Jump to content

MegaMan52

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,276

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

  • Feedback

    100%

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by MegaMan52

  1. MegaMan52

    Why Mega Man 5 is one of my favorite Mega Man Games

    By MegaMan52,


    Talking About A Specific Game
    Introduction

    Anyone who's seen my pictures (whether it's here on VGS or on Instagram) or just looked at my name knows I like the Mega Man series. But which game in the series is my favorite? Often, when there are polls asking this question or someone makes a top 10, Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 are the favorites among many fans.

    Like many, Mega Man 2 was my introduction to the series and not the original game. But as much as I liked it, it wasn't and still isn't my favorite. I noticed the additions and improvements almost right off the bat in Mega Man 3 (improved control, climbing ladders faster, extra stages before the fortress stages, the addition of Rush, etc.), and in some of the later entries. I actually have two favorite Mega Man games: Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 5. Mega Man 3 is by far the one I've played the most, and was also the first one that I got (I still have my original copy). I like them both equally, but for different reasons.
    Mega Man 5 is one of the most underrated games in the series. Nowadays, that is. I can remember in the early 2000's, it was usually ranked as one of the better games in the original series behind only Mega Man 2 and 3. But things have changed, and now it is often considered one of the worst games in the series (or at least one of the worst Mega Man games on the NES). Some even rank it lower than the first Mega Man game.
    Being one of the more underrated games in the series, I should probably explain why Mega Man 5 is, in my opinion, one of the better entries in the series and why I like it as much as Mega Man 3. I actually did post the reasons why on both NintendoAge and here on VGS, but maybe some forgot or aren't aware of the particular topic I posted those reasons in. So I've made this blog, which includes pictures showing exactly what makes this game among my favorites in the series.
    The Reasons Why Mega Man 5 is One Of My Favorite Mega Man Games
    Rush Coil is Different 

    I'm not saying this is a "better" version of Rush Coil, but I'm glad Capcom at least tried something a little different with Rush before Mega Man 6 was released. 
    Each Level Has Something Unique 

    Every stage has something different that affects the gameplay somewhat.

    Star Man's stage has low gravity.

    Gravity Man's stage has changing gravity.

    Gyro Man's stage has a section where you need to avoid spikes while riding on an elevator.

    Crystal Man's stage has sections where you need to avoid crystals while jumping over gaps and spikes.

    Napalm Man's stage has these drill machines that keep appearing until you get through this section.



    Stone Man's stage has no less than three hidden rooms. 


    Charge Man's stage has you riding both on top of and inside a Train, a bit of a step up from the Train stage in Little Nemo (but not quite as difficult).



    Wave Man's stage has a section where you need to jump on bubbles, and an auto-scroll section that also includes a mini-boss.

    The uniqueness and fun little gimmicks extend to the fortress stages as well.
    Rush Marine Was Removed 

    Rush Marine isn't very useful in most of the games it's been in (the only game I know of where it actually is useful is Mega Man II on Game Boy). Not only that, but Mega Man 5 only has one level with an underwater section. So, I'm glad it was removed. The game adds some things that are useful, some of which would also make appearances in future Mega Man games. Keep reading.
    The Mega Tank

    The Mega Tank was introduced in this game, which refills both Mega Man's energy and weapon energy, AND gives you 1-Ups. In fact, if you leave the enemies alone and use a Mega Tank, all of the enemies on the screen turn into 1-Ups. You can only carry one Mega Tank, but can still carry up to nine Energy Tanks like Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4.
    Other Mega Man games have Tanks with different names that also restore Mega Man's energy and weapon energy. Mega Man 7 has the Super Tank, while Mega Man 9 and 10 have an M Tank called the "Mystery Tank." I prefer Mega Tank.
    Beat is Useful 




    Beat was also introduced in this game, and you know what? He's useful. After finding letters that spell "MEGAMANV" (or "MEGAMAN5" in Mega Man Anniversary Collection) in the first eight stages, you can call Beat. He can be useful in "Protoman's" fortress, and is very useful during the final battle. 
    The Super Arrow 


    I like the Super Arrow because it is basically a three in one item. You can ride on it (like Item-2 in Mega Man 2, and Rush Jet), you can use it as a weapon, and you can use it on walls, allowing you to reach areas or platforms you otherwise wouldn't be able to reach if you simply jump (of course there's also Rush Coil, but still).
    The Mega Buster is Awesome 
    The charged shots look cool in Mega Man 5 and have a different sound effect than Mega Man 4. It's slightly disappointing they didn't re-use this game's charge shot sound effect in Mega Man 6. However, it is used in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which pleases me greatly. People criticize the Mega Buster for being overpowered in Mega Man 5, but the game doesn't force you to use it. Each boss is weak to a certain weapon, like the other games in the series.
    Conclusion
    There you have it. Mega Man 3 AND Mega Man 5 are my favorite games in the series. I know many would disagree about the latter being one of the best games in the series (nowadays), but it doesn't matter to me. I don't regret ranking Mega Man 5 above most of the others.
    All screenshots captured from a real unmodified NES, not an Emulator.



    -MegaMan52
  2. MegaMan52

    The Mandela Effect in Gaming

    By MegaMan52,


    Rumors/Theory's
    Introduction
    You've likely heard of the mandela effect, false memories of things that you "remember" from the past. And you've probably experienced it at least once. There's the whole "Berenstein" and "Berenstain" Bears conspiracy theory, leading some people to believe in the existence of parallel universes. You might "remember" something that isn't actually there in a movie you've watched many times over the years. The mandela effect can happen with pretty much anything.
    Video games are no exception. I never experienced the mandela effect with anything other than a video game. One game in particular: Super Mario RPG. Even though I'm not really that into RPGs, Super Mario RPG is my favorite Mario game on the SNES and possibly my favorite game on the console. I first played it in 1999/2000, and played it a lot up until 2004 or so. I not only rented it, but I also bought a copy with the box and manual at a rental store that closed in 2001. But as much as I liked and still like the game, there is something about it that's been bothering me for over twenty years: a possible false memory.
    What I "Saw" and "Remember"
    This occurred when I rented the game in 2000 or so. The particular copy of the game I rented was pretty well beaten, as I remember every level in the game being selectable. I decided to check out Nimbus Land, the area in the game that's above the clouds. I went inside the castle and explored. I walked into a small room with some stairs that apparently led to another room, but I couldn't go in. Why? Because Mallow was standing at the bottom of the stairs, guarding the room. I seem to remember him mentioning that his parents (King and Queen Nimbus) were in the room, and wouldn't let me in. Even though Mallow was inside the Nimbus Land castle guarding a room that his parents were apparently in, he still appeared with Mario in battles.
    I never saw this again. I rented the game again later, and it was just like the way we all know it. As mentioned above, I bought the game at a (different) rental store that closed in 2001 so and same thing: the game was the way we all know it.
    Writing to Nintendo 





    I used to write to Nintendo a lot. Sometimes I would send letters to the game counselors, or order manuals, accessories, Nintendo Power magazines, and Player's Guides.
    This memory I have bothered me every bit as much (and probably more) when I was a kid. I wrote a letter to Nintendo in 2000 but didn't send it, either because I thought they would think what I "saw" and wrote was "stupid" or because I simply forgot to send it. I still have the letter after all these years, as well as the envelope.

    It reads (typos and punctuation errors included): 
    "To Nintendo Game Play Counselors I need help with Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars again. I'm in Nimbus land now and there is something I can't figure out. I rented this game a couple of times and in the Nimbus land Castle there is a room where Mallow stands guard in and there is another one that Mallow's Parents are in but Mallow is standing guard and won't let me in do you think you can help me with this part?"
    I'm glad I didn't send the letter, because they likely wouldn't have known what I was talking about (or would they?). I'm also glad I still have it.
    Reading About Other Player's Memories
    in 2003/2004, I asked about this on GameFAQs. As expected, no one knew what I was talking about. But apparently, I'm not only one who remembers different things in Super Mario RPG.
    On GameFAQs, a user mentioned he rented the game and remembered the "Gate" level (the last level in the game) being selectable at or near the beginning of the game. Another user mentioned an area called "Mario's Factory", which was said to be the same as the Factory seen near the end of the game except you could walk on the Conveyor Belts.
    Were there different versions of Super Mario RPG at some rental stores or...did some people, including myself, experience the mandela effect?
    Looking at Issues of Nintendo Power 


    i bought several issues of NP in the early 2000's, some of which answer player's question's in the Counselor's Corner section and other's show easter eggs in the Classified Information section. None of these magazines show or mention what I saw.
    A few years ago, I bought issue 77 of NP and noticed a preview showing a beta version of Super Mario RPG. Some of the areas shown in the pictures look similar to the final version of the game, while other areas look very different or aren't even in the game. Once again, I didn't see or read anything about what I saw that one time I rented the game.
    Conclusion
    To this day, no one seems to know what I may or may not have seen while playing Super Mario RPG over twenty years ago. There are rumors that some rental copies were different, but as far as I know that wasn't proven true. I guess it's just a false memory. The mandela effect can happen to just about anyone, whether they're watching a movie or TV show, reading a book or magazine, or playing a video game. In my case, I have a false memory of something I "saw" in a video game.

    Since 2021, I've had a Japanese copy of Super Mario RPG. It's a little unfortunate that I'll probably never know the truth about what I "saw" or whether there really were different versions of the game at rental stores or not.
    -MegaMan52
  3. MegaMan52
    Introduction 
    I visited two Chuck E. Cheese locations earlier in the month, both different than the one I visited in September and October.
    You might be thinking "what is the point"? Well, much like player's towns in the Animal Crossing games, not all Chuck E. Cheese locations are the same. The games, the items in the Gift Shop, and, in some cases, even the layout differs, with some locations being bigger than others.
    Exploring the different Locations

    The first of these two locations that I visited is very similar to the location I visited in September and October, using an older Chuck E. Cheese logo from the "Avenger Chuck" era. The layout inside almost looks the same. The game selection, however, is very different. 
    I visited during the restaurant's "Winter Winner-Land" event, which began in November. The windows were decorated with snowflakes, and there was a small Christmas Tree inside on the counter. It was busy and very noisy. There was also a Birthday Party going on.
    Like the location I visited two or three months ago, I ordered a stuffed crust pepperoni pizza. It tasted pretty much the same here, and was not too bad. The Chuck E. Cheese pizza crust has a lot of flavor. I also ordered some Cheesy Bread (Bread sticks, basically), which came with some Ranch dip. For drinks, I got some orange soda.
    Time to play some games. I used the blue Play Band that I got on my Birthday in October, which still had points on it:

    Sonic Spinner

    Wow, a Sonic the Hedgehog game in a Chuck E. Cheese. There's not much to this game. The images on the machine are from Sonic Adventure. After tapping your Chuck E. Cheese Card or Play Band, Sonic starts spinning. There's one button, which you press to make Sonic stop spinning. Once he stops spinning, the number that he points at on the machine is the amount of E-tickets that you get. That's about all there is to this game.
    Pac-Man: Ticket Mania 

    This game is pretty cool. It plays basically like the original Pac-Man, but has some added features. After clearing the maze, the game tells you to enter the pot (the box with the fruit in the middle of the maze). If you're able to get there, Pac-Man becomes super sized and swarms of ghosts and fruit fill the maze. You play for a bit longer, gobbling everything in sight. Then the game ends and goes back to the title screen. The machine itself looks cool, with animated images of Pac-Man and the ghosts on top. It also flashes in different colors.
    Galaga Assault 

    Until I played this game, the newest Galaga game I played was Galaga Arrangement which I've played for years in Namco Museum for GameCube. Galaga Arrangement, however, was originally released in Arcades in 1995 as part of Namco Classics Collection Vol. 1. This game is much more recent.
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2017)

    A Ninja Turtles game that is based on the 2012 Nickelodean cartoon series, but plays like the original Ninja Turtles Arcade game as well as Turtles in Time. Like those games, this game allows up to four players. There's a meter below your Turtles' energy meter. When it's full, your Turtle can use his special move. TURTLE POWER! 


    Chuck E. Cheese's Sketchbook

    This machine takes a picture of you. After that, it shows an animation of Chuck E. drawing you. He talks while drawing, saying things like "Uh-oh, my hand slipped!", "now to add the final touches!", or "you'll want to frame this one!". After Chuck E. is finished drawing, the machine prints your picture in black and white. Kind of similar to the Game Boy Camera.

    I stayed for about an hour and half (probably a bit longer than that). After eating pizza and playing some games, it was time to visit another Chuck E. Cheese location.

    It was getting late. I was a long way from home and needed to get back. While this location isn't too far from the previous location, there was lots of traffic and it took me about an hour to get here from the other Chuck E. Cheese. It looks like this location uses an even older Chuck E. Cheese logo. Though it wasn't fully lit, if you look closely you can see that it shows a bored-looking Chuck E.
    Unlike the other location, this location wasn't busy. I'm sure there are busy days/evenings here, it just wasn't busy when I visited. There were only one or two families. This location is bigger, and has a different layout.
    I only had one drink of orange soda at the other location, and needed a drink. Though there were about a thousand other places I could've gotten a drink, since I already wanted to visit this Chuck E. Cheese location anyway I went ahead and ordered some water. I was given a bottle, which was nice and cold. I sat at a table for a few minutes and drank my water. Like I said there was lots of traffic; I needed to relax for a bit.
    Once again, the game selection was different and I used my Play Band (which STILL had some points on it). I needed to get back home, so I didn't stay here very long and only played two games (well, technically just one).
    Chuck E. Cheese Photo Booth 

    That's really all it is. Sort of like the Sketch Book Machine, but prints color pictures. It doesn't have an animation of Chuck E. drawing your picture, but he does appear on the screens as well as the printed pictures. You can go inside and sit, or stay outside of the machine and stand in the back. The border around the picture differs depending on weather you take the picture inside or outside. Either way, the pictures come out of a slot outside of the machine in the back.
    After using the Photo Booth, I noticed Chuck E. (an employee dressed up as the character) was standing near the Photo Booth. There was no one else on this side of the restaurant (there was one family on the other side, near the kid area), so I said hi. He was wearing a Santa hat on one of his ears, which I liked.
    Mario Kart 


    This location has a Mario Kart Arcade game. This was one of the few Mario Kart games I hadn't played. Being developed by Namco, it also includes Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man in addition to the Mario characters. I raced on two tracks on 150cc, and got 1st place. This shouldn't be surprising to anyone who's played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on VGS game nights, or looked on my social media pages (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit).
    That's about all I did at this location. I didn't have time to play any other games and needed to get back home. One of the other games I saw was H2Overdrive, a sort of sequel to Hydro Thunder. As I was leaving, I noticed this location had some Jumbo Cotton Candy. I didn't buy any since I already got some Cotton Candy at the location mentioned above, but perhaps that's a reason besides the Mario Kart game to come back to this location sometime.
    Chuck E. Cheese App 

    The Chuck E. Cheese website mentions that if you download the Chuck E. Cheese App, you can get 500 E-Tickets for free. So I downloaded it. At the first location mentioned above, I went to the Gift Shop, showed the lady the App, and got the Tickets. While some of the items here are different than the location I visited in September and October, there wasn't much that I wanted. Some of the items I already have (like a Chuck E. Plush), while others I wasn't really interested in. There was A LOT of Cotton Candy, and I noticed a sign on the counter saying you can get Cotton Candy for 500 E-Tickets. Like the location I visited a few months ago, there was blue and pink. I didn't really want Cotton Candy, but there wasn't really anything else I was interested in either. The lady mentioned I could get both in one (half and half), which I didn't know was an option. Previously I paid for the Cotton Candy and got blue and pink separately, but this time I used my bonus 500 E-Tickets from the App and got half and half Cotton Candy.

    Conclusion
    Visiting different locations of the same restaurant may not seem all that great, but in the case of Chuck E. Cheese it is interesting because of the different games. Someday, I hope can find a Chuck E. Cheese that has Cruis'n Blast (I like the Switch version, but you know...I want to play the Arcade version too).
    -MegaMan52
  4. MegaMan52
    Introduction
    I recently did some travelling and visited one of the few remaining video rental stores in Canada. 
    I found out about this store in a news article. They've been in business for over forty years, the store got a new owner in 2020, and even though video stores are largely a thing of the past, this one somehow survived the pandemic.
    The store has pretty much everything: VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, 4K, collectibles, drinks, snacks, and popcorn. I believe they also have some video games, but no where near as many of them as movies. I haven't visited a video rental store in at least a decade, and kind of missed them. It was a very long drive to this store, but it was worth it.
    Arrival

    A lit OPEN sign, popcorn, and new releases...yep, this is most definitely a video rental store I'm looking at in the year 2022.
    Movies Everywhere



    As expected, pretty much everywhere you look in this store you see shelves full of movies in just about every format you can think of. There are hundreds of VHS tapes available to buy for a buck each, and DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K for rent and sale. Horror, Drama, Thriller, Action, classic movies, modern movies, kids movies, adult movies...it's all there.
    Atmosphere 



    The walls have several vintage posters, such as Ghostbusters and The Breakfast Club. New Releases are also advertised apparently, though not all of these are exactly new.
    Snacks And Drinks
    I didn't get any snacks (you'll find out why if you read my upcoming blog), but they have their own bags of "famous" already-made popcorn. They've also got a cooler with Pepsi drinks. Lots of Candy by the counter too. Basically, the kind of goodies you remember being in the video stores of the past.
    Purchases 

    As I don't live anywhere near this store's location, I couldn't rent anything. But I still decided to buy something and support the place. I bought Dick Tracy on VHS. It wasn't a dollar like most of the other VHS tapes, but it does look clean and it does work. I don't have it on either DVD or Blu-ray and it's been years since I last watched it, so I was happy to buy it. I don't mind that I got it on VHS, as I have a large VHS collection.
    As I paid for the movie I briefly talked to the owner, Joe French. He seems like a nice guy. He was talking to a few other customers while I was looking around, and seems knowledgeable and is able to answer pretty much any question about movies that he's asked.
    Conclusion 
    This blog isn't as big as my other blogs. I couldn't hang around at the store for too long as I had other things to do, and it was a long drive back home. But I'm glad I was able to visit one of the few video rental stores left in Canada, I got to take some pics, and I got Dick Tracy on VHS. Maybe I'll return someday (if they're still open).
    -MegaMan52
  5. MegaMan52

    Why Sonic Adventure is best on GameCube

    By MegaMan52,


    Comparisons
    Introduction
    The GameCube version of Sonic Adventure is praised by some but also criticized by many for being a so-called "bad" port of the original for Dreamcast. It has a lot of changes, sure, but most of those changes are improvements and additional content that more than make up for its shortcomings.
    The following screenshots of the Dreamcast and GameCube versions of Sonic Adventure are from a twenty-minute video I made comparing the two versions. Both versions were played using their original consoles. No Emulators, no backwards compatibility. Furthermore, the Dreamcast screens are from a later copy of the game containing a revision (NA Version 1.1) that includes full Japanese and English voice tracks, some different camera angles, and bug fixes, among other things. Sonic Adventure DX for GameCube is based on the revised Dreamcast version and has most of these same improvements and more.
    Why Sonic Adventure DX is better
    Graphics: 
    Since the GameCube is a more powerful console and SADX was released four years after the Dreamcast version (five years, if you count the fact that the Dreamcast version was released in Japan in 1998), the character models were enhanced with higher polygon counts, shadows were added, the draw distance was improved with less pop-up, water effects look better, a floor/ground was added in the Chaos 4 battle, and the game runs at 60 frames per second (which was what the Dreamcast version was originally going to run at). Other details were also added in certain areas.


    This is what Sonic looks like. He, as well as the other characters, look somewhat blocky in the Dreamcast version. He looks rounder in the GameCube version due to the increased polygon count, more closely resembling his appearance in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.




    Various shadows were added to the GameCube version.






    These are examples of the GameCube versions improved draw distance (you can see more in the distance). In the first two pics (taken in the first part of Emerald Coast just before the Whale area), you can't see either the building, bridge, or loop in the Dreamcast version but you can see them in the GameCube version. In the last one, look where Sonic's right hand is. You can't see those Dash Panels or Springs from here in the Dreamcast version, but you can in the GameCube version.


    The water was noticeably improved in the GameCube version, looking distorted and wavy. In the Dreamcast version, the water effects are simplistic in comparison.


    The Chaos 4 boss battle. Look underneath Chaos in the Dreamcast version; there's nothing. In the GameCube version, a floor/ground was added.


    Outside of the Casino in Station Square. The Dreamcast version looks a bit generic here, while the GameCube version has a "Casino Ken" sign. 




    This is the door in the Casino area of Station Square that leads to the Hotel. You can see that the textures inside don't match in the Dreamcast version. The floor has a red carpet in the GameCube version, both when you're outside and inside the Hotel.
    Audio: 
    Both the Dreamcast and GameCube have excellent audio capabilities and are comparable. However, GameCube discs have more space. As a result, due to the inclusion of both English and Japanese voice tracks, the audio is slightly muffled in the Dreamcast version. Most of the sound effects sound pretty similar in both versions, but the music and some of the sound effects sound clearer on the GameCube. The GameCube version also supports Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound. Unfortunately, the audio can't really be compared in a blog but I'll point out some of the areas where the GameCube version sounds better.




    The whale section in the first area of Emerald Coast, and the fish jumping out of the water at the end of the second area of Emerald Coast. The splashing sound effects are pretty quiet and muffled in the Dreamcast version. In the GameCube version, these sound effects are loud and clear.
    t

    If you stand by a door in the Dreamcast version, the door opening/closing sound effect plays over and over. This was corrected in the GameCube version, so that the sound effect only plays when the door is actually opening and closing (not while it is already open).


    The monitors in the Station Square Chao Garden are silent in the Dreamcast version. This was corrected in the GameCube version.
    The Egg Carrier doors are also silent in the Dreamcast version. Fixed in the GameCube version.
    Extras: 
    The big reasons why the GameCube version is the best. None of these features are in the Dreamcast version.



    The GameCube version adds a Mission Mode, which has sixty tasks to complete. Two additional music tracks can also be heard in this mode when you start and complete a Mission.







    The Mini Game Collection Mode contains every Sonic game released for the Game Gear. Literally all twelve of them, including Sonic Drift and Tails' Skypatrol which were originally only released in Japan. Games that include Versus Modes can still be played with a second player, and even the games that don't have a Versus Mode can be played with a second player. In addition, if you set the text language in the options menu to Japanese, you can play the Japanese versions of some of the Game Gear games. These games can be unlocked by collecting Emblems, as well as completing Missions in the Mission Mode. 


    A Camera option was added to the pause menu in the GameCube version. You can choose the original "Auto Camera", or the added "Free Camera" option which can be moved around with the C-Stick. 

    Also added to the pause menu is a Map option for viewing Maps of the Adventure Fields (Station Sqaure, Mystic Ruins, and Egg Carrier). It's pretty useful in the jungle area of Mystic Ruins.




    Yet another addition to the pause menu. If you choose Quit, the Dreamcast version just goes back to the title screen and doesn't bother asking you if you really want to or not. The GameCube version asks you if you're sure you want to go back to the title screen, allowing you to go back to the pause menu if you made a mistake.


    As mentioned above, the GameCube version has Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound. Also, for some reason, the Memory Card icon on the options menu isn't animated in the Dreamcast version but it is animated in the GameCube version.
    The Dreamcast version doesn't allow you to skip cutscenes. Cutscenes can be skipped in the GameCube version.





    The Station Square Chao Garden has several additions in the GameCube version, most of which are from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. First, there are Action Windows telling you what button does what (the controls in the Chao Gardens are somewhat different than the levels). The Black Market is also included, allowing you to spend the Rings you've collected in the levels and buy many of the Chao items from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. If you pick up a Chao, their Stats are shown. A Chao Board was added beside the door that leads to the Chao Stadium. The Chao Transporter is largely the same as in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, but here you can also download a few mini games to a Game Boy Advance.  




    Cream the Rabbit, who first appeared in Sonic Advance 2, makes several cameos in the GameCube version in both the Adventure Mode and Mission Mode. In the Adventure Mode, she can be seen flying around Station Square. In Mission Mode, depending on the mission, some Sonic Advance 2 signs appear. Chris Thorndyke from the Sonic X cartoon also makes a cameo.

    Both versions have 130 Emblems to collect. Collecting them all is very difficult and time-consuming. But the GameCube version actually rewards you for collecting them. In addition to the Game Gear games, collecting all 130 Emblems in the GameCube version allows you to play as Metal Sonic in Sonic's levels in the Trial Mode.
    Conclusion 
    For whatever reason, the GameCube version of Sonic Adventure got poor ratings from critics compared to the original Dreamcast version. But as you can see, it makes several improvements and adds so many features that it might as well be the definitive version of the game. That being said, I can understand why some people are nostalgic and might prefer the Dreamcast version. It was one of the Dreamcast's launch titles and was a huge deal in 1999. The Dreamcast version is the original experience, while the GameCube version is the definitive experience. I'm glad I have both versions.
    -MegaMan52



  6. MegaMan52
    Introduction 
    I visited Chuck E. Cheese last month in September. The restaurant chain wasn't a very big part of my childhood, and it wasn't even really on my mind until just a couple months ago. After watching videos and finding out more about it, I was interested in visiting. I enjoyed my visit.
    My Birthday is in October. After finding out that there's no age limit for having Birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese, I decided I wanted to celebrate my Birthday there. I hadn't celebrated my Birthday since 2008 (at least), so I contacted my family and told them I wanted to have my Birthday there. 
    We ordered a Birthday Package on the Chuck E. Cheese website, and reserved a table for 7:00 pm. Since it is October, I also got to visit during their "Boo-tacular" Halloween event.
    Arriving at the Restaurant

    It was a long drive, but I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before 7:00. Most of my family wasn't there yet. Before going in, I took a picture of the restaurant. As you can see, the location I went to still uses an older logo from the "Avenger Chuck" era instead of the current logo used at several other locations. To be fair, this is probably one of the more iconic Chuck E. Cheese logos. And it looks cool at night when it is lit.



    The inside of the restaurant was decorated with cobwebs, ghosts, and bats. My server for the night greeted me as soon as I entered. The table was already decorated with a cloth, balloons, cups, plates, utensils, and a Birthday sign. 
    While the package was already ordered and my table was already setup, I still needed to order pizza and drinks before I could play any games. I asked if I could have a "pumpkin pepperoni pizza" that was mentioned on the website. She wrote it down. She told me I could order two drinks, and she would fill two pitchers. The restaurant has Pepsi drinks. I quit drinking Coca-Cola and Pepsi a few years ago, but figured my family wanted Pepsi so I ordered it as well as some Mountain Dew (which was what I drank when I visited last month). My server told me that a live show with Chuck E. Cheese (a Birthday dance) was part of the package, and asked me if I wanted it. I said no, but told her that I'd like to get a picture with Chuck E. I was then asked if I wanted a picture on my cake. The website mentions a few different pictures, like Batman and Hello Kitty. I told her I wanted a picture of Chuck E. Everything was ordered, but I still couldn't play any games yet. I brought my card from my previous visit, but it was empty. They have kiosks there for reloading the cards, but I chose not to use them because I was supposed to receive a wristband (called a "Play Band") as part of the package.

    After waiting a few minutes, my server came back to the table and gave me a Play Band with 45 points on it. I was ready to play some games while the pizza was cooking but decided to wait for the rest of my family. They arrived a few minutes later and were given Play Pass/All You Can Play cards.
    Game On 
    It wasn't very busy, which I guess is to be expected since it wasn't Saturday. I only had time to play three games: Luigi's Mansion Arcade, Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz, and Cars, all of which I played during my previous visit. My family played games too (yep, even my parents). I started with Luigi's Mansion. Right before playing, I saw Chuck E. walk by holding a ticket sign. He walked near the entrance, where he did his "Haunted Dance" for the kids. 
    Like my previous visit, I played Luigi's Mansion alone. At least for a few minutes. Eventually, my brother (who was playing a different game) joined me (the game allows up to two players). I got through the first mansion and beat the boss. I played through only part of the second mansion because I needed to get back to my table soon and so I moved on and played Super Monkey Ball.
    When playing Super Monkey Ball, I ran into a similar situation as when I got to track 8 in Rad Racer last month (one of the games on my list in the backlog challenge topic). As soon as I got to the goal, the timer ran out and I didn't beat the level. I continued and got through the level on my next try. I didn't get much further; I can't figure out how to beat the bonus levels (I always just barely miss the ring).
    The only other game I had time to play was Cars. Just as I sat down to play it, my server asked me if I was hungry and said my pizza was ready. I played Cars for only a few minutes and returned to the table.
    Pizza Time

    A lot of people say the pizza at Chuck E. Cheese is "bad", but I like it. The crust has a lot of flavor and stuffed crust made it even better.
    My server put a slice on my plate and filled my (small) Chuck E. cup with Mountain Dew (I helped myself after). 
    Cake and Birthday Song

    After eating a few slices of pizza, my server came back to the table with my chocolate cake. I guess they didn't have number candles, so they put one regular candle on it. Yes, it was lit. Chuck E. appeared for a few minutes, and my family and server sang Happy Birthday. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted them to sing Happy Birthday. But it's been fourteen or fifteen years since I last celebrated mine, so I thought "OK, why not?". After blowing out the candle, it was time to get a picture with Chuck E.
    Photo-op with Chuck E.

    As mentioned above, I told the server I wasn't interested in the live show/Birthday Dance so we skipped that and I got a picture with Chuck E. I'm not going to show my face, but that's me there with Chuck E. As you can see, I'm wearing a Mega Man shirt. If you're wondering why my right leg looks a bit chubby, it's because my wallet was in my pocket. I weigh only about 160 pounds.
    While Chuck E. dresses up as a vampire at other locations, here he wasn't really dressed up like that. He had the fangs, but didn't appear to be wearing a cape. I'm not sure if the employee forgot (or chose not to) wear it, or if they don't have a cape at this location.
    Birthday Presents 

    I got some presents, which I opened at the restaurant. Back to the Future is my favorite movie series of all time, so my family already had an idea of what to give me even though I didn't give them any ideas. I also got a Birthday Card, a Walmart Gift Card, some t-shirts (not the Mega Man shirt, which I got from a friend several years ago), and a new Hat. Maybe I'll use the Walmart card to buy Season 4 of Cobra Kai, which I read was recently released on DVD.
    Boo-tacular Event 


    It's October, so of course the restaurant was decorated. While my Birthday celebration wasn't quite over yet, I decided to get off my chair and take some pictures in the Studio C area (the area with the TV's, and where my table was). Also, as I mentioned in my previous Chuck E. Cheese blog, the location I went to still has a Chuck E. Animatronic.
    Some Chuck E. Cheese Halloween music videos were playing on the TV's (as well as some shorts), some of which I've actually already seen on YouTube. A few songs were released this month: 
    "Howl-O-Ween" - I'm not really into Country music, but this song was surprisingly good. It features Jasper T. Jowls, the dog. The other main characters (Chuck E., Helen, Mr. Munch, Pasqually, and Bella) make an appearance near the end. Despite the fact that I'm not into Country music, this turned out to be my favorite of these new Chuck E. Cheese songs. AAAAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
    "Witches Crew" - Features the characters Helen, Bella, and Dino. Despite featuring three characters, it focuses on Helen about 75% of the time. I think Bella is kind of an underrated character and wish she had more screen time in this music video. It does get a little better about halfway through, with Bella getting a few close-ups and Dino suddenly getting a voice. Even though this song is targeted mainly at female Chuck E. Cheese fans, I like it a little more than the song below.
    "If Everyday Was Halloween" - A hip-hop song. The beginning and end of the video features Chuck E. and Mr. Munch, apparently returning home from trick or treating. The actual song, though, only features Chuck E. I admit I'm a little biased towards Chuck E., so I thought this would be my favorite of these three songs. Surprisingly, it turned out to be my least favorite. It's not a bad song, but...maybe it would've been a little better if Mr. Munch was part of the song too. Also, while I know the song is titled "If Every Day Was Halloween", the music video is clearly a reference/advertisement for the restaurants "4 Seasons of Fun" ("Boo-tacular", of course, is one of them).
    When Chuck E. makes his appearances in the restaurant (at the 30 minute mark every hour), he does a "Haunted Dance" for the kids this time of year. Apparently, the employees were also giving away candy. I didn't get any, but that doesn't matter since I eat some on Halloween (and also watch Horror movies).

    I joined Spotify a few weeks ago (and recently got Premium for free). I've listened to a few Chuck E. Cheese songs here as well. My favorite Chuck E. Cheese song is "Let's Have a Party." I believe the new Halloween songs are also on Spotify.
    The Ticket Blaster


    The server left fifteen minutes before the restaurant closed. She gave me two "Magic Tickets", worth 500 Tickets each. On the website, it mentions "Bonus E-Tickets" as part of the Birthday packages. I guess these were the Bonus Tickets, but they were physical instead of digital. I looked at the words on the Tickets, and noticed they were meant for the Ticket Blaster. I was reminded that I didn't use the Ticket Blaster machine yet (which was part of the package). The restaurant was closing in ten minutes. I talked to the Manager, and she allowed me to go in the Ticket Blaster even though the restaurant was about to close. 


    I was given thirty seconds to catch as many Tickets as I could. While I did manage to catch a handful, I didn't get that many. It's a little hard when they're being blown around all over the place. The Manager gave me a handful of Tickets I didn't catch. I don't know why. Does touching Tickets or Tickets landing on my shoulders count as "catching" them? I don't know. Anyway, including the "Magic Tickets" I was given before, I had 1300+ Tickets.
    The Gift Shop




    Before leaving, I went to the Gift Shop. The Chuck E. Cheese website mentioned some Halloween merch: a Chuck E. Vampire Plush, a light-up Cup, and some Halloween bags. They were sold out of these items, which didn't surprise me since there Halloween event started last month.
    I got a few Chuck E. items with my Tickets, and got the ball for $20. I also took home most of my Birthday items. 
    Conclusion


    If you've read up to this point, you're probably thinking I'm out of my mind for having my Birthday at a "kids" restaurant. First of all, I'm never too old for pizza and video games. Second of all, there's no age limit for parties and Chuck E. Cheese is for families not just kids. As a video game player and collector since 1990, as well as a lover of pizza, it made perfect sense for me to celebrate my Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. 
    I plan on visiting again next year (multiple times).
    -MegaMan52
  7. MegaMan52

    Top 10 Horror/Haunted Games

    By MegaMan52,


    Top 10's
    Introduction
    While not my favorite genre, there are a fair number of horror/haunted-themed video games that I like. And since it's October, I thought now would be a good time to make a blog sharing my top 10 horror games. Some of these aren't really "horror" games, but still have a sense of the season by having haunted levels or enemies such as ghosts or bats. 
    Top 10 Horror/Haunted Games
    10.Monster Party


    Monster Party deserves a spot on this list just for the fact that it is weird. It is so weird, that it is awesome.
    As soon as the title screen appears, the game introduces you to the boss characters...some of which are food items, like a giant Shrimp and an Onion Ring. Things are a little weird already, but it gets weirder as soon as you start the game.


    You play as a kid named Mark, who is walking home from a Baseball game. A Gargoyle named Bert appears suddenly and tells Mark that his world is in trouble, and he needs his help. Why he would ask an ordinary kid with a Baseball Bat is a mystery, but the weirdness is what makes this game worth playing.

    Right before a level starts, this screen is shown. Despite the fact that Nintendo usually didn't allow companies to include blood and violence in their games at the time, apparently this screen showing skeletons in a pool of blood was okay.

    Once the first level starts, you realize that the game itself is a generic platformer. Nothing bad or overly weird, just generic and a little boring. Or so it seems.

    Each level in the game has doors. Enter the doors, and you're in a room. Creepy music starts playing. Some of the rooms are empty, and some of them have bosses.


    In one of the rooms is a giant plant. So...does this remind you of anything? It's supposed to be a reference to Little Shop of Horrors. In a prototype version, this is more obvious due to the presence of a Microphone and a Speaker. The plant shoots (what appear to be) bubbles. You can either run up to it and whack it with Mark's Bat, or you can "play ball" and swing Mark's Bat to send the bubbles back at the plant.

    On the right side of the room, there is an invisible object that Mark can stand on. This is the Speaker from the prototype version; it's still there, just not visible.

    In another room, one of the bosses says he's/it's "dead" (yet he/it can still talk, apparently), and you win the battle without even doing anything.

    About halfway through the level, you come across this tree.


    Walk past the tree and the seemingly happy, mostly peaceful level turns into a bloody nightmare. The tree's face changes, other faces appear, and the happy face platforms turn into skulls. The music even changes when this happens. I'm not sure if Nintendo's censors didn't get past the title screen, or if they allowed this because they wanted the game to appeal to older players.

    The last boss of the first level is a Pumpkin Ghost that says "Please don't pick on me." Beat this boss to get a key and move on to the next level.
    Anyway, you get the idea. The game itself isn't great by any means but is still worth playing because of how weird it is. If you haven't already, I recommend reading about the prototype version as it has even more parodies and references to classic horror films. Even though the game was made in Japan and the prototype version is for the Famicom, the game wasn't released in Japan. It was only released in the U.S. and Canada.
    9.Jersey Devil 

    Remember this early 3D platformer for the PS1?
    In the late '90s, I remember playing a demo of this game. I also sort of remember seeing the commercial for this game. I later bought the game on eBay in 2018. 

    The levels have a haunted theme, such as forests and museums. There is a bonus level where you slide and collect Pumpkins (I remember this in the demo I played in 1998/1999). 
    The controls, while not bad, are a little awkward. You press Circle to duck, and press Triangle to glide. Actually, the controls are similar to Crash Bandicoot. Also, you can move the camera around with either L2 or R2 like in the Spyro the Dragon games. The controls are alright for an early PS1 game, though, and the game supports the analog controls of the PS1's Dual Shock Controller.

    Some of the music tracks, such as the music that plays in the Museum level, have a creepy vibe to them. The music that plays when Jersey Devil loses all of his energy freaked me out a little when I was a kid. Like several other PS1 games, you can put the game into a CD Player or Computer and listen to the game's soundtrack (or you can go to the PS1's menu and load up its music player).
    8.Wendy: Every Witch Way


    A late release for the Game Boy Color. If you don't know who Wendy is, she's one of Casper's friends.
    I've known about this game since the early 2000's, because it was featured in Nintendo Power (Volume 151, Dec. 2001). I bought a sealed copy for about $50 on eBay in 2014 (I also got a sealed copy of Mega Man Xtreme for around the same price and from the same seller in 2012). Unfortunately, even used copies of the game are over $100 now.
    The game is similar to Metal Storm for NES, because of Wendy's ability to change gravity. Wendy, being a Witch, has a wand that can be used to shoot at enemies. By collecting stars, her shots become stronger.
    There is an "Advance World" with three extra levels that can be played on a Game Boy Advance, but not a Game Boy Color. This was likely a marketing decision, as the game doesn't appear to make use of the Game Boy Advance's capabilities (unlike Shantae, which came out even later than this game). Since the GameCube's Game Boy Player is basically a Game Boy Advance, the Advance World levels can also be played on the Game Boy Player. Check out the video above; I got through the Advance World without getting hit even once.
    7.Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti (Famicom)

    There are many Splatterhouse games. This one, however, came out in Japan-only for the Famicom. It remained exclusive to Japan until it was released for Switch in Namco Museum Archives (released in Japan as "Namcot Collection"). 
    Unlike other Splatterhouse games, the characters in this game have kind of a cute look to them. I guess they wanted this game to be more kid-friendly than the other games in the series.
    Like Monster Party, this game both parodies and pays homage to classic Horror movies. Some of these include Bram Stoker's Dracula, John Carpenter's Halloween, and Friday the 13th. 
    I played through and beat the game last year, during the Halloween Bingo contest here on Video Game Sage.


    If you can't import a copy for the Famicom, I recommend importing a physical copy of Namcot Collection for Switch (the Switch is not region-locked, so it works on any Switch). Otherwise, download Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 (the American release of Namcot Collection, and split into two volumes for some reason).
    6.Pac-Man World 2 (PS2/GameCube)

    While Pac-Man World 2 is not really a "horror" game, anyone who's played even one Pac-Man game knows that Pac-Man games have ghosts. Furthermore, Pac-Man World 2 has three haunted levels. If you think this game is only for kids, think again. The haunted levels are extremely hard.


    In the Haunted Boardwalk level, Pac-Man wears Rollerblades and must skate on and jump his way to a ton of bridges. This isn't easy. Not only is the level dark, but many of the bridges are unstable and sink into the water as soon as Pac-Man jumps on them. If Pac-Man falls into the water, you have to restart from the last checkpoint (or the beginning of the level, if you didn't reach any checkpoints). Later in the level, there are areas where the path splits. The fog makes it difficult to see what's ahead of you, so you might miss a bridge and accidentally jump into the water.



    The second haunted level has a maze near the beginning of the level. There are spider enemies in this maze. While you're running through the maze, the camera moves overhead just above Pac-Man. Because of the camera view, you might bump into the spiders and lose energy. While the maze isn't that difficult to get through, it might be a little confusing unless you've played the game a lot. Because of the overhead view, if you haven't played the game before or haven't played it in several years, you might exit the maze where it starts and then have to go through it again. Getting to the other side isn't overly challenging, though. 

    Ghost Bayou is the last level in the game, so it's not surprising that it is also the hardest. The level is covered in fog, and features a maze of narrow paths. Like in Haunted Boardwalk, if Pac-Man touches the water, you have to restart from the last checkpoint. The biggest challenge is not falling into the water, because the path aren't very wide. Sometimes the paths split. Some of them lead to dead ends.

    You think that's dark enough?! Geeze...the level's already covered in fog, why does it need to be extremely dark? Oh right, because it's the final level in the game.
    There is a section later on with a bunch of skeleton enemies. You have to beat a certain number of them within a time limit, and the game gives you just barely enough time. If the timer runs out, it's back to the last checkpoint you reached. If you see a checkpoint, don't ignore it. You have to actually touch it for the game to save your progress up to that point, or it'll send you back to wherever the checkpoint you last touched was.
    Anyway, Pac-Man World 2 has been one of my favorite games on the GameCube since I first played it in 2003. I also recently imported a Japanese copy for PS2.
    5.Luigi's Mansion Arcade

    I thought I'd include this, because I played it recently and had a lot of fun. 
    It has a motion controlled Poltergust Vacuum for a Controller, like what Luigi uses in the game. It is very similar Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for 3DS, with many of the same locations and additions as that game (such as the Strobulb). Unlike the other Luigi's Mansion games, you see the action from Luigi's perspective. Since this is an Arcade game, it's mainly about scores. 
    You use the Poltergust not only to catch ghosts, but also to find coins and keys hidden in the Mansion. As in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, the Poltergust has a function called the Strobulb. There is a button on the Controller that you can hold for a few seconds to charge up the Strobulb, and then release to stun ghosts so you can catch them with your Poltergust Vacuum. 
    There are multiple paths to take. Sometimes the game will ask you where you want to go, such as staying on the 1st Floor or go up the stairs to the 2nd Floor.
    I played the game alone and didn't get very far. Apparently, the game includes some boss characters from the other Luigi's Mansion games. The game allows up to two players to play, so it is probably even more fun with a second player. If you haven't played the game yet, I recommend looking for it at any nearby Arcades or restaurants (or do a little travelling). I found the game at Chuck E. Cheese.
    4.Luigi's Mansion (GameCube)

    Much like how I can watch classic movies over and over again, Luigi's Mansion is a classic game that I can play over and over again. Even though I've played it since 2003 (though I first played it at a GameCube Kiosk in 2001), I can come back to it once a year and still have fun playing it. 
    Honestly, there's not much I can say about this game that hasn't been said many times already by others. It was followed by Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for 3DS and Luigi's Mansion 3 for Switch, so that should tell you right there that the game is worth playing if you haven't yet (or if it's been years since you last played it). There is also a Luigi's Mansion Arcade game mentioned above), which I played at Chuck E. Cheese last month.
    Also, I recommend watching my video above. The game is loaded with unused content leftover from beta versions of the game.
    3.Super Mario 64


    Okay, Super Mario 64 is obviously not a horror game. But I've noticed a lot of people have pointed out in recent years that the game has kind of a creepy vibe to it. Princess Peach's Castle, the paintings, and even the level backgrounds are a little creepy and disturbing to some people. 



    In the water area of the Hazy-Maze Cave level, there's a Sea Dragon. There's actually a sign in this area warning the player, but it turns out the Dragon is harmless. The darkness and slightly creepy music do make this area a little unsettling for a Mario game, though.

    I can understand why people would find the painting for Lethal Lava Land a little creepy. There's also the fact that it's located in the Castle's basement.

    Of course, the game does have a haunted level as well: Big Boo's Haunt.

    Who can forget the Mad Piano inside the mansion?

    The ghosts known as Boo's have made appearances in the series since Super Mario Bros. 3. Not surprisingly, they appear just about everywhere in the mansion. There's also the underground section of level with a Merry Go Round where you fight small Boos, and then a Big Boo.

    There's also a hidden room with a giant eyeball that can only be accessed with the Vanish Cap.
    2.Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered (Switch)

    Originally released for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2009, Ghostbuster's: The Video Game was released on PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in 2019 with some minor improvements. Good thing too, because I missed out on it when it originally came out in 2009. Another version was also released for Wii and PS2, known as the "stylized version" (stylized visuals instead of realistic visuals like the other versions). The Switch version, not surprisingly, is a port of the more advanced version for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, known as the "realistic" version.
    From what I've seen in a comparison video showing the Switch and PS3 versions, the Switch version appears to have higher resolution textures, has some added lighting effects when using the Proton Pack, and runs at a smoother framerate (the PS3 version looked like it ran a little choppy). And since the Switch is both a console and a handheld, the Switch version can also be played on the go. The online multiplayer mode from the older versions released in 2009, however, was removed. A little unfortunate, but I'm pretty sure the main single-player Career mode is what most people really care about anyway.
    This game was one of the games on my list in the backlog challenge topic here on VGS. And yes, I did in fact beat the game...and was impressed.
    All four Ghostbusters are featured, but you don't play as them. Instead you play as "Rookie", a newly hired Ghostbuster. He's never referred to by name.
    The game features most of the original cast, including Bill Murray and Harold Ramis (rest in peace). The story was written by Dan Akroyd and takes place two years after Ghostbusters 2. Ernie Hudson also reprises his role as Winston. The game also includes some ideas that were originally meant for the canceled Ghostbusters 3 movie (the original Ghostbusters 3, not Afterlife).
    The Firehouse displays lots of things from the first two Ghostbusters movies. There is even a monitor that displays the end screen from the Ghostbusters game for the NES (see video above). Also, while you can go down the stairs if you want to, you can use the pole to go down just like the Ghostbusters do in the movies.
    Oh, and look who's back:

    "It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."
    Easily one of the best horror/haunted games I've ever played.
    1.Resident Evil 4 (GameCube)




    Of course, I had to include a Resident Evil game on this list. Any of the Resident Evil games for GameCube could be number one, since they're all great. But, I think I'll give the edge to Resident Evil 4. I've played Resident Evil 4 since 2005 and have played it more than any other Resident Evil game.


    Some of the game's most memorable moments include Leon jumping out of the window on the second floor in the cabin at the beginning of the game, seeing the Chainsaw guy coming after you in the Village, constantly pressing the A button to run away from giant boulders, meeting Luis Sera, meeting the Merchant ("Over here, Stranger!"), being knocked off and having to swim back to the boat during the battle with the lake monster, battling the giant El Gante boss and being helped by the dog you (hopefully) saved near the beginning of the game ("Hey! It's that Dog!"), and running into a cabin and teaming up with Luis to fight a swarm of villagers ("OK, it's game time!"). After completing Chapter 4, loading up Disc 2 brings you to the game's final chapter, which also has its share of memorable moments.
    While the game is liked by many and is considered one of the best games in the series, many have said that it is not as scary as other games in the series and some say it isn't scary at all. In previous Resident Evil games, Ammo is limited, and you need Ink Ribbons to use Typewriters and save your progress. In Resident Evil 4, Ammo is common, and you no longer need Ink Ribbons to save your progress. While I can agree that this game is not as scary as some of the other Resident Evil games, it has its moments. The American release is completely uncensored, just like the American release of the GameCube version of Resident Evil 3. If you hook up your GameCube to a Sound Bar and Subwoofer or go all out and hook it up to a Home Theater System to hear the game in surround sound, be prepared for some jump scares. In the area with the lake monster, for example, if you keep shooting at the water, the lake monster will suddenly jump out and EAT Leon! Imagine hearing that with five speakers and a subwoofer.
    The game has been released on just about every console (after GameCube) that you can imagine, in HD, on PC, and there has also been a Virtual Reality version. Of course, most of these versions have some added features not in the original GameCube version such as the Separate Ways campaign. Even so, I've been pretty content with the GameCube version all these years. It was easily one of the best-looking games in the sixth-generation console era, and the visuals still hold up reasonably well. The game was clearly designed with the GameCube's Controller in mind, with the big A button used for performing most actions. And even without Separate Ways, the GameCube version still contains a lot of extra content such as Assignment Ada mode, Mercenaries mode, alternate costumes for the main single player mode, the Professional difficulty setting, the Chicago Typewriter weapon that is unlocked after getting a five star rating on all levels in the Mercenaries mode, an alternate title screen showing the village from the main game that you can scroll left or right by using the C-Stick, and two trailer videos that are shown if you wait a few seconds on the title screen. There is also a room in the game's Castle where you can play a Shooting Gallery game and win collectible bottle caps of the game's characters.
    I have several Resident Evil 4 videos on my YouTube Channel, such as a video showing an early demo of the game in the Resident Evil 4 Preview Disc and a video showing a Bonus Disc released in Europe.
    Conclusion
    Well, that's it for this blog. As usual, I'll make updates to fix typos and add pictures. Also, I might make another Halloween blog this month. We'll see.
    Game screenshots captured from original consoles, not Emulators (except for Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti). That includes the GameCube; the screenshots were captured from a real GameCube, not a Wii or an Emulator. Resident Evil 4 screens are from one of my YouTube videos, but the game was played using a real GameCube.
    -MegaMan52
  8. MegaMan52

    Favorite Imports

    By MegaMan52,


    Imports
    Introduction
    For my second blog, I'm going to list my current favorite imports. Imports are my favorite items to collect and I've collected a lot over the years, so it makes sense that I make a blog about them.
    MegaMan52's favorite video game imports 
    20.Mario Party 4 Event Disc 
    An obscure Japanese Mario Party 4 promotional disc. I didn't find out about it until 2018, when I came across some sealed copies of it on eBay. Before buying, I did a Google search. The only information I could find at the time was the name of the disc, and a single picture. Because of my interest in imports (and because the GameCube is underrated), I had to buy it and find out more about it. I'm not going to say how much it cost, but it was far more than a regular copy of Mario Party 4.
    The disc contains Mini-Game mode. All eight playable characters are available, and up to four players can play. Four player and Battle mini-games can be selected.
    I don't know much more about this disc. The name seems to imply that it was used (or planned to be used) at a Tournament, like Super Smash Bros. Melee. It might be a demo disc. Maybe it was a giveaway. Unfortunately, not a whole lot more is known. Hopefully someone out there who has this disc can look at the discs data, and find out more about it.
    19.Kirby's Dream Land


    I like Kirby. I really, REALLY like the Kirby games. Of course, importing the Japanese version of Kirby's Dream Land was a priority. The box art for the Japanese version proves that Kirby was pink all along.
    It doesn't differ much from the American version, but it has a nicer-looking title screen and some other minor differences. I made a video (above) comparing the American and Japanese versions. 
    18.Super Smash Bros. 

    The Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. has more realistic punching and kicking sound effects (similar to Melee). Some of the voice clips are different too, while others are the same. There are no Congratulations screens shown at the end of the One Player mode; they were added to the American version. 
    17.Super Bust a Move All-Stars
    This is basically the European release of Bust a Move 3000, but it has two major additions. It adds a Four-Player mode, and a Space Invaders style Shoot Bubble mode. The Japanese version (Super Puzzle Bobble All-Stars) also has these additions. If you like this series, it's worth importing the Japanese or European versions (or both).
    16.Nintendo Puzzle Collection 
    Nintendo Puzzle Collection includes Dr. Mario 64 (yes, it's a Japanese version of the N64 Dr. Mario), an updated version of Yoshi's Cookie, and the unreleased N64 version of Panel de Pon. It's unfortunate that the American release of Nintendo Puzzle Collection was canceled, but at least it came out in Japan. If you like the Dr. Mario and Yoshi's Cookie games for NES, SNES, and Game Boy as well as Tetris Attack for SNES, this is definitely worth importing.
    15.Donkey Kong Land 3

    While Donkey Kong Land 3 was released in America and Europe for the original Game Boy in 1997, it was released in Japan for the Game Boy Color in 2000. 




    There are two revisions of the original Game Boy version, with the differences being the title screen and a slight change to the ending of the Tundra Blunda level. The Game Boy Color version released in Japan is based on version 1.1 for original Game Boy. It also has some changes besides the color display, which are shown in my comparison video above.
    14.Pac-Land 

    Until the Arcade versions release on the Switch as part of the Arcade Archives series and Pac-Man Museum+ earlier this year, the Famicom version of Pac-Land (released in 1985) was the only Nintendo version/release of the game.
    The game predates Super Mario Bros. as one of the first side-scrolling adventure games. The Famicom version mimics the controls of the Arcade version, with A and B used for movement and any direction on the Control Pad for jumping. A more traditional control style can be used by plugging a Controller into port 2. 
    It has fewer levels than the Arcade version and the visuals were watered down significantly. While not as good as the Arcade version, it is decent for an earlier Famicom game.
    13.Elevator Action EX 
    This is probably my favorite game in the Elevator Action series. It has three characters, the music is awesome, and some cool cutscenes/images are shown before a level starts.
    Elevator Action EX was released in America as Dexter's Laboratory: Robot Rampage, with the only differences being the characters and some changed graphics. I'd still recommend importing either the Japanese or European versions.
    12.Kuru Kuru Kuruin 

    One of my first Game Boy Advance imports. Screenshots of it were shown in Nintendo Power, but the game wasn't released in America. It did come out in Europe though, fully playable in English. It was followed by Kururin Paradise (also for GBA) and Kururin Squash! (GameCube).
    11.Tomb Raider (Sega Saturn)

    Right from the beginning, Lara Croft appeared on more than just the PlayStation systems.
    The Saturn version of Tomb Raider got a re-release in Japan, as seen in the picture above. Apparently, the American and regular Japanese releases of the Saturn version have framerate issues. The re-release shown above was apparently optimized for the Saturn hardware, though I can't confirm this since I've never played the American and regular Japanese releases of the Saturn version. From what I've noticed playing this re-release, it looks reasonably good for a 3D Saturn game and plays almost as well as the PlayStation version.
    10.Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards


    For some reason, I overlooked Kirby 64 when it was released. I rented a lot of games during that era, and had Super Mario 64, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Party 2, Paper Mario, Mega Man 64, etc. I knew about Kirby 64 and remember seeing pictures of it, but for whatever reason I didn't play it. I finally played the game in 2009, but on the Project 64 Emulator. Over twenty years after the game's release, I finally bought a copy.
    I bought the game at a local game store last year. The store sold a lot of imports, and I found the Japanese version of Kirby 64 with the box, manual, and inserts. I decided it was time to finally buy it.


    I beat the game 100% earlier this year.
    9.Pac-Man World 2 (PS2) 




    As of this writing, this is my most recent import. Pac-Man World 2 has been one of my favorite games on the GameCube since first playing it in 2003. However, only the PS2 version was released in Japan.
    Earlier American copies of the PS2 version are a little different and more difficult, such as the beginning of the B-Doing Woods level lacking the safety net that is in other versions. All other versions of the game, including later copies of the PS2 version, made some minor changes to some of the levels to make them easier. The Japanese release appears to be based on the revised American release of the PS2 version, with many of the same changes made to the GameCube version.
    8.Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (GameCube) 




    While considered best on Xbox, I enjoy the GameCube versions of the Splinter Cell games (which are ports of the PS2 versions). The European release of the GameCube version of Splinter Cell is interesting. First of all, the cover art is different (and looks cooler in my opinion). There is a Making of Documentary that was left out of the American release. And, of course, it has a Language selection (which would later be included in the American releases of SC: Chaos Theory and SC: Double Agent). However, it lacks Progressive Scan support (which the American release has). Also the Random Facts and Michael Ironside Interview included in the American release were removed, likely because there wasn't enough space on the disc after including the different languages. 
    As with the American release, the European release of the GameCube version has GBA Connectivity that displays a map and guard locations on the GBA, enables a Sticky Bomb weapon, and unlocks levels in the GBA version.
    This game is notable for being re-released as a Player's Choice game exclusively in Europe.
    7.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GameCube)
    The last game released for the GameCube in Japan, released in December 2006 and only sold online unlike the American and European releases. Once again, we're treated to a different cover and a beautiful image on the back. 
    Despite coming out before the American release, the Japanese release has a later build date and some bug fixes.
    6.Bubble Bobble 4 Friends (Switch) 
    The Bubble Bobble 4 Friends collector's edition package from Europe, released by Strictly Limited Games. I don't buy collector's edition releases very often, but I hadn't played very many Bubble Bobble games prior to buying this. I have the NES and Apple II versions of the original and the NES version of Rainbow Islands. Those were the only Bubble Bobble/Bubble Bobble related games I played before buying this. I really like both games, so I felt it was necessary to import this Bubble Bobble 4 Friends collector's edition package. The game includes the Arcade version of the original Bubble Bobble, and works on an American Switch since it is not region locked.
    5.Super Mario RPG 

    I happen to like Super Mario RPG more than Super Mario World. It is my favorite Mario game on the SNES. Like Kirby 64, I bought this last year at a local retro game store. A picture of it was shown on the store's Facebook page, so I visited the store and hoped the game was still there. It was, and I was more than happy to add it my collection of imports. 
    4.Luigi's Mansion 


    The Japanese version of Luigi's Mansion is less polished than the American and European releases, but that's what makes it interesting. 
    First of all, it lacks the Pikmin video that's included in the American version. It has less music, less sound effects, and Luigi has fewer voice clips. Again, these differences make it interesting because you get to see and hear what the game was like before it came out in America (like the original 1996 Japanese release of Super Mario 64). Luigi's "whoa!" voice clip from beta versions of the game (heard when he's hit) is used in the Japanese version. The music that plays when Luigi looks through the Telescope in the Observatory plays twice in the Japanese version (both during the cutscene and right after). The music that plays during the battle with "Bowser" sounds a little different than the American version. 
    I imported Luigi's Mansion last year, just in time for the GameCube's (Japanese) 20th Anniversary.
    3.Animal Crossing
    There are several versions of the original Animal Crossing: the N64 version, the Japanese + version for GameCube, the American version, and the Japanese e+ version released for GameCube in 2003 (shown here). 
    Many features that were included in other Animal Crossing games, such as SD Card support and the Reset Surveillance Center, first appeared in the Japanese e+ version of the original. Another addition to this version is being able to enter Tom Nook's store during the night by hitting the store three times with a Shovel, and then being able to enter the store. NES/Famicom games appear as NES consoles instead of the Famicom consoles used in earlier Japanese versions. e-Reader cards are used at the Well. The title screen music was also updated. Some copies of the e+ version include an e-Reader (the e+ version that's based on the American version, not the original Japanese version of the e-Reader) and six cards. 
    2.Super Mario 64



    I have both Japanese versions of Super Mario 64: the original 1996 Japanese release and the Shindou version. The original version has several differences, including less voice clips, some different sound effects, more glitches (like one that causes a star to appear instead of a key after beating Bowser), and the early version of the Jolly Roger Bay painting that was used in beta versions of the game and later used in the Nintendo DS remake. The Shindou version has nearly all of the changes that were made to the American version, but adds Rumble Pak support, has an easter egg on the title screen, and fixes the backwards long jump glitch. Also, Mario says "buh-bye!" when he throws Bowser (he says "here we gooooo!" in the original Japanese version).
    The Shindou version was one of the first games I showed in the "what's new in your collection" topic in 2019. I found the original 1996 version at my local retro game store last year. Both are some of the best imports I have.
    The video above is a private video that is part of my "A look at Imports" series, and was made shortly after I retired from YouTube last year (I may have retired from YouTube, but I haven't given up the hobby of making videos).
    1.Mega Man 4


    Since the original Mega Man/Rockman is my favorite video game character, it makes sense that Rockman 4 is my current favorite video game import. 
    Like a few of the games mentioned above, I bought this at my local retro game store last year. A picture was posted on the store's Facebook page showing various imports they had just got in. There were Japanese copies of Mega Man 4, Super Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Land, Mega Man Xtreme, and New Super Mario Bros. Naturally, I got excited and visited the store. I bought the Japanese copies of Donkey Kong Land, Mega Man Xtreme, and New Super Mario Bros. I saw Rockman 4 behind the counter, and told the owner I was interested in buying it. He couldn't sell it to me because it didn't have a price yet. I asked him if he could put it aside and let me pick it a few days later. He said yes. He cleaned and tested the game, and I came back to the store a few days later and picked it up. The orange color stands out, and that is a really cool picture of Mega Man on the label.

    Honorable Mentions:
    Hudson Selection series (GameCube) 

    New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS)

    Adventures of Lolo (original Game Boy)

    Mario Party (N64)
    Tetris Version 1.0 (original Game Boy)
    Conclusion
    If it weren't already obvious by looking at the pictures I've posted in the "what's new in your collection" topic (and social media sites) and the 50+ Charm, I really like imports and I'm going to keep collecting them for years to come. I have almost one hundred imported video games, so who knows...maybe I'll be getting that 100+ Charm in the near future.
    As with my GameCube blog, I'll be updating this blog to fix typos and add pictures and videos.
    Also, check out my A look at Imports series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MegaMan52/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=2
    -MegaMan52
  9. MegaMan52

    Video Rental Stores

    By MegaMan52,


    Stores
    Introduction 
    The idea for this blog came about shortly after making my Chuck E. Cheese blog. As I mentioned in that one, Chuck E. Cheese wasn't a big part of my childhood. So I thought "why not share something that WAS a big part of my childhood?" And so I present to you, the reader, this blog sharing the video stores I visited when I was a kid, as well as some of the games and movies I rented and bought. 
    The Video Stores I Visited During My Childhood
    Ladysmith Video and Crazy Mike's

    Both of these stores were located in Ladysmith, BC. That was in the early '90s.
    As I was very young at the time, I don't remember much about these stores. I vaguely remember going to one of them. I believe my family and I rented some NES games at these stores, and most likely some movies as well.
    L.J. Video 

    Located in Duncan, BC, this store was my go-to place for renting NES games in 1994.
    I still remember where the NES games were located. They were near the entrance. From the entrance, you just turned right and the NES games were on the other side of the shelf that was there. I rented quite a few games there, like most of the Mega Man games (including Mega Man 5), Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project, Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, Donkey Kong Classics, Battletoads, Pac-Man (which was my introduction to unlicensed NES games), Pac-Mania, Micro Machines, both NES Flintstones games (yep, even the incredibly rare Surprise at Dinosaur Peak), Tiny Toon Adventures 1 & 2, Rainbow Islands, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics II, and probably others. I think I even rented the Sesame Street games, and one of the Fisher Price games.
    In 1995, L.J. Video sold their NES games. I bought Mega Man 6 there with the box and manual, for a mere $5. I still have it after all these years. As you can see in the picture, I also still have my L.J. Video card.
    I continued visiting L.J. Video until 2001, and also rented tons of games for SNES and N64. For SNES, I rented Super Mario Kart, the Donkey Kong Country games, Stunt Race FX, Yoshi's Island, Super Mario RPG, Mega Man 7, Super Off-Road, Dirt Trax FX, Rock 'n Roll Racing, Star Fox, etc. For N64, I rented Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Cruis'n USA, Yoshi's Story, Super Smash Bros., Mickey's Speedway USA, the Mario Party games, Donkey Kong 64, and Mario Tennis. That was just this store. I rented other SNES and N64 games at other video stores.
    In late 2000 or so, L.J. Video was selling some of their SNES and N64 games. I believe the SNES games were $10 each, and the N64 games $15 each. For SNES, I bought Brett Hull Hockey '95, Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, Battletoads Double Dragon, and The Jungle Book. For N64, I noticed Super Mario 64 and Diddy Kong Racing. I bought Diddy Kong Racing since I already had Super Mario 64. All of these games had their boxes and manuals.
    In late 2001, I left the Vancouver Island and moved to the mainland, but I visited other video stores on the island before doing so.
    I visited the island for a week in 2018. The building L.J. Video was in is still there, but it is now a Wine store.
    Pioneer Video


    A video store that was located in Mill Bay, BC. 
    My copy of Mega Man 3, which I got for Christmas in 1994 and still have, was apparently bought at this store, and has a Pioneer Video label on the box.
    I don't think I rented a whole lot from this store, but maybe I just don't remember. I do remember renting an N64 there once, along with Mario Kart. I think they only allowed customers to rent an N64 for two days, and would charge $7 (or more) if it was returned late. This compares to renting an N64 for a week at L.J. Video. I also remember visiting this store in 2001, after Conker's Bad Fur Day was released for N64. I remember seeing the box for that game at this store. I was too young to rent it, but that didn't prevent me from looking at both the front and back of the box. I recognized Conker from Diddy Kong Racing. The commercial for Conker's Bad Fur Day was shown only at night, and I stayed up late enough to watch it (I remember it had a drunk squirrel and a hooker).
    Overall, L.J. Video had better deals than Pioneer Video.
    24 Hour Video

    24 Hour Video was a huge video store located in Duncan, BC. 
    While not my favorite video store, it was very fun exploring it as it seemed so big when I was a kid. Despite that, there selection of games wasn't all that impressive. One of the main reasons why I came to this store was because it was the only place I could find Mega Man Soccer for SNES. None of the other video stores I went to had it. I think I also rented some N64 games at this store, but don't remember which ones. The movie selection, however, was great. When it came to movies, they had just about anything anyone would want: comedy, thriller, horror, kids movies, etc. They also had an adult-only room; I remember seeing a curtain and a sign saying the room was for adults only. It's been a long time and I might not be remembering this correctly, but I think they also had a Popcorn Machine. And they definitely had candy.
    In 2000/2001, 24 Hour Video closed. I believe they temporarily moved to what used to be a Country Grocer, and sold their movie and games there. I lined up at the entrance one morning, and got in as soon as the doors opened. I walked over to the SNES games, and bought as many as I could with the allowance that I had saved up for a few weeks. I bought Mega Man Soccer, Mega Man X3, Kirby's Dream Course, Donkey Kong Country, and Battletoads in Battlemaniacs. All of the games included the boxes and inserts, except for Donkey Kong Country which was loose. They were $10 each I believe. Unfortunately I sold these games a few years later in 2005. I still have the rental cases. Mega Man X3 is worth $1000+ now, if it includes the box, manual, and inserts. After buying the games, I went back to the store a few days later and bought Honey We Shrunk Ourselves on VHS, as well as some candy.
    I believe a Rogers Video opened up where 24 Hour Video was (the original building, not the Country Grocer). I seem to remember going to it once in 2001. They were probably the only video store I went to that had handheld games, because I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Game Boy Advance games there.
    That's Entertainment

    This store was located in Shawnigan Lake, BC. It was both a video and convenience store. 
    At the entrance was the convenience area, with drinks, chips, chocolate bars, etc. There was a ramp on the left that led to the games and movies. At the top of the ramp, on the wall just to the right and near the ramp, was a small but decent selection of games. I rented Soul Blade for PS1 at this place, and I believe I also rented some N64 games but don't remember which ones (Diddy Kong Racing maybe?).
    A friend and I would sometimes ride our bikes to the store, rent games, and stock up on candy. 
    I visited the store one day and noticed they were selling some of their VHS tapes. They had a Ninja Turtles cartoon tape there for $4, which I still have.
    Aurora Video
    Also in Shawnigan Lake, BC. 
    The game selection at this store was way better than That's Entertainment. They had several SNES, N64, and PS1 games. I believe they even had NES games. But this was in 1997/1998, and by then I was largely focused on playing games for SNES, N64, and PS1. I believe I rented Super Mario RPG and Super Mario 64 from this store.
    In 2000/2001, Aurora Video closed. Like 24 Hour Video, I lined up at the entrance and went in the store as soon as the doors opened. I bought Super Mario World, Mario Paint, and Super Mario RPG. Super Mario World came with a rental case and a photocopy of the manual. Mario Paint came with the box, manual, Mouse, and Mouse Pad. Super Mario RPG came with the box and manual (the real manual).
    Blockbuster Video 

    I bet most of you were waiting for this. The majority of the video stores I went to were independent stores, but I started going to Blockbuster in 1999/2000. The one I visited was located in Duncan, BC.
    However, even though I visited Blockbuster, I didn't really rent anything there. In 2000 or so, they had a Sega Dreamcast up and running and I would visit the store to play Sonic Adventure. Even though I wasn't into Sega as much as Nintendo and Sony, Sonic Adventure was probably my favorite game released in 1999. I've played the GameCube version of Sonic Adventure (Sonic Adventure DX) since 2004 or so and have had it in my collection for over a decade, but a couple years ago in 2020 a friend gave me a copy of the Dreamcast version for free along with some Dreamcast Generator demo discs.
    I moved to the mainland in late 2001. I visted a Blockbuster Video in Red Deer, Alberta and browsed, but still didn't rent anything. I don't remember why exactly, but Blockbuster was never a go to store for me. Yet, I still wanted to visit and look around. Sometimes it was fun to just look around in a video store.
    Video Store in Duncan, BC
    In 2000/2001, after 24 Hour Video closed, another video store opened up in Duncan, BC. I don't remember the name of it.
    I rented some N64 games there: Super Smash Bros. and Hot Wheels Turbo Racing. They had some games (and maybe movies) that were from 24 Hour Video (literally the same copies).
    Video Store in Winnipeg, Manitoba
    I visited Winnipeg, Manitoba in the year 2000, and again in 2002. I don't remember if it was in 2000 or 2002, but during one of my visits I came across a video store and looked around. I also don't remember if it was a Blockbuster or some other store, but I do remember something I saw there. I found a Donkey Kong Country cartoon VHS tape. At the time, Donkey Kong Country was playing on Fox in the U.S. and Teletoon in Canada, but it was a bit difficult to come across episodes of the series on VHS. There was the "Donkey Kong Country: Legend of the Crystal Coconut" VHS that wasn't too hard to find, but it seemed like that was the only DKC cartoon VHS released. Seemed. But I found a different DKC VHS tape at a video store in Winnipeg. I looked at the box and was bummed I couldn't rent it since I was just visiting. I don't think I ever saw that tape again.
    Hollywood Video

    I moved to the mainland. The PS2, GameCube, and Xbox had been released and a new video game console era was in full swing. However, I didn't play these consoles until 2003 or so (actually I played GameCube and tried out Luigi's Mansion at a Zellers store in 2001, but didn't actually get the console until 2003). So, I still wanted to play SNES, N64, and PS1 games. I was also interested in getting back to playing the NES and original Game Boy, both of which I still had but didn't play as often.
    In late 2002, a flyer was delivered to the Mailbox (an orange flyer, not the flyer shown in the picture which was from 2003). It was from Hollywood Video, located in Red Deer, Alberta. I read the flyer, and noticed it mentioned Nintendo games. It also mentioned SNES and N64, so I thought "Nintendo" meant the NES. So, I visited the store and found a shelf full of NES games. There were more on the other side too. I was hoping I could find Mega Man 5 there, which I only rented once at L.J. Video. Well, I did find Mega Man 5...sort of. I only saw the box. I thought someone rented it, but noticed the game still wasn't there when I came back another day. Oh well. I rented Tetris and The Simpsons: Bart Vs. the World. It was kind of cool being able to rent NES games eight years after I rented some at L.J. Video.


    in 2003, Hollywood Video was finally selling their NES games. I bought Adventures of Lolo, and got an NES rental case with a Permastruct manual. The copy of Adventures of Lolo shown in the picture is not the copy I bought at Hollywood Video, but I still have the rental case. In the Summer of that year, they moved a block or two from their original location. It was smaller and a bit cramped. but still fun to visit. They still had many NES and SNES games for sale. I bought Donkey Kong Classics for NES, and a Super Game Boy and Pac-in-Time for SNES. I still have the manual for Pac-In-Time, and still play the game in Pac-Man Museum+ for Switch which I bought earlier this year (interestingly, Pac-Man Museum+ contains the Japanese version of the game). I later bought Dig Dug II and Batman Returns, both for NES.



    There were a bunch of VHS tapes for sale. I bought some Ninja Turtles cartoon VHS tapes. I also found the box for A Goofy Movie. I bought it and took it home. Once I opened the box I noticed that the movie inside was not A Goofy Movie, but rather the sequel (An Extremely Goofy Movie). I didn't mind, though, because I liked both Goofy Movies. I later bought A Goofy Movie (first one) on DVD in 2011, at an HMV. Also pictured is Fly Away, Home, which I watched on TV once.
    I got a GameCube in 2003, and rented a lot of games for it at Hollywood Video. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Mega Collection, Pac-Man World 2, and Mega Man Network Transmission were among the first games I rented for it.
    In 2005, I was in my late teen years and wanted to play some adult games. Resident Evil 4 had been released for GameCube, and it was the first M rated game I played. But I still wanted to play Mario, Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man games as well. I had been renting games at Hollywood Video for three years by this point, and often visited on weekends. So in late 2005, I started to ask the owner/manager (who was usually the only one working there) if I could request games that weren't at the store. He said yes. And I continued asking for more and more games. By 2007, there were nearly 200 games for GameCube at the store (yes, I counted).
    I continued to rent N64 games in 2004. I rented Super Smash Bros., GoldenEye, and Hot Wheel's Turbo Racing. I also rented Mega Man Legends 2 for PS1.
    In late 2006, I was approaching adulthood and wanted to play more teen/adult games. I became interested in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, and noticed there were four of them on GameCube (yes, even Splinter Cell: Double Agent even though it was a late release). The original, SC: Pandora Tomorrow, and SC: Chaos Theory were at the store, so I rented them. I had to request SC: Double Agent. 
    In 2007, I requested Pac-Man World 3 but the manager got Pac-Man World Rally instead. No big deal; I wanted to play that game too, and I had already played Pac-Man World 3 in late 2005. I also requested Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. That game was already five years old in 2007 (almost six if you count the fact that the PS2 version was released in 2001), but could still be found at some stores in the discount bins so the manager got it. I went to EB Games and noticed they had the GameCube version of Mega Man X: Command Mission. Since my funds were limited, I couldn't buy it. I had been requesting games at Hollywood Video for a while, so I requested the game and told the manager that there was a copy at EB Games. He hesitated because he normally didn't get used copies of games, but was willing to that one time. So I went back to EB Games and had them put the game aside, and told them that the manager from Hollywood Video would pick it up.
    Anyway, the Hollywood Video I went to closed in the Summer/Fall of 2007. I bought Mega Man X: Command Mission. I remember almost all of the PS2 and GameCube games were sold, while most of the original Xbox games were unsold.

    In 2010, I found a copy of Bust a Move 3000 at a retro game store. It happens to be a copy from Hollywood Video.


    Last year in 2021, a friend gave me Adventure Island 2 for NES. It is also from Hollywood Video.
    Video Update/Movie Gallery
    In Red Deer, Alberta, there used to be a video store in a strip mall with a DQ and Co-op store and Gas Station. I think it was Video Update, then it became Movie Gallery. In 2002, I often went there and rented Mario Tennis for N64 and Space Jam on VHS. It wasn't very far from where I lived at the time, so I would sometimes walk there. I remember wanting to rent GoldenEye but it seemed like it was always being rented (or was it lost or stolen? Who knows). Luckily, I was able to rent GoldenEye at Hollywood Video.
    Video Plus
    Video Plus was a video store I came across during a visit to Canmore, Alberta in either 2002 or 2003. As I was just visiting Canmore for a few days, I couldn't rent any movies or games. I entered the store and looked around. I don't really remember much about it. I doubt there was really anything about it that stood out. The only thing I really remember about visiting that store was finding The Land Before Time: Journey to Big Water, which was the newest Land Before Time movie at the time. I think the last Land Before Time movie I rented was the seventh one (The Big Freeze). I was a teenager when I visited this store and wasn't really interested in watching Land Before Time movies anymore. I likely thought I was "too old" for them, which is likely also why I didn't visit Chuck E. Cheese much (if at all) when I was a kid and visited there just recently. That and, aside from watching some commercials in the early/mid 2000's, Chuck E. Cheese wasn't really on my mind until just last month.
    VHQ/Movie Gallery


    Video Headquarters, or Movie Gallery, was another video store I often went to in Red Deer, Alberta. 
    There were two locations: one at the south end and one at the north end. I went to the one at the north end, starting in 2003. Some of the games I rented there were Finding Nemo and Sonic Heroes. I still have the receipt from when I rented Sonic Heroes in 2004.
    In 2006, I went to the VHQ at the south end of Red Deer. Some of the games I rented were Namco Museum (2002) and Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. In 2008, after Hollywood Video closed, I went to VHQ again. They still had games for GameCube. I rented F-Zero GX, James Bond 007: Nightfire, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. These were some of the last games I rented at a video store.


    In 2010, I went back to the VHQ at the north end of Red Deer. They had sealed copies of Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Adventure DX on a shelf behind glass doors. Sonic Mega Collection was $20 and Sonic Adventure DX was $10. I bought both and kept them, knowing that would be the last time I would find them sealed at a nearby store. I also still have the receipts/statements from when I bought them. Pretty good deals too especially for SADX, since it not only has an upgraded version of Sonic Adventure but also every Sonic game for the Game Gear (including two games that were originally released in Japan only).

    The Digital Age
    Even after I stopped renting video games in 2008 and Netflix and other streaming services became popular, I still occasionally visited video stores. In 2010/2011, I walked into Blockbuster Video once more. By that point, they didn't have any PS2, GameCube, or Xbox games for rent. They had a few PS2 games available to buy, but that was it. It was mostly PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 games at the time. I went to a video store (don't remember which one) in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, and they too had gotten rid of their PS2, GameCube, and original Xbox games. I also went into a Rogers Video in Red Deer, and saw they had a few PS2 games left, but again they mostly had PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 games.
    A few years later, when video stores were mostly obsolete, I remember reading that a new video store, called Video View, opened up in Red Deer, Alberta. They were apparently in the same buildings as VHQ. I thought about visiting the store, but didn't. 
    Conclusion 

    Video stores were always fun to go to. Even on days I didn't rent anything, it was still fun to look around at the games and movies, look at posters, watch what was on the TVs, and eat candy or popcorn. Some stores also had kid areas with cartoons or animated movies playing, or maybe some toys to play with. New movies and games were coming out almost every week. There was always something fun to see and do.
    As usual, I'll be making updates to fix typos and add pictures.
    -MegaMan52
  10. MegaMan52

    Visiting Chuck E. Cheese in 2022

    By MegaMan52,


    Restaurants
    Introduction 
    I recently did a little bit of travelling, and wanted to find gaming-related goods in other places instead of just locally or online. I found a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. Unlike several other restaurants (such as McDonald's, A & W, DQ, Pizza Hut, etc.), I have no memories of being at Chuck E. Cheese when I was a kid. I might've visited the restaurant once, but don't remember. I do remember seeing some of the commercials in the early/mid 2000's (during the Chuck E. Cheese character's "Avenger Chuck" days), but didn't think much of it. In fact, I didn't think of Chuck E. Cheese at all until recently.
    A week or two before visiting the restaurant, I watched a few Chuck E. Cheese "tour" videos on YouTube showing some of the locations in Canada. I wanted to get an idea of what Arcade games to expect. 
    I arrived at the restaurant, and was a little nervous since Chuck E. Cheese is (or at least appears to be) mainly for kids. I also noticed some posts on Reddit saying that some locations don't allow adults to enter without kids, and some people saying they were allowed to enter but got looks during their visit. I'm not much of a Breakfast person, so by the time I got to the restaurant (a little after noon) I was getting hungry. Also let's face it, I'm never too old for pizza and video games. 
    I entered the restaurant. It wasn't busy when I entered. The staff greeted me, and had no problem with me eating and playing games there despite being an adult.
    The Play Pass Card

    The location I went to has more or less phased out tokens, so I was given a Play Pass/All You Can Play card (with a wristband) for playing the games. I was given the option of putting either points or time on the card. It took me several seconds to decide, but I chose time. I got 45 minutes. They've also phased out physical tickets, and so "e-tickets" are automatically saved onto the card while playing a game. There is a Kiosk at the restaurant that can be used to reload the card.
    The Pizza

    One of the things Chuck E. Cheese is known for is its pizza. I ordered a large, stuffed crust pepperoni pizza (it's Chuck E. CHEESE, of course I wanted stuffed crust). I was given a small paper cup and grabbed a drink of Mountain Dew (the restaurant has Pepsi drinks). I was a little disappointed with the cups. They used to have cups with pictures of the Chuck E. Cheese characters on them until recently. Now they have these generic white cups with lines on them. Oh well. I sat at a table by a window, distancing myself from the one or two families that were there when I arrived. Chuck E. Cheese himself (an employee wearing a costume) appears at the 30 minute mark every hour. While I was waiting for my pizza, Chuck E. walked by my table and waved at me. I waved back and said "hey Chuck E.!". I can only imagine how hot it must be while wearing that costume, especially the head piece.
    After 15-20 minutes, a server came to the table with my pizza. The pizza looked fresh and tasty, but I noticed the slices were different sizes. There are rumors that the chain reheats leftover pizza, though I don't know if that was ever proven. Also, the pizza has gotten mixed reviews. Some people like it, and others don't. I put a slice on my tiny Chuck E. Cheese plate. While not as good as, say, Papa Johns or Busters, the pizza wasn't too bad. It kind of reminded me of McCain frozen pizza. I'm not sure if the quality of the pizza differs somewhat at different locations or if some people's expectations are a little too high, but I thought the pizza tasted good. Not great, but good.
    The Games 
    The other big reason I visited, besides grabbing a bite to eat. I had a chance to play a few Arcade games that I hadn't played before.

    I didn't think I'd be able to find this anytime soon, but it was in Chuck E. Cheese. It has a Poltergust Vacuum for a Controller, like what Luigi uses in this and the other Luigi's Mansion games. The game was beside the table I was sitting at. I didn't even notice it until I sat down.

    I have the Super Monkey Ball games on GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Wii, and Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD for Switch, but I didn't know about this game until a couple weeks ago when I watched the Chuck E. Cheese "tour" videos I mentioned above. It has a tracker ball for controlling the characters, which I'm not used to. But I am glad I had a chance to play the game.

    This Cars game was in the kids area (well, younger kids area) with the rides, so I wasn't sure if I was allowed to play it. However, unlike the rides, this game looked big enough for an adult so I tapped my card and played. No one complained. The game is actually pretty fun and humorous, like the movies.

    I almost missed this one and didn't play it until my card was almost out of time. This is the newer Rampage game that was released a few years ago, and is loosely based on the movie. It plays like a traditional Rampage game where you pick from three characters (George, Lizzie, and Ralph) and destroy cities. 
    This game was also located in the kids area, and I actually had to kneel down to play it.
    I also played a Batman game and a Fast and the Furious game, but I didn't take pictures of them.

    The Photo Car Ride. The car moves a little, the headlights turn on, and a kid gets his/her picture taken with Chuck E. Obviously, this ride is too small for an adult. But if you've seen even some of my posts on Twitter, Instagram, and here on VGS, then you probably know that I like to take pictures. Apparently, most (and maybe even all) Chuck E. Cheese locations have this ride. I probably would've liked this when I was a kid.
    Something weird that I noticed is that the logo on the front has Chuck E.'s current appearance, but he's wearing his hat from the Avenger Chuck era which he rarely wears nowadays.
    The Studio C Animatronic 

    Like the tokens and physical tickets, the Animatronics of the various Chuck E. Cheese characters that were a big part of the restaurant appear to have been mostly phased out and replaced with TV's showing a puppet version of Chuck E. The location I went to still has a Chuck E. Animatronic, which is based on one of the character's earlier designs. There are also several pictures on the walls which also look like they're from an earlier era. Nice that they have some reminders of the past.
    The Goodies 




    Even though Chuck E. Cheese wasn't really part of my childhood, I actually like both the restaurant and the character now as an adult. After playing some games, I went to the Chuck E. store that is beside the counter near the entrance where you order food. There was a card scanner on the counter. I found out there were 27 e-tickets on my card, no where near enough for most of the prizes on display. Which didn't matter to me, because I wasn't really interested in the prizes (which were things like slinky's, balls, etc.). On the right side of the store were some Chuck E. items that I was more interested in that I bought with cash instead of using tickets. I got a small Chuck E. plush, a big coloring book, and two sticker books. Some people dislike Chuck E.'s current appearance, but I like it. He looks cuter and even more friendly than he used to be.
    I also bought some Cotton Candy earlier when I ordered my pizza, which was available in pink and blue. I'm MegaMan52, so of course I had to buy the blue Cotton Candy. I also kept the plate I used when I ate my pizza. Don't worry, I wiped off the grease after I ate. 
    Conclusion

    Overall, I enjoyed my visit. The pizza was reasonably good, the games were great, and I got a lot of goodies. The restaurant was also very clean. Yes, even the washrooms...though that might be because I was there only an hour after they opened. It got a little busier about an hour after I arrived. I'll probably visit again someday, as I want to play those Luigi's Mansion and Super Monkey Ball games again.
    As with my other blogs, I'll update this blog later to fix typos.
×
×
  • Create New...