decade plus. -All TVs have a minimum of 1 HDMI (most have 2), 1 shared component/composite, & 1 RF. Some have VGA. No remotes or stands. -Since they aren't being made publicly available, you'll need to get in touch with me for one. Currently 4 available (pictured), with one 1 know of still installed. -these are open to all employees & no holds, so no guarantees until it's in your hand. -You do have to pick it up in person, I'm not able to mail any. Send me a message if you're interested!

PM sent!

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never needed to tune a console to run before (aside from toggling between channel 3 & 4.) I honestly didn't know you could! I have an a/b switch & f-plug adapters for the RF systems. NES top loader always connected, set up the others as needed. The switch means the connection is always easy to reach. For composite it's even simpler- everything's plugged into a switchbox, I just push a button.

I don't regret mine! If you should get one depends on what you're expecting of it. If you want a means to play the best of retro gaming... well, you don't want this. I can't imagine the REALLY big names (like Nintendo) will be releasing here, & there's better ways to get those games anyway. If you want a means to get tons of games in a convenient portable package... maybe? Being cartridge based does limit the convenience factor- perhaps something more akin to a minty-pi would do better. Now, if you've been into gaming awhile & like the idea of a curated collection of lesser known gems & modern takes, packaged up in a slick physical format & sold very affordably- this is VERY much in your wheelhouse! You don't get this for old favorites (probably), you get this to explore things you didn't see the first time around. You won't necessarily spend a lot of time on it- it's a kinda niche lineup, really- but you'll enjoy the time you do spend on it. As far as quality goes, it's not completely perfect- it's light for its size & the flush cart design makes them kinda hard to remove/insert (it gets better with use). However- the screen/speaker quality is great, the plastic & buttons don't feel cheap & click well, all the functionality is sound. Basically, it feels like a really good budget machine, just like you'd expect. Also, the battery on it is AMAZING- I don't play more than an hour or two every few weeks right now, & I genuinely don't remember when I charged it last! So I guess if you need a reliable waiting-room machine, this is a great choice!

2. Mezase! Senkyuoh (PS1) Better known as 'Battle Balls' for its English arcade release, this import is the only home version of one of my favorite puzzle games! I used to play the arcade cabinet at a local restaurant in high school, even when the monitor started going so the balls changed color as they fell! Not surprisingly it got removed when that problem got more serious. Never did finish it back then (not enough quarters), so it was nice to sit down & do it now! Grabbed some pics for posterity... and becuase some of you might be surprised by the developer ?

What we have right now is a perfect storm of factors for price jumps on something like Pokemon. 1- extended closures of most social gathering spaces means people are seeking more methods of home entertainment, so games in general are getting more attention. 2- ever increasing housing costs means a number of these newly housebound people are in smaller apartments & could be drawn to space-saving handhelds. 3- Pokemon is 25 years old now. The perfect age for the nostalgia bug to be hitting the folks who grew up on it. End result: there's a lot of folks who are working from home, want something to occupy their off-hours that doesn't involve being near the same monitor they use for work, burned out on Netflix, & remembering how when they were a kid they could waste a whole Saturday just sitting on their Gameboy hunting Pikachu. Then the government sends them a random check and they think hey, maybe I'll give Pokemon another go. It's kind of how games in general are spiking in price right now, amplified by the popularity of the series. The fact that Pokemon Snap is in the news just makes it worse!

1. Rez (PS2- Japan ver.) I played just a tiny bit of a PS4 version of Rez back when I got it. Aside from realizing it's the predecessor to Child of Eden on 360, it didn't really hold me right away. This time though- this time I got hooked! Probably becuase I had to put in just a bit more effort to figure out what was going on (I know some Japanese & can read kana, but I'm hardly fluent!) I'm no completionist, so it's the bad ending for me. At least for now- maybe I'll try for butterflies later. In any case, this is a damn good game! Just let the music pull you in & go with it! ?