HoshiChiri

Sounds like me & Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas (my perennial favorite!) As a kid we'd skip the 'Joy to the World' segment & put the California Raisins on repeat. Now, 'Joy to the World' is one of my favorite parts- guess it just took time for me to appreciate the visuals. (And to catch all the puns leading into 'The Carol of the Bells').

I agree- I refuse to give any of these companies that kind of information. I would rather mail a check to a stranger on Facebook for a game than hand out my SSN. The hassle of getting a new account number is far less than fixing a stolen identity!

I didn't have an Xbox back in the day- the games I saw advertised for it never appealed to me. I did play Halo at my now fiancé's place on his system, but that was my experience with it. A few years ago, I watched a hidden gems video on it, & discovered just under the heavily-advertised surface layer of FPS games was a wealth of fantastic up-my-alley stuff (mostly from Sega). I went hunting around for a system, but most of what I found was modded & I wanted a 'pure' experience. So I asked my fiance what became of his old Xbox. Turns out it was handed down through his siblings & his sister currently had it- and wasn't set on keeping it. I quickly claimed it for my own & replaced the long lost hookups & controllers. All was well... until the thing started turning itself on. The internet told me that meant the clock capacitor was damaging the motherboard. I immediately started looking for a way to get it repaired- I can't solder & time was of the essence. Found a place a couple hours away that would let me mail the system in as long as I made the day trip to pick it up. I found a box, recruited a travel buddy, & sent it off. I'm pretty sure it would have been cheaper to just get a replacement, but as I told the repair guys, this isn't an Xbox- it's THE Xbox. The only OG that myself & my entire circle ever really used. I'd rather have it running than any other unit. (I was also slightly vindicated by their comment that it was one of the cleanest systems they'd seen). These days I think rather highly of the original Xbox- both for the discovery of just how good the library really is, & for the journey my console's been on!

So, here's how I see it: 1st system: Xbox 2nd: 360 3rd: One Fourth: Series The X & S have become a marker for what 'level' of console you have- S is budget, X is standard. I think the previously mention 'first' and 'edition' are strong contenders. I could see them bringing back the E label to refer to a full powered discless model. Or I could see them realizing the continued use of the same handful of terms is confusing their brand, & actually come up with a real name. Like Xian, which in Chinese means 'refined' and/or references immortality. Plus, they can abbreviate it to Xbox X, just to prove they haven't changed! 🤣

As it is right now, I have 15 consoles plugged in at all times, plus the TV, the cable box, the VCR, the powered switchboxes, and the dock for the Wii U gamepad. It's fine- otherwise I guarantee I'd hear about it from my dad. He was an electrician for several decades. Things of note: try to have surge protectors instead of power strips- this is more for your gear's safety than fire prevention. Don't plug more than one power strip into a wall socket (just becuase there's two outlets doesn't mean you should have a strip in both!) Don't daisy chain strips. Don't damage plugs to force them to fit in an outlet (if you have issues, like a 2-prong outlet & a 3 prong plug, get an adapter.) I'd suggest showing your brother this thread, so he knows the multiconsole setup isn't uncommon, & is quite safe if you handle the connections right. Really, it's not all that different than setting up for Christmas (think of all the lights you plug in!) We can answer any questions he's got!

I grew up on base in the 80s/90s, don't remember that being a thing... although our cocker spainel had my mom's SSN tattooed on him- vet said it was the best way to make sure if he got picked up by animal control to prove he had an owner. This was done off-base though (and obviously before microchipping pets was a thing.)

That's gonna be true of anywhere though- even if you're charging the fairest prices in the land, a low demand item will just sit around. (I say this as someone who always tries to be the lowest price on Ebay for similar condition items, & they often sit for months.) Your only sort-of guarantee for it to go fast is an auction on Ebay with a low starting bid... but even then you could end up taking a big cut. That's just kinda how the secondhand market goes- either wait for a good price or sell now for what you can get. It's on you to decide just how desperately you need the cash right now.

I sell here if not on Ebay. Good people, less fees.

I don't do bootlegs, but I've read stories about people who got duped & ended up with carts that were non-functional or died quickly. Cheap parts means cheap chips & bad soldering too, after all. I'm sure some are decent enough, but personally I'd try to get the real thing. If you've got any reputable retro stores in your area, let them know what you're after- Zelda's a popular franchise, they're gonna get copies in. Just be timely if they give you a call, since they're also popular enough to sell quick too! I'm amused you brought up Minish Cap... I've debated for awhile if I want to find another copy of that. I have it- bought it new at Kmart to use up a Christmas gift card my mom couldn't spend... thing is, I never got around to opening it, & now it's worth enough I'm not sure I want to! 😅

There's a few games that are cross-compatible, but not all. There's also 3 models of the system: the original, the color (with an upgraded processor & color screen), and the crystal (with a TFT LCD screen that largely removed ghosting & contrast issues.) Playing Wonderswan with no Japanese reading comprehension does get tricky- the system's claim to fame before the GBA crushed all competition was from a Squaresoft deal that got the system some great titles... that aren't super playable without reading. There's definitely good things to be had, though!

I'm hoping to find a protector for my copy of Solatorobo, but everything is juuust a bit off: the Kid Icarus Uprising box is too short, but the other 3DS games I can find that came with CDs all used paper covers instead of the jewel case on the Solatorobo disc, so they're too narrow. The DS/3DS games that had other goodies are all way too side and/or a bit short. Anybody got an idea?

I remember once seeing a video online of a rental store that went under, & the owner basically just locked the door & disappeared. Years later, that's how it sat- someone managed to break the door open, so you could go in & look around. All I could think watching the video, was that I'd show up with a big bag & grab ALL the rental games. Even if the carts were long gone, you could see a shelf of Genesis boxes just sitting there I'd happily grab!

My recommendations: Rhyme Rider Kerocian- a rythmn game that has you hold the system on an angle. You'll want a complete copy as the vib-ribbon style gameplay isn't explained on cart, you'll need the chart from the manual to learn the bottom cues. Wuz ⬆️ b? Produce: Street Dancer- another more traditional rythmn game, still has you flipping the console around from stage to stage. Kind of a pain to find becuase of that arrow in the title. Xi Little- portable Devil Dice/ Bombastic. You like those? You'll like this. Tane O Maku Tori- puzzle game based on the Japanese Fortune Ladder game. Second'ing Klonoa... easily the best Wonderswan titles I own. Sadly, as I recall, original B&W wonderswan titles don't get a color upgrade on the later systems. The screen quality on the Crystal still makes it very worthwhile though!

10. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) At this point, y'all know I've fallen hard for this series, so I'll just say- I've NEVER been so annoyed/tense during the credits, waiting for the post-scroll cutscene! I've already started Yakuza 3... and Good Lordy, is it obvious that this one's a remaster instead of a remake! I mean, it's not gonna stop me from playing (not by a LONG shot), but it's jarring to play a sequel that looks older than its predecessor, y'know?

I'm definitely in again this year! AA Secret Santa is one of the best parts of the season! 😁

Do I really only get one? Cuz I'm genuinely thinking 3: Switch, PS4, & Wii. The Switch is for Animal Crossing- having a set of daily tasks to perform would be good for mental health. Wii is for Wii sports, to provide exercise in a small space. PS4 so I can keep making my way through the Yakuza franchise 😁 Of course, this isn't set in stone- you could drop the Wii & just bring Ring Fit. Or drop the Switch in favor of any kind of daily grind game- the important thing is the real-time clock, so you have something to set a routine around. And if I wasn't gung-ho on Yakuza right now, you could swap in most anything else (like maybe I'd grab my Genesis & play through the Thunder Force & Sonic games.) For sanity sake though, 'chores' & exercise seem important. Also, get the Evercade, it's a nice lil' system!

I've got a sliver PS2, model 79001, that I found dirt-cheap at a thirft store ages ago. I shortly after lucked into a decently priced Joytech PS2 screen, & looked forward to making myself a portable(ish) machine. What I did not realize, is there was more than one kind of slim PS2 case. My Joytech screen requires a pair of screw holes in the case to anchor to, & my unit doesn't have them. I semi-forced things with some velcro, but it's not ideal. What I'm wondering is- if I grab a shell from one of the models with the screw holes, will my PS2's guts fit into that shell? Along the same lines- what if I only buy the bottom half? Will my top still attach? I'm hoping to Frankenstein up a case so I can keep the sliver without painting (the joytech screen is sliver, so matching is good!) But I'm not familiar enough with the slim PS2's board to know what the variants are.

9. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch) Despite the shiny new look, this was just a big old blast of nostalgia. I played the crap out of this as a kid, it was fun to revisit it! Now... to go back and steal from the shopkeep, just to see what it looks like now! 😆

As far as consoles go, if you want to go all-out I recommend retromodding.com. They specialize in custom Game Boys & sell a plethora of custom cases, buttons, backlit screens & other upgrades. While they don't appear to be taking orders now, they do offer build-to-order systems where you pick the parts & they build it for you. I've got a GBA from them, it's lovely! As for which system to buy... the GBA is the easy choice since even stock units have backlit options, and you can run the full gamut of the Gameboy line. GBC's screens have aged better than most original Gameboys, which are prone to nasty ghosting (& generally hard to find in good condition for a decent price anyway.) They certainly all feel different though, so it's up to you to decide what matters most (or if you want more than one.) For games- if you like puzzle games I recommend Pyramids of Ra. It's a pathfinding puzzler and it's MASSIVE- back in the day the publisher sent certificates to anyone who proved they beat it. Donkey Kong for GB has a bunch of new levels, it's one of the better versions of DK to get.

8: Parappa the Rapper 2 (PS2) Nothing super notable here- it's more Parappa gameplay, but the tracks aren't nearly as memorable as the first game. I was more surprised at how hard it is to get a reasonably priced copy right now! I ended up buying the case/manual and game separately to get it under 40 bucks. Weird spike, or is this becoming rare? Guess we'll see!

I catalog based on how someone else would go about buying the EXACT SAME THING I have. That way, if someone tries my copy, or hears me gush over it, they get the right thing. I would simply add Castlevania Anniversary Collection to PS4 to my set. If you really, REALLY must specify the exact titles, the Super Castlevania IV on PS4 with a note about the collection. NEVER list it as SNES- it's not the SNES version. It's the PS4 port. There are things that are different (even if it's just display options). It's an important distinction for a collection!

7) Yakuza 0 (PS4) I genuinely wish I had found this series Back in the PS2 days Seriously- I played Kiwami, took a lil' break, and jumped into Zero. Now I will take a lil' break then start Kiwami 2. While I shop around for the remastered collection & song of life. I feel like I'm basically binging these games & I'm COMPLETELY FINE WITH THAT!

6)Ape Out (Switch) I picked up this on sale a couple months ago & largely ignored it. Which was a mistake on my part. This is great fun, & the music is incredible- the improv jazz backing creates a rhythm game without rhythm, for lack of a better way to put it. Highly recommended! (Also glad I never have to play 'Wreck' again- that stage took me nearly as long as the rest of the game!)

5) Old School Musical (Switch) A true love letter to the 8/16 bit era, with a few new-school gags for good measure. A great run for anyone with any sort of interest in chipmunk music. Fairly short story-wise, but gains a lot of added playtime via chicken murder (this will make more sense once you play it!)