New DVD/Game Cabinet

My prior DVD cabinet was starting to fill up and the doors kept wearing on the bottom panel whenever they opened and closed (which was scraping the paint off), so I decided to upgrade and get a larger unit.  This new one is from the same company (Atlantic), has a lot more space, and features sliding glass doors, so I can actually see my movie and game collection even when the cabinet is closed.  I like it quite a bit. 

New Purchases

My funds are a little tight right now, but I was able to pick up a couple new games for really good prices.

First up is a peripheral-based game: Wii Fit Plus.  I got this brand new off eBay and paid about half of the game's original retail price.  It's the Balance Board bundle (since I didn't have one before).

I had played Wii Fit Plus a few times before but I never purchased it or the original Wii Fit because I was already exercising plenty on my own.  I didn't need it at the time.

I'm still exercising, but now I'm at the point where perhaps I should be supplementing my work outs with this game.  At the very least, I can enjoy all the mini games.  Those are a lot of fun.

I love different controllers and peripherals, so I'll be looking into getting some more Balance Board games.  Perhaps something like snowboarding would be fun.

I also picked up Super Street Fighter II for the SNES complete in box for a decent price.  I used to rent this game as a kid, as well as Street Fighter II Turbo, even though I owned the World Warrior.  Street Fighter II is so fun that you can own multiple versions of the game and still not get bored.  The box is in good condition, and the cartridge is mint.  It has all of the inserts as well.

I also decided to buy an official cleaning kit for my Wii U.  I've had my Wii U since launch day in 2012, but I've only cleaned it by blowing it out with an air compressor every once in a while.  I'd like to avoid the repairs I had to do on my Wii, so the cleaning kit should help avoid that.  It comes in a nice DVD case, just like the games, but ironically, the case is even nicer than the game cases because there are no holes in it (those stupid "eco-friendly" cases can go to hell.  The plastic is already recyclable.  There's no need to put holes in the game cases, Nintendo.).

I actually tried using my Wii cleaning kit on the Wii U (I figured it would work since the system is backwards compatible), but the system wouldn't even accept the cleaning disk.  It couldn't pull the disc into the disc slot, which was strange.  That's when I discovered I needed a new cleaning kit for the Wii U itself.

 

The Wii U cleaning is a bit different from the Wii's.  The Wii's cleaning kit has a handle on the disc that sticks out of the disc slot, and you use it to wiggle the cleaning disc left and right.  The Wii U cleaning disc doesn't have any handle.  You simply apply the cleaning solution and stick the disc into the system.  The system does the rest.  That's much simpler than the Wii's cleaning kit.

Who knows, maybe years from now this is will become a collectible item.  Since the Wii U hasn't sold all that great and it's really hard to replace the GamePad, I suspect the Wii U will become a very collectible system in the future.

Mike's 2015 Boxed GameCube Collection

The GameCube was the first home console that I was able to buy on its release date (because I was 17 at the time).  I was actually working at Best Buy as a seasonal employee during the holidays of 2001, but I wasn't working on the day the system was released.  However, I did drop by my work to see if they had any black GameCubes, but all they had were the purple ones, and I was not buying purple under any circumstances.

I had to hit a few different stores, but ironically, I found the black GameCube in stock at the Target near my house.  I purchased the system and Luigi's Mansion.  I had to wait until Christmas to get another game (Wave Race: Blue Storm) because I didn't have the money to buy more games.

Later on I bought a second controller, which started malfunctioning a few years ago.  I replaced that one with another new controller a few months ago.  So I only have two controllers, but they're both the official ones.

I also received the Game Boy Player as a surprise gift around 2004, I think.  I didn't use the thing too much initially (it was mostly used for two-player Double Dragon Advance awesomeness), but a little after the Wii was released I started using it quite a bit more.  It is really handy, especially for Youtube.

I never saw any interesting third-party controllers for the system, so I didn't buy a turbo pad or joystick like I had done with my prior systems.  I don't even know if there was a joystick released for the system.

I have the microphone that came with Odama.  You get to yell certain commands at your troops in that game, like "press forward!"  It's fun.

I picked up the official component cables in 2009 right after I bought my HDTV.  I think I paid around $70-$90 for them in box.  The price has now shot through the roof because apparently, there's some sort of special chip inside the connector and no third-party company has managed to duplicate it.

The component cable is odd because it doesn't include the red and white audio cables, unlike most component cables that you can buy for game systems.  Instead, you have to use both the component and composite or S-video cables.  You simply leave the yellow or S-video plug unplugged, and the system automatically detects the component cable when the game starts up.  The composite/S-video cable just carries the audio.

The Game Boy Player uses the component cable for 480p mode on all Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games.  However, in 2004 Nintendo removed the component output slot on the GameCube because less than 1% of owners were using the cable.  So you need a GameCube from before that time in order to use the cable.

However, if you have a backwards-compatible Wii, you can simply use the Wii's component cables to get 480p with your GameCube games.  Progressive Scan Mode is the only way to get 60 fps because an interlaced (480i) image ultimately results in only 30fps.  However, not every GameCube game supports 480p (the two Spider-Man games don't support it).  You will still see a quality difference using component cables, however, just like you would with S-video vs. composite, because the video is separated into three signals instead of just one or two.

Most of the accessories that were released in the U.S. came in blister packs, so that's why I don't have a lot of packaging for my GameCube stuff.  The Game Boy Player came in a blister pack, so that's why there's no box for that.  I think Japan and Europe got boxes though.

My collection is fairly small, but everything is complete.  I even have the large boxes for Four Swords Adventures and Odama.  The GameCube is really easy to collect for because the games came in DVD cases instead of cardboard boxes.  So people were far less likely to throw them away.

All of my games were purchased before the Wii came out.  I just can't find any other games that really interest me.  I did rent several games back when the system was out, including Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 (well, technically I rented the N64 version), 3, Code Veronica, Burnout 2, Need For Speed and some Simpsons games, but I have no interest in buying any of those.  I also played various other games at a friend's house including Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Monkey Ball 1 and 2 and Alien Hominid. 

Overall, the GameCube is my least favorite Nintendo system (although the Wii U is competing for that spot right now.  But I suspect I'll end up liking the Wii U more due to excellent 2D games and Wii Remote support).  There weren't many games I was interested in, and to me, Nintendo's overall quality declined from the Nintendo 64 era (not that I think the N64 was Nintendo's high point).  I didn't expect that before the system was released.  I thought the GameCube would correct the flaws from the Nintendo 64 due to better hardware (easier to program for), disc-based storage, and a more comfortable controller.  But even though the GameCube ran games really smoothly (either 30 or 60 fps across the board) and finally used discs, other problems arose.

Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, Wave Race, Wario and other games just felt worse than their prior entries on the Nintendo 64 (or in the case of Wario, on handhelds).  Super Mario Sunshine turned into way too much of a collectathon like Donkey Kong 64, and Wind Waker's art style pissed me off to no end.  I hate toon Link with a passion, but I thought Wind Waker was a decent or even good game overall.  But it was no Ocarina of Time.  There were tons of flaws in the game design.  Wave Race: Blue Storm also was not as good as Wave Race 64.

A bunch of my favorite games/genres were also missing.  Even though Castlevania made two appearances on the Nintendo 64, it was absent here.  Nintendo sold Rare to Microsoft in 2002, so games like Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day didn't get to see sequels on a Nintendo system.  The Excitebike series disappeared and Boss Game Studios (who made Top Gear Rally and World Driver Championship) seemed to vanish.

2D gaming was also put on the back burner, similar to the Nintendo 64.  I found myself constantly going back to the Nintendo 64 or earlier systems for multiplayer, even well into the GameCube era.  Nothing was topping Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Vigilante 8 or other multiplayer games from the last generation.

The new dual analog control scheme also made first-person shooters unplayable for me.  Even though I tried XIII (I bought it used), I could barely shoot anything, and I gave up on the genre until Metroid Prime 3/The Conduit came out.  The D-pad on the GameCube controller also sucked.  Hard.

However, it wasn't all bad.  I did enjoy Wave Race quite a bit.  Mario Kart Double Dash also wasn't bad.  Two-player racing on one kart was fun, and Bob-Omb Blast was awesome.  Ikaruga and the Spider-Man games were lots of fun, and the Metroid Prime titles were the crowning achievements of the system.  In fact, Metroid Prime is my favorite Metroid game.  Four Swords Adventures is also fun.  It's a shame the system didn't turn out better though.

Mike's 2015 Boxed Nintendo 64 Collection

I got my Nintendo 64 for Christmas of 1996.  It was the first Nintendo console that I knew about before its release, so I was super hyped about it and Super Mario 64 especially.  Since I got my Nintendo Power subscription starting in 1993, I was able to read all about the upcoming "Project Reality" or "Ultra 64," as it was originally known, and drool over all the new games.

Ironically, Nintendo Power never me sent the Super Mario 64 issue, so I had to buy it from the store.  That really irritated me because the system was released in September and I had to wait until December to get one, so I at least wanted to read all about it and study maps and strategies until then.

Luckily, I did get to play the system once before its release.  My father took me to Sears (either for Christmas shopping or so he could buy tools) and Super Mario 64 was available to play on the demo unit in the video games section.  I had to wait in line behind a few kids, but I got my turn, and it was wonderful.  Ironically, no one was playing the Sega Saturn or PlayStation demo kiosks.  Everyone wanted to try Mario 64.

In California at least, the console was sold out during the holidays of 1996, and things like extra controllers were really hard to find.  My mother had to search all over town to find the system, but she finally checked Best Buy at the right time and was able to get me the system plus Super Mario 64 and Wave 64.  I spent the holidays playing through both games, and it was loads of fun.  I just couldn't put the controller down.  The Nintendo 64 also marked the first console that was purely mine (my brother and I shared the NES and SNES).

My system is in excellent condition and still works flawlessly.  I still have one of my original controllers, although I replaced the analog stick about a year or two ago.  I originally picked up a second controller right after Christmas of 1996, but the analog stick finally broke after about 10 years, so I had to replace it.  At the time I was able to simply order a brand new one directly from Nintendo's website, but it didn't come with a box or anything.  However, I kept my original controller box from around 1996, so it didn't really matter.

The system is stored in the same "system house" that I mentioned in my NES collection blog post.  It came from the Super Power Supplies Catalog from Nintendo Power.

The Nintendo 64 saw fewer control options than either the NES or SNES (it didn't have light gun, as one example), but there were still some good third-party controllers if you knew where to look.  A company named Interact became the successor to Asciiware (at least in my mind) by putting out turbo controllers and joysticks.  Interact had actually released some programmable controllers on the SNES, but I never got to try them.

Sometime in 1997 I spotted the Sharkpad Pro 64 in Best Buy (they used to have an awesome video game section), and I instantly decided that I had to get one.  It kept the same basic form factor as the official N64 controller but came in clear plastic and featured turbo.  I bought it on the spot.  Unfortunately, my original one broke on me within a few years, but I was able to replace it with another new one a few years ago off eBay.  In my mind, it's the best third-party controller on the system.  It feels like the spiritual successor to the NES Max and the Asciipad.

However, the Sharkpad Pro 64 apparently had a design flaw (I think with the analog stick), so Interact quickly issued a redesign called the Sharkpad Pro 64 2, which featured a bat-shaped design instead of the original three-pronged design.  I actually bought one of those after my original version broke, but I hated the feel of it (it was hard to hang onto the sides), so I sold it.  I store the Sharkpad in one of the common controller cases that stores used to carry.

I spotted the Arcade Shark a little while after I got Sharkpad (either 1997 or 1998), and I decided to get it as well.  Like with my NES and SNES, I picked up two standard controllers, a turbo pad and a joystick for the N64.  However, the Arcade Shark also broke on me a few years after I got it, so I bought a replacement around 1999 or so.  I then replaced that one with a third Arcade Shark a few years ago, so the box is from the recent one.

I remember seeing the V3 Racing Wheel in stores back during the N64 era, but I at that time I didn't have much interest in getting one.  A few years ago I decided to buy one off eBay (it was only $30 brand new), and it ended up being a lot of fun.  It works great with arcade racing games.

The Nintendo 64 was the first system where I started keeping the boxes and manuals for all my games and accessories, so I still have the original packaging for every game and item that I purchased brand new as a kid (except for the Arcade Shark, which got replaced, and one of my 12-game organizers).

The reason I have both a separate Expansion Pak box and Donkey Kong 64 is that I received the Expansion Pak before Donkey Kong 64 came out (it was released prior to the game).  So when I got Donkey Kong 64 for Christmas of 1999, I simply gave my friend the extra Expansion Pak and kept the packaging.

I only recently picked up the official Cleaning Kit.  Before that I used a third-party brand.  Controller Paks came in either a box or a blister pack (I think the box was only for the first year or two of the system), so although I have two Controller Paks, I only have one box due to one of them coming in a blister pack.

One of the 12-game organizer boxes is my original one.  Even though I bought two of them back in the late '90s, I lost one of the boxes somehow.  I managed to find a replacement box this year though.

I have two different Sharkpad Pro 64 boxes because I kept the original box (the smaller one on the left) even though I threw away the first controller after it broke.  When I bought the new controller off eBay a few years ago it was still sealed in its original packaging, so I ended up with two boxes.  I was really surprised to see that there were two different versions for the packaging. 

I picked up the following titles while the Nintendo 64 was still being sold in stores: Super Mario 64, Yoshi's Story, Mario Kart 64, Donkey Kong 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Wave Race 64, Excitebike 64, Dr. Mario 64, The New Tetris, Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Castlevania, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, Rampage: World Tour, Bass Hunter 64, Top Gear Rally, World Driver Championship and Vigilante 8.  So those are the original boxes from my teen years, which you can see in the picture below.

Hydro Thunder, Gauntlet Legends, Spider-Man, Quake and Turok Rage Wars were picked up sealed within the past few years off eBay and Amazon.  Killer Instinct Gold, Goldeneye 007, Doom 64 and Quake II were picked up used within the past few years, but in really good condition.

I have a real soft spot for the Nintendo 64, and a lot of good memories, but it only ranks as my fourth favorite Nintendo console behind the NES, SNES and Wii.  Although it has an excellent library, 2D games aren't represented very well (nearly everything is 3D), some of my favorite old franchises aren't on the system (hello Double Dragon, Metroid and Punch-Out!!), and the controller is uncomfortable and prone to wearing out.

However, the system has some excellent 3D platforming and racing games, and a legendary selection of FPS titles.  The multiplayer games are also excellent, although I prefer the more accessible, arcade nature of Wii multiplayer titles (not to mention NES and SNES games).

Star Soldier

I'm a big fan of vertical-scrolling shooters, so I've been keeping an eye out for some good ones to add to my collection (provided that they aren't too expensive).

I have the Star Soldier sequels on the Wii's Virtual Console, so I decided to get the original one for the NES, especially before it shoots up in value.  Since this game is really affordable, I picked up a sealed copy for a low price. 

I remember playing at least one shooter at a neighbor's house when I was a kid, but I don't know what game it was.  It could have been Gun Nac, but I'm just not sure.

In any event, I look forward to completing this one.

The All-Seeing Eye

High Voltage Software was handing these out at their booth at E3 2009.  It's a squishy ASE.  Now if I can only get it to levitate...

Mike's 2015 Boxed SNES Collection

My brother and I received our Super Nintendo for Christmas of 1992 (which of course included Super Mario World) along with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.  Before I that I had only played the Super Nintendo once at a friend-of-a-friend's house (it was Super Mario World, as I recall).  I also did not know about the SNES before it was released.  I didn't have a Nintendo Power subscription at that time and I don't remember any kids at school talking about the system.

I still have the original system and only the bottom half has turned yellow.  I think the yellowing varies based on the year the system was produced.  I've noticed that launch systems tend to be yellow almost all over.  But my system runs great.  Super Nintendos are built like brick shithouses.

I picked up the system organizer from the Super Power Supplies Catalog from Nintendo Power magazine in the mid '90s.  The SNES version is different from the N64 version in that the drawer is divided into three section.  Other than that, it's pretty much the same as the N64 version.

I store my additional games in a 24-game organizer that I picked up fairly recently off eBay.  It keeps the dust off the games and prevents sun bleaching on the labels.  I still have some of my original cartridges including Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Kart, Tetris Attack, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Killer Instinct.  I replaced my brother's Final Fantasy II with a complete copy a few years ago.  I also sold some games I used to own such as the first Street Fighter II (Turbo makes it irrelevant), The Addams Family, and Bass Masters Classic.

I still have the original two controllers that came with the system.  For some reason, the R buttons broke their hinges early on, so when you clicked the buttons, both the inside and outside of the button would depress.  It was weird.  A few years ago I managed to secure some replacement R buttons from a used game store online, so that fixed the shoulder button issue.

One of my close friends had an Asciipad when I was growing up, so that's how I became aware of that controller.  I think I picked up my own Asciipad around the mid/late '90s.  I also picked up my own Super Advantage joystick around the same time.  I loved the NES Advantage, so I had to get the Super Nintendo version.  I sold my original one a few years ago and purchased a brand new off eBay for a fairly decent price.  Also, I actually own two Asciipads because one of them has a D-pad that doesn't work at times.  Strangely, the cords are different lengths on each controller.  Certain Asciipads have really short cords while others have long ones.

Some people don't know this, but Asciiware actually made the NES Advantage and simply licensed it to Nintendo.  This was mentioned in a controller feature in Volume 49 (June 1993) of Nintendo Power magazine.  So it's no wonder that Asciiware released a Super Advantage themselves.

My same friend who owned an Asciipad also owned a Super Scope, and I managed to borrow it around the mid/late '90s along with Super Scope 6.  I thought it was really cool, so I got myself a used but complete in box Super Scope off eBay around 2011.  The thing is in excellent condition.


I got the Super NES Mouse off eBay a few years ago brand new for a really good price.  I don't remember using one of these back in the day, but I was certainly aware of it.  I originally picked up a Super Multitap in the late '90s when I became interested in retro four-player games, but I replaced it with a complete in box Super Bomberman Party Pack a few years ago.

The Konami Justifier light guns were picked up very recently.  You can use both at the same time for Lethal Enforcers, which is really cool.  You can have to connect the pink gun to the blue one through a daisy chain, similar to Panasonic 3DO controllers.

Unfortunately, the SNES is the only system where I didn't manage to keep the system box.  My parents must have thrown it out either the day we got it or the next day.  However, I did manage to find a replacement box a few years ago off eBay, and it's the exact same type that my system came in. 

The official S-video cable has the Japanese packaging because the U.S. packaging is almost impossible to find due to it coming in a type of bubble/blister pack with cardboard backing, which people obviously threw away.  Plus the cable wasn't popular.  Not many people ever used S-video, and you had to order the cable from Nintendo directly.  There was an order form in the back of the SNES instruction manual.

I have always liked different controllers and accessories, so that's why I have multiple big box versions of games.  I have the boxes for both Konami Justifier light guns.  The box for the pink gun is hard to find.

Like with my NES, I only have a few original boxes from my childhood, and that's because they were mid/late 16-bit era releases.  I started hanging onto game boxes by then.  Super Mario Kart, Yoshi's Island, Tetris Attack and Killer Instinct are my only original boxes.  Everything else is a replacement or something I picked up complete in box later on.

Overall, the SNES is my second favorite Nintendo console.  It is, quite literally, a "Super" NES because of how it continued a lot of popular series that started on the NES and simply beefed up the graphics and sound.  However, I tend to find the NES games to be higher quality, although it's a tough call in some cases.  But the NES tends to have more games in my favorite series (3 Mario games on NES vs. 1 on SNES, 2 Zelda games on NES vs. 1 SNES, 3 Castlevania games on NES vs. 2 on SNES, etc.), so I favor the NES.  Still, the SNES is a damn good console.