Messages

31

Video Game Chat / Where do you buy your Games?

« on: September 26, 2009, 01:06:25 PM »

After replying to a thread in another subforum I thought I'd ask where everyone gets their games.

I usually go to the Game Stop at the local mall, which began life as an old-fashioned EB (back when they still carried computer stuff like Windows and Office). There are Game Stops seemingly everywhere around my city but this one is usually the least crowded because of where it is.

The mall the store is in is known mostly for high-fashion stores. It's got a Nordstrom and a Macy's as its big anchors and has a Tiffany's, True Religion store, Lacoste store, and all those high-end purse/ladies accessories stores like Louis Vuitton. EB was one of the original stores from back when the mall was more middle-class and has moved a few times to make room for other stores. Way back when I remember being home sick and my dad stopped by the mall and picked up SMB3 for me at this EB back when the NES was my newest system. It was a very happy day indeed and probably the best sick day I ever had. (Both of my parents are gamers so I've always gotten video games as gifts without objection; today they are both Wii players).

Since most people coming to this mall are there for clothes and accessories, nobody thinks to pay Game Stop any attention unless they are buying games for someone. The Game Stop is actually located next to an Abercrombie & Fitch, so if you've ever dreamed of loud music and cologne scents while trying out video games your wish has been fulfilled.

The other Game Stops in the area are located near the "big box" stores like Best Buy, Target, etc. When it comes time for Black Friday, these usually fill up first since people tend to camp out near the "big box" stores more frequently. The one at the mall does not, probably because the mall itself doesn't open until later. I got a Wii there two years ago when it was really tough to find and didn't get there until 5:30 AM. I was 12th in line for something like 40 Wiis and was able to get Super Mario Galaxy while I was there. Thankfully I have a security system on my car--I had to run the Wii out and engage the alarm so that nobody would try to steal it (believe me, the line was about 200 people long by 6:00). I got Wii Fit there last Black Friday and will try to get New Super Mario Bros Wii there this year.

There used to be another store called Babbage's at this mall. It was pretty much the same thing as EB but had even more computer stuff at one time. I think I bought Norton Anti Virus there once. Babbage's shut down a few years ago and I'm guessing Game Stop bought them too since I seem to remember another Babbage's in a nearby town becoming a Game Stop.

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Latest News / Re: Release dates announced for New Super Mario Bros. Wii

« on: September 26, 2009, 12:52:25 PM »

I'm going to wing it and try to get it on Black Friday. I've preordered before (Double Dash and MK Wii on Amazon) but have also been able to get games and systems without preordering on Black Friday (albeit at 5-6AM).

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Forum Games / Re: The four-word Mario story

« on: September 26, 2009, 12:45:42 PM »

...Dan Quayle flunked spelling...

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Forum Games / Re: A Mario Story: You Add ONE Sentence to the Tale II

« on: September 26, 2009, 12:43:36 PM »

The McDonald's was condemned and shut down by Al Gore, who said that the building was emitting too many greenhouse gases.

35

Mario Chat / Re: Which Mario is Best?

« on: September 25, 2009, 03:14:15 PM »

Galaxy is probably my favorite from the 3D Marios. For 2D, I'm going to go with SMW or the remade SMB2 (for either SNES or GBA). I still can't figure out why they never gave him more defined eyes on the SMB3 remakes, especially because SMB3 was one of the best, if not the best, Mario sidescrollers.

As for spinoffs, I like MK64. I've always felt the quality of the characters' graphics actually eroded over time on the N64--compare Mario Party or Mario Golf to the 1996-1997 era.

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General Chat / Re: Is there a musician in the house?

« on: September 23, 2009, 12:30:52 AM »

Why spend hundreds of dollars on a musical instrument when...

That is AMAZING!!! I'd love to learn how to do something like that!!!

37

Not at the Dinner Table / Re: I wouldn't hit that.

« on: September 22, 2009, 11:59:00 PM »

I like listening to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. I'll listen to Glenn Beck if he's on and while I agree with him politically I do think he comes off the wrong way sometimes. I don't like Michael Savage because of the comments he made towards people with disabilities (a field of psychology I have studied extensively, especially people with disabilities in an academic environment).

As far as TV, I don't really watch TV news much but I do like Fox News. Of the "big three" networks I'd pick NBC mostly because I like Brian Williams and find it to be less biased, especially when compared to Katie Couric's CBS broadcast. I don't watch CNN or C-Span and I don't read the major news magazines (Time, US News, Newsweek). I subscribe to the city's conservative newspaper and prefer that over everything else so I can pick and choose my stories--I don't care about celebrities or anything like that and usually want more business news than what the TV provides, plus I like to read my sports section.

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Not at the Dinner Table / Re: Obama care

« on: September 22, 2009, 11:51:31 PM »

I'm against it and am especially against the proposal requiring Americans to get insurance. I don't want health insurance!!! (I don't go to doctors and just try to "ride it out" when I have something--which always works fine; I'm the guy who doesn't miss anything because of a minor cold or something and had perfect attendance in school).

There are talks comparing it to automobile insurance. However, there's a big difference there. Driving is a privilege, not a right. You don't have to get that automobile insurance if you don't drive. There's no law saying you need to drive, either, and some people don't even need to--I've got a buddy who moved to DC and he doesn't have a car because in DC there is no need for one thanks to their excellent public transit system. Same goes for my friend who moved to NYC--she left her car at home. Neither are forced to buy automobile insurance.

Living in America should not involve a mandatory payment to buy health insurance. You can theoretically live in America and not have to pay taxes (provided you don't own property, don't work, and buy stuff that doesn't include sales tax). That won't change if this awful bill is passed. However, if you are now forced to buy insurance, you're screwed if you don't have the money. I guess I'll be asking for an insurance plan I wouldn't use for Christmas so that I can spend my money on stuff that matters to me.

I hope this provision gets squashed like a bug when this thing gets voted on this week. If it somehow makes it out of the senate it will hopefully die in the house before it hits Obama, who clearly doesn't know the difference between something that must be bought for a privilege that one does not have to exercise (auto insurance) versus something that he thinks should be purchased just to live in this country, which won't exactly be known for freedom anymore if this happens. Obama lied to us because I believe he once said he wouldn't make it mandatory.

Also, since I'm new here, I guess I should say that I'm predominantly Republican in my views although I oppose guns entirely. I voted McCain last year and voted Bush in 2004. I'll hopefully be voting for Bobby Jindal in 2012!!!

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General Chat / Re: New/Returning Members Post Here!

« on: September 22, 2009, 11:38:16 PM »

...you have to pay to get into a fraternity?

I always figured you just needed to apply or win a game of beer pong or something.

For an honors fraternity, the dues take the place of beer pong. Keep in mind this fraternity is academic in nature (the socialization aspect is more or less related to the discipline of psychology, but it's nice since you can make some connections this way and possibly find out about something that will help with a project). You do have to have other criteria as well--Psi Chi requires a 3.75 overall GPA or higher and professors have to recommend you for it. Also, we don't have a "frat house" or anything like that--meetings are held in conference-type rooms.

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General Chat / Re: What song are you listening to right now?

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:54:51 PM »

Depeche Mode
"Enjoy the Silence"
Violator

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General Chat / Re: What would you do...

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:52:00 PM »

I wouldn't really panic that much if the web went down. We DID live without it for centuries. I'm old enough to remember when telephones were the way to get in touch with people instantly (and I don't mean by texting or even on a mobile phone). While the web is definitely a great invention and has allowed us to do so much in every aspect of life, sometimes it's just nice to get away from it since it's really got its own set of problems and is like another earth in of itself (it has good and bad people, good and bad places, politics, economics, crime, disease/computer viruses, etc).

When I go on vacation I usually go without any device that can access the web. It's nice to get away for two reasons--it lets you take a break from both worlds plus it makes you appreciate it a lot more when you come home and use it again.

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General Chat / Re: Is there a musician in the house?

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:46:33 PM »

Here's another musician in the house. I play synth/piano, trombone, and I sing. I'm thinking of getting a trumpet to play around with sometime as well.

When I was in high school I used to warm up with Mario songs on the trombone every day (which I memorized and never used sheet music for). People would request Mario songs from me but the overworld theme was everyone's favorite. When I was a junior I had a friend who played saxophone who wanted to play Mario as well. I spent a whole evening transcribing it with him. Within a few weeks he had taught it to about five other sax players and they would all play it together. I know they passed it on to some of the younger guys after I graduated but I'm not sure if those guys passed it on to the folks who would be there now.

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General Chat / Re: PC or Mac?

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:40:51 PM »

I use both Mac and Windows (I have one computer for each) plus I have this ancient Mac (the kind called "Macintosh Classic") from the early 90s that I still use to print banners on a dot matrix printer. (Believe it or not I get requests for them from friends--I've done it for them since one of my buddies turned 8 back when that Mac wasn't all that old; I made him a banner since he had his party at his place and needed some decorations and everyone thought it was a good idea).

The reason I use both Mac and Windows is because I prefer MS Office on Windows (it comes with more applications and the applications usually do more--I remember hearing the Mac version of Excel 2008 was crippled) but like to surf the web on the Mac since it's more secure and also prefer it for both presentations (Keynote is a little better than PowerPoint IMO) and moviemaking (with Final Cut Express). I also use the Mac for iPod syncing and buying stuff on iTunes as well as with GarageBand, which I have connected to my synthesizer.

I can't say I prefer one over the other in terms of how to use them; they definitely have pros and cons.

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General Chat / Re: New/Returning Members Post Here!

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:32:29 PM »

$20 isn't bad; I think I had to pay $35 or so to join Psi Chi (which is the honors fraternity for psychology).

45

Mario Chat / Re: Mario game guides: Deals or no deals?

« on: September 22, 2009, 09:27:42 PM »

I used to always buy the player guides for the games in the day of the N64. It wasn't really an issue when we were all playing old NESes back in the day since the games were simpler and the more complicated games (such as SMB3) had already been figured out along the line so some people knew of a tip or two. I had a friend who had a Nintendo Power guide to SMB3 so most of us would figure out warp whistles and things like that whenever he had us over (he was the only one who had a guide out of all of us). Sometimes we'd just swap tips--I remember a lunchtime conversation in fourth grade where all we talked about was how to get through SMB3. I wound up being the first one of the gang to beat it and one of my longtime friends just beat it for the first time at the ripe old age of 22 on the VC a few months ago! (He got the game when it first came out in 1990). In irony of all ironies, the guy with the guide never beat it, at least not before he went off to college (and I don't think he took his NES, which was a top-loader, with him).

When the N64 came along I was one of the earliest adopters in my school (April 1997). Since a lot of things in SM64 were a bit tricky to figure out I got the player's guide. Two other early adopters of the N64 did not. However, in this case, the guide really did make things easier. I remember watching one of my friends trying to get stars in Shifting Sand Land without a guide. He spent over an hour and wasn't successful with anything he tried (this was before I had the game so I couldn't help him, nor could the other guy we were playing with that day). I was able to beat SM64 within three months thanks to the guide and would typically get one with every other game that came out for the N64 and GameCube because the Nintendo ones were so well-written. I didn't get the guides for the Game Boy Advance Mario remakes, however, because the games were the ones I already knew a lot about from the olden days.

About midway through the GameCube era someone told me about GameFaqs, so I just started going there instead. Double Dash was the first game I bought without a player's guide. Given the prices of these guides these days I usually just use the free resource, which actually is better-written some of the time. Believe it or not, I've found out stuff I didn't know about SM64 from re-playing it with GameFaqs guides.

I've saved hundreds of dollars by not buying these guides, although I did splurge on a MarioKart Wii guide since the rest of my family likes to play the game and I wanted a reference for them to consult in the house. (My mom is still upset that I never got a Double Dash book).

(Quick note: My mom is a MarioKart addict. She used to play it my N64 when I was at school and when she got a job once considered buying a GBA for Super Circuit alone, which she wanted to play on her breaks).