The Trouble With Being a Poor Nintendo Gamer

I love video games. I love Nintendo. Always have, probably always will. A year ago I could show my Nintendo love whenever I wanted. I had a good paying job, no credit card debt, time on my hands to actually play the games I bought. I over spent really, buying up games that I only had a passing interest in alongside those games I knew I just had to have. With that mentality, my Wii and DS collection exploded, right now sitting somewhere around 150 games. A majority of those games are back home at my parents house. Last October, I left that good paying job to move to LA to be a writer.

I currently work in grocery.

It sucks, it really sucks; but it’s the choice I made to follow my ambitions and dreams. I don’t regret it. What I do regret is getting my degree in Political Science, because there a fuck ton of nothing a degree like that translates into down here apparently. I had to leave my education, somthing I’m so proud of, off my resume to get my shitty paying job in grocery.

Oh well, things will change. Things will get better. I’ll find a way to be happy.

But until then, something with me has to change. As much as I’ve tried, I’ve never really been able to be a discount game buyer, i.e. I’ve never bothered to wait until something goes on sale. Paying full price has never been a problem for me when it comes to a hobby I hold so dear to my heart. That changed last year with two titles. Skyward Sword was already paid for, so there was no point in waiting on that one. However, I was also excited to pick up Kirby’s Return to Dreamland and Fortune Street for the Wii. I told myself that I wouldn’t buy these games until I found them on sale or the price dropped. Just last week I was finally able to get Fortune Street new for under $20. The Kirby game is still full price. It’s been nearly a year since Return to Dreamland came out and I’m realizing now that this is the longest I’ve ever had to wait to buy a game. I can’t believe it, but I’m actually sticking to my guns on this one. And it’s harder than I could have imagined.

As a Nintendo only gamer, I realize how easy PS3 and 360 gamers have it. The top titles for their systems see a price drop rather quickly. A year (sometimes less) after the initial release there is a “Game of the Year” edition that comes out at a bargain price. Nintendo gamers don’t have it so lucky. Mario Galaxy didn’t get a price drop until the Nintendo Selections line was released. During the short period that Metroid Prime Trilogy was available, Metroid Prime 3 stayed at its MSRP. I saw two dozen copies of Metroid: Other M, well after the game had released, at my local Best Buy still at full price. With the reviews that title received, those copies weren’t moving at that price.

It’s not just first party games that remain full price. Tales of Abyss 3D is still full price, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is still $40 and Sonic Generations has been $30 for as long as I can remember. Sure, there are 3rd party games that do drop in price, but there is a reason you can pick up Cubic Ninja for $10, or Pet Zombies for $15.

The successes of being a bargains only Nintendo gamer have been few and far inbetween, and I’ve had my ass bitten more than once. I was really excited to play Planet Crashers, but Lord Almighty is that game hard to get into. I’ve also found some great deals on games that I only wanted in passing. The old me would have bought both Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver at full price. But I waited and scored them for $5 each. I waited on Fortune Street and was able to get it for more than 50% off. Today, while checking out Big Lots, I found Shinobi for the 3DS for only $15. That’s another game I haven’t seen drop in price recently.

I’ve also started to get more intelligent with my trade ins. I used to never wait, always just head to Gamestop and trade whatever game I had right then and there. Now I wait for deals. I have more than $70 in Best Buy gift cards from three games thanks to its doubling the trade in value. I have another $16 in Amazon.com credit from trading in Skylanders (as it was the only place that would take that game for trade-in).

As difficult as its been to be a bargain Nintendo shopper, it’s made me into a smarter shopper. With game prices going up and a new console being released in two months, I have to get very careful with my purchases. I know it will be tough (especially at launch time), but I know that if I can just wait I can get all the games I want for cheap. Developers and Publishers are probably terrified at that thought, but until I have a decent paying job instead of a terrible no good fucking grocery job, that’s the way it has got to be.

Now...bring on the Wii U Deluxe package and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. U. The Wonderful 101 and TANK! TANK! TANK!