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ZAGNORCH PRODUCTIONS INC., LLC
PRESENTS
2015
A NEW YEAR'S THRIFTING ODYSSEY
Greetings from Terra!
My adventure began when I saw this notice on the front door of the local Goodwill around mid-December:
[img width=438 height=583]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/GWSale_zpsa7c261d4.jpg[/img]
Needless to say, my plans to just goof off and kick back on New Year's Day went right out the window. Instead, I embarked on one of my patented cross-county thrift runs. With over a dozen Goodwills within a half-hour drive from home, I figured I'd find more than a few things of interest. When the first day of 2015 was in the books, I'd logged a twelve-hour trip, driven over a hundred miles, and filled eleven blue cases with some pretty awesome swag.
[img width=700 height=439]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NewYear15a_zps4a1a86e1.jpg[/img]
[img width=562 height=487]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NewYr15b_zps284888ed.jpg[/img]
First stop: the Almaden/Foxworthy Goodwill. Although its asking prices for games and hardware are rarely reasonable, it does get in a few interesting things from time to time that I'm willing to pay a little extra for...
[img width=603 height=536]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Newyr15c_zps3a8f7ec0.jpg[/img]
...like these CIB Asia-region PSP games (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. Portable, Tenchu 4, and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G) that set me back $5.99 $4.43 each.
Then it was on to the Blossom Hill/Snell location. It hadn't had much of... well, anything since it was remodeled a few months back. Today, however, was a different story...
[img width=700 height=288]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ea_zps2786e398.jpg[/img]
[img width=595 height=520]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Newyr15eb_zpsab011895.jpg[/img]
...a not-quite-CIB Piano Discovery System for PC for $19.99 $9.80. All I need is a connector cable... and DOS Box... and probably a few adapters... and I'll be all set to rockit with John Herbie Hancock! While this pickup isn't all that... miraculous... at least it doesn't need a foot pedal.
[img width=110 height=97]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/ScaredDuke_zps9cc078b5.jpg[/img] 
BTW it wasn't until I was home that I discovered that it bore another price tag neither I nor the cashier had noticed:
[img width=700 height=359]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ec_zps99c96ffc.jpg[/img]
You know what they say: never attempt to correct an error in your favor. Anyhoo, also found at the same location, setting me back $4.99 $3.72:
[img width=607 height=535]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15d_zps243bc377.jpg[/img]
The adventure continued at the Capitol/Silver Creek store, where I found this for $4.99 $3.72:
[img width=564 height=533]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15f_zps146b0624.jpg[/img]
And then I hit the one-oh-one and headed south to the Mecca of Garlic. There was nothing of note at the Gilroy Goodwill, but the Salvation Army store across town was a slightly different story:
[img width=595 height=522]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15h_zpsf4b5f1e4.jpg[/img]
An original-release CIB Ratchet Deadlocked for $3.50 to replace my Greatest Hits copy, and...
[img width=700 height=475]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15g_zpsff484ed5.jpg[/img]
...a CIB Saitek Kasparov Cougar chess computer for $19.99.
I then drove a few miles up the road and hit the outlet mall, where I found...
[img width=700 height=463]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15m_zpse781643f.jpg[/img]
...a CIB pair New Balance 510 trail-walker shoes to replace my well-worn 605s. And what better way to break in a pair of trail-walker shoes than to hit the local hiking trails for a couple hours?
[img width=700 height=343]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/gilhike1-1-2015pano_zps69f39408.jpg?t=1420236340[/img]
Always insist on 100% natural lens flare! J.J. Abrams eat your heart out!
With some daylight to spare, I headed northward, eventually making it to the Cupertino store, where I grabbed:
[img width=585 height=544]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15i_zps717fa89d.jpg[/img]
Then it was the Mountain View Goodwill's turn, which yielded...
[img width=630 height=535]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ja_zps397b89b0.jpg[/img]
I gave the Empire Strikes Back mini lunchbox tin to someone I knew would get a kick out of it:
[img width=426 height=522]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15jb_zpsb81e80ea.jpg[/img]
Oah! Appreciative of this gift I am! Very much thank you! Mmm-hmm-hmm, yes!
Up next was Sunnyvale, the original hometown of Atari, and the first Goodwill store I ever set foot in. This particular stop only yielded...
[img width=663 height=523]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ka_zps94934123.jpg[/img]
...a CIB copy of Descent Freespace: Silent Threat for just $1.24? Now we're talkin'. But wait, what's this disclaimer on the package?
[img width=461 height=233]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15kb_zps79b8e553.jpg[/img]
Aw, maaaan... it's just an expansion? Well, that totally blows. Eon knows how many long hours I'll have to spend to find the main game that goes with--
[img width=568 height=475]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15kc_zpsf9d4a481.jpg[/img]
Oh wait, there it is; just had to flip the box over is all. Okay, never mind.
The final stop of the day would be the Palo Alto Goodwill. Located in "the birthplace of Silicon Valley," this store has yielded many of my greatest vidya scores over the last few years. This is where I found my first Miracle Piano, my Atari 2600 Jr., my first near-CIB Dreamcast, and countless games and portable consoles. Its constant supply of the good stuff, friendly and helpful staff, and close proximity to my workplace has kept me coming back on a very regular basis. Culminating my New Year's thrifting odyssey here seemed to make all the sense in the world. And yet... it could very well have been the worst time to have come. For one thing, the place had been open for business all day, and the sun had set two hours earlier. If there had been anything there at the start of the day that I would have been interested in, surely it would have long since been sold and out the door? Undaunted, I ventured inside.
A bad omen appeared right away: the electronics showcase couldn't be unlocked because someone had misplaced the key. Inside that case, mocking me in deafening silence, was a CIB copy of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Oh, the horror. What kind of loving God would allow this to happen, I lamented. Adding insult to injury, one of the clerks said he was sure he saw a copy of Twilight Princess for Game Cube somewhere in there. That's when I realized that there is no God.
Theological dilemmas notwithstanding, I looked around the place, hoping to find something worthy of purchase. After several minutes of fruitless searching, I conceded defeat, and headed for the exit. I was just about to open the door when I took a quick look at the front-end display case... and caught a glimpse of something. My curiosity piqued, I took a closer look, and grinned from ear to ear when I realized that I'd discovered...
[img width=560 height=483]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15la_zps5adf7f41.jpg[/img]
...a loose limited-edition Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS with Pokemon X card? Aw hellz yeah! Now I know what you're asking yourself right now... and here's the answer:
[img width=614 height=523]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15lb_zps5bd8ddd0.jpg[/img]
($11.19 after discount)
If that isn't the greatest capper ever to an amazing thrift crawl, then I don't know what is. And if the first day of 2015 is any indication, it's gonna be
The BEST YEAR EVAR!!!11one1one1!!!1one!1!!!!
I can hardly wait to see what I'll bump into next. And I bet you can hardly wait, either. Worry not, for I'll keep you in he loop.
Until next time...
...'Late
HEY NOW!
As many of you already know, the week started on a pretty low note for me.
[img width=700 height=497]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014a_zps2a5bb738.jpg[/img]
Daylight burglaries aren't exactly a laugh-a-minute.
But things improved immensely today when I got off work and embarked on what I call a "hot-hand" thrift crawl, where almost every stop yielded at least a little something, and a couple stops a LOT something. Read on and you'll see what I mean.
The day started off small as I dropped by the Goodwill near work:
[img width=700 height=462]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014b_zpseb291e4e.jpg[/img]
Although they lacked manuals, I found Mario Kart Wii and New SMB Wii for $3.99 each.
Then came the deluge as I hit the Mountain View Rasputin's:
[img width=525 height=617]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014c_zpsf488c233.jpg?t=1415323213[/img]
This haul consisted mainly of $1.95 CIB PS2 games, including:
- Conflict: Global Terror
- Dark Cloud
- Dr. Muto
- Kessen II
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII
- Samurai Warriors XTreme Legends
- Star Wars Bounty Hunter
- Terminator Dawn of Fate
- Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
I also found a few $1.95 CIB PSP games:
- Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
- Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Let's not overlook the $1.95 CIB 360 & GameCube games:
- Wario Ware, Inc.
- Donkey Konga
- Kameo: Elements of Power
- Gun (sealed)
Finally, some miscellaneous stuff I snapped up for $0.50 a pop:
- CIB Age of Mythology Bonus Edition for PC
- Riven for PC
- Official XBox Magazine #45 demo
- CIB Kiss Pinball for PS1
Next up was the Mountain View Goodwill, where I found a morsel of number-crunching goodness:
[img width=561 height=464]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014e_zps27a90d0e.jpg?t=1415323248[/img]
While this $4.99 Texas Instruments BA-II Plus business calculator was a nice find, there were no gaming goodies of note at this stop. Good thing it was a different story at the Parkmoor Savers in San Jose:
[img width=692 height=533]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014d_zpsffe57cda.jpg[/img]
For a little over seven smackers, I walked out with fifteen Nintendo Power back issues-- and I mean WAY back, between issues 16 and 41-- as well as Mario Mania, Top Secret Passwords and a Ninja Gaiden II player's guide.
Next up was the Almaden Expressway Savers, which yielded all you see here:
[img width=700 height=427]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014f_zps51e10c36.jpg?t=1415250608[/img]
The Super Mario 2 cart, CIB Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, and CIB Supreme Commander were $2.99 $2.39 each with savings coupon, and the Nintendo Power Mario Collector's Special set me back $1.99 $1.59.
Funny thing about the Dragon Quarter pick-up: a few minutes before I saw it, I was thinking about SirPsycho's recent acquisition of the same game, and how it looked like a promising title. It's a happy coincidence that's happened a couple times before in my thrift hunts, and has almost led me to believe I have some odd power of clairvoyance. But it's not that I possess odd powers; I'm just plain odd.
A few miles up the expressway, and I arrived at the Almaden Goodwill. Sadly, this particular store has some of the most ridiculous asking prices for console games and hardware I'v ever seen. $9.99 for a loose Ecco the Dolphin Genesis cart with a half-ripped-off label? Thanks, but no thanks (and tell the pricer to stop hitting the pipe). Fortunately, I'm always finding other interesting things here for far more reasonable prices...
[img width=493 height=537]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014g_zps06f33cdc.jpg?t=1415323153[/img]
...like this CIB Tomy Atomic Pinball game for $5.99. And, ummm, you might wanna cut back on the heavy breathing there, SingleBanana; you're kinda creeping everybody out with that. Someone's in need of a cold shower.
After checking out another Goodwill that didn't have diddley, I ended today's run at the Bernal Goodwill, where I found:
[img width=700 height=383]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score11-6-2014h_zpsa1328e1c.jpg?t=1415323181[/img]
- Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2 / MGS4 bonus DVD, $3.79
- CIB PlayStation Official UK Magazine demo disc 25, $3.99
- Sealed Dungeon Keeper for PC, $3.59
Needless to say, I'm feeling a little better now.
Until next time...
...'Late
DISCLAIMER: The following presentation has content that may be offensive to some... and a turn-on to others.
[img width=700 height=525]http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/087/3/4/parental_advisory_by_angel4500-d4u8vhc.jpg[/img]
you have been duly warned.
PREFACE: hey now, fellow RF Gentlemen. The following presentation is the second of what I plan to be an annual Halloween series (view the first one at http://www.rfgeneration.c...Giants-and-Booze-2318.php ). Before you dive in, however, I would like to apologize for posting it so late. Between work, editing my drunken ramblings into something remotely coherent, thrift runs, and-- well, you'll find out in the postscript-- I wasn't able to put this out in as timely a fashion as I'd have liked. I only ask that you forgive my blatant tardiness as
The 'Norch Porch Presents
HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: BEYOND A SHADOW OF SOBRIETY
Hey now...
Well, it's that time of year again. Just me in my humble domicile, all by my lonesome, with a big bag of Skittles and Starburst that'll never see the inside of a trick-or-treater's goody bag, a few choice libations, some Detroit-based snacks, and a certain game to (hopefully) enjoy as my BAC increases throughout the night. This time 'round, I've decided to go with a fellow who'd fit right in with the whole Halloween scene. He's got the whole goth/emo thing down pat, from the black color scheme (with red trim), to his bleak and tragic half-remembered past. The furry fanboys adore him for his stoic, grim-and-gritty demeanor. The fangirls just can't stop writing really creepy ship-fics about him. And, after seeing him in action in this game, the NRA is still trying to get him to be their next chairman.
Of course, I'm referring to...
[img width=696 height=264]http://images.wikia.com/sonic/images/1/1f/S.T.H._-_Artwork_-_4_(Logo).png[/img]
[img width=480 height=640]http://www.mediafire.com/conv/29838f7f6286da5dae175fd340191eb50d1201d1a2b03dba3d72259e0f82b1c76g.jpg[/img]
Oh, for--NOT THAT SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG! Dammit, I thought I burned every last copy of that picture! CURSE YOU, INTERNET!
[img width=640 height=479]http://images.wikia.com/sonic/images/8/86/EGGTROLLBALL2.JPG[/img]
You're freakin'-a right I'm mad! And I'm NOT your bro!!!
Nope, I'm talking about THIS Shadow the Hedgehog:
I could go into exhaustive detail about how the opening teaser alone represents all that is wrong and just plain absurd about this game, but that territory has been trod upon so much over the last eight years that it's rather hackish to discuss it any further. Besides, my nerdball musings on the matter will cut into my fitshaced playing time. Which reminds me: for this foray into one amnesiac, emotionally unstable hedgehog's fight for his Second Amendment rights...
[img width=639 height=449]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/ShadowPlaya_zps1166aab6.jpg?t=1383976682[/img]
[img width=562 height=291]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/ShadowGun_zps80d0f907.jpg?t=1383976742[/img]
HEY! Get your own damn firearms, d!ckweed!
...I've decided to go with absinthe, which is the preferred drink of the goth/emo crowd, according to the internet. And if nothing else, the internet is the ultimate bastion of truth and accuracy.
][img width=384 height=288]http://www.segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1244451-sonic_facepalm_super.jpg[/img]
...what?
Ummm... I also grabbed a six-pack of Redd's Apple Ale. Why this particular pick-up, you ask?
[img width=364 height=325]http://robotninjazombies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/power_glove.jpg[/img] [img width=400 height=300]http://cravins.powweb.com/atarifun/TurboGrafx/TurboGrafx%20Pics/TurboGrafx%20Console.jpg[/img][img width=384 height=200]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/8/4/2/915842_13540_front.jpg[/img]
Oh... no particular reason at all, nopey nope nope.
Also on hand, courtesy of my main man Razor Knuckles: Reese's Pieces and Better Made BBQ flavor potato chips. Oh, and Faygo cream cola and strawberry soda, which has inspired me to take a listen to my fave ICP album while playing this bad boy.
WHO'S GOIN' CHICKEN HUNTIN'? WE'S GOIN' CHICKEN HUNTIN'!
And, bless his little heart, Raze also provided the game. Which means I have the perfect scapegoat to place the blame on should this not go well. If that isn't the mark of a true friend, then I don't know what is.
[img width=700 height=465]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/ShadowPlay2_zps795c410f.jpg?t=1383976710[/img]
If only you knew what you were getting yourself into, my good man.
Oh, and I decided to get in costume for this little electronic excursion:
[img width=483 height=400]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/SharpieHand_zpsca60ca4c.jpg[/img]
How's this for edgy?
All right, let's get this show on the road.
STAGE 1: Westopolis
I started by taking out just about anything that shot at me, and then decided to limit my kills to the alien freakos, and the GUN robots. The aliens have the cooler weaponry, anyway, with zap-zap-shooty-lazor-beams. Not as cool as, say, a nice chaos-spear energy blast from my hands, but hey, you gotta make do. And why is Sonic "helping" me out? Who does he think he is, Tails from Sonic 2?
[img width=640 height=480]http://info.sonicretro.org/images/archive/e/ea/20100629202122%21Westopolis.png[/img]
More like Sonic the Glory-hog.
Stage 2: Glyphic Canyon
Oh great, now I got Knuckles helping out now. So much for that rugged loner rep. And he's a bit toofriendly here, too . and even dopier than usual.man, I miss the days when he was trolling Sonic and Tails something fierce. Now hes just a comic-relief punching bag in the cutscene backgrounds. Well at least his voice is more pleassnt than that Dr. Claw-sounding dude.
Geezus, the controls are like, Im trying to get Shadow to move and aim at the right taraget, but its like the surface of every level is greased with Crisco... and Shadows coping with a brain injury. Hell, I must be coping with a brain injury to be playing this. Maybe you should dump the jet skate things and just run like that faker. With any luck I'll get hosed to the point of blacking out and not remembering any of this.
Stage 3: Prison Island
Charmy, just goway . Your anything but charming to... well to anyone really. nobody likes you.. Go have a duel to the death with omochao or something. Hopefully youll kill each other and Big the Cat gets offed in the crossfire. I know the Chaotix had to make some budget cuts, but why did Mighty have to be one of them?
Ooh here comes my fave ICP track gotta turn it UP
Hey, hey wait a minute, I made you! Get them not me--WAIT A MINUTE MUTHAF*CKA
Stage 4: Sky Troops
Okay, now I got eggbotnik helping out. Well at least it gives me his robots and ships to shoot at. And I gt to use a canon to shoot at the eggships. Just like skylanders niiiiice. BTW I found a way to make this game a lil more enoyble: imagine the guys im shootin at wrote some really pervy Shadow fanfics, or poretend theyre Rule 34 artists, and Im getting revenge on em by KILLIN THEM DEDD.
[img width=320 height=240]http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view4/3952449/shadow-shooting-a-gun-o.gif[/img]
Let me show my appreciation for your inflation art
of me by INFLATING YOU WITH LEAD!!!
STAGE 5: Don't know dont care
Wow this games growin onme for some reason. Im achuallygettin into it. Hold on, Gonna pause th game for a mome an give our hero a lil talkin to. Um, Hey... hey shadow? I knw youre fictional an stuff, but Im surprised you haven't put th moves on Rouge yet. I mean come on it'sno secret you really dig her.
[img width=494 height=357]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/rouge11/confirm4.jpg[/img]
Or certain parts of her, anyway.
Seriusly ou really goota let maria go man. Your relationship comes off less like a close friendship, and more like some creepy furry-pedo-necrophilia thning.
An ode to Shadow's depraved obsession.
It really gives me the dooch chils. I mean You don't see Sonic-- er I mean that faker caught up in such shenangians--
[img width=600 height=346]http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mst06.jpg[/img]
Oh. Riht never mind.
Look, all Im tryin to say is... HEY F*CK THE STUPID GAME! IM TRYIN TO HELPS OU HERE, @$$HOLE!
...
Lokk im sorry man, I didn mean to yll atcha. You... you know... you know is till love you right? Right? Yeah yeah, no homo, hee heeee... hey wait a minute
[img width=640 height=479]http://soniccagedome.com/shadowflash/visual/sonicx/0014.gif[/img]
Um, why are you staring... there? An grining?
[img width=474 height=353]http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh314/vandesdelca/Silly%20Pics/raeptime.png[/img]
Holy crap youre not gonna do what I think you're
[img width=320 height=240]http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/1551519/tails-rapes-shadow-o.gif[/img]
Tails gives a new meaning to
the term "getting some head."
OH MY FREAING GOD IM GONNA SPEW FFWOIDHWERFOERDPWEBDEHGBIPEHOPFREOIHDIFIEU[9AWE
*GASP* Oh god the taste and smell of half-digested reeses pieces mixed wih absinthe is so disgusting here comes a second wave fjrefroiffoitgbhrog;flhlfofohhf[ioja[sehgde
*GUUUUHH* sweet haysoose h. some of that last heave went out through my nose that's just gross oh no not agai-- fmfrfmlrefmerlfmre-wq329r43jroinefrefmrlfrlf
*UUUURGH*GASP* okay im good now... all emptied out. Gonna need some gatorade though, and
Wait whats this
OH JESUS FU-- MDTMNFWKJLEVNBFLDHN NHXICU HTDFOIDFCJ GIG LNFAHD VIUF HFO SIFGHRIS;O FHD FOUGOUSCHFCMKLVDHGMSCOFHVDMFCDJACNIVOGHROIOCFSHDVG OR HCFSVGHRSEOICFHGCSECFRVDFHCEAOFG RHVOCFE NSAMOIVGRI
*THUD*
POSTSCRIPT: In case you're wondering: no, I did not regain consciousness in a puddle of my own sick the next morning. I took the precaution of keeping a high-capacity wastebasket within reach. It's a lesson I learned the hard way. Speaking of learning the hard way:
[img width=578 height=427]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/sHADdRUNK_zps19781ac8.jpg[/img]
Passed out after just one Redd's?! Faker...
ANYway, a few days after playing Shadow the Hedgehog on an Allhallow's Eve bender, I decided to go at it sober. And I don't know what it was, but... I actually kinda liked playing this nonsensical game with the absurd missions, slippery controls, and annoying interchanging "sidekicks." Hell, I'm STILL playing it as of this writing, trying to unlock and complete every mission, beat every boss, and access every single good stage, evil stage, ring, key, damned fourth chaos emerald, computer room, and weapon! I even ordered the Prima strategy guide for goodness sakes! Meanwhile, I've hardly touched my new copy of Sonic Lost World. Good lord, what the hell is wrong with me?!
[img width=459 height=496]http://www.mediafire.com/conv/bc6dcca838df6fa43078c6bcbd1a92667e7ef646606449288212cb854d6c9b106g.jpg[/img]
Oh, where to begin...
All right, time to wind this up. Yes, Shadow the Hedgehog is dumb... but it's dumb in a way I find oddly entertaining and compelling. If I were to give it a cinematic parallel, it would be Dude, Where's My Car? which, despite being downright idiotic, I couldn't stop watching from start to finish. Sure it insulted my intelligence, but, dammit, it was fun to watch. And when you get down to it, the most important thing about gaming, or watching movies, or any other hobby or pursuit, is to have fun while doing it. Shockingly and improbably, Shadow the Hedgehog delivered for me...
...and it's all Razor Knuckles' fault.
I hope you're proud of yourself, "friend." 
'Late
Hey now!
Yikes... I've been working on this off and on for almost a month now. What can I say: the demands of work and other high-priority things kinda slow down the whole blog-writing process.
In any case, I'll now reveal to you my Tuesday finds from May, which was fairly weak right up to the final Tuesday... and then the floodgates opened somethin' fierce.
May 1: I hit a couple places after work and came away with:
- Super NES console $5.00
- Namco Museum 50th Anniversary (Greatest Hits) PS2 $2.99
- Super Mario Ball (AKA Japanese Mario Pinball Land) $1.99
- Super Donkey Kong 2 (AKA Japanese Donkey Kong Country 2) $1.99
[img width=514 height=382]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/929e/zobo93f2bp8kx815g.jpg[/img]
Weird thing about the Japanese GBA games: I bought 'em at a place that usually premium-prices imports and rare second-hand games. I was so sure they'd be priced above what I'd be willing to pay, I almost didn't bother to ask the clerk to pull 'em outta the display case. For the first time in a blue moon, going against my better instincts actually paid off...
May 8: I found no games or hardware, just a lotta reading material.
- Fourteen Nintendo Power, GamePro, and EGM back issues, $0.29 each
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 strategy guide, $1.99
[img width=700 height=471]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/6791/8er3xdccddarndx5g.jpg[/img]
May 15:
- TMNT: Mutant Melee (Xbox) $3.19
- Nintendo 64 12-cartridge cabinet $2.60
[img width=283 height=385]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a7df/kz87fl3jgj9srjs5g.jpg[/img]
I'm actually using the N64 cabinet to store my loose SNES carts in; apparently they were designed to hold either type.
May 22:
- Official PlayStation Magazine back issue $0.29
- Prima Conker: Live & Reloaded strategy guide $2.00
- BradyGames GTA: San Andreas strategy guide $2.00
[img width=700 height=290]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/2e01/eocbumux83vs5qn5g.jpg[/img]
May 29: Now, THIS is more like it:
- Four Nintendo Power back issues $0.29 each
- Six Official Xbox Magazine game demo discs with sleeves, $1.99 $0.99 each
- Joytron Strap Touchpen for DS, $0.79
- Pokemon Battle Revolution Nintendo Power strategy guide $1.50
[img width=515 height=298]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/d8cb/f0n376p458qcvfd5g.jpg[/img]
- Populous (SNES) $1.99
- Namco Museum Remix (Wii) $5.95
- Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (GC) $0.95
- Guitar Hero (PS2) $3.99 $0.99
- Guitar Hero II (PS2) $3.99 $0.99
- A trio of CIB Master System games for $2.99 $2.09 each:
- Choplifter
- Alien Syndrome
- Missile Defense 3D
- A pair of CIB PSP games for $1.95 each:
- Crush
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy
[img width=700 height=378]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/df00/lj2xwlcb4x5nj2p5g.jpg[/img]
The biggest pick-up of the day, however, was:
- Blaze Twin Shock Home Arcade 2-player controller for PlayStation (and PS2), $11.99.
[img width=475 height=385]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/2f18/6w5nwkn55hutmwn5g.jpg[/img]
Finally, then there was this $1.99 grab:
[img width=232 height=251]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a1c1/p444ypacpj7jylz5g.jpg[/img]
(Don't tell You-Know-Who about this one)
The TL;DR Sidebar
May's biggest non-gaming Tuesday score: I found a boxed Nerf Vortex Praxis disc-shooter for just $5.99.
[img width=640 height=399]http://paradisdesbebes.com/home/wp-content/uploads/products_img/hasbro%20nerf%20vortex%20praxis.jpg[/img]
Like this, only the box wasn't in as good a condition.
I'm pretty sure someone messed up on the pricing at the Goodwill where I picked this up. Now, that is some crack-smoking pricing I can actually get behind! Speaking of which...
May's biggest crack-smoking moment almost went to the Gilroy Goodwill, which was asking $19.99 for a standard-ish GameCube controller. That's right, just the controller; I asked about it, and they confirmed it.
But the Morgan Hill Goodwill claimed victory when I discovered a sealed pack of three Game Boy Advance 3-cartridge cases like these...
[img width=393 height=500]http://i2.listal.com/image/productsus/1000/B00095LMJY/games/3-pack-game-boy-game-case-game-boy-advance.jpg[/img]
...for $19.99.
Yes, you read that price correctly.
$19.90-freakin'-9.
For plain ol' plastic cases.
Without any games in 'em.
Needless to say, they're really hittin' the pipe down in Morgan Hill...
'Late
Whew, it's a good thing I decided to save my blogs, just in case something like the Great RF Generation Outage of 2012 should ever happen.
I've even added a few "enhancements" to this particular entry. Whether or not they improve upon the original version is debatable.
Anyway, here we go: take two, aaaaand... ACTION!
(Originally posted on January 31, 2012)
Hey now!
Feeling like ripping off inspired by the Procopio Brothers' Game Hunt Chronicles blog series, I figured I'd do a little bragging of my own about my best Tuesday game hauls. And Tuesday, January 24, yielded the biggest single-day score of the year for me thus far.
Let me tell you all about it:
It all began at the Savers thrift store in Milpitas. I'd just discovered a bunch of White Dwarf and Dragon back issues in the magazine section which, at $0.29 each, were a far cry from their original 6-dollars-plus cover prices. However, I had yet to see anything really good in the way of video games aside from a couple old EGMs and a CIB copy of Zoom! for the Genesis. I figured it was worth dropping $1.99 plus tax on, even if it did look like some kind of Q-Bert wannabe.
I was milling around the jewelry & electronics showcase about ready to leave, when a Savers employee arrived with a box full of CIB GameCube and PS2 games for $3.99 a pop. I was only too happy to help lighten her burden by taking the following titles before she could shelve them:
- Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
- WarioWorld
- Pokemon: Gale of Darkness XD
- Resident Evil Zero
- WarioWare: Mega Party Games!
- Super Mario Strikers
- Mario Superstar Baseball
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (Player's Choice)
- Luigi's Mansion (Player's Choice)
- Rayman 2: Revolution (PS2)
- Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior (PS2)
Now, that's timing!
Next stop on my trek was the San Jose Savers. Sadly, all it yielded were a couple Prima Tomb Raider guides for $1.99 each.
[img width=544 height=582]http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/a67b155c3026e7f924bd1d24211e68db67ae53d4107aa11762360f5e7fe719bc5g.jpg[/img]
Undaunted, I drove a couple miles south and arrived at the Rasputin used record store in Campbell just as it was opening. It has consistently yielded some good Tuesday game deals for me, and this day was no exception, as I grabbed the following CIB (unless noted otherwise) goodies:
- ModNation Racers (PSP) $1.95
- Chicken Blaster (Wii, disc in sleeve) $0.95
- Whacked! (XBox) $1.95
- Scarface: The World is Yours (Greatest Hits)(PS2) $0.95
- Dai Senryaku VII (XBox) $1.95
Sadly, I missed out on a CIB copy of What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?! 2 because it was missing its price tag, which meant it had to be sent back to the main store in Berserkely to be priced. In the weeks that followed, I never saw it at either the Campbell or Mountain View locations.
Speaking of which: I culminated my Tuesday crawl with a trip up to Rasputin's new Mountain View location, where I snapped up:
- Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP) $5.95
- Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (PSP) $5.95
- Gitaroo Man (PS2) $1.95
- Animal Crossing (Player's Choice)(NGC, no memory card) $0.95
[img width=465 height=569]http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/aa5baea758533e197bf5b08f00237c231cfe1c655b917d7e5c56a72c9ace413d5g.jpg[/img]
And that pretty much sums up one of the most successful Tuesday game hunts I've ever undertaken.
But wait, there's more!
It's...
...the TL;DR SIDEBAR!
- My best non-Tuesday gaming pickup for this week was a sealed copy of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS for $7.99.
- My best non-gaming score of the prior week: the aforementioned back issues of White Dwarf and Dragon.
Honorable mentions: a Rokenbok R/C toy controller for $1.50, and a Nerf Maverick for $0.99.
[img width=568 height=560]http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/b19ce71057faab0998003df82aabc4c901944505922a00cdedea84c91f5dfc505g.jpg[/img]
- I've apparently attained over 1000 pieces of game software and hardware. However, I decided to audit my collection to see if what I actually have matches up to what I've recorded. This process is gonna take me some time, but when it's all said and done, at least I'll know if I've really achieved the four-figure plateau. It's also a great opportunity to organize the collection, which has been getting unwieldy as of late.
- Sadly, tragedy struck in the midst of this amazing score. If you're not too squeamish or faint of heart, scroll down to see a pic of the gruesome scene:
[img width=372 height=545]http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/46089200d5e7ecd9b7b3626c92f1d91b66a320355f2be4050f519f8e7d203e675g.jpg[/img]
Oh the humanity!
Until next week (if not sooner)...
...'Late
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