The $4 bin of PS2, Xbox and GameCube games had some nice titles to offer again. I was able to pick up a complete copy of Jak 3 and complete the PS2 Jak and Daxter trilogy. I'm really looking forward to going through this series and I may pick up the spin off Jak X: Combat Racing someday.
I also bought Burnout 3: Takedown for $7.99. Burnout 3 is my favorite Burnout game and one of my favorite PS2 racers. It's complete, but the case is a bit worse for ware. I'll have to get a better case. One of the best arcade-style racing game deserves it.
I'm a huge fan of Robotech. I once owned the GameCube version of Robotech: Battlecry and it was another of those games that I traded. It may not have been the best licensed game but I did enjoy what I played some years ago. I'm happy to have it in my collection once more. For those of you not in the know, Robotech is an action/drama anime series that features transforming mechs that can launch a barrage of missiles. That's the short version. It would take way too much time to explain in depth about one of my favorite animes here.
There are still a few GameCube games I need to pick up before I'm finished buying games for that system but Chibi-Robo! was a game I didn't ever really plan on buying. It was there the last time I was at Video Game Heaven and I told myself that if it was still there, I'd pick it up. I'm not quiet sure how to explain it, but I felt compelled to buy Chibi-Robo! as if the self titled character was staring right back at me with those little eyes saying "Buuuuuy meeeeee!" The came was complete and the more I read about it on the back of the case and in the game's manual, the stranger it sounds. From what I gather, it's not your conventional game and I'm really surprised Nintendo published something like this six years ago.
A good friend loaned me his copy of the SNES game Demon's Crest a few years back. It's a fantastic spin-off title in the Ghost 'n Goblins series staring Firebrand, who looks like one of the enemies that Arthur encounters during his quest to save his lady love. Demon's Crest is far more forgiving than any of Arthur's adventures and it has a dash of RPG elements. I liked Demon's Crest so much that I sought out Gargoyle's Quest II on the NES about five years ago. It's another game staring Firebrand that I need to complete. Both it and Demon's Crest need to see Virtual Console releases. Make it happen, Capcom.
Remember the Super FX chip on the SNES? It maid polygonal graphics possible on Nintendo's 16-bit machine. Mention that chip and most people will think of StarFox but there were a few other games that made use of it, such as Stunt Race FX. This game doesn't have the greatest controls but it's still fun and it hardly cost anything. Looking forward to playing it again.
I was told by one of the clerks that no one was buying their Genesis games, which is odd because they have a nice selection. They had the entire Phantasy Star Genesis trilogy for chump change. The only reason I bought Phantasy Star II and IV is because I already have a physical copy of Phantasy Star III. Both games were only $9.99. I'd always assumed both of those games would go for $20 or more considering the reputation they have. Oh well, I'm not complaining. Wonder Boy in Monster World was even cheaper, going for $3.99.
Back in 1998, I played a demo of Einhander. A few years later, I found a new copy of the game at KB Toys for $24.99. Then for some stupid reason, I traded it in. Einhander ended up becoming one of those rare PS1 games. So I was surprised to see it in Video Game Heaven for the exact same price I paid for nearly 10 years ago. The case was cracked but the clerk replaced it with a fresh one. Was mighty nice of him. Not only is Ehinder a unique shooter, it also has a stand out musicals core. One of the boss themes, Shudder is hands down, one of the best boss tracks I've ever heard.
I remember reading about Silhouette Mirage on the PlayStation in 1998 in Game Informer and Electronic Gaming Monthly. I wanted to play the game but was never able to find a copy. Years later, I found out that the game was originally released on the Saturn in 1997 and ported to Sony's system a year later. Being an import, I was worried that Silhouette Mirage would be costly, but it turned out to be pretty affordable at only $34.99. It's also on Sony's PlayStation Network in Japan. The American version is actually a lot harder due to the changes Working Designs implemented. I guess I'm better off with the Saturn version after all. I ended up buying this because it was a recommended import on Retro Gamer's Sega Saturn Collector's Guide feature.
I've always been a huge fan of the Gradius series and it's spin-offs. The Gradius Deluxe Pack has arcade perfect ports of Gradius and Gradius II. I was never able to get the arcade rom of Gradius on MAME to work so it's nice to finally be able to play the arcade version on the Saturn. Much as I like the NES version of Gradius, it's nice to have easy access to arcade Gradius at last. Gradius II seems to be just as hard and relentless as the PC-Engine version that I have on the Virtual Console. Both games have English text, so no knowledge of the Japanese language is required. Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus has three games on it, Salamander, Life Force and Salamander 2, all arcade perfect. Salamander 2 is one of my favorite shooters to play on MAME and now I can fire it up on the Saturn whenever I like. What little text it has int he game is also all in English.
Each time I went into Video Game Heaven, I saw Power Drift. I've never played the game, but I'm aware that it was developed by Yu Suzuki, of OutRun, Super Hang-On, and Space Harrier fame. I was still unsure of whether I should pick it up or not. What talked me into picking it up was Retro Gamer's "Why You Must Play" feature on Power Drift. That magazine has no problem swaying me.
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