The Year Ahead in Gaming: My 2014 Wishlist

As gamers, we've developed little quirks, preferences, and (let’s face it) obsessions over the years of playing. Whether you started playing beloved platformers like Super Mario Bros. 3 or are a more recent gamer and stick to your guns in Call of Duty or Battlefield, you’re likely looking to the gaming industry to give us newer and better things every year. In a year that gave us 2 amazing new consoles in the Xbox One and PS4, 2013 was far from disappointing in the realm of exciting things. Console innovations like the Ouya and Oculus Rift are proof that video gaming is in the verge of a revolution where game development will be more open to the public to create and share, but gameplay now has the potential to immerse us into an experience we've dreamed since the term “virtual reality” was coined.

As we look ahead to what promises to be an amazingly exciting year in gaming, I’d like to share some things that I hope to see (and not see) in the next 365 days or so. With new consoles, tons of amazing games, and even some new and potentially annoying innovations on the horizon, there’s plenty of room for opinions all around. So please, enjoy mine:

Continued Support for the Xbox 360 and PS3

If there’s one thing that the lifespan of the PS2 taught the gaming world it’s that a console can live a long time after a new generation of consoles is released. The unusually long tenure of the PS2 was due in no small part to the fact that developers still gave the little black box attention years after the PS3 was on the market. Sure, it may not have had any of the flashy new series like Uncharted or Resistance, but people who loved sports titles like Madden or were interested in Japanese ports had plenty of reasons to keep their PS2 plugged firmly into their TVs. If Microsoft and Sony wish to please their customers, they’d be wise not to shift all their attention to the PS4 and XB1 too soon. Personally, I’ll be hanging onto my Xbox 360 for another year or two, and until I jump to the next generation of consoles I’d love to see plenty of support for those still hanging onto their beloved 360s and PS3s.

Seriously, nobody has that many hands!

Gaming Industry to Stop Shoving Peripheral Gaming Down Our Throats

This post has nothing to do with people using their Androids and iPhones for playing mobile games. By all means, have fun playing Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and Temple Run on the toilet – I won’t judge. Instead, this is about the latest, and in my opinion most obnoxious and pointless push by the gaming world at large to get every gamer out there to use their smart phones, iPads, Kindles, FitBits, and anything with a wireless signal to play console games with their friends or when away from home. I’m not opposed to playing mobile games or playing with friends, but so many next-gen games are touting this new functionality to play games on both the console and a tablet when it seems like nobody really asked for it. If Sony and Microsoft are trying to piggy-back off of the WiiU, they’re missing the mark IMO.

Fewer “Gamers” and More Gaming

Seriously people, let’s all just get along. If you play video games, you’re a gamer. This has irked me for some time, not because I've come under any scrutiny myself, but because I hear this argument far too often from other gamers, mainly online. Anonymity makes even the nicest people IRL dicks online, and it seems that priority #1 is trying to make other gamers feel like they aren't “real” gamers. Before I turn this into a full page rant, I’ll just point you to this amazing post by Yamilia over at Twinfinite who sums up the ridiculousness of this “debate” quite nicely.

Never underestimate the power of nostalgic gamers in large numbers.

Extended Appreciation of Retro Game(r)s

For years people have been clamoring on about an HD remake of the NES classic DuckTales, and in 2013 they’re patience and passion was finally rewarded. On top of that, Nintendo released a lot of classic (S)NES games to their Virtual Console on the cheap to satiate the appetite of those rabid retro gamers. This trend needs to continue into 2014. The video game industry didn't get to where it is today overnight. Over the last few decades it’s been built on the backs of dedicated gamers, classic consoles like the 2600, SNES, and Dreamcast, and people’s nostalgia for their now-classic games. Rewarding those fervent fans with re-releases on XBLA, VC, and/or PSN, or even better with HD remakes is like saying thank you to their tireless dedication over the years. Besides, it’s not like they’d have to give the games away – they priced DuckTales Remastered at $15 and it’s sold pretty damn well so far. We aren't asking for much; just a little appreciation.

There you have it – what I’d like to see happen in the world of gaming in 2014. What about you? Have any burning desires for the New Year? Any awesome games you’d love to see announced or amazing innovations you’d love/hate to see? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. 

Graduated Gamer Reviews: Silent Hill (PSX)

To say my experience with the horror genre of games is lacking would be an understatement. I've made that clear in a previous post about my relationship with games intended to scare the crap out of you. Still, it’s Halloween and ‘tis the season for games like Dead Space, Amnesia, and Resident Evil. However, I thought that starting my foray into the horror/survival genre with something modern like Outlast would be a bit unfair to some of the classics. Since I had a PSX and N64 on hand I thought of maybe starting with a game from that generation. After putting it to a vote on my blog between Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Nightmare Creatures, the readers chose the original Silent Hill.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed (sorry readers!), mainly because I've always heard such amazing things about the Resident Evil franchise; plus it did release before Silent Hill making it sort of the “father” of modern survival horror. But what to do, the people have spoken and I’m not one to disappoint. However, to say that I was excited to play this game would be an outright lie – in fact, I was terrified.

And that fear turned out to be justified. One of the first things Silent Hill did was get under my skin. Every step I took in the first hour was torturous because I knew it brought me closer to some sort of danger. Every creak made my skin crawl, even though I hadn't encountered a single enemy yet! Now obviously this is the purpose of horror games – to make you squirm – and I’m definitely not the pinnacle of bravery when it comes to this genre, but I have to give credit where credit is due. The thing about Silent Hill is that it doesn't rely so much on jump scares and the feeling of complete helplessness like many games today. You’re almost immediately equipped with a weapon and the game usually gives you fair warning when danger is nearby. No, Silent Hill does a great job of just being plain old creepy. It makes you feel uncomfortable about where you are: every corner, every door (whether locked or not), and every room becomes a battle of sheer will to continue, because you never know what awaits you.

Trust me, mailboxes and fire hydrants can be friggin' scary.

And what’s awaiting you isn't always a monster or trap. Sometimes it’s the empty spaces that mess with your mind the most. There were plenty of hallways and rooms that contained nothing, yet they made me uneasy. Some of those rooms would give me a scare with a random noise that sent me running for the door as quick as I could, but most of them were completely and I left them unscathed, but not unnerved. For a game made almost 15 years ago to effortlessly get me off guard – even with the extremely poor graphics compared to the modern games – is quite a feat in my opinion, and shows that the creators of Silent Hill knew their craft.

Okay, so now you know that Silent Hill is scary (yea, I know – duh), but what about the controls? Well I have to admit that I hated them at first. I honestly almost gave up completely on any hope of finishing the game because of the awkward way you control your character, Harry Mason. You use the thumbstick to turn your character and then press up on that same thumbstick to move Harry forward in whatever direction he happens to be facing. It’s very awkward and if this is your first experience with the game you’ll likely run into a few walls like I did. However, two things happened fairly quickly: I got the hang of the controls and I realized that they were a part of the horror experience. It would be very easy for the developers to program the character’s movement in any direction as effortless and turning corners a cinch; however, this would have eliminated any feeling of vulnerability in the game.

Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you’re always safe and it’s easy to fend off enemies. There are times when I had to back away from some demonic being or put some distance between me and monster in order to effectively kill them without sustaining damage. The reason this is important is due to the lack of first aid kits and health drinks around the town. If you’re careless and run towards danger with an itchy trigger finger, you’ll likely still take out any and all enemies, but you’ll also take unnecessary damage that can quickly drain your reserves. So in a way, the confusing controls aren't so much a frustrating lapse in game design, but rather an ingenious way to keep the game from becoming a FPS and too easy. Truly brilliant work by Konami.

Hey buddy...WHACK!

Now, a game can have good scares and creative controls to add to the horror/survival feel, but there’s always one very important thing I look for in games outside of the FPS genre if they’re to become memorable – story. It’s the reason why games like Final Fantasy VII and Mass Effect sit so high in my personal gaming echelon, and I can be quite harsh on a damn great game if it relegates story and plot to the backseat. Therefore, I was curious to know what my incentive was if I was going to risk my sanity to help Harry Mason through so many horrifying trials. Well, it’s a pretty standard motivational tool to use the threat of harm against a loved one, especially if it’s your daughter, and this is exactly what drives Harry to fall deeper and deeper into the twisted world of Silent Hill. But the story gets even more intricate from there, with some exceptionally eerie, dark arts at work, and somehow Harry seems to be the key to it all. I’m not going to give away too much because I hate spoilers no matter how small, but it’s safe to say that once I was pulled into this twisted world I actually wanted to keep going further down the rabbit hole.

Most of the motivation came from the desire to see how far I could go, this being my first trip through a horror game, but there were other factors that made the experience enjoyable. One of those factors was the almost open world feel of the game. Furthermore, as not to misconstrue the game at all, Silent Hill is purely linear; doing a good job of pointing out destinations and, using roadblocks of sorts, cleverly guiding Harry to the next area to explore. Still, I thought it was great that I was allowed the opportunity to run around town a bit exploring alleyways and looking for hidden health packs or potential weapons to give me an edge in my next dark quest. You eventually end up in the same places, but the journey can take as long as you want should you choose to explore.

All in all, I think it’s the various characters you encounter throughout Silent Hill that make the experience memorable and actually enjoyable. Perhaps it was because these NPCs made it feel as if I wasn't truly alone in the world, dealing with all the creepiness lurking in the darkness me as I looked for Harry’s daughter, but I soon found each scene with these characters not only distracting but enjoyable. Sure the voice acting is sub-par at best, but their presence was truly comforting. Eventually, I started to eagerly await these moments of bliss, and at certain parts would get excited if a loading screen took a little extra time because it meant that I would soon experience a cut scene with a new or old companion to share my misery with. Sure, I treated these random citizens from Silent Hill as security blankets of sorts, but they also helped drive the story forward, by adding a little bit of context to the twisted situations I found myself in.

She's 10 years younger and 100% more badass than Harry. Hold me, Cybil!

I wish at this point that I could say more about this game, but in all honesty it’s hard to wrap my head around. I've been so used to playing RPGs and action/adventure games over the last two decades that my first experience with a horror/survival game was mainly a research study in how well I respond to being scared and having to carry on. That being said, I was more than happy to find myself enjoying the game despite the scares. I initially took it upon myself to “nut up” and continue forward, even during the times when all I wanted to do was run to the nearest save point and call it a night. But the further I got in the game, the more I found myself actually enjoying the experience, even the parts where I got a mild form of Tourette’s due to an unexpected scare. I think at the end of the day, the true success of a survival horror game like Silent Hill is whether or not they can scare you but also keep you engaged before, during, and after the scares. A game purely meant to scare would be no fun for me; but if combined with a good story, a spine-chilling ambiance and imaginative controls that actually added to ones engagement with the game, then you've got a winning combination that would keep even the biggest pansy in horror video games for entertained for hours.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Review

I’m willing to bet that every gamer has a game like Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island in their life; a game that they followed, obsessed over, and consumed every scrap of information about in anticipation of its release. I've actually had some of my older friends tell me that they did this with the original Super Mario World by absorbing anything Nintendo Power could throw at them about that game. I, however, was a bit young to be that obsessive about a game’s release when the first installment came out, but oh how time changes a person.

When Yoshi’s Island was announced, I was quickly consumed by this highly anticipated and brilliant looking game, so much so that I begged my parents for a subscription to Nintendo Power magazine just so I could read more about it. From that moment on most of my gaming purchases and interests hinged on the words of this magazine or that article or some website. Still, at the age of nine could you blame me for being charmed by this amazing game? The look and feel of the game is whimsical and the characters familiar enough to draw you in, and the gameplay is both challenging yet forgiving enough for gamers of any age.

It's so adorably whimsical, it's almost sickening.

I remember how excruciating it was that I couldn't buy the game immediately after its release. At the age of nine I still relied on birthday and holiday gifts to increase my gaming collection, but when I finally got my hands on it, I never let go until I had collected every red coin, every flower, and every star I could find for that 100% completion. Sadly, for a game I loved so much, I gave it an undeserving, unceremonious farewell when I sold it on eBay years ago along with most of my gaming collection. However, after a long separation and some reconciliation, I recently picked it up a copy through some deft CraigsList business. Then, through the power of the internet you, my readers, voted that this would be the next game for me to review. I was a bit disappointed I wouldn't be able to crack open my new copy of Dead Island, but that disappointment was almost instantly forgotten when I heard the Yoshi’s Island’s intro boot up and my heart was warmed like it was back in 1996. But would the game hold up well after all these years, or was it only the power of nostalgia from my younger years that was holding this game in high regards?

Before you can get into the gameplay, story, or anything else about the game, you first have to acknowledge its look and style. And just like I remember as Elementary-School Gamer, the game looks absolutely gorgeous. Forgive me, but I’m going to pull one of those “I’m not just anybody” moves, but this game warrants it – I've played a lot of games in my life, including plenty of games on the SNES, and I can say that none of them looks as brilliant as Yoshi’s Island does in my opinion. Even after playing some damn good looking games on modern consoles (Final Fantasy X and Borderlands 2 come to mind) I’m still in awe over the graphics of this 2D side scrolling platformer.

Even the menus look gorgeously hand-drawn by children.

What makes the graphics so special? It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing above all others, but for me the variety of level design is tops. In the same level you can be in the sun-soaked hills of the island, then spelunking in shimmering underground caverns, and end up finishing a level cloud-hopping. There is no cookie-cutter approach or blandness to these levels either. Even when you visit various caverns across worlds, you’re treated to different backgrounds, enemies, and environmental puzzles or hazards to challenge you. This ties into the gameplay, but it all begins with the creative design of the levels. You get the feeling that the game artists loved the work they did on this game and took pride in the final product. Hell, even the backgrounds feel alive, something that previous Mario titles tried to accomplish but to me never really pulled it off as well as Yoshi’s Island does.

I could go on and on about the beauty of this game, but then I’d lose you and forget that I have to review the game as a whole (for more on why I love the look of this game so much, check out my “Let’s Play” series on YouTube). Therefore, we’ll move on to the gameplay. If it’s one thing Nintendo knows how to do, it’s platformers (obvious statement if obvious), and Yoshi’s Island is no exception. Yoshi has the ability to jump and stomp on baddies just like his buddy Mario, but he also has a few other tricks up his sleeve. We all know that Yoshi can lay eggs, but in this game we’re introduced to Yoshi’s skill at using them as projectiles. Not all enemies are stompable or easily reachable, so in order to take them out you can have Yoshi take aim and save yourself the danger of close-quarters encounters. This is pulled off creatively by giving you a moving aim function once you activate the throwing function. You can aim the cursor using the directional pad if you have the time, and actually freeze the cursor in place to line up a perfect shot. However, if you need to fire off a shot quickly, you can always flex your hand-eye coordination skills by firing the egg while the aiming cursor is in motion. What becomes a simple way of safely dispatching enemies soon becomes an essential skill to master if you want to take on the games many bosses, but it never feels clunky or frustrating.

Nintendo also gave Yoshi the ability to perform a double-jump of sorts where he can exert himself and float in mid-air a bit longer to reach higher or further platforms in the game. This is rarely needed to actually complete stages, but mastering it can help you complete stages in an easier fashion. You can use it to avoid certain baddies and reach out-of-the-way areas if you’re a completionist like me and want to collect all those hidden flowers, stars, and red coins. Apart from the double-jump and egg firing, Yoshi can also use a ground pound. This isn't so much used to dispatch enemies as it is to interact with the environment’s multiple poundable obstacles. All of these moves combine to give you a unique and complex gaming experience unseen in previous Mario titles.

Seriously, even the bosses are cutesy in there own ways

Let’s talk soundtrack for a brief moment, shall we? After playing a few hours of Yoshi’s Island, I soon found myself humming and whistling along, even making up my own lyrics (something I do frequently to instrumentals). Graduated GamerGirl actually got annoyed with me once while playing because I wouldn't stop doing my own rendition of the end-stage tune. As far as soundtracks go, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one as catchy as this. It meshes well with the look and feel of the game, treating you to sounds that uplift and inspire you. Where previous Mario games would have some “gloomier” music for some levels like in the castles or underground, Yoshi’s Island always seems to feel upbeat and positive, even in those more dreary or dangerous places. It’s definitely made my list of best gaming soundtracks, worth a listen by any fan of video game music.

Lastly, the game itself is just so much fun to play as a whole. From the story of the twin baby brothers you’re trying to reunite, to the look and sound of the game, to the amazing variety in enemies and boss battles, this game has something for everyone. Don’t let the kiddy look fool you – this game is challenging no matter how old or experienced you are, but above all else it’s a blast to play. I was actually sad each time I ended a Let’s Play session because I could easily play this game for hours on end. The fun factor is off the charts, and the game isn’t without humor as well. Seeing as the game takes place in the past of the Mario Bros. timeline, you’ll be smiling at the nods to the “future” games and you’ll snicker when you first hear Yoshi exert himself during a double-jump. If you play this game and have a hard time enjoying it, you might want to check to see if you have a gamer soul – it’s that fantastic.

So there you have it – after nearly 10 years separating me from my first playthrough of the game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island and all the joy it gave long ago hasn't aged a bit. I was reminded why this game garnered such praise and attention in the nineties, not just from me but from SNES owners the world around. If you love retro gaming and need a change of pace from brutally serious and/or difficult titles, you can’t go wrong with this game. I’m racking my brain and I can’t seem to find one thing wrong with this game…well, except for baby Mario’s crying, but that’s why remotes have a mute button. Thank you readers for voting this as my next game review. It’s been a truly wonderful experience. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some red coins and flowers to find.

It's Not All About Nostalgia

If you’ve read a decent number of my posts, you’ll likely know that I grew up playing video games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Final Fantasy VII, and Super Mario 64. You’ll also know that I committed the cardinal sin of selling off almost all my consoles and games years ago and have recently begun rebuilding and expanding on that collection. This initially began as a way to rekindle some of those old feelings and good times with the games that shaped my childhood. I wanted to help ToeJam and Earl escape Earth, help Sonic defeat Dr. Robotnik, and rip One-Winged Sephiroth a new one like I did so many years ago. Nostalgia can be a powerful driving force, so much so that it can even shape the economy (just look at retro game prices these days). However, as I’ve continued this journey of game collecting, I’ve shifted my focus a bit from strictly games I’ve owned or played before to games I’ve never heard of or always wanted to play.

This shift wasn’t intentional – in fact, it was completely accidental and took me by surprise entirely because I didn’t realize what I was doing until I discovered my bank account had taken a hard hit (something I’m sure most gamers can relate to). While participating in a fun contest on Twitter in which you see how much you can buy with $30 on eBay* (not counting shipping), I realized that I was looking to buy obscure titles I’d never ever seen before. Most of them seemed to be late PS2 releases, and they were going for cheap despite their critical acclaim or cult following (according to my research). I just couldn’t help myself and ended up buying more of these unheard of games than classic retro titles – and how could I not with them going as cheap as 0.06 (~$2 including shipping)?!

[*You can check it out by searching for #ebayanonymous on Twitter.]

It wasn’t until I checked out and was waiting for the games to ship that I realized what I had done. My original intent of collecting was to relive my childhood wasn’t it? However, I came to realize that, while nostalgia is important, game collecting, particularly games from previous generations, is about so much more. Take the PS2, PS1, or N64 for instance. For me, those systems were from a time when I was either too young to have a job, or was “raking in” no more than $500/month from paper routes and working odd hours at Dairy Queen. Because of this, I had very little disposable income to spend on $50 games and relied heavily on birthday and Christmas gifts for adding to my collection (that or I would hope my dad would buy a title I wanted and I could just mooch off of him). As a result, I missed out on a lot of games that I would have loved to experience growing up. Eventually, I stopped reading gaming magazines because the pain of not being able to play all the games was too much.

Fast forward to today, and I believe I’m finally making amends for that younger, poorer time in my life. More modern games like Jet Set Radio Future, Final Fantasy XII, and Tomba! are making their way into my collection, as well as some older titles like Maniac Mansion, Ninja Gaiden, and Super Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts. These titles have no real value of nostalgia for me like Final Fantasy IX or Earthbound, but they equally represent a time in my life when responsibilities were fewer and I was more relaxed, bills were paid by someone else, and the world was a simpler, kinder place (save for some schoolyard moments, but that’s life). Sure they may not rekindle a fire in my soul that longs for those bygone days, but they remind me how far I’ve come in life. Sure, not everything in one’s life improves over time (who wouldn’t love to have that summer freedom back just once?), but for me, building my game collection is now just as much about giving forgotten games of the past their fair shake as much as it is about travelling back in time.

Graduated Gamer understands that people collect games for so many reasons, which makes it a very personal and unique experience for everyone who partakes. Feel  free to share what drives you to increase and improve your collection in the comments.

Graduated Gamer Rants About Vendors

Trying to relive the glory years of my gaming past has turned out to be more difficult than I thought. At this point it’s led to nothing but me raging about morons who know nothing about gaming and see nothing but dollar signs when they look at a classic game cart. I just couldn't shake the terrible feeling I got after an experience at a flea market, even weeks later, so I figured I needed to share it with people in an extra attempt to exorcise this funk.

It all started over a month ago. After feeling quite down after a hard day at work and instead of doing something to raise my spirits I decided to take a self-destructive trip down painful memory lane.  I looked up my eBay history to review the time I sold almost my entire collection of used/retro games and consoles. After feeling depressed for another day or so, I finally became inspired to rebuild my gaming collection. Seeing as how it consisted of an SNES, PS2/PS1, and a Game Boy with games, how hard could it be? It’s not like I had a MIB Odyssey or anything else super rare. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Yup, you get another dose of my shame. Let it be an A++++ lesson for you all.

After 15 minutes of research I knew the first major obstacle I’d have to overcome was inflation. Apparently retro gaming has become really trendy and hip in the 6 years since selling my collection, causing prices for most old carts, manuals, and even guides to increase significantly. After swearing under my breath at myself a few times and blaming hipsters for this trend (when all else fails, blame hipsters), I tried to find creative ways to circumvent or at least soften this potential blow to my bank account. I thought, “I’ll use Craigslist, eBay, garage sales, and flea markets to rebuild my collection in no time.” Well, if you’re a retro gamer and collector, you know that eBay and (typically) Craigslist are breeding grounds for overpriced items and people with more money than knowledge on the subject, so these ideas were abandoned (I still browse Craigslist and eBay for those rare instances where you actually find a good deal, of which I've found a few).

This left only garage sales and flea markets. Since garage sales take more gas and time than I was willing to give, and since I was on vacation at the time, I started with a flea market. I figured I’d show up and there’d be stalls with old women selling things from their houses out of corrugated cardboard boxes and that I’d be able to snatch up some sweet SNES and Genesis carts for great deals. I had no idea what I was really in for. Apparently I’m too optimistic for my own good and have no idea how the real world works these days. No sooner did I enter the flea market did I spot a stall solely dedicated to video games – everything from the PS3/360 all the way down to the Atari 2600 was available for sale, including consoles, controllers, cords, you name it, they likely had it. I struck up a conversation with the proprietor who seemed knowledgeable and interested in my questions, even when they weren't about price. It appeared that I had found a fantastic start to my journey – it seemed too good to be true. How right I was.

I’m not one to just throw down money without doing my research first, so I decided to explore the mile-long flea market for other stalls. As you’d expect, my search didn't turn up any gem-filled boxes or unknowing old ladies. Instead all I got was lots of junk, old TVs, movie TAPES (seriously, I thought all VCRs and VHS tapes were ordered to be destroyed by the government or something), and “antiques”. Only one other booth sold video games, and the prices were outrageous – the average mark-up over standard price on loose retro carts and systems was at least 50%, sometimes as high as 75%. I left disgusted and disheartened, feeling like my past, my nostalgia, was now a distorted and mangled means for others to line their pockets. It was at that point that I decided to head back to the original stall to pick up some SNES and Genesis games (hell, maybe even a PS2 game here and there for $3 each). This was when the experience went from bad to worse.

This is essentially what shopping at a flea market looks and feels like.

I guess at this point in my life I should know a shark when I see one, but I’m generally a trusting person who tries to see the good in people. Perhaps it was the earlier conversation I had with the stall proprietor, or perhaps I was just in awe at the vast amounts of old Genesis, NES, and SNES games he had for sale, but whatever it was I thought this guy genuinely enjoyed gaming and respected it. Sure he was selling stuff and had to make money, but there’s always room to haggle and discuss price, right? Wrong. After looking for about 15 minutes and getting a stack of SNES, PS1, Genesis, and NES games set to go, I went to talk to the owner about price. Before he even mentioned a price, he told me that there was no way he was going to let me buy Final Fantasy Tactics, and said he was putting that on eBay. He then started bragging about how he got more money from eBay than anywhere else and his latest sales to what I assume he called “suckers”.

I was a little more than disappointed since FF Tactics is one of those games I started in my younger days but never finished. But there was still room for redemption with the remaining 6 games in hand. After hearing his prices for each, I went into barter mode. However, no sooner did a few words get out of my mouth did he interrupt me to tell me that at this point his prices were “take it or leave it” and that I had wasted enough of his time, during which 5 or 6 people came and went from his stall. Apparently my perusing and potential business distracted him so much that he missed 5 or 6 more suckers that he could grub more money out of. I was not only taken aback – I was pissed. I wish I could say I fired a witty retort back at him as I left, but I instead set the games down carefully (because unlike him I respect gaming and see it as much more than a way to make money), wished him luck with the rest of his day,  and walked away.

Needless to say I did no more shopping that day at the flea market. I helped haul my girlfriend’s box of finds to the car and stewed over the events of the day. I must have been very naïve, but it seems that somewhere between the day I sold my game collection and the present, retro gaming has become bastardized and commercialized. For so many people in this world, retro gaming is a means to so many things – rekindling old memories, reliving glory days, or just enjoying simple-old-fashioned gaming where the only achievement in the game is beating the final boss (and for some games, that’s one hell of an achievement). But I fear that retro gaming, due to its recent trendiness, has become simply another way for companies like GameStop and various other used games stores across the country to make a buck.

The face of evil has changed a lot over the years.

My original intent was to end on that very negative note, but you know what gamers, over the last couple of weeks I've realized that there’s still hope. I've met a few really awesome people through Craigslist who have not only appreciated my love for games and given me good deals, but they've also shared their great knowledge and passion for gaming, which in some ways is just as much fun as playing the games themselves. Sure, gaming has become commercialized and I may never truly rebuild my entire collection for the right price, but in my journey I've learned that no matter how much resale shops and vendors and eBay grifters raise the prices of the games we love, we’ll always have our drive and our love for gaming, and you sure as hell can’t put a price tag on that.

Graduated Gamer Welcomes You To The Real World!

Welcome to the real world, gamer! My name is Tim, but you can call me Graduated Gamer. There was a time in my life when all I needed in the summertime was some Mountain Dew, a bag of Doritos, and my Nintendo 64. With that, I was the happiest kid in the world – sleepovers consisted of Goldeneye marathons, days consisted of waking at noon and playing until 4 AM, and beating a game was the greatest and only achievement you needed. From the moment I booted up my Sega Genesis and collected gold rings as Sonic the Hedgehog to saving the galaxy as Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, video games have been a part of my life. However, one day I made a vital mistake: I graduated from college and entered the real world.


My gaming marathon food has changed a little since my childhood.

Blissfully ignorant, I had no idea that this slight change in my life would cause my video gaming to suffer immensely. My Xbox 360 went from running hot to taking up space in storage, my knowledge of the gaming industry went downhill, and I had more half-played games in my library than I care to admit. Who knew that having a full-time job combined with a girlfriend, a cat, bills, and various other adult responsibilities would take so much time away from my console?

Over time I realized how much I was neglecting my games and how much I truly missed the joys of that Xbox. So I did something about it, and today I’m slowly rehabilitating myself into the gamer I used to be…or something close. Sure, I’ll never have the freedom to play from dusk til dawn like I did in middle school, but real life just shouldn’t come between a gamer and his controllers.

Less daunting than working 60 hours/week and trying to beat Mass Effect on Insanity.

After some time, I figured there have to be more gamers living in the real world, who love gaming but may not have the time to buy and play the latest games, or they may have unfinished games that they want to finally complete. Perhaps they’ve been away from gaming for so long that the consoles you own are from the 64-bit era (or earlier). All of those things are totally cool, and I believe that gaming isn’t all about the latest and greatest or about buying the hottest game and beating it in one night (seriously, I only get so many vacation days a year and I’m not going to use one to beat GTA V in one night…although it’s so damn tempting).

 

This is where this blog comes in. I wanted to create a place where people can enjoy video gaming in the real world. Maybe you don’t have time or money to spend on the latest game(s) and some older, cheaper titles are more your preference. Perhaps you wish to reminisce about consoles past, or you’re still getting some good miles on your N64/PS1/PS2. Maybe you just like to talk about gaming because your style is purely recreational. Whatever the case, I hope you’ll join me on this adventure, and perhaps in time you’ll go from a level 1 n00b to a level 50 curb-stomper (and if not, that’s okay too – seriously, don’t quit your job, leave bills unpaid, or dump your girl/boyfriend*).

*Graduated Gamer is not responsible for gaming ruining your life, just like we’re not responsible for the real world ruining your gaming. A healthy work-life-gaming balance is what we strive for here at Graduated Gamer and we hope we can be a part of that.