So looking around on Kijiji like I usual do on a Friday night (yes we really know how to party here at my-nintendo-dimension!) I found an ad for a new game store opening up here in Toronto. They call themselves the Retro Game Brothers and as it turns out I have actually met them before both at my yard sale and at the Waterloo Video Game Swap. We’ve had our differences in the past, but that is all water under the bridge:) When I heard they were opening up a new store in my area I figured it was the perfect opportunity to bury the hatchet. They were having a big sale on Saturday, and as an added bonus we got to meet Mario and Luigi in person! Unfortunately I was too shy to ask for a photo, as grown men in cartoon-like costumes kind of intimidates me:( I picked up the Sega Dude and off we went to this new store.
It’s a small place (as most start ups are), but they have a really nice collection of both common and rare Nintendo games on all consoles. I wasn’t planning on buying much, but one thing stood out… their prices are actually fair… in this city that is a rare thing! Most game stores around here charge at least 30% more than pricecharting.com or… or any other app for that matter. The Retro Game Brothers have raised their prices a bit from what they used to be, but that makes sense now that they have an actual store and the overhead costs that go with it (property in Toronto is crazy expensive!).
Anyhow lets get down to the loot I scored:
The first three games here are just commons, but were in a $5 bin (a feature I thought was pretty cool to have in a store). Mission Impossible is an upgrade from the Commodore 64 version of the same name. I remember really liking it back in the day and I’m excited to get to try it out again. I remember the haunting voice that said “Destroy him my robots!” as being really creepy. Hopefully it stands the test of time.
I’ve never tried Phantom Fighter or WCW Wrestling before, but I don’t have them and as they were in the $5 bin I couldn’t resist.
A special thanks to the Sega Dude for handing over Stinger and Mission Impossible NES carts as I needed them for the collection and had completely passed them over. Stinger looks eerily familiar to that of Phantasy Zone on the Sega Master System and Turbo Grafix-16… which would be a GREAT thing as these games were awesome. I seem to remember actually beating the Sega versions of Phantasy Zone back in university, however it should be noted that the arcade version is MUCH MUCH more difficult (this is obviously true as I said “much” twice and in caps!).
Beetlejuice is a game that I’ve been looking for a while now as my wife loves the franchise. The movie was fantastic and even the Saturday morning cartoon was pretty good, however when I brought this gem home she could not have cared less:( This might come across as a bit harsh, but I’m beginning to think that she doesn’t care about retro video games?! She is also big time into the Smurfs, but I don’t think she would care if I brought home the NES title of the same name. Maybe I’m overthinking the situation, but I’m worried that this could be a deal breaker.
The above three titles are games that I’ve seen before, but the price was always too high. Magician for example has a value of $27, but I’ve never seen it for less than $40 and thus I’ve not picked it up… until now. This is a game that seems like it could be really cool, but is also very difficult to figure out. It is an RPG that kind of reminds me of Faxanadu with better music and graphics. You play a character named Paul, and aren’t given much information as to why you are there (at least at the start). The only people who will talk to you are peasants who wish you luck. Most other NPC’s in the game simply ignore you. It doesn’t sound like much, but the game does have potential and has received positive reviews… unfortunately by no one I’ve ever heard of
Clu Clu Land is a black box title that at first glance reminds me of Pac Man. However it didn’t take long before I realized that it was kind of a reverse version of the aforementioned game. Clu Clu Land is kind of like a maze that must be solved while uncovering rupees (the look exactly like the rupees in the Legend of Zelda) while avoiding other sea monsters. The learning curve on this game is high as it has some dynamics that are hard to master, but the fun factor is high once you play the game a few times.
But alas the title of this post is “Talking Myself UP” and I think it is now time for me to confess my sins. Stack Up… the only other NES game (the other being Gyromite) that you could use the R.O.B. for was a game I thought I would never own for it’s price was always way too high… I’ve never seen it for less than $95… until now. The Retro Game Brothers were selling it for $50… HALF of what most other stores were charging. I figured there must have been something wrong with the game for it to be so cheap… and by now you should know that I’m always looking for a deal. So the price tag said $49.99… I put on my negotiating cap and went to work. I actually told one of the owners that it was “worth WAY more than that”…I even then proceeded to show him my NES collector app on my iPhone which showed how much the game was worth. I felt like I was possessed by a demon and couldn’t stop myself… the words just kept coming out of my mouth and I was powerless. But really, why did I do this… that is an excellent question… one that I don’t have an answer to other than that I am stupidly honest and as this was a start up company I didn’t want to take advantage. Some have called me dumb (actually everyone has) for pointing this out. So I talked them into changing the price to $70 AND I still bought the game! I blame the Sega Dude really as he was supposed to be my wing man. He stood there when the demon possessed my soul and used my body as to carry out it’s evil deeds. I just can’t believe it… what is wrong with me…. the game was $50 and I talked myself into paying $70 for the title?!? Who negotiates UP a price???. Apparently I do 😦
Anyways I look forward to many more game transactions with the Retro Gaming Bros.
Until next time!
Nintendo Joe
My Nintendo Dimension 