HoshiChiri

I've never noticed a jittering effect, and I wear glasses- but 1) I rarely use the 3D anyway, 2) I always shell out for the anti-reflective coating, and 3) I have no idea if I have the eye tracking turned on or not- so I'm probably not the best person to ask. As far as breaking the systems- I'm under the impression that some people are naturally rougher on their systems than others. I have friends who've gone through multiple DSes of various kinds, yet me & my fiancé have yet to break a handheld ever- right back to our childhood systems. (The original Gameboys were sold/given away years ago, but I have both of our GBCs in my collection!) It's not that they're trying to screw their handhelds up, it just happens- they leave it next to the sink to charge in a hotel bathroom & it gets knocked onto the floor and shatters the screen (the fate of one DS.) What always amazed me was the lack of interest in protective measures. When I got my vita, I told one of these friends it came with a 2-pack screen protector & a case I didn't like- would he like the extra protector & case? He said "No, I don't need that!" We went to get some food, he sets down his vita to pick up a straw- and proceeds to knock the soda over onto the vita. Panics a bit, I tell him to go to the bathroom & get the Vita cleaned up, we'll handle the spill. Everything gets sorted, the Vita is OK, we sit down to eat... "So, about that case again?" 😊 Although, I've not known anyone over the age of 12ish to break a hinge on a DS- I think that's a uniquely kid problem.

Those are well suited towards new collectors, who haven't loaded up on all the common stuff yet & could enjoy the surprise of new games every month. I've got a few friends who are 'earlier' in their 'collector-cycle' than me. I remember them being all hyped up to go to game stores a few years ago & wondering why I never seemed to buy much- now they've caught up and mention from time to time that they don't seem to find games anymore. The finally understood what I meant back then when I told them 'someday you'll buy all the easy stuff & this won't be nearly as exciting'. And that's the trick with these kinds of things- eventually, you'll have all the stuff you could want from these sources. Piko's got the right idea up there- give the buyer the chance to choose their crap- but that's not a loot box, really. More like a good version of Gamestop's Pro membership (with the free magazine & discounts and such.) I definitely think a Gamer's Wholesale Club could work if implemented right. Maybe someone float that by LootCrate while they still have some capital left?

No photos this run- hit up a thrift near work in-between shifts. Passed on a dark grey DS1 controller for $5 (tempted, but I have 2 with the rounded plugs that match my ps1 and I couldn't really justify it) and copies of Metroid & Ninja Gaiden for NES, also $5 each. I was amused in that I saw those in the case & thought "I already have them, but those are quality titles & I doubt they'll be here long". Poked around electronics in the back a bit, went to leave- and there was a guy at the case pulling those out. I was right! I did buy a $3 Vectorman cart at my more local thrift. Mega hits version just like my old copy, but I think my old one's a Majesco re-release? In any case, the pins on mine weren't great even though it worked fine, so I was glad to get a nicer copy. (As an aside, I now have a spare Vectorman if anyone's interested!)

I'm not the least bit surprised- I gave up on adding more random guff to my collection years ago. One only has so much room for these kinds of things, I'm surprised they could even make a business out of what was essentially subscription grab bags. Shame they didn't branch off into food or something- the only sustainable version of this I can imagine involves consumable goods.

ET was an average-to-poor game that release to the perfect blend of hype for the title & about to collapse game market that allowed it's middling quality to become warped and romanticized into 'the worst game ever, destroyed videogames!' Becuase that's a much more compelling narrative than 'one of many low quality titles that eventually overwhelmed the market and burst the bubble'. Just as it's a more compelling narrative these days to claim it's an underrated gem, only appreciated by those who took the time to 'get it'. I'm sure there's games from more modern times that will eventually be remembered as far worse then they really were due to outside context (immediately think of Too Human, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and No Man's Sky).

I have read the article and... I have no issues with this whatsoever. These folks are collecting in the same way one collects high-end comics. Not to read, just to have. It's décor, it's a conversation piece, it's not something you use. For old comics, that can be a bit of an issue becuase they haven't necessarily made a good quality reprint for just reading- and if they have, it's not going to be quite the same due to differences in paper stock. Comics are a tactile thing. Games, on the other hand, are a largely visual medium. There is a tactile element to be sure, but it's not the core of the experience. Plus, even the rare games exist in much larger quantities than old comics- it's only the pristine, sealed variants that are crazy scarce. If you're just after an affordable playable copy, that's not so hard. Quite frankly, I'm rather down with this whole thing- let the deep pocketed speculators spend 10k for sealed Mario. I will buy cheap, used, game only Mario to play. My market's not really affected, save perhaps for new people trickling in after reading articles about crazy-expensive sealed Mario and thinking 'Hey, I used to have Mario. It was fun. I'd like to try it again- I wonder if there's a cheaper way to get it?' and discovering the retro scene that way.

It seems to be a fairly standard price for cartridge games of any era. It's also a bit ridiculous for Atari games ($3 would really be better.) They might do OK with those, becuase even if they aren't rare, they're not the most common titles either- a local casual collector (if you've got one) would grab those. Except Pac-Man... that ain't going nowhere for that price!

And a few others. 😏 What I really need is someone to do a refurb on my machine, and fix my button 2- but since I had to replace the TV just the other day, that's not happening for awhile anyway.

Pretty much this. You also want to make sure you're using manual switches- anything automatic is going to have trouble with the weak signals of 70s systems. I have this one, myself- The toploader NES is hooked up to one side, and an f plug adapter is on the other. I mounted the switch to the side of my entertainment center with 3M strips to keep it in reach, and just hook up other consoles as needed. My main issue is, sometimes the buttons don't fully swap signal and you get static. This is usually solved by wiggling the button around a bit. I know if you look around, there are ABC switches that can run 3 inputs at once, but I think you'll have a hard time getting a setup for all your systems at once without some static creeping in. Considering how good your straight connection is, maybe just get a cable drop (these) to hold your coax cable somewhere more convenient? Cable-swapping isn't so bad if you can keep your connections within easy reach.

1- I found a complete copy of Suikoden 2 at Gamestop, back when they still carried them. It was worth around $200 at the time, and was marked at $50. I couldn't afford it, and it was gone by payday. That actually worked out in the long run, as a series of lucky finds let me piecemeal a complete copy for $30 over the course of a couple years. 2- Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney. It had that weird bit where it was on the pricey side- same deal, Gamestop got one in & I couldn't afford it, gone by payday. This is the one that spurred me to set aside an emergency chunk for this kind of situation. Once again, worked out since it was reissued later. 3- Solatorobo. Passed on so many cheap copies in the area, waiting for it to go just a biiiit cheaper... then it sold out & I couldn't get it. Paid the new, inflated price at a con this summer. *sigh* 4- Pokémon Mini Lot. Chikorita green console, yellow official zipper case, and a couple games, Ebay auction for $30. I got sick & forgot to bid, it only went to like $35. I try not to think about this kind of thing too often, it's bound to happen- no need to make myself feel bad!

While Heavy Burger is very, VERY awesome, I'm thinking a full-on, 3D, first person affair. Like, you're ducking down behind a dumpster next to the Diner, waiting for an air drop supply of lettuce, hucking spice bombs at bipedal hotdogs slowly coming to your location like a zombie hoard. Basically all the trappings of a modern M-rated title, layered over with the visual theming of an 80s arcade game.

I don't know the algorithm, but I know it's definitely there- I help my mom with her Ebay purchases, and she's almost always got a 5 bucks off offer I never see. (Sometimes she decides not to buy anything, so I ask her if I can use it. 😏)

9. Blazing Star (Neo Geo Mini) POWER UP! BONUS! BONUS! POWER UP! BONUS! Sometimes our games are profound experiences, opening avenues to reflect on the human condition and our place in the world. And sometimes they're badly translated excuses to pew-pew your way through a field of colored dots & robots. I like both. 😊 (Although the snarky commentary every time I died got a lil' stale...)

I will admit, I'm too young to have witnessed any of it- but based on my modern day observations, terrible games do have a small audience. In an evenly fragmented market, the overall games for sale for any specific system would be less, meaning less bad games to sour someone on their chosen system. Plus, those games might sell through better to the niche audience of folks who like such things. Although, it would also mean less space for any specific game to occupy for any given system, so it could be even harder for smaller publishers to get in. So, perhaps the market crash wouldn't have occurred, but the A-tier selection would be less from small companies unable to get a foothold in a tighter market? It's a thought at least. I would love to see that comparison! I did think of that when making my post, but I'm not familiar enough with the European microcomputer market to have any idea just how divided up things were.

Ironically, a more evenly fragmented market would likely have fared better, becuase the shovelware titles thrown out by startups wanting in on the videogame action would have had to choose a console to support, so they'd be less to clog up any one library. Atari's dominance meant all the crap games landed there, saturating the market & wearing down customer trust/interest until they quit playing. I'm not sure there's much point trying to figure out how many systems I senough, becuase there's always been more than two, and only once where there wasn't a clear runaway leader- Genesis vs. SNES, of course. Yes, eventually PS3 caught up with 360, but for most of their active life cycles, 360 was the dominant system (Wii notwithstanding.) Success seems to have a lot less to do with the number of machines out there, and more to do with just making sure there's enough good games on your system to outshine the chuff. It's why I worry about modern games, which seem so set on chasing the microtransaction that they're homogenizing themselves into another crash.

I'd say, always describe your items as being in slightly worse condition than you really think they are. People can & will nitpick over the slightest details if they're expecting new/like new. I've worked retail for years, and people will demand discounts on items becuase the box has a small crease near a corner or a broken tape seal- and that's for boxes you know are getting thrown away- I don't want to deal with the fallout of someone who's keeping the box. I describe most of my items as having 'shelf wear' just as a precaution.

OK, since you're clearly chomping at the bit, I say first thing is: see what's local. Check for retro cons, check for Facebook groups with meetups, check for local stores. Identifying your avenues for purchase can make it easier to see where you need to start- if buying, say, 3DO games involves waiting on shipping, but a local shop can get you Sega CD right now, for example. Also decide how important original hardware is for you, or if you'd want a modern clone with better video output. If you'd prefer modern optimized solutions, might be better to skip the old machines altogether and go straight for the Analogue products. Finally, if you're just too excited to be worried about any of the above and need retro RIGHT NOW- look for a Retron 5. It is NOT the best option & you'll likely get rid of it as you build a collection, but it is a quick way to access a hefty chunk of the retro library.

I'd peg it around 2007 as well, for one big reason: Mountain Dew Game Fuel. That's the first time I can remember a product line being sold to 'gamers'. Yes, there were tie-in products before, but they focused on a specific title & not the market as a whole. Despite officially being for Halo 3, that soda wasn't really marketed as a 'Halo soda'- it was a 'gamer soda'. Having companies see there was money in catering to a 'gamer' demographic, I think, really set off the downward shift. After all, most corporations don't care about people's quality of life & will happily push psychological buttons to make someone an outrage-fueled cretin defending a false tribe if it means they can sell things to them promoting said lifestyle. I imagine most of the worst were borderline-awful before, but having their 'otherness' validated by a marketing campaign helps no one but the shiller. As for why it's accepted as 'normal'- I feel like it's less accepted and more ignored. Very few people like confrontation, so it's easier to let these types corral off in their corner of the fandom. Which in turn makes it easier for companies to push the tribalism for more cash, until the whole thing blows up ala Gamergate. Like a bug infestation, it's easy to pretend it's fine, until it isn't. And the cleanup becomes all the harder.

Swung by humane thrift while walking around for pokemon go community day (mudkips everywhere!) Picked up these: Mr. Driller is complete & was $5, which is decent- but the Scrabble folio was the real find. It's complete save for the scoring pencil, and it was only $1.50. I got it for my mom, she loves word games so now she has one she can take on trips.

I just picked up a Neo Geo Mini, & despite the middling reviews I'm very much enjoying it. Now, the trick is the space for the 'marquee'- mine only came with one, a KoF guy on a pink background. I'm not into it- I like the ones with lots of screens/characters & the Neo Geo logo centered (the 2nd & 3rd ones in this amazon listing.) I am... not keen on spending $16 for a sticker. I know, technically 4, but I'll only use one so it might as well be one. So, I was hoping- anybody have an extra sticker around they're willing to give up? I'm willing to pay or trade mine!

Since everyone else has price & model details covered, I'll add this: SNES systems are very prone to yellowing. It doesn't affect play, but it sure looks bad- if you're up for some homebrew retrobrighting, you might get a deal buying an ugly unit. On the flip side, if you get a nice one be careful of letting it sit in the sun & dust often. SNES systems are also one of the weirdest when it comes to intermittent function. For some reason, it seems rather common for an SNES to have a game or two it just doesn't like to play- my sister, for example, briefly owned one that wouldn't play Super Mario World. The game store tried a good dozen known working copies for her, not one ran on that deck. If possible, have a local buddy/shop in mind that you can cross-check non working games with.