darkchylde28

Would we want to count the N64 Expansion Pak? It was planned, but the only reason it was released at the time that it was (in the specific capacity that it was) was due to RARE being unable to squash a memory leak bug in DK64 and the Expansion Pak being the only thing that would cause the game to not crash quickly. Fun fact, the game will still crash because of the bug, bit with the Expansion Pak installed it takes close to 10 hours of the game being on/played in order for it to happen. While RARE finally admitted this was the case in more recent years, people outside of official development circles pretty much proved this was the case due to later RARE games like Conker having better and more advanced graphics, resolution, etc., but neither requiring nor being able to utilize the Expansion Pak.

It was a great gimmick, although personally, I prefer how it was done in games like Sea Devil (and the later game it inspired, Sea Wolf). Neither are 3D, but I've got extremely fond memories of playing both games back before such classics vanished from the arcade landscape.

Everybody involved in that fiasco deserves to be fired and made ineligible to be part of any law enforcement or security job ever again, at a minimum. They're so full of shit it hurts in regard to that quote about anybody going in would have immediately been killed. Funny how that border patrol guy who took his barber's shotgun managed to barge in and get the guy without an issue, and he didn't remotely have the amount of armor or armament that even the basic police force did. After this much time has passed, I'm truly surprised that there haven't been any incidents of "street justice" coming for any of these cowards and clowns.

I don't know about that, as folks in the Apple II groups I'm part of on Facebook tend to go gaga over little 4-5" flat panel screens originally meant for use with home security cameras. I wouldn't want to go hooking up any sort of modern, high def console or gaming PC to the thing, but for older stuff, especially stuff that you might want to just wedge into an existing setup for a parallel experience, I could see this being of use. Creating some sort of HUD or off-screen gauge cluster or something could also be neat, but would require a lot of specialized programming to accomplish, even beyond writing drivers and such to get the screen recognized, so I don't see that happening unless some maker already has that kind of thing already in mind and would want to use these for their prototype/proof of concept.

I would recommend against the spicy one, as you are correct, it's simply some vaguely spicy sauce that doesn't taste like much instead of any sort of marinated fillet (which both Wendy's and Bojangles actually offer, and are great). My brother bought me one when picking up his own, so I tried the spicy version and forgot to come and post about it due to how disappointing it was. The overall tactile and fullness experiences are still there with the spicy one, but the sauce they add either covers up or mitigates almost all of the other flavors going on, giving the chicken very little flavor and none at all for the cheese. The fries were still good with it, but it doesn't compare to the regular version, even if you are a fan of spicy sandwiches (and even the ones where they just slap a spicy sauce on the regular version).

If we're going that far back, I'd say probably Star Wars (5/1983) in the arcade, 3-Demon (1983) or Elite (9/1984) on PC (which one depends on if you consider a 3D framework maze with fake 3D perspective monsters in it 3D or not, Elite is 100% polygons and free roam), and Starfox (3/1993) on consoles. I'd still say that all the Star Wars PC games had more of an impact, though, as it really turned my brother and I into aces as far as flight sims go due to the fact that nothing in the instructions told us that the top button on the joystick would rotate the ship, so we ended up completing every level of every simulator at every difficulty flying at so many extreme and ridiculous angles before we accidentally discovered you could rotate the ship vertically against the horizontal plane in the middle of a dogfight. After having faced down multiple armed targets in the simulator while flying backwards, sideways, upside down, etc., both games became a cake walk once we had full orientational control, lol. I remember having fun at times just emptying a Star Destroyer of fighters for kicks before actually completing my mission. (They hold 6 squadrons, BTW, or a total of 72 fighters of various types.)

No, no, there were battery powered TVs back then, and IIRC most of the Magnavox pong-clone consoles had both the option for battery power as well as being plugged into the wall, so that note very well could have been right on the money.

@MegaVolt, which version is your SNES Everdrive?

Are all the pieces to make the top/outer shell complete in the baggie? If so, I'd probably be interested, if just to polish my skill a little and potentially have a replacement top on hand for someone. Since you're opting to replace the top, did you decide to just go with red like you talked about, or something similar to the original piece like I suggested?

The paper concept you introduced here is a good one, but personally I would still want some glue within the crack itself, as support from the back is not going to reinforce it enough to keep the cracks from spreading, completely breaking, etc., even if it does keep all the pieces hinged together. You're right, though, in that you don't want the glue seeping out of the front side. When doing something that delicate, I'll typically put a drop or two of superglue on some scrap material and then use a metal pin or needle to swipe a tiny bit off the drop and use the sharp tip to wick it into the crack. That way you get some serious control over how much you're using and where it's going. You still need to be mindful about it going all the way through the crack, but it's much less likely to run and seep out in the quantities being used with a pin/needle. Supporting the cracks from behind after being sealed from within is an absolutely great idea, though.

The first thing that came to mind was X-Wing immediately followed by TIE Fighter, but others' recollections were more accurate than mine, as they pointed out that Wolfenstein, which released a year prior and was quite fun. However, hats off to @JamesRobot for thinking outside of the box and putting an X-Wing back in my top slot via the original Star Wars arcade game. Unlike the other games mentioned, most of which I haven't played in years, I don't know that I've ever been able to walk past a Star Wars arcade cabinet and sink at least one quarter/game into it.

I agree, there's no harm in trying if the main plan is to yank it and toss it anyway. The one thing I would note is that if superglue were used, the lens would need to be removed beforehand so as to prevent any vapors from the glue hitting it and depositing a permanent haze on it that's pretty much impossible to remove without doing some sort of damage to the plastic (scratches if manually removing it, warping if trying to use acetone, etc.). My method of choice would be to use a standard 2-part epoxy for the snapped front frame, then some sort of cobbled together jig or frame to hold it completely square and flat (placed face-down on something like wax paper, then with something sitting on top of the inner part of the shell to apply even pressure over the whole surface) until it cured ~24 hours later. It might be possible to use epoxy on the top/outer shell as well, but superglue might be better there, as epoxy tends to be very gel-like at best, and if the cracks aren't large enough or the pieces completely broken apart, it can be extremely difficult to get it inside of them. Liquid superglue, on the other hand, if used carefully, can be very easily made to flow into tiny cracks and crevices via capillary action. You've got to be much more careful with the superglue, though, as once it touches the paint and plastic, some of it will adhere even if you wipe it off, so you need to start out with a very small amount and only use as much as is needed. Should all else fail, though, here is a link to a full replacement case that's nearly identical to the one pictured. If repairs fail or just aren't in the cards, I'd say buying this replacement case and swapping out the top would be the easiest way to keep it as original as possible. The replacement is technically a 25th anniversary shell versus a 20th, but the design is almost the same, and there's even room to transplant the original iQue logo sticker.

I'm on Firefox, and I can, but the web console wasn't showing anything, just "document: 'Blog pictures don't work..dback - Video Game Sage'". However, I figured out how to get it to show for me. I turned off AdBlocker Ultimate on the page because it was showing 2 things caught, and then presto, the image you had in your photo showed up. I'm guessing OP has some sort of ad blocking going on that's catching his images and/or whatever is going on with the banners incorrectly.

@Gloves, FYI, I'm seeing the same thing--no banner/image showing.

I'd say that early Infocom releases might be contenders for this as well, as those came with all sorts of "feelies" that later editions and reissues specifically didn't. A lot of the second generation Ultima games were like that as well (still within the first 2-3 games, but past the point where they were just releasing floppies in a plastic baggie), with special coins, "gems," maps, etc. being issued for a certain release, then discontinued afterward.

I don't know that I would really count that, personally. It had a sticker attached to the front advertising the promotion, and basically just had a white paper box with a wallet stuffed inside taped to the back. I would think of this as more of a promotional variant than any sort of limited or special edition, as it wasn't deliberately manufactured that way, it was stuff that was thrown on after-the-fact to sell units. I guess all those hats, lighters, AM/FM radios, etc., that my dad got when he bought cigarettes somehow made those "limited edition" if this Superman truly counts in that category, lol.

If I was going to pay attention to branding, I would probably grab something by LocTite first. But if it's an application where an epoxy is appropriate, I most likely wouldn't really care and just grab the first 2-part epoxy "syringe" that's priced decently compared to how much is inside. The reason I put it that way is due to places like Harbor Freight having rock bottom prices on their tubes (typically around $1), but having labeling covering up the area where you can see the level of material inside and actually giving you like 1/5 or 1/4 of a tube instead of a full one. For the most part, the "standard" 2-part epoxy that you'll see sold in double-sided syringes is pretty much the same material and formula from manufacturer to manufacturer unless it specifically says otherwise (quick set, plastic, specific, etc.). One other thing I'll pay attention to is how much stress everything is going to go under and vary the type of 2-part epoxy based on that. If it's going to be something that might have the occasional bit of mechanical stress put upon it but was only broken accidentally and not through use-until-failure, I'm perfectly fine buying the stuff that will have its first full initial set in 5 minutes. However, if it's something that broke due to a lot of constant/consistent stress that will be going back into normal use and not just turned into a display piece, I'll go for the regular 2-part epoxy which takes longer to set up. The regular kind can subsequently be manipulated more and easier before it initially sets due to its firmness ramping up, allowing you to mix it, wait a bit, then apply it, mold it, etc. 5-7 minutes on instead of having to try to have 3 hands to hold something together for 10-15 mins until set. In the case of rebuilding the "stud" that held the wing extension gears for the Kenner shuttle, I used standard epoxy, then didn't start messing with it a ton until it had gotten a little warm and viscous, as I not only needed to get it in between all the little plastic pieces that had formed the little cube previously, but fill in some pretty big gaps and keep the thing square on all sides until it cured without throwing it into a mold that might bond to it. I was able to keep shaping the stuff and keeping all the sides and corners straight and sharp enough to decently mirror the non-broken (and non-stressed, thankfully) stud on the other side until it initially set ~15 minutes in, then keep turning it ever so slightly to keep it straight until ~60 minutes in, as it tried to twist slightly due ot how it had originally been rotated off the surface it stuck out of. Because of knowing how that epoxy set and cured, I was able to not only bond back together the pieces that were left of the broken mounting stud, but also recreate the mounting point without having to push a support through the material beneath it, which would have stuck out into another part as well as becoming visible. As is, it's been a permanent, functional repair that's totally invisible unless you tear the whole toy down and then yank off that gear. Things like that are why I always tout the stuff as much as I do, as it's incredibly versatile in how it can be used (bond stuff back together, reinforce repairs, make new/replacement pieces in whatever shape you can make without the necessity of a mold, etc.) and how, when working with things like toys, consoles, etc., the repaired bits can be, and often are, stronger than it was originally, making the rest of the item more likely to break than the repair. I hope my examples (and most likely some rambling, lol) helps you in your future repair endeavors. Thanks for hearing me out.

I dug around on my phone, and here are a couple of repairs using the materials discussed that I happened to already have photos of. This was a little crank arm that was part of a Fisher Price record playing carousel that I picked up for my daughter, since she loved the record player but didn't have the grip strength to wind it yet. The handle had been previously snapped in half, then very badly superglued together again, and was barely together in the package when I opened it, then literally falling apart as I pulled the packing paper from around it. I cleaned up the edges (removing superglue, its residue, and any other debris hanging out), then applied 2 part epoxy between the pieces and held them for ~5 minutes for the first set to kick in, mixed up some more, and added a second coat above and below the break all the way around, keeping it as thin as I could without disturbing the cure of the first repair, then allowed the whole thing to cure fora bit more than a day. I reinstalled it the following evening, and it's been rock solid ever since, despite being at the less-than-tender mercies of my then 3 and 7 year old kids. These next photos are of where I repaired and rebuilt the handle and catch portions of my kids' Fisher Price Sesame Street playset, as well as repaired a decent sized stress crack in the roof of the building. I started out with the missing retaining peg, drilling a couple of small holes in the plastic, cutting (and bending) some bits of metal paperclip, then mounting them firmly i the holes with a little 2 part epoxy on the ends to keep them in place. I then mixed up a bit of Milliput, applied it all over the frame I'd created, as well as up the side of the remaining plastic around it a bit (after scuffing the plastic slightly), shaped it to get it as close to the other side as possible, then left it overnight to cure. The next afternoon, I lightly sanded everything to smooth out the seam between the original plastic and repair (as well as to help match the lines of the cutout of the original plastic below it) and called it a day. For the other side, I did much the same, drilling small holes on each side of the area where the plastic used to retain the handle's pin was broken off, cut and bent some bits of metal paperclip to make a cage roughly the same size and shape as the other side but also small enough to fit within, then mixed up more Milliput and applied it over the whole thing, making sure to move the handle around a lot as I worked to make sure that the putty didn't adhere to it. I left it overnight, and after it cured, went after it with some files and sandpaper to finish getting it into the right shape and down to a size that, via eyeballing it, closely matched the other side. I tested it gingerly at first, then with a bit of gusto, shaking it around, then gave it to my kids to play with. Although I never got around to painting it to match the plastic as I'd intended, the repair has held up to this day, without a single crack, chip, ding, etc. to show for it. And as for the crack and gap in the roof, you can see it reasonably clearly in the second photo, then see where I epoxied it shut and filled in the gap at the edge in the fourth photo (and also see the ratcheting clamp I held the crack shut with while it cured at the edge of the shot).

Kind of, as they're severely unappreciated. Seriously, skip the JB Weld, in the long run it's junk. If you're taking pieces of something non-metal and gluing them back together, standard 2-part epoxy can't be beat. If whatever you're putting back together is in too many pieces, you might need or want to wait a couple of minutes after mixing to apply or start holding the bits together in the shape they're ultimately supposed to stay in, as it can be a bit too runny before it starts initial set, but after 5-10 minutes, you're good to go so long as you don't mess with it while it finishes curing. The big plus with the epoxy over other adhesives (and especially all JB Weld products) is that it doesn't become brittle, and will give ever so slightly under mechanical stress. Not enough to break, go out of shape, etc., but enough so that you don't snap off whatever you just put back on. In fact, you're more likely to break more of whatever you fixed off than you are to break the part that was repaired and fully cured. Another big plus is that once you get experienced and comfortable with it, you can actually start making your own replacement parts with it, either pouring/pushing it into your own molds, or just using it to fill in big gaps where material is totally missing (as I did with that Kenner shuttle I mentioned). One big drawback you're immediately missing with JB Weld in the application example you provided is that JB weld is conductive, since it's 20% iron by weight. Besides the fact that it will fail fairly quickly in applications where mechanical stress is being consistently applied (look it up, folks talking about repairing mechanically stressed car parts universally say to weld or replace a part versus using JB Weld on it, as the JB Weld repair won't last, regardless of its claimed tensile strength), putting something conductive into a power socket to fill it back in or piece it together is a seriously bad idea and most likely going to lead to shorting out and/or killing the power supply at least or a fire at worst. The repair you attempted wasn't a bad idea, as the Milliput wasn't conductive, but it cures fairly brittle; a 2-part epoxy would have done the job and not immediately fractured/broken. If you've not worked with the material before, at least give it a shot before dismissing it out of hand. You'll be surprised at how useful and versatile the stuff can be, as well as how strong (especially when applying a bit extra beyond the edges of cracks/gaps for additional mechanical support). I'm a huge proponent for functionally repairing something before repairing or discarding, and good 'ol basic 2-part epoxy has yet to let me down when used appropriately.

Ok, that was your issue. Milliput is basically a modeling clay that cures and hardens once it's mixed, but isn't nearly as versatile or useful as a true epoxy. The next time you go to fix something like this, use a "normal" 2-part epoxy, allow it the full amount of time to cure (typically ~24 hours, but can be up to 48-72 depending on the formula), and then made any last minute adjustments (sanding/shaving any excess bits) before buttoning things up. This type of epoxy will end up as strong as or stronger than the plastic that you were piecing back together and, if you apply a little extra over top of and/or around where the breaks being bonded back together are, will provide a bit more reinforcement to prevent repeat breakage. The stuff will have a minimal amount of flex to it if you really press on it, but won't be brittle, so it will allow for normal usage of things that don't have an extreme amount of constant mechanical stress. With that being said, I recommend you absolutely do not use any of the stuff that is specifically labeled "for plastics," as while it might be formlated that way, it tends to act more like superglue, which ends up very brittle under mechanical stress, and will usually break/shatter very quickly again. The handful of times I tried out the "for plastics" stuff, it didn't want to stick to or bond with any of the different types of plastics I used, even after I scuffed up the surfaces a bit, while standard 2-part epoxy (either the truly clear stuff, or the stuff that turns a bit yellow) worked without a hitch. Another thing to avoid would be JB Weld or anything with the JB Weld brand, even their "normal" 2 part epoxies. Standard JB Weld is said to stick to anything, will cure and initially hold up, but will be very brittle in the long run, especially under mechanical stress. I had a latch in our screen door's handle/lock mechanism that broke and kept having to fix it about every 4-6 weeks because the JB Weld just wouldn't hold up to the stress and would crack, then crumble into dust and gum everything up every time. I've tried their "for plastics" and standard 2-part epoxies as well and found that they didn't hold up any better, so best just to avoid them, as you'll only be paying more for their name, and then ultimately having to re-do anything that you've repaird with them after it experiences minor stress. Milliput can be great for fixing stationary plastic bits on things like toys, models, etc., and can even be used for some things that have stress applied to them so long as they're supported within (like having rebar within concrete), but shouldn't be used in anything by itself if there's going to be any sort of mechanical stress involved. I fixed my kids' Fisher Price Sesame Street playset using Milliput and was quite happy with the results, but I also used cut, bent, and embedded bits of metal paper clips to form a cage around the area that needed to be replaced, and only then pushed in and formed the clay to replace the broken off and missing bits. Had I used Milliput alone to make the replacement bits or stick together bits that were left, it would have broken off really quickly due to its brittle nature. I hope this helps. If you need or want to see any examples of things I've fixed with "generic" standard 2-part epoxy, let me know. I think the biggest one was the internal mounting points for the wing extension gears on one of my vintage Imperial Shuttles; here is a video of someone showing one of those doing its full wing drop, so you can imagine the stress of those ~1/2 lb wings dropping and then coming to a sudden halt.

What do you mean by "epoxy paste?" What, specifically, did you use? I tend to be a big fan of epoxies for long lasting, permanent repairs, and have to date not had a failure out of one. There are, however, some products labeled "epoxy" and popular in the public consciousness that are absolute garbage, especially for things that have any level of mechanical stress put upon them (which a power port would, however little, every time a cable was inserted and then removed). Would love to know the product at-hand to see if I can help prevent a similar outcome in the future.

Not precisely new, as I picked it up out of a bin of random parts and junk at a toy show about 5-6 years ago for a quarter. However, I came across it the day before yesterday while I was going through a closet looking for something. My son was kind of fascinated by the Pac-Man watch from my childhood, so I pulled this out and figured I'd see about getting it to work. That didn't happen yesterday, however, it was brought to my attention again today as I was putting away my game bit drivers that had been left out and came across it right next to their home. So, an hour or two ago, I set to getting all the screws out of the back to release it, then getting the screw out of the battery cover, and then trying desperately not to lose the battery cover screw that shot out of its hole and between my legs on the couch before it could be secured by a magnet. Success was had, and I found that there was no dust, dirt, or corrosion inside, and that it seemed to take a very normal watch battery, a 389. After a long day of galavanting with the family, I had no desire to leave again, so I looked up that cell in a comparison chart, then checked my battery box. Success! It turns out I'd bought a whole sheet of AG10 batteries at some point (most likely for my Pac-Man watch), and still had 8/10 remaining. I popped one out of its blister pack, shoved it into the void left the previous, very dead cell, then pressed it firmly into place with a finger while turning the screen in the light to see if there were any signs of life. Success again! Some characters popped up randomly, but didn't want to stay, most likely due to the metal battery holder/grounding plate not being installed. So, I set to getting everything put back together, finally fought the battery holder screw back into its hole and got the battery holder straight, then got the back/speaker screwed back down and secured. I tried finding instructions on this watch, but alas, had zero luck. I did, however, find a video by Gamester81 under what I assume is an old, or perhaps his original channel, where he was going by the moniker "NEStalgiaholic" that did a good job of going over the game (and flashing enough of the original instructions to give me a solid idea of what was up) and confirming that this thing was just a game and not, in fact, a watch (unlike my Nelsonic Pac-Man watch). I've played around with the game a bit and while it's fun, it's something that really needs to be played in daylight or directly under fairly bright light, as the graphics aren't nearly as crisp and visible as on my other game watch, and there's quite a bit going on, making this thing essentially a miniaturized Tiger handheld. You might notice from the photos that there is no watch band visible. That isn't by design, but instead due to whatever abuse this unit endured in its former life before passing into my hands. Looking at photos of "complete" units online, the "bumps" at the top and bottom appear to be designed for rubbery watch band halves to slide in from the side and lock in. Unfortunately, both of the bottom "lips" of each of these has been broken off onto mine, leaving a solid section on the left side, an open void in the middle, and and nothing solid on the right, so there's no possibility of putting a proper watch band on this thing without at least a bit of modification. Given what it is, I haven't made up my mind about whether I'll bother, as it's not yet clear how easy it would be to find a watch band whose pins would be narrow enough to fit in between the ends of the "bumps" for the original band. Regardless, it's nice to see it back to life, with apparently little real usage or wear on it since 1990 beyond the busted up and missing watch band. I was torn about whether to put this post here or in the "Repair" section, but opted for here since the only "repair" I really did was replacing the battery and making sure it worked correctly. Should I end up opting to fit it with a new watch band of some sort, I'll put that update in the "Repair" area. Look! They're friends!

IIRC, there was a bit in an episode of the original Duck Tales that went along similar lines, with the boys trying to jump in after Uncle Scrooge did, busting their asses, complaining about it, then Scrooge popping up near them with a big grin on his face, basically winking at the impossible physics of it all.

Just like a used car lot, and half as scrupulous (with none of the legal protections). Gotta keep your bread and butter suckers on the hook somehow.