Back in the 80's and early 90's videogames were strictly considered for kids. Those of us who grew up with them were kids at the time, the adults who played arcade games had grown out of it.

Kind of funny how all the kids who got into videogames back in the 80's and 90's wound up becoming the current generation of 25-35 year olds that still play games today.

Actually, in the 70s and 80s video games were not a kids thing. It was a new technology and so almost everyone was interested in exploring it. Ever heard of Pacman Fever? Those weren't just kids catching it. Some of my favorite arcade setups are the ones in bar tables, I've been meaning to make my own for a while now... But you're right, by the 90s, with the wide distribution of the home console, Video games were geared for a younger audience. That and the fact that these games were now much more accessible to the younger audience created a "childish" stigma.

A lot of that has to do with the fact that games were sprite based and relied on video game animal mascots.

It wasn't until the Playstation 1 days where realistic style graphics like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil and Tomb Raider came that started to make games seem more adult at the time.

This is also what started the "Nintendo is kiddy" image during the N64 days, because they kept making games based on cartoon style mascots and no new realistic franchises with the exception of Rare making Goldeneye.

So, I got this thing about a month ago and it's been pretty much a dumping ground for the stuff I've been slowly digging out of storage as I've continued to transform my spare room, which has been empty for about 3 years, into a game room. I finally found the majority of my Nintendo games, so I piled it all in. It makes me really happy to see it looking nice, even if I'm not fully satisfied with it right now. It has a full bottom cabinet as well, but it piled up with spare old consoles, boxes and peripherals.

Niiiiiice! But: Wii Super Mario All-Stars? Really?

The set is a nice set. Even if he owns the SNES one, its a neat collectors item. Not nearly as rare as that Metroid Prime thing, but cool to have on a shelf, with the little retrospective book.

It's an incredibly nice looking set and it's already surprisingly expensive for what it is. The NA version regularly sells for $60-$100 on eBay depending on their shape and for more if they're un-opened, as mine is. And it's not like I don't have a boxed copy of the SNES version a few shelves down.

I'm more concerned with what looks aesthetically pleasing to me than anything else, which is also the way I am with a lot of my games. I either go SFC/Famicom or SNES/NES depending on how much I like the box/cart art, which causes some headaches for the way my brain works in regards to having a full series in one format or the other. Like Castlevania. The artwork for Akumajo Dracula XX is incredible, but the artwork for Super Castlevania IV is far superior to it's incredibly hideous SFC counterpart.

Anyways, lost out on a mint cart-only Demon's Crest today by $3. I was reluctant to spend more than $120 on it and ended up bidding $153.99, which was short of the $156.49 someone won it at. I was both happy and sad. I want the game so badly, but I know I would have felt incredibly guilty if I had won.

How about $1000 for a boxed Dracula X?

I hear dat. I'm trying to convince myself to purchase the various versions of Street Fighter II on Super Famicom, which is obviously cheaper. The cartridge artwork blows, though. Maybe I can convince myself that the original Japanese versions have some added cachet because of the subsequent North American Vega/M. Bison/Balrog swap-around.

Also, on a wholly unrelated topic: for one reason or another, Super Mario World has never appealed to me. I've seen it, I've played it, I've read the great reviews, and yet I still can't get into it. But having recently discovered Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, I can't help but be intrigued. It just looks so damn good!

I prefer Mario 3, but at the time Super Mario World is just one of those timeless 2D Masterpieces. Finding all 94 exits was great.

Mario 3, in my mind, is the quintessential Mario game. Best of the bunch. I love the Super Mario All-Stars version. It looks just fantastic.

Now that I have a SNES I might give World another try, if I can find it for cheap.

SMB3 is my all-time favourite Mario, but World is pretty high up there. I still don't count Yoshi's Island as a Mario game, because it shares few similarities and feels entirely different, but it's incredible in its own right.

Got my copy of Castlevania on NES today from the place that jerked me around, the thing is in absolutely pristine condition, so I decided to cut them some slack. In more SNES related news (almost feel like this should become a game collecting thread instead of specifically about SNES) I got my 3.8mm security bit for opening up cartridges. I used it to replace the torn-up back of my Mega Man X with a perfect back from my stack of useless SNES games. I'm slowly going through and opening my cartridges to check that they're all clean. I've read some absolute horror stories lately that have made me slightly nervous about the possible contents of old carts.

It's beautiful -- so beautiful.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pscdd3dab9.jpg

Dish the dirt, buddy!

...Well now I'm curious.

There's some real nasty stuff out there about people opening carts and finding everything from roaches to bed bugs and spiders. It makes my skin crawl to even think about.

The more damaging thing is people who've opened carts and found wires on the board, indicating that it's a repro cart. Apparently there are a ton out there floating around that are impossible to tell apart unless you open them up.

Also:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps18f350e5.jpg

I've been thinking about buying a Flash SNES cartridge to play on my SNES, I like playing games in the original hardware instead of emulating them and technically with the Flash cartridge I'd be doing it with the exception of games that had special chips inside, those chips would still be emulated. Anyone have any experience with these?

Wow, I had no idea! The f*ckin freaks me out! I've got soooo many old carts that I've picked up over the years, and while I always inspect and clean the connectors I never actually open up the carts. Next time I pick up a cart that rattles, I'll think twice

Ahh, good ole Clayfighters 2: Judgement Clay. I love those wacky games.

Judgment Clay, actually. I'm a stickler for omitting the "e."

Earthworm Jim
I'm not really a gamer anymore, but I remember loving this game when it came out on snes.

Just got these bad mofos in the maaaaaail! Finally! They're in fantastic condition, the carts and manuals are mint. I'm so happy I finally have them.

Weekend f*cking CONFIRMED!