Ratchet & Clank

The first time I played Ratchet & Clank was when I didn’t consider myself a gamer.  I would buy a console off the buy and sell ads for cheap, play the games it came with, and then sell the console right after.  During this period I must have played Ratchet & Clank because I always remembered how good it was.  But like I said, I wasn’t a gamer so I never beat the game and just sold the console right after.  Thankfully years later I came back to video games and I knew I had to have Ratchet & Clank in my collection.

As we’re currently celebrating the 20^th anniversary of this game (released on November 4, 2002), I decided to play it again.  This game feels like a N64 game such as Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day with their action platforming, comedy and puzzles.  It also has spaceship battles like the one’s found in Star Fox.  In fact some areas thoroughly impressed with what they were capable of doing back in 2002, such as walking up walls and upside down (similar to Super Mario Galaxy).  This game is near perfect, but my only complaint is that it requires some grinding to buy or upgrade certain weapons (thankfully you can remedy this with a lengthy cheat).  Other than that, this is a beautiful and fun game that every video game collector must own.

Ratchet & Clank Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratchet_%26_Clank_(2002_video_game)

Insomniac Games: https://insomniac.games/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvf1E2DsAdA

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: Dreamer Edition

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: Dreamer Edition for the Nintendo Switch released on September 20, 2019.  The Dreamer Edition includes the game and an art book.  At the time I wasn't the biggest Link’s Awakening fan, nevertheless I was still excited to get this game because of the Nintendo Direct release trailer; which featured an anime video of Link being shipwrecked.  I bought the special edition the day it released and also the lone Link amiibo as well.

Flash forward years later, and I have played the game already and my opinion of the game has changed dramatically.  Initially I really hated the game because the maze like dungeons confused me a lot.  I can’t change my first impressions, however the real value of this game is the re-play.  And it’s in the re-play that I have fallen in love with this game.  Once you know what to do, and where to go you achieve a sort of buzz from the flow of the game.  Despite the updated graphics and console, the game still plays exactly the same as the original release; making this a bonafide timeless classic.  Link’s Awakening is now my favourite 2D Zelda game.

The Legend of Zelda: www.zelda.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nognSBwk9m0

PlayStation Video Gaming Hunting

Last week I went to Winners (an off-price Canadian department store) and I found a cool looking PlayStation mug.  I bought it without thinking, and later on I felt a little weird because I’m not much of a PlayStation guy.  I do own a few consoles, and many games; but my love for PlayStation isn’t nearly as large as it is for Nintendo.  So, even buying a PlayStation mug felt weird to me.  Anyway, today I went out video game hunting and I went to a Goodwill that I usually look through but never find anything good inside.  I’m always jealous of video game hunting videos other people post and always seem to find treasure.  I always ask myself, why not me too? Lol

Yet today was finally my day (everything's coming up Milhouse!) and I finally scored an epic video game find.  Today I found; Resident Evil 2, Final Fantasy VII, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Tomb Raider, Die Hard Trilogy, and 2 on 2 Open Ice Challenge.  They were all on sale for $5, all complete with manual, and all were near mint condition with no wear or scratches.  I even used a coupon to get an even bigger discount on these games.  To be honest, I have never played these games nor do I know their current resale value; however I do know that they’re very popular and that I won’t be selling them.  With my new mug, and this new collection I figure this is the right time to start being a PlayStation guy (but Nintendo will always come first).

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUzXcRD4VwA

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Continuing the long list of Wii U ports to the Switch is Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.  But unlike other Wii U ports, this version comes with additional new content which is Bowser’s Fury; a new story where you get to help Bowser Jr.

This game released on February 12, 2021.  I usually wait until games go on sale to buy them, but because EB Games (Gamestop) was giving out a pre-order bonus (gold collector coin) I decided to buy it on release.  The gold coin is beautiful and comes with an image of cat Mario, or Super Meowrio (sorry bad joke).  I’m a fan of these kinds of pre-order bonuses so of course I’m happy with my purchase.

Nintendo: https://supermario3dworld.nintendo.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F--vwbrYypE

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS released on March 24, 2013 in North America.  It`s the sequel to Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube.  When the first game released, I was not a fan because I wanted a Mario game not a Luigi game. But as soon as I started playing Luigi's Mansion, I enjoyed it so much that I became a fan and I understood why Nintendo made it a GameCube initial release game.  The graphics were good, the puzzles were clever, the music was memorable and the game was fun.  So I`m glad that Nintendo decided to keep supporting the franchise and release a sequel (and third game) because to me, Luigi's Mansion is a solid franchise.  Update:  This game really sucks.  Honestly it's the worst game I have ever played.  It's got bad controls, no mid-game saves so if you die you have to start from the beginning of a level, and the graphics aren't as  good as  the first game.

Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon:  https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/luigis-mansion-dark-moon-3ds/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4LO92cPGsw

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Switch is a collection of Super Mario games that include games such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.  This Mario collection released on September 18, 2020 and Nintendo made it a limited time physical and digital release.  While many people weren’t happy with it being limited, there are still plenty of copies left in the stores.  Many people also didn’t appreciate that the graphics weren’t remade, but I prefer games to be left as close as possible to the original when I replay them.  My only criticism of this collection is the lack of a physical manual, which unfortunately is now the standard.  I think if someone buys a physical game it should always include a manual and inserts, otherwise I would just get it digital.  Hopefully Nintendo comprehends the importance of manuals to collectors and starts including them next year.

Nintendo: https://mario.nintendo.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK3m_dOY0gQ

Current State of Game Collecting June 2020

A few weeks ago I was looking online for games when I happen to notice that my current Nintendo 3DS model (Pokémon 20th anniversary bundle) was selling really high on eBay.  This concerned me because I felt that I couldn’t use it anymore as my everyday beater handheld.  Besides the monetary price, I was also afraid that if I ever did lose it or if it broke, I wouldn’t be able to find a new one at a good price.  That’s when I decided to act swiftly and find a 2DS XL model while they were still available at retail.

To my surprise I was able to find one on sale, however when I got home and did a little research on this model I discovered that it was also being discontinued.  This meant that this would be the last Nintendo handheld from the DS lineage.  Ever since then, Nintendo has always had a handheld alongside their consoles; and with the Switch it would no longer be needed.  While I did initially purchase this 2DS as a beater, I also feel like its significance will also make it very collectable.  Its gaming library is pretty large ranging from the original DS 2004, to 3DS games 2011, and of course the numerous games you could download.

While I am happy that I was able to get a 2DS XL, I’m also amazed at the current state of game collecting and how popular Nintendo games have become.  Most GameCube games have skyrocketed in price, and the Switch is selling like hotcakes.  I do recognize that most of it is because of the pandemic, but I still think that prices won’t be going down much either.  I can’t image what it would be like to start collecting games right now.  However this 2DS XL also proves that even in a crazy pandemic, there are still deals to be had.

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJds37JOGAs

The Last of Us

I started playing the Last of Us during Christmas break when many people started uploading their list for top favourite games of the decade and most of them mentioned the Last of Us as their favourite.  While I had played the game a few years ago, I quit after a couple hours because I wasn’t very good at the game.  I’ve never been good at shooting or stealth games, and this game required both skills.  Yet a funny thing happened over the years; I started playing the Uncharted series (a game series from Naughty Dog the same developer of the Last of Us).  Uncharted also required shooting and stealth however after failing at the game many times, I decided to change my mentality.  Rather than shooting and running my way through a level (as I usually would do and fail), I decided to play the game more as it was meant to be played; by hiding, covering, and moving strategically.  This is how I was then able to progress in the game and was able to enjoy the game mechanics and style of play.  I then went on to play and enjoy all the other Uncharted games.

Luigi’s Mansion 3DS

When Nintendo announced that Luigi’s Mansion was going to be ported to the 3DS I was excited because I was a fan of the original game on the GameCube.  While the game was never a huge hit like a Mario or Zelda game, having it ported over to the 3DS meant Nintendo was still interested in the series and also in continuing the series with the announcement of the development of Luigi’s Mansion 3.  With the original being ported and developed to the 3DS by Grezzo meant more people could discover this hidden gem and have the fandom grow for this series.  Luigi’s Mansion for the 3DS released on October 12^th, 2018.

Luigi’s Mansion 3DS:

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/luigis-mansion-3ds/

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/wq5t7FW5k7w

Luigi's Mansion GameCube

When the GameCube released back in 2001, I was not a video game fan.  I had other interests at the time such as school, dating, television and just exploring life in general.  I was basically disinterested in video games and felt I had moved on.  Thankfully this video game hiatus didn’t last long because when the GBA SP was released I came back to gaming.  The retro bug had hit me and I also used the subway a lot so I needed something to pass the time away.  Eventually I did get a Wii and I started to play the games I had missed out on over the years.

One of my most memorable games was Luigi’s Mansion.  Admittedly at first I was turned off by it because it had childish graphics in a time when shooters and mature games were the most popular.  I also hated the controls.  Thankfully I grew to appreciate and love the graphics and also cope with the controls.  It’s now become one of my favourite GameCube games and I look forward to Nintendo continuing the scary and spooky series.

Luigi Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi's_Mansion

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/MtfcL3t2i3o

PlayStation Classic

Well I finally bought a PlayStation Classic today.  Initially I had pre-ordered one back in the fall, but as the negative reviews started pouring in I decided to cancel it.  Then something happened that I did not expect so early; a price drop.  Here was mighty Sony in 2018-2019, reducing the price of their newly released retro console so early.  As time went on and the PS classic kept going lower and lower, I kept waiting because the consoles were still collecting dust on store shelves (literally).  Until today I woke up to news that it finally reached the price of $19.99 Canadian, a price I obliviously couldn’t pass on.  Staples (formerly RadioShack) had them on sale for $19.99 and I was able to price match it at Walmart.  It turns out I chose the right time to buy because the PS classic suddenly became the hottest item to buy (after price matching at Best Buy and Walmart), causing it to be sold out in most stores.

PlayStation Classic:

https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/explore/playstation-classic/

Red Dead Redemption 2: Predictions

Here are my predictions for Red Dead Redemption 2.  As we all know Arthur Morgan is the new protagonist and the story takes place 12 years prior to the first game, Red Dead Redemption.  I found that odd at first, so it made me question why Rockstar Games would do that.  This caused me to come up with several storylines for RDR2.  In my story; Dutch van der Linde is the leader of the gang and as such starts off as a man who cares about every member of his gang.  His member’s follow him because they feel he’s doing good despite their wicked ways; just like Robin Hood.  Unfortunately this lifestyle eventually catches up to them, and the Bureau of Investigation starts chasing after the gang threatening their outlaw ways.  Dutch then suggests the gang should do one last bank heist and retire.  The gang is reluctant at first for fear of their wanted levels, but eventually concedes.  Arthur however finds out that Dutch is planning on stealing all the bank money and leaving his gang behind.  By the time Arthur is privy to this information it is too late, because the gang is off to the bank heist.  Arthur then races to save his friends, but again he is too late because most of them have died or have been captured (John Marston).  Arthur then decides to go after Dutch.  This leads to a grand shootout between Arthur and Dutch.  In the end Dutch escapes Arthur, but Arthur is left with all the bank money.  The game then goes into the future a few years later (Spoiler alert for first RDR) and we see Arthur is at the grave sight of John and Abigail Marston.  He just read in the newspaper of their deaths and is here to help raise/guide Jack Marston.  Jack eventually avenges his father’s killer, but must now travel to New York City or Washington to kill more BOI agents; this leads to Red Dead Redemption 3.  Can you imagine travelling to New York City in the 1920’s?  Jazz, the Babe, Harlem, mob shootouts, prohibition and a zeppelin floating over the NYC skyline.

Red Dead Redemption 2:

https://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2

Sony PlayStation Classic

I am so excited to hear Sony is making a PlayStation Classic mini.  Obviously they’re copying Nintendo after their successful Classic mini series, but honestly who cares.  The fans are the winners here because we not only get to play classic games we all love, but we also get to discover new games we never played (especially the younger generation).

I was hoping Sony would do this for years, because I feel it necessary that classic games should be persevered.  It’s kind of like old TV shows and movies, where they were only shown once and then never seen again.  Can you imagine a world where Disney movies or Warner Bros. cartoons were only shown once and then disappeared?  But then thanks to the VCR, DVD’s, TV reruns, and the internet we all get to watch classic movies and TV shows.  And so the Classic mini series now allows us to re-play all those games from the past and also praise and study them for what they accomplished.  Fingers crossed that we get a PS2 Classic mini one day.

PlayStation:

https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/09/18/introducing-playstation-classic-with-20-pre-loaded-games/

Game Genie

If there’s one thing I’m not afraid to admit is that I totally suck at retro video games.  While others may defend the old school style of game difficulty as being normal back then, I argue that it was always a horrible experience for me.  Thankfully the Game Genie was released back in those days, so that terrible players could beat those difficult games.  Unfortunately people used to call them (us) cheaters for using the Game Genie; an attachment device that helps you enable special codes to play original games (for example extra lives, or jump higher).  While I never used one back in the day, I was able to get one this week at my local buy and sell store.

Initially I was excited because I would finally be able to beat those old school games that had haunted me for years.  So when I got home, I cleaned the Game Genie off, and set up my Nintendo console to play games.  In order to enable the Game Genie I had to attach it to a cartridge (my precious cartridge) and physically jam it firmly; then insert it into my NES with the damn thing sticking out half way.  Unfortunately the Game Genie didn’t even work properly; I either got a grey screen or the codes didn’t work.  They either have never worked properly, the chip has expired, and it’s not worth wasting your time trying to fix it (you have to remove the label to unscrew it).  And so I have to firmly warn everyone that you avoid getting this damn Frankenstein monster for your classic consoles.

Game Genie Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie

Retro Unboxing: Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

One of the best games for the original NES was Super Mario Bros. 3.  It took video games to the next level with its colorful graphics, fun game play, catchy tunes, and freedom to discover and replay multiple times.  It was basically the standard for many years for what a perfect game should be like.  I never thought it could get any better until I played the updated version on Game Boy Advance; which is called Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.  Despite the confusing name, I actually prefer this version over the original because of the improved graphics and the portability the GBA offers.

While I was never a complete in box collector for video games, once I got back into gaming a few years ago I decided I had to have this game in my collection.  The beauty of this version is that it comes with a physical manual printed in color, awesome Nintendo inserts, and Bonus Level cards that will open up new levels when you scan them using an e Reader (the 2000’s version of an Amiibo).  This GBA release is the reason why I will always support physical games over digital.

Super Mario Advance Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Advance_4:_Super_Mario_Bros._3

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/4LyttMlwuiY