What is Your Favorite Game? and Why this is a terrible question.

I get asked what my favorite game is all the time.

It is literally one of the hardest questions anyone can ask me. I am sure people think something along the lines of "oh man he has a ton of games, he must love games, he must know a lot about them, he is probably an authority on this topic so his opinion holds weight. I'll ask what his favorite is. I wonder if it will be something I haven't heard of, or maybe he will confirm what everyone else says, or maybe it will be a game I have played." Okay that sounds a little ridiculous, I am sure most people don't think that much about it. Some people do think that much about it though, and when they do, they look at you with expectant eyes. They hope something profound comes out, but in truth my answer is flexible, long, and not straight forward. I do not always have the same favorite game, they fulfill different needs.

I am sure many of you have suffered against this question as well. It might not have been about video games, maybe it's board games, comics, favorite song, or movie. The point is, if somebody asks you about your favorite anything, it isn't usually an easy answer. The main reasons it isn't easy can be reduced to: time invested in the subject matter, expertise or knowledge of the subject matter, and sample size. Large amounts of any of these three factors can make the "What is your favorite?" question very difficult to answer at best. I can tell you my favorite Katie Perry song no problem. It's easy because I don't really care about Katie Perry or her music, also the sample size is small. I can tell you  my favorite Star Wars movie, even though the answers has changed as I grew up. Currently it is Empire Strikes Back, but when I was 5 it was Return of the Jedi, and ROTJ still has some of my favorite moments in the Trilogy. Even though I know a lot about Star Wars telling you my favorite is easy because the question is focused and the quantity I have to choose from is small. Compare "What is your favorite Star Wars movie?" to "What is your favorite movie?" Suddenly the pool goes from 6 movies (strictly counting the two trilogies), to thousands. Now the question is too big and ungainly, it has all the subtly and precision of a napalm strike. It is the same for games.

I can't tell you how many games I have played, over a thousand I am sure.  If I had to guess I would say I have probably beat over 500.  This is just a guess, maybe one day I will sit down and count. For now let me ask you to revise this question to "What are a few of your favorite games?" or "What is best game you have played in the last year?" Better questions make for better answers.

So I guess since you have read through my lecture, you might now be asking why?  The answer is easy enough. I was asked "What is your favorite game?" and I decided I did not like my answer or the question. I wasn't offended at all, I just didn't have a good answer so I decided to think about it more. The end result of me thinking it over is this entry, and my next entry which will just be a list of my top 50 games 60 games.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to check out my next post.
~Johnny~

I have a Facebook Humor Page: Why Is Everybody So Bad At Everything? If you like the little jokes I put in the links, this is of the same ilk.

Dark Matters Redux for Sega Dreamcast & Hucast Review

Greetings Readers, Reader, Random person who found this blog by doing a Google search for something else but this was the link that appeared first.

It has been awhile, but that is pretty typical for me. As I have mentioned before I like to take breaks from collecting from time to time, but especially around the holidays. This year I took an extended break, but now I am back and ready to get back int he swing of things. So lets begin with a review of Dark Matters REDUX, and the company that makes it HuCast.  To start I offer a picture. If a picture is worth a thousand words, well then this picture is worth one thousand and nine words and none of them are positive.

Regret does sum it up. Before I go too far let tell you what Terrible Title Dark Matters Redux is. This is a new game made for an old system, (the Dreamcast) that was crowd sourced on Kickstarter. The game is a SHMUP (Shoot'em Up) set in space much like R-Type, Gradius, and the like. The Campaign started in  May 2012, and the delivery was set to be in December 2012. I thought that the delivery date was ambitious, and it was. The game arrived in February 2014. That is quite a piece further down the road then Dec 2012, but things happen. It seems that video games are always delayed, so I wasn't surprised or upset by this delay as I was pretty much expecting it.

As this a collecting based review I won't say much about the game play. It's a SHMUP, if you like them, you probably like this. I found some enjoyment in it.

REVIEW:

The Shipping: Holy Mother of Cats, wtf? The worst shipping I have ever seen. Seriously Hucat, what is wrong with you? This game was shipped in a yellow mailer, a YELLOW FRICKEN MAILER!!! The choice of shipping packing material is mind bogglingly stupid, made worse by the fact I bought the Collectors Edition Steelbook.Within the yellow, non-padded mailer was no bubble wrap or foam, or paper or anything. Yup just a steel book flopping around in some sad, limp, yellow envelope. Needless to say mine has a few large dents. Also, the discs all came loose and were semi scratched. The 4 disc soundtrack that came with it also had all of it's CD's come loose. Serious Fail.

The Case:  So when they added the Steel Book Collectors edition to the Kickstarter it wasn't pictured and it cost $100. I upgraded figuring it would be pretty sweet given how good the Kickstarter campaign and initial art looked. I was wrong, so very very wrong. Please review the picture above. You might notice that the super awesome collectors edition steelbook turned out to be just a plain steelbook with a shitty sticker affixed to it (the back has no art either). If the sticker didn't tell me this edition was special I surely wouldn't have guessed.

The Art: What art? Please read the bit about the sticker again.

The Extra's: A sticker and the soundtrack. The sticker is a sticker, I am not a 6 year-old girl with a sticker album so I couldn't really give two F%^Ks about a sticker. The soundtrack is scratched so yeah.

The Cost: For $100 this should have been better. If you want to subtract $10 for shipping, well even at $90 it should have been better. Hucast really cut some corners and after several good experiences on Kickstarter I didn't expect my first bad one to come from a company that does this for a living.

The Final Verdict: This was a waste of money, Hucast did a terrible job on delivering this product. This is a niche product in a collectors market. Hucast clearly didn't understand who their target market was when they decided to make a special edition. If I was Hucast I would be embarassed  of the way things played out at the end. Please pass on any Hucast goods, I cannot in good faith recommend them.

A rebuke to anyone asking about "The Game". I am a collector first, gamer second. I bought a product that was geared for collectors, if I just wanted to play I could have paid $10 for a digital copy.

Thank you for reading,
~Johnny~

I have a Facebook Humor Page: Why Is Everybody So Bad At Everything? If you like the little jokes I put in the links, this is of the same ilk.

The Hobbit Denny's Menu (Lord of the Rings) Off Topic

Around the Holiday's  (Oct - Jan) I tend to take a break from videogame collecting, however I still like finding time to write a blog entry or two.

If I am not going to talk about games WTF am I doing here?
Well anyone who regular reads this blog (all four of you) knows I tend to swing off topic from time to time. This is one of those moments. My friends and I are all Lord of the Rings / Hobbit fans, and are happily waiting for the The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. We were amused and bemused last year that Denny's had some how acquired the rights to do a Hobbit Menu. I am not a fan of Denny's but I was snookered and decided to go and see what it was all about. The food had a few funny names but overall was kind of generic, not horrible but nothing to write a blog about.....Shit.

This seemed very much like a missed opportunity. When Denny's announced they were bringing back the Hobbit menu I was curious to see if they would make any improvements.

The answer is no, not significant ones. I have been joking with my friends for a year that they should have Radagast the Hash Brown on menu, and that if I had done the menu it would have been funny, even if the food wasn't very good. Well my friends got tired of my rant and told me to write up a Hobbit / LOTR themed food list. So I did, and it has been a fun mental game trying to come up with clever food names. 

Check it out my write up below, please add your own and feel free to use any of these name for your Hobbit themed parties.

If this menu was real you might find yourself on an unexpected journey...to Denny's.

Come to Denny's and support  The Desolation of Smaug - Now in Theaters- by dining on our Desolation of Hunger Menu. Hobbit sized prices for your dragon sized appetite.

Breakfast

Featuring our Desolation of Hunger Slam

3 eggs, 3 Shire Sausage, 3  Pumpkin Harvest Pancakes and our famous Radagast the hash-Browns

Second Breakfast

Gandalf the Egg White Omelet

Elevensies - An unending soup bowl

Ere-Borscht - Our own special recipe, it can't be Beet!

Goll-umbo

TheUdon Noodle Soup

Denethor Beef Stew-ard of Gondor

Lunch

Bilbo the Burglars - 3 Hobbit Sized Sliders made the way you like served with BombaDill Pickles - Spicy Dill Pickle rounds

RivenDill Pickles - A traditional Dill pickle wedge

Sam Wise Ham and Cheese - a toasted Sam-mich that tall and small will enjoy. 

Theodin King Crab Cakes

Dinner

Helm's Deep Fried Chicken 

Shelob Kebob

Saru-Manicotti

Pear-egrin Took Salad

Sides

The Oneion Rings- A Mountain of  Doom delicious onion rings so good you won't want to share.

PO TA TOES - boiled or mashed

Ara-Corn on the Cob

Dragon's Hoard - A basket of Medallion fries or fresh cooked chips

Tom BombaDill Pickles

Shire Sausage

Radagast the Hash-Browns

Rice Sau-Roni

Bree & Crackers

Dol GulDoritos

Drinks

Ale-owyn - for men and sheild maidens alike

Gimli's Gimlet

Long Bottom Loose Leaf Tea

Thorin Oaken Mead

Deserts

Frod-Oatmeal Cookies

Hobbit Holes  (Donut Holes)

GondOreos

Mellon Cup - Big enough to share with a friend (Cup of seasonal melon and other fruits)

Come back for Mor-dor soon.

Check out this blog,  Food of the Shire for people who take their Hobbit food seriously.

Thanks for reading
~Johnny~

PS:

I have a Facebook Humor Page: Why Is Everybody So Bad At Everything? If you like the little jokes I put in the links, this is of the same ilk.

Sega Genesis Cardboard Box Reproduction Inserts - Review

Some people who read this blog and frequent Sega Age may have seen that a new product has hit the market, well a new old product. I am of course talking about Sega Genesis Cardboard Box Reproduction Inserts (that is a mouthful). When I first learned of these I was immediately curious, as I am sure many people who own Genesis CB (cardboard) games were. My curiousity lead to a purchase, which lead to the video review below.

I know that some people are conflicted about these, others are down right insulted, and some are fist pumping the air and cackling like mad men knowing that they can finally display some of their otherwise beat to hell CB games. All of these are valid responses. I am not here to to tell you if this is right or wrong or engage in a moral debate. For the record I did not create these, I am not a salesman for them, and I get no kickbacks, I am simply sharing what I found. Please feel free to post your thoughts for or against I welcome healthy debate.

If  you wish to purchase these I bought mine from eBay here is the Link. I have only had one transaction, but their feedback is good. I can tell you that I have dealt with Wal R' US games at http://uncletusk.com/ on other purchases and have found him to be a very reputable seller that I would recommend. You can find the repro inserts on his front page.

This video was done quickly so forgive its roughness.

Thank you for reading and watching

~Johnny~

What is a Sega Pico? (Complete Set)

Oh-Man, You guys remember the Sega Pico right? What a great console, the countless hours spent playing Musical Zoo, Sonic's Gameworld, and... Wait, you have never heard of the Sega Pico? It was only the number one educational Kids Computer created by Sega in 1994.

In all seriousness if you have never heard of the Sega Pico AKA the Kids Computer Pico you are not alone, but if you can make it through this article I will tell you all you need to know if you want to collect it. 

Basic Pico Facts

Sega Pico was released in the US in 1994, and was discontinued in 1998. The system did well in Japan and wasn't discontinued there until 2005. In the US 20 games were released, while Japan had nearly 300. The Pico was branded as a computer and sometimes as a toy Sega did it's best  for it not to be known as a video game console. This approach was taken in an effort avoid negative associations that were attached to video games. The Pico was suppose to be an educational product and the slogan for the console illustrates this mind, "The computer that thinks it's a toy". The system itself is a clamshell design which unfolds to hold the large book shaped carts that the system used and also act as the controller. The controller portion of the console had a very basic touchpad  a "Magic Pen" and a large button which you used to play the games. The carts for this system are unlike any other system and were called Storyware. The carts act like books and have pages that open up and allow you to play different parts of the game (look at the pic below for clarification).

 Pico was the first Sega console to carry a licensed game made by Nintendo, Pokémon says Hello

BTW  - This is a pic I found on the net and is not mine

Why you should collect Sega Pico

It's a console oddity from a major publisher, it was Sega's last cart based system, and nothing else in your library will look like Pico games, they stand out. It's and easy set to complete because their are only 20 games in the US and not many people collect for the system so they are cheap. The system also has 3 major Sega titles in it's library and they are all exclusive to the Pico: Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld, Tails and the Music Maker, and Ecco Jr. and the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt.

What you need to know to collect

The console came in a few version one that was just the console and one that was the console and the game Richard Scarry's Huckle and Lowly's Busiest Day Ever. The version with the pack in is the one you will find the most often. 

What's in the Box:  Not much really. Cart, Parenting Guide (manual), and Insert.  They all come sealed in a plastic bag if hte game is new.

What's Hard to Find: Sonic Gameworld was the last US release and is difficult to find with it's box, Richard Scarry's Huckle and Lowly's Busiest Day Ever even though it was a pack-in it did have a boxed version, while the cart by itself is very common the boxed version doesn't show up very often. Storyware Sampler, by far the rarest US title to find, good news is that it wasn't a retail release and isn't needed for the set.

Variants: It wouldn't be Sega without variants, The shells for the games often come in different colors without rhyme or reason. A full list of these do not exist as far as I know.

Games: Only 20 games released in the US. Here is the full list.

A Year at Pooh Corner

Adventures in Letterland With Jack and Jill

Crayola: Create a World

Disney's Pocahontas Riverbend Adventure

Disney's The Lion King: Adventures at Pride Rock

Ecco Jr. and the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt!

Magic Crayons

Math Antics with Disney's 101 Dalmatians

Mickey's Blast Into the Past

Muppets on the Go

Musical Zoo

Pepe's Puzzles

Richard Scarry's Huckle and Lowly's Busiest Day Ever

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus

Sesame Street Alphabet Avenue

Smart Alex and Smart Alice: Curious Kids

Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld

Tails and the Music Maker

The Berenstain Bears: A School Day

The Great Counting Caper With the 3 Blind Mice

Harry Potter's Birthday

As some of you may have guessed by now I am a big fan of Harry Potter. July 31st is his and also JK Rowling's Birthday.  With that in mind I present you this.

Lego Harry Potter 100%

This is snap of my 100% on Lego Harry Potter Years 4-7. I also have 100% on the first game. I don't talk much about modern games on this blog, but I do play them and enjoy them. The lego HP games are some of my favorites, they remind me games from times past.

Happy Harry Day

~Johnny~

Who will milk Nagini?

Nintendo 64 Set, Complete Part 1. Do a Barrel Roll

Complete Nintendo 64 Set

I haven't had time to post lately, but  I wanted to give a little update on the Nintendo 64 Set  I have been working on...It's done, all 297  296 games
(checklist here) and then some. I completed this set without much
fanfare or ado.  So without further delay here it is.

(Complete N64 Set, with some variants shown)

I fully intend in part 2 of this post to talk about some of the variants, what is rare and expensive, but for now just a synopsis of how and why I started collecting N64 and the journey I took to complete it.

How long have I been working on this set and why N64? 
I started back in 2008. Not many people were after 64 stuff so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon early, make myself an authority and carve out a niche. I figured I would be able to figure out what games were rare and maybe pick up a few extras (read that as horde) while they were cheap and use them to trade my way into NES and SNES stuff when they picked up in price. This was at a time when I really wanted to be collecting for NES and SNES but I thought the prices were way to high (If I knew then what I know now...SMH). 

The idea of hording didn't stay with me very long, just wasn't something I felt good about. So I just collected like a normal person who wants to own every game for a system which in an of itself isn't all that normal. I bought some video stores out of old stock, and I picked up some really cool lots on eBay, for individual games it was exclusively eBay. In 2009 I found Nintendo Age and that blew my whole collecting world up. Suddenly I was trying to buy, trade, and sell. I was finding better deals, and I was learning about collecting from guys who had been doing it longer, NA was a little soft on N64 data at that time, but what they new about Nintendo was incredible. Enter 2010 and Sega Age was formed, a sister site to Nintendo Age,  and with that I jumped ship for SA.  I left N64 of the shelf and jump in feet first to collecting Sega ( I already had a pretty good Sega Stash thanks to some amazing garage sales.). Then the Cardboard Genesis Project happened  (my results here). During this time of doing research and meeting awesome people, N64 had become a distant memory.  This is not to say I didn't buy any N64 titles but it became a trickle, less than 5 a year during that time frame. Around this time last year I was finishing up most of my Sega Stuff and decided it was time to revisit Nintendo and finish off the last 100 or so games I needed for the set.

What a difference a few years makes. Nintendo Age now was flush with people who were N64 enthusiasts, and knew pretty much all there was to know about collecting for the often lamented system. The 64 was also seeing rapid price spikes, as collecting for the system had really picked up steam. Gone were the days of bargain bin discounts, by 2013  the N64 had become a legitimate collectors system, with several of its titles tilting over the $100 mark.  I  have learned a good deal since last July on Nintendo Age, as several members shared info that would have taken me on my own much longer to discover. Over the course of a year I finished my set, and I became very knowledgeable on the subject of N64. In my next installment I will share some of what I learned.

Do a Barrel Roll
~Johnny~