As some of you may or may not know I am what Funktastic would consider a “compulsive collector” of video games and video games memorabilia. I will go out of my way to find something rare or goofy just to add it to my collection often disregarding its condition or completeness. Yesterday however, I broke what I believe to be one of the core rules of collecting; I traded in 12 games and received 4 in return.

It all started when I called my local GameStop to see if they had any copies of Demon’s Souls left, the guy on the other end of the line said that they had two left and asked if I wanted one held until I got there. I told him sure and that I would be in between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. I had to pick up my daughter from school and then I had to make a stop by the house. When I got home I walked past my game collection, something caught my eye, I’m not sure what it was but it caused me to stop and just look over all of my games. I started thinking about the stuff that I’ve yet to play and the stuff that I’ve only played once and didn’t care for. After a few minutes I decided that I didn’t need some of this stuff and that I could probably use a lot of it towards some new stuff that I had wanted to get. I started grabbing stuff that I had no interest in anymore and by the time it was done I had twelve games that I was willing to part with. A few minutes later I left with my games and headed towards my local GameStop.

Luckily for me the GameStop near me is only a two minute drive away so I was there in no time at all. I was pretty hesitant about going in when I got there. I almost didn’t do it, I paced outside of GameStop for 10 minutes, had I been a smoker I would have gone through half a pack of cigarettes. What was I doing? Why was I here? What were these games doing in my hand? I didn’t want to go in, I didn’t want to give up something that I spent my time in getting, even if it was something that I would never play or have yet to play. My daughter on the other hand couldn’t wait for me to go inside because she knew that she would be walking out with something, like always.



So in I went, head down and games in hand. The guy behind the counter looked in my direction and said “lookin ta’ trade in some games huh?” “Yeap” I replied as I slowly approached the counter. He asked me if I was looking to pick anything up or if I was just looking for store credit, I told him that I wasn’t sure yet and that I haven’t traded in any games since the days of the SNES so I wasn’t even sure what this stuff would go for. The GameStop employee looked over the pile and said that I should do alright based on what he saw. After ten minutes or so the GameStop employee was done with his tally, and boy was it more than I expected. When I initially walked in I was expecting to get $40 or $50 bucks for the whole lot, I wasn’t expecting to actually walk out with multiple games, especially not multiple games AND zero dollars out of my bank account. I was in luck however, GameStop was having one of their “Power Trade-In” specials and I have an Edge card which gave me an additional 10% towards my total.

After the tallying was over the GameStop employee asked once again if there was anything I was interested in, now that I knew what I had to work with my reply was, “yes, yes there is”. That night I walked out of GameStop the proud owner of Demon’s Souls for the PS3, Borderlands (360), Modern Warfare 2 (360) and the new Mario Bros. game for the Wii. All in all a pretty good take for what I gave up (all this-gen stuff btw).

I’m still feeling a bit guilty for what I did but I’m glad that I was able to get more than I was expecting. Demon’s Souls is completely addicting so far and just as tough as everyone has been saying. I know that Borderlands won’t disappoint and MW2, well it’s MW2 you KNOW that shit’s gonna be good. Oh and Mario, yea that one’s gonna cause me to dust off the Wii and let the 360 & PS3 collect some dust for a while.



For any of you wondering why I traded in some of my games from my collection, it’s not because I couldn’t have just bought those four games outright, no it wasn’t that at all. You see, I got to thinking over the past couple of weeks about my collection, how big it has gotten and in how short of a time it got to be so large. I’ve put a lot of time and money in to my collection and I think it may be time for a break. Lately my gaming has been slowing down; playing games has started to take a backseat to more important things, things that mean a lot more to me than a videogame. Work for me is more stressful than ever as well and I am finding that I don’t have as much “me time” as I have had in the past. I will regain what I have given up though; I am positive that my weekly/bi-weekly visits to Goodwill will continue, whether or not I actually buy anything is another story. There are also so many good looking games just around the corner that I can easily see myself falling back in to old habits. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Oh and my daughter, she didn’t get anything from GameStop that night but she did end up getting a Slurpee and a pack of Skittles from 7-11 so she was happy lil camper as well.

The weather is changing, the leaves are falling off of the trees and football season is in full swing, yeap summer is over.

I don't know about the rest of you but I've had sort of a rough summer, work has been hell, had a death in the family and my gaming and gaming collection was pretty much put on hold for 3 or 4 months. I did manage to grab a few things though and that's what this post is all about, showing off the stuff I managed to pick up, adding to my already out of control collection.

Here we go!

I'll start with the old school stuff, as I always seem to do:

Two Atari 7800 games I managed to snag off of a Goodwill Auction:



NES Games: Festers Quest, Mario/Duck Hunt, Jack Nicklaus Golf and Super Mario 2


NES Games 2: Pinbot, Super Mario 3, Gun Smoke, Star Tropics, Adventure Island and Destiny of an Emperor


Getting my hands on these NES games was bittersweet to say the least. These games belonged to my father’s wife and I happened on them after she passed away. I always wanted to get my hands on the stuff she collected I just never wanted to do it in this manner.

Amongst the NES games were a few SNES games as well:

Pinball & Super Mario RPG


Indiana Jones & Mario is Missing


There were also some old gaming books mixed in:



And then there is the obligatory picture of the "box of random gaming shit"


On to the new stuff:

I picked up Muramasa because of all the good press and believe me, it's all true.


Now I didn't pre-order the game but the lady at GameStop was nice enough to give me the pre-order goodie anyway:


While strolling through Target I noticed this little find on the clearance rack:


You couldn't pass this up considering what it was going for, a whopping $22.48


Speaking of Guitar Hero:


Now I've never been a fan of the Halo series but I felt that I needed to give it another chance so I picked up Halo 3 and so far am enjoying it:


I loved the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance and part two is, well...good. Not as good as it could be but good nonetheless:


I haven't popped this one in yet but plan to sometime this week:


This one I couldn't get enough of:

Once it went in it didn't come out until it was beaten.

Now this is an interesting little title. I'm not sure if I like it yet but I must because I keep going back for more:


The older I get the more and more I just can't get in to RPG's but this one is different:

Maybe it's the hack and slash aspect of it but I am hooked, the price didn't hurt either.

MUST BUT DS GAME OF THE YEAR!!

And the hat to go with it!

Seriously, any game that allows me to make Cthulhu and then a mind controlling device allowing me to take control of said Cthulhu and then ride him is an instant buy in my book.

And finally the one game that I have wanted since I first heard it was being made:








So that was my summer, not as epic as I would have thought but the year aint over yet, this fall and winter are shaping up to be two helluva seasons for us gamers.

Have a good one and thanks for stopping by!
~CB

As some of you here may, or may not know I am a bit nutty when it comes to collecting videogames and videogame products. Over the past few months my collection has grown by leaps and bounds and I have been asked on numerous occasions how I find everything that I have. Well guess what D-Toid? I’m about to tell you how. Step by step.

First, before we get in to the how and why and where and all that jazz let me just say this; you’re outcomes will definitely vary and you should not consider what I have to say as the end all be all of game collecting (although I seriously doubt anyone would). That being said I will start off with the most important question:

“Should I collect videogames?”



This is a hard one. For me, there is no doubt that I should be doing what I am. I have a love for videogames that has no bounds. I started playing back in the 70’s and have never really looked back. I did not start collecting (seriously) though until a few years ago.
My good friend Brian has an amazing collection that I am to this day envious of; it was because of that envy that I wanted to start collecting on a serious level. But should you collect videogames? I don’t know, should you? Are you the type of person that would rather rent than buy? Do you regularly trade on sites like Goozex? Would you rather use Gamefly than buy something new at the store to keep forever? If you answered yes to either of these than maybe collecting isn’t for you.



Now even I have taken a game back or traded something in for something else, but those were extreme and rare circumstances and typically I end up getting back what I have traded in somewhere down the line. If you enjoy looking at your game collection as much as playing it then maybe you are a collector at heart.

“Why should I collect?”



This question kind of goes hand in hand with “Should I collect?” My “why” is because I have a deep love for videogames and everything that goes in to making them; from the design of the game to the story behind why or how it was made all the way through the design of the box art. Now your “why” is probably different than mine or anyone else’s for that matter, and that’s ok. Your “why” doesn’t really need a rhyme or reason it just needs to feel right to you.

“Where do I start?”

This all depends. For me it started right at home with what I already had.
Look through your closets, go in to the garage and check the attic. Do you remember having something from your childhood that you just can’t seem to find? Ask your parents. You’d be surprised at how much you might actually find right under your nose.


(Hmm..what's in that chest? A sealed Dreamcast maybe?)

Since we’re talking about family here, when was the last time you asked an aunt or uncle or cousin if they had anything that they wanted to get rid of?
This is the best way, in my opinion to start. Typically if you do find something either at home or at a relative’s house you will get it for free. And let’s be honest, free is the best especially in the economy that we live in today.
Even if you only end up with one or two things you can still consider that a success. Videogame collecting isn’t always about ending up with massive hauls (like Funktastic typically does) it’s about the finds themselves. For me, I would rather find one item from my childhood that brings back memories than twenty things that I have zero connection to.


(I just know that there is a game in there somewhere)

Also, before I move on there is one important thing that I must stress, don’t ever expect to find anything. You may go out and hit up ten different stores and walk away empty handed, you can’t let that get you down because you may do the same thing the very next week and end up finding more than you can actually afford. That’s the best part about collecting, it’s like a treasure hunt, and you really never do know what you will find.

“Besides the attic and basement, where else can I look for game deals?”

The short answer would be, everywhere, seriously. You never know where something sweet may pop up. There are still grocery stores that sell old videogames that they find from old stock. Some Family Dollar stores actually carry and sell old videogames (sealed mind you) and video game merchandise. If you can walk in to it, you have a chance to walk out with something good.

The long answer is a bit more detailed. A lot of people depend on buying from sites like Ebay and Amazon. While both are good both are also so overpopulated with people just like you that often it is hard to get a good deal. I save Ebay and Amazon for only the most extreme wants that I cannot find anywhere else. For me I stick to the smaller shops and sites.

Here are my top 10 in no particular order:

1. Chase The Chuck Wagon.com (http://chasethechuckwagon.com)

This is a small but up and coming site dedicated to nothing but the collection of videogames. You can trade, sell, and buy. They also have a nice selection of videogame merchandise (if that’s your sort of thing).

2. Goodwill

Now there are two different ways you can shop at Goodwill, either by walking in to the store itself or shopping online at their website.

I will start with the store first.

If you are going to go hit up your local Goodwill store you need to keep a few things in mind. First of all this is not a pawn shop or flea market (which I will get to later) you can not barter with these people, what you see is what you get. Goodwill is a great place to shop on a very regular basis since they get donations given to them all day long, seven days a week.
The first place you should always check when going in to your local Goodwill store is the electronic aisle/wall. Most Goodwill employees have no idea what they are putting out to sell; they just see something with a price tag on it and off it goes. Most “videogame” related products end up on the electronic wall since videogames are technically electronics.
The next place you should look after the electronic wall is the glass case. The glass case is typically designated for items that people would deem “collectible”. The glass case is where I have found some of my best stuff. If it’s a videogame and it’s still in the original box chances are it’s in the glass case.
Following the glass case is the CD rack. You’d be surprised at what you will find littered amongst the Yanni and Michael Bolton cd’s. This is the best place to find loose PS 1, 2 and original Xbox games in jewel cases. It takes a lot of work and patience but if you have the time and desire it can be very lucrative.
Last but not least you always need to check the toy aisle. Some Goodwill employees work to the beat of their own drum and won’t bow down to corporate oppression. What this means; is that instead of putting videogames in the proper aisle they just consider all of them toys and put them mixed in with the tens of thousands of stuffed animals and lose McDonalds Happy Meal toys.
If you’re lucky like me and live in a large metropolitan area then you have multiple Goodwill stores all within a small driving radius. I like to map out a route so that I can hit each in a specific order to save on gas. This will obviously vary with each person, but that’s how I like to do it.

*Side Note: No Goodwill employee can take or purchase and item at their store unless it has been on the floor for at least 24-hours. This is good for you because you don’t have to worry about Joe Douchebag not putting something out because he wants to add it to his own collection.

Now if you don’t have a Goodwill store near you don’t worry, you can visit their website!!

www.shopgoodwill.com (http://www.shopgoodwill.com) is sort of like Ebay. Everything listed is listed as an “auction” item with all proceeds going back in to the community that it was purchased from. The Goodwill website is a great place for finding really old videogame stuff cheap, but there is a method to its madness, one that I am about to share (against my best judgment) with everyone here.
Want to know the best way to win an auction cheap? Bid on items that have end times that end right in the middle of the day. Most people work and a lot of those people work at places where Internet activity is frowned upon when they should be working.
This is why it is always best to bid on items that end between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Chances are if there are two people who want the same item the one who can bid minutes before it ends will typically win.
Oh and before I forget, some people think of videogames as toys, make sure you always check the toys section of Shopgoodwill.com just to make sure that you don’t miss anything.

3. Pawn Shops

In this day and age with the economy the way it is a lot of people are hurting for cash. While this is never good to hear it can be a great place to find some really nice stuff. My only gripe with Pawn Shops is that most people that work there are kinda skuzzy and will try to rip you off every chance they get. Pawn Shops are great though for bartering and you can usually walk out with something while paying less than what the shop had it listed for.
There are some Pawn Shops though, that are a bit more reputable than others. Cash Converters for example is one of those. If you have one of these stores near you I highly encourage you to check it out. I have had limited success with the one near me but Funktastic has found some goddamn ridiculous stuff at his. My best advice for Pawn Shop hunting is to visit often and make friends with the owner/workers.

4. Flea Markets / Swap Meets

I am really torn on Flea Markets. 10 years ago I would have sworn by them, now though it seems as they are becoming more and more commercialized. Instead of finding items hastily stuffed in to a box and sold at a dirt cheap rate you will find brand new items that are sold at almost retail prices. If I had to give any advice on Flea Market shopping it would be this; stay away from the large advertised flea markets and hit up the ones that take place in the parking lots of old abandoned strip malls.
The same rule applies for Flea Markets as it does for Pawn Shops; Flea Markets are a great place for bartering. You should never have to pay the asking price for something at a flea market.

5. Friends and Family

I’m not going to go in to a lot of detail on this one since I talked about it earlier. Ask around, you just might be surprised at what you find.

6. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is basically the same as Goodwill except they don’t have as many retail outlets. The same rules apply as well, the price is what it is when you see it and you can’t really wheel and deal. Check the walls and cabinets as well as the toy aisle.

7. Ebay (http://www.ebay.com)

I don’t really have a love for Ebay. It’s not that it isn’t a great place to find stuff it’s just I can typically find the same stuff at cheaper prices elsewhere. Since Ebay is an auction site you will want to follow the same rule as the Goodwill website. Bid on items that end mid-day. This will increase your chance of success.

8. Destructoid (http://www.destructoid.com)

That’s right, you heard it here folks, Destructoid. Some of you may not realize this but Destructoid has its own thread dedicated to the buying, selling and trading of videogames. While I myself have yet to partake in this I have browsed and thought about putting some of my stuff up that I have duplicates of. Here is the link for anyone who was unfamiliar with this awesome thread: http://www.destructoid.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28

9. Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com)

Now, the thing that I have noticed with Amazon is that if you want something you can typically find it, the downside however is that you will pay more than you would at say a flea market or a Goodwill store. I have also found that Amazon doesn’t really have a great selection of old games / game stuff to choose from. If there is something recent that you are having a hard time finding, then give Amazon.com a try.

10. Used CD.DVD Stores

These are my favorite places to go in to. Not only can I look for videogames but if I am so inclined I can pick up a movie or two. Seriously though, Used CD/DVD stores are becoming more and more used videogame stores as much as they are for music and movies. The best part about these stores is that they are everywhere, kind of like pawn shops. Some people go in to buy a CD or movie and realize, “Hey, I didn’t know I could trade in my old videogame crap for the entire season of Land of the Lost!”
That’s the great part about it, these people bring in stuff that has absolutely no meaning to them anymore so that they can walk out the proud owner of some movie that they will watch a couple of times only to return to the same store to trade in said movie for less than they paid to start the process all over again.

Here are a couple of Honorable Mentions in the “Where” category:

1. GameStop (http://www.gamestop.com)

GameStop is a good place to buy used games. That’s all I really have to say about GameStop. They are definitely a “collectors” store.

2. Target (http://www.target.com)

A lot of you may already know this but for those of you who don’t let me just say, I loves me some Target for buying games cheap. You aren’t going to find anything old or retro here but you will find relatively new items thrown on to the clearance rack for super cheap prices.

3. Blockbuster (http://www.blockbuster.com)

I hate Blockbuster. I haven’t rented something from them since my first DvD arrived from Netflix back in September of 04. You can however sometimes find a Blockbuster that is clearing out old inventory and selling bundles of games for set prices. Selections and prices vary by location so use your best judgment.

Now that I have shared my “Where to buy” list I feel it is time to move on to something else, something I call

“To Display or Not To Display”

For me there is no question. Everything I have is proudly on display for anyone who visits to see. This obviously means that you will either A. Have to live alone or B. Live with someone who does not mind mixing in their fine art or fine china with a fine collection of violent covers and cartoony females with ridiculously proportioned breasts. Luckily for me I have the latter. This one is total 100% preference though. I personally could not imagine buying all of this stuff if I had to stick it all in a box.


(This is what part of mine looks like this month, next month it will be totally different)

So you read my guide to collecting and went out and found your local Goodwill store. You browsed their selection and think you may have found something super duper rare. Not sure how much it’s worth? Not sure how to even check, here try these:

What’s it worth?”

Here are the two sites that I trust the most for when I want to see what something is worth:

1. Video Game Price Charts.com
http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/ This is a very nice site with an easy to use side bar for navigation.

2. The Rarity Guide.com
http://www.rarityguide.com/ This site is a bit newer than the Video Game Price Chart site so they may not have exactly what you are looking for; they do have more realistic prices however (in my opinion).

Obviously use those two sites at your own discretion.

I am sure that I am missing a whole bunch of advice and ideas here and that was kind of the point, I want others to share their ideas. I was thinking of maybe posting this on the forums as well but didn’t want to seem like I was spamming. I would love to keep this going and see it evolve in to a massive database for collectors to use as a reference.

I hope that you have found something useful from all from all of this. I am always available for questions if you have any, feel free to send me a PM or shoot me a chat message via GTalk (if you have it) my Gtalk name is chillybilly.

Have a great evening and GOOD HUNTING!!

And I couldn’t be happier.

I had been holding out on picking one up for a while now for a couple of reasons;
1. The price, it’s not that I couldn’t afford to buy one it’s just that I couldn’t justify it to myself to do so
2. The variety of games offered vs. the competition.

As time went on I realized that Sony wasn’t going to lower the price anytime soon so that reasoning slowly went out the window. My other reasoning was also coming to an end as more and more companies started announcing exclusive games for the PS3 that I was REALLY interested.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago: So here I am sitting at dinner with my family when my fiancé and myself start talking about my job and bonuses and money and all that shit, after a few minutes she kinda throws it out that there maybe I should go buy a PS3. I obviously did not throw any reasoning why I should NOT buy one and a few minutes later there I was, in line at Best Buy with PS3 in hand.


(MY PS3!!)

Now before I continue with my thoughts on my new toy I have to say that my fiancé is probably the coolest fucking person on earth, she comes with me to various Goodwill stores and flea markets to help me search for games, she also notices and finds things that I don’t during these searches. She encourages me to buy games and never complains when I come walking in carrying a GameStop bag, oh she also PLAYS VIDEO GAMES and can kick my ass at Guitar Hero. She basically rules.

Back to the PS3; after Best Buy I stopped by GameStop to take advantage of the “Buy two used games, get one free” deal that they had going on. Initially I picked up MGS4, Resistance and Uncharted.



MGS4 was the first game I put in and played. I was worried that I wouldn’t like MGS4 since I had played the first one and was bored to tears, I don’t like stealth games but I thought that maybe the years had changed me. Nope, they didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the game looked AMAZING, like FUCKING AMAZING but it just wasn’t for me. Needless to say the very next day I took it back and exchanged it for Resistance 2 since I had started playing Resistance and was really enjoying it.

Speaking of Resistance…

The next game I tried was Resistance. So far I am really enjoying this game. It’s nothing really groundbreaking and the graphics aren’t anything to write home about but the game play is solid and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. I can’t wait to play part two, which should be this weekend since I am at the last boss / stage area.

I haven’t tried Uncharted yet but I know I’m going to enjoy it. I have however played the Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta and let me just say, that game looks GREAT!



Since my purchase I have also picked up BlackSite: Area 51 for 10 bucks and The Orange Box for 12 dollars. Oh I also grabbed InFamous (which I am more than happy with).



Here are some thoughts on my experience so far as well as my thoughts on the interface, store, controller and whatnots that comes with the PS3.

• First the controller; I never thought I would say this but I now prefer the PS3 controller **over** (FIXED) the 360. It feels tighter and I have an easier time navigating through 1st person shooters. I’m glad it has the “rumble” but honestly if it didn’t I wouldn’t really care.



• Next the interface / menu; I’m torn on this one. While the PS3’s menu system is sleek it just seems empty to me. I prefer the colors and graphics and all that fluffy shit that you get with the Live service on the 360. I do however prefer the menu on the PS3 over the Wii.

• The Playstation Store: I like it. It’s quicker and sleeker (in my opinion) than navigating through the 360 or the Wii’s online store. Now maybe it’s just me but I have to give more credit to the 360 Live service for having more of a variety to choose from once you are in the store.

• Playstation Home. I don’t like it. It’s boring. I gave it a shot and I honestly don’t care. Maybe one day down the road it will be something to check out but right not I wouldn’t care if they took it away.

• Graphics. This one is though because some games are like comparing apples to apples while others are definitely a step above the rest. Killzone 2, MGS4 and Uncharted 2 are the only games that I have played so far that have really made me go “wow”. I was expecting inFamous to look better (not that it looks bad) but it doesn’t look like anything that you couldn’t do on the 360. God of War III however fucking kills everything out right now and I will be buying it day one.



Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase and I am ridiculously excited for a shit ton of the games that have been announced recently or at this years E3. If I had to rate the PS3 on a scale of 1 – 10 based on price, games available (including exclusives) online and accessories I would definitely give it a solid 8.

Oh I almost forgot here is my PSN ID: “Chillybill”. Feel free to add me; hopefully I’ll be seeing some of you soon during FNF’s.

Thanks for stopping by!

~CB

My Magnificent May Haul

So another month comes to an end and with it comes a new blog. The month of May for me was a rather sweet month. I found tons of good stuff, lots of retro (some REALLY retro) stuff as well as some new goodies.

Before we get to the good stuff I just want to say that this will probably be the last “Haul” blog that I write until the end of the summer, the company I work for just had a big layoff this past Friday and while I feel my job is secure I don’t want to make any big purchases until I know for sure, which will be more towards the end of August-ish.

Now, on to the good stuff!

I'll start with the retro stuff first:

Behold and feast your eyes on the Monteverdi TV Sports 825:




This bad boy cost me a whopping FIVE DOLLARS!!!! Oh and it works, like a charm
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Next we have the VictorMaxx Virtual Reality Stuntmaster headset.




I got this from Goodwill for 10 bucks. The strap is broken in one spot but is an easy fix. The whole unit works great and for those who are not familiar with what this is or what it does here ya go: The VictorMaxx Virtual Reality Stuntmaster would hook up to your Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis so that you could play your games in private in a “virtual reality” setting. Basically there are just two small lcd screens inside that bulky 5 pound monstrosity.
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This was a neat little find:


Working portable Space Invaders game.
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Here is some more retro goodness for all of you old school gamers:

Pac-Man plush with ghost in mouth. Nice.
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Ok, time to move in to the more current stuff:


My GameBoy carryall. This fella came with 7 GameBoy games and a working Gameboy.
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Speaking of GameBoy, here are the games that it came with:


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Since we’re on the subject of Nintendo, sorta….For Memorial Day me and the family traveled north to visit my dad, while I was there he bestowed on to me one of the greatest gaming hauls/finds that I have ever had. Here we go:


















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Oh yea, he also had some Super Nintendo games as well:









Yea, my dad pretty much rocks.
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Here are the Sega Genesis finds that I lucked out on:







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Another NES title that was NOT given to me by my dad:

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A couple of Nintendo 64 games:


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PS, PS2 and Xbox finds:



(still sealed)
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My DS finds:






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GameCube:

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My one lonely Wii purchase:

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Xbox 360:


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And last but not least, my new pride and joy:


PSN ID: Chillybillz if anyone wants to add me

I took advantage of the GameStop buy 2 get 1 free deal this weekend and picked these up to go with the new PS3:

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Well, that’s it. I figured since I wouldn’t be purchasing much over the next few months that I would go out with a bang in May.

Until next time my fellow Destructoid fellows (and ladies)

~CB

The new DSi: My thoughts.



First off let me say that I love the Nintendo DS. I played the ever-loving shit out of that thing when I first bought it but after a couple of weeks I sort of lost interest in the whole portable gaming thing. I’m not sure if it was because I was too absorbed with the 360 and Wii or if it was something with the DS itself. For months it just sat on a shelf collecting dust, only getting playtime when my four year old daughter wanted to draw or color (Pictochat).

My collection of games suffered as well; since I had no interest in playing with the DS I had no interest in reading about new games that were coming out or that were already out and being raved about.



Fast forward almost a year. So a couple months back I start reading about the new DSi. I saw that it had a bigger screen and new functions, such as the online DSi shop, two cameras and MP3 (actually AAC) support for music on the go. As the weeks went on and as the details emerged I found my interest level growing with each passing article. Eventually I succumbed to the hype and only a week after the DSi was launched I jumped in head first and bout one, a black one!


(Taken with the DSi)

I was nervous though as I was checking out, nervous that I would once again fall victim of the hype and then have another little brick collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Well people, let me tell you, my fears and nervousness have been washed away because the new DSi is HEAVEN in my hands.



Since the first day I opened it up it has not left my side. I immediately went out and bought a 16 gig SD card and SD Card reader and loaded that sucker up with AAC after AAC (10 gigs worth so far). I have taken over a hundred pictures and my collection of DS games has gone from 5 or 6 to over a dozen in just a few short weeks. I take the DSi with me when I go running (because I don’t have an iPod or anything like that). I bought a car charger and an adapter to hook it up to my CD player so that when I drive I can listen to all of that musical goodness that I have put in to it.



As a matter of fact, as I am writing this I am watching the little Excite Bike guys riding along to “Can’t get No Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones, now it’s playing Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights”.


(Taken with the DSi)

I like that the screen is a bit bigger and it seems brighter than my old DS (which now belongs officially to my four year old). I do not mind one bit that they dropped the Game Boy Advance slot. If I want to play a GBA game I can just grab one of my Game Boy Advances or my DS and play away.



The DSi shop is decent so far, I’ve downloaded a couple of games (since you get free points when you buy a DSi). I am sure that in the coming months it will be comparable to the Wii’s online shop. I read somewhere that Nintendo is also planning on bringing either streaming movies or downloadable movies as well, which is another nice little bonus.



All in all I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. My gaming collection has grown and I am enjoying a lot of games that many people have been enjoying for a while now. I get my music on the go, in the car and all day at work.


(Taken with the DSi)

I can definitely understand why a lot of people haven’t made the jump yet, you do lose the GBA slot….and um, and well I guess that’s all you really lose, but what you get in return is an SD slot, bigger screens, portable music capabilities (for those without an MP3 player such as myself), downloadable games and gadgets and all the games that already make up the vast library of the original Nintendo DS.



If this were an official review I would definitely give it a solid 10/10. The loss of the GBA slot does nothing for me and all of the added features that you get make up for that in spades. Oh and if you're still not sold you can also make pictures like this:


(Taken with the DSi)

Now if you excuse me I need to go check the DSi shop, go running and then relax with Mahjong and Retro Gaming Challenge.

Have a good one,

CB