By Ashley Winchester (Dec 03, 2010) (#26)
Bernhardt wrote:
When I think back, it's amazing for how long you could still pick up a game brand new; stores were great at keeping inventory; these days, if you don't get a game when it first comes out, good luck trying to get it in stores after that!
Eh, I'm going to have to disagree to some extent here. I'll admit when I was a kid the toy store in the local mall had an awesome selection ("ToyTown") but they where the exception. Everything in there was priced sky high as well. The game I always wanted but never got was Mega Man X3 (Wal Mart always had the placard up for it but never "had" it) because of the limitations of retail without the internet and when you're young. I got the game 15 years later after the realization that the game wasn't all that had set in. Standard sequel. I was only able to get X2 because a rental score opened in town around my birthday, which was gone a mere six months later.
Additionally, while I'm not trying to play the "woe is me" card, late era SNES carts where so psychotically priced that selection really didn't matter. The prices acted as such a restriction you where going to buy the best games you could muster. Out of every SNES game I got back then, I hardly bought any blind because of that. I was much more willing to gamble in the PS1 era when games could be had for $20~$50 - although when your friends buy everything in sight (despite their parents being up to their ears in debt) you have a slight advantage in trying everything out first.
By Bernhardt (Dec 03, 2010) (#27)
Ashley Winchester wrote:
Bernhardt wrote:
When I think back, it's amazing for how long you could still pick up a game brand new; stores were great at keeping inventory; these days, if you don't get a game when it first comes out, good luck trying to get it in stores after that!
Eh, I'm going to have to disagree to some extent here. I'll admit when I was a kid the toy store in the local mall had an awesome selection ("ToyTown") but they where the exception. Everything in there was priced sky high as well. The game I always wanted but never got was Mega Man X3 (Wal Mart always had the placard up for it but never "had" it) because of the limitations of retail without the internet and when you're young. I got the game 15 years later after the realization that the game wasn't all that had set in. Standard sequel. I was only able to get X2 because a rental score opened in town around my birthday, which was gone a mere six months later.
X2 and X3, I bought both of those used...after all, Mega Man games are usually pretty quick, if not short; no need to spend too much money on them...
Ashley Winchester wrote:
Additionally, while I'm not trying to play the "woe is me" card, late era SNES carts where so psychotically priced that selection really didn't matter.
How much WERE they priced back then? I really don't remember...
Ashley Winchester wrote:
The prices acted as such a restriction you where going to buy the best games you could muster. Out of every SNES game I got back then, I hardly bought any blind because of that.
On average, I'd say, during the NES and SNES days, I must've got an average of 2 new games a year, one for my birthday (in Summer), and one for Christmas. There were exceptions, for example, when I could either get them cheap as new (Clayfighter for $25, anyone?) or cheap as used.
Back when we first got the NES, I'd swear my older brother was bringing home a new game a day, for awhile...
And when we got the SNES for Christmas, I'd say the parents also splurged on about 6 games to go with it...and that included Super Mario World, which already came with the system.
Last edited by Bernhardt (Dec 03, 2010)
By Zane (Dec 03, 2010) (#28)
I'm glad I didn't buy DKC Returns for one reason and one reason alone:
http://www.ripten.com/2010/11/28/donkey … rs-mauler/
You will always be a huge douchenozzle, Billy Mitchell.
By Ashley Winchester (Dec 03, 2010) (#29)
Bernhardt wrote:
Ashley Winchester wrote:
Additionally, while I'm not trying to play the "woe is me" card, late era SNES carts where so psychotically priced that selection really didn't matter.
How much WERE they priced back then? I really don't remember...
To be fair, earlier carts (games) were a little less expensive ($50) because they were only using up 8 to 16 megs of memory. Near the end of the SNES' life cycle when the games had grown to 24 and 32 megs and enhancement chips (like Capcom's Cx4 and Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Star Ocean's S-DD1 decompressor chip) started making their debut, $70 was the going rate for a top of the line title. I can remember shelling that out for Mega Man X2 (ouch!) and DKC3.
Additionally, I believe the use of the Cx4 in X2 and X3 resulted in smaller production runs for those games; fewer copies roaming around meant having to charge more per copy, which was just plain ironic considering Mega Man X only cost me $20 brand new in 1993/1994. Capcom supposedly sub-contracted the license to another company after the initial run making it insanely easy to find. The result of this still lives on today, a X cart will run you $10 while X2~X3 can still run you $30+. In all honesty, I don't think the technology the Cx4 afforded was worth the trade-off; the fact that the original is the probably the best (and most affordable) of the three games speaks volumes.
Zane wrote:
I'm glad I didn't buy DKC Returns for one reason and one reason alone:
http://www.ripten.com/2010/11/28/donkey … rs-mauler/
You will always be a huge douchenozzle, Billy Mitchell.
I don't know which I find more annoying, such a lame-ass tribute or the fact Rare plastered the Nintendo logo throughout the original games. I may have found that endearing years ago, but now it seems like a bad case of "logo feces."
By XLord007 (Dec 03, 2010) (#30)
Bernhardt wrote:
When I think back, it's amazing for how long you could still pick up a game brand new; stores were great at keeping inventory; these days, if you don't get a game when it first comes out, good luck trying to get it in stores after that!
Well, there were a lot less games being released back then and cart orders had to be done in large batches. Mega Man games always seemed to be tough to get. I went through hell trying to find Mega Man V for the GB when that first came out; ended up having to order from some obscure mail order company. MM7 was also pretty tough to get IIRC, though a friend eventually found it at a store for me.
As for SNES cart prices, I happen to have a records of what we paid for all of those games back in the day, so let's take a peek:
-Street Fight II Turbo (1993) - $73.99
-Secret of Mana (1993) - $69.99
-Mega Man X (1994) - $59.99
-Final Fantasy III (1994) - $74.99
-Demon's Crest (1994) - $69.99
-DKC (1994) - $59.99
-Mega Man X2 (1995) - $64.99
According to my records, many of my late era SNES games were bought using a friend's employee discount, so I don't know for sure what the original retail prices were but if I had to guess based on the discount prices, I'd say:
-Chrono Trigger (1995) - $69.99
-Mega Man 7 (1995) - $49.99
-Dracula X (1995) - $49.99
-Yoshi's Island (1995) - $59.99
-Secret of Evermore (1995) - $59.99
-DKC2 (1995) - $59.99
-Mega Man X3 (1996) - $49.99
-SMRPG (1996) - really unsure about this since I remember using a coupon and the price I have recorded is unusual
-Tetris Attack (1996) - $29.99
-Kirby Super Star (1996) - $49.99
-DKC3 (1996) - $59.99
-Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) - $39.99
By GoldfishX (Dec 04, 2010) (#31)
I owned the SNES basically from launch and by the time the PS1 was in full swing and prices plummeted, I only owned about 10 games or so for it. I rented a lot and played a lot of gems (and crap), but when I bought one (or had one bought for me), it damn sure counted. $50-$60 for Bart's Nightmare or Plok or Darius Twin (all decent games) wasn't going to happen...the money was going towards the high profile "gotta have" stuff. The big thing for my friends was when TMNT IV and Street Fighter 2 came out at a similar time, both killer apps that blew pretty much anything the SNES was offering at the time. We were always talking about which one or the other we ended up getting, until we were lucky enough to afford both.
Like Ashley said, this is one reason the PS1 library was so appealing...The lower prices (as well as stuff like ebay to sell off junk) removed that fear of the 1-2 games you're going to get per year turning out to be bad.
By Bernhardt (Dec 04, 2010) (#32)
XLord007 wrote:
Bernhardt wrote:
When I think back, it's amazing for how long you could still pick up a game brand new; stores were great at keeping inventory; these days, if you don't get a game when it first comes out, good luck trying to get it in stores after that!
Well, there were a lot less games being released back then and cart orders had to be done in large batches. Mega Man games always seemed to be tough to get. I went through hell trying to find Mega Man V for the GB when that first came out; ended up having to order from some obscure mail order company. MM7 was also pretty tough to get IIRC, though a friend eventually found it at a store for me.
As for SNES cart prices, I happen to have a records of what we paid for all of those games back in the day, so let's take a peek:
-Street Fight II Turbo (1993) - $73.99
-Secret of Mana (1993) - $69.99
-Mega Man X (1994) - $59.99
-Final Fantasy III (1994) - $74.99
-Demon's Crest (1994) - $69.99
-DKC (1994) - $59.99
-Mega Man X2 (1995) - $64.99
According to my records, many of my late era SNES games were bought using a friend's employee discount, so I don't know for sure what the original retail prices were but if I had to guess based on the discount prices, I'd say:
-Chrono Trigger (1995) - $69.99
-Mega Man 7 (1995) - $49.99
-Dracula X (1995) - $49.99
-Yoshi's Island (1995) - $59.99
-Secret of Evermore (1995) - $59.99
-DKC2 (1995) - $59.99
-Mega Man X3 (1996) - $49.99
-SMRPG (1996) - really unsure about this since I remember using a coupon and the price I have recorded is unusual
-Tetris Attack (1996) - $29.99
-Kirby Super Star (1996) - $49.99
-DKC3 (1996) - $59.99
-Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) - $39.99
Wow whee, that's amazing.
We usually got our SNES games brand new, especially with regards to the PREMIUM titles, but Chono Trigger, I got brand new for $50, and Kirby's Dreamland 3, $30.
I even called up my old man and asked him how much we paid for SNES games back in the day, and said $50 was the standard.
Me, I've lived in Michigan these past few decades; maybe y'all just live somewhere expensive?
N64 games were also $50 back in the day, but I remember people telling me they saw Clayfighter 63 1/3 going for $80 brand new someplace, and Wave Race 64 for $100.
By Amazingu (Dec 05, 2010) (#33)
Bernhardt wrote:
N64 games were also $50 back in the day, but I remember people telling me they saw Clayfighter 63 1/3 going for $80 brand new someplace, and Wave Race 64 for $100.
Wasn't Conker, like, $120 or something?
By jb (Dec 05, 2010) (#34)
I remember Breath of Fire II going for 79.99$ when it came out because it was so small of a printing due to the fact that it was at the very end of the SNES's lifecycle and they didn't think there would be that much interest...
By Qui-Gon Joe (Dec 05, 2010) (#35)
Amazingu wrote:
Wasn't Conker, like, $120 or something?
Either $50 or $60. Where I lived, first party games tended to be $60 and third party more like $50. I tend to remember about $50 or $60 for every console earlier than the N64, too. I NEVER remember seeing $80 games as people always say some RPGs used to be and whatnot.
By Ashley Winchester (Dec 05, 2010) (#36)
jb wrote:
I remember Breath of Fire II going for 79.99$ when it came out because it was so small of a printing due to the fact that it was at the very end of the SNES's lifecycle and they didn't think there would be that much interest...
I wonder, could that have something to do with the game's translation...
Anyway, I ended up loving Breath of Fire II. The "lack of interest" was probably in the game's best interest however, I could just see some religious person getting pissed off about the similarities between the Church of St.Eva and Christianity.
By Smeg (Dec 05, 2010) (#37)
I was a Genesis kid, but the outrageous JRPG prices extended there too - Phantasy Star IV was 75 bucks. It was a steal when I found it in a pawn shop for $35 with the guide. I don't recall what Virtual Racing cost but I know it was exorbitant with that extra coprocessor on the board.
By Bernhardt (Dec 05, 2010) (#38)
jb wrote:
I remember Breath of Fire II going for 79.99$ when it came out because it was so small of a printing due to the fact that it was at the very end of the SNES's lifecycle and they didn't think there would be that much interest...
(O_O) BoF II, I got it for $40-50 brand new, in 1995-1996.
Come to think of it, we usually got our games at stores like Babbage's (when it used to be open), Electronics Boutique, and Funcoland. Maybe that's why they were so cheap, perhaps those stores had figured out special wholesale deals with their suppliers? Oh yeah, don't forget Wally Mart.
Ashley Winchester wrote:
I wonder, could that have something to do with the game's translation...
I LoL.'d (XD)
Ashley Winchester wrote:
Anyway, I ended up loving Breath of Fire II. The "lack of interest" was probably in the game's best interest however, I could just see some religious person getting pissed off about the similarities between the Church of St.Eva and Christianity.
I always wondered why there wasn't an outrage about that...
Last edited by Bernhardt (Dec 05, 2010)
By Angela (Dec 05, 2010) (#39)
Holy thread derailment, Batman.
By GoldfishX (Dec 05, 2010) (#40)
Conker was standard price ($50-$60), the issue was that when I worked in Electronics Boutique at the time, we had to be careful who we sold it to.
Early in the 32/64 bit lifecycle, I believe games tended to be more, but they came down by the end of 1997 or so. Which is really for the best...I can't imagine most early Playstation games being worth $60-$70 a pop. Although, I can't say the $10 price increase on current gen games is justified either...
By Bernhardt (Dec 05, 2010) (#41)
Angela wrote:
Holy thread derailment, Batman.
S'ry. 
But I don't think we'd have seen such a good turn-out on this subject had I created a separate thread...ironically enough...that argument could be yet another thread!
I s'pose Adam could take all these good posts, and do just that...
...
BACK ON TOPIC!
Blistered Thumbs' playthrough on the game makes me actually want to buy it, and sorry that I ever doubted it in the first place: http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2010/12/ … y-returns/
Good to see new villains. I get tired of Nintendo recycling the same villains over and over again...and THAT could also be another sub-topic! Try not to get side-tracked now! XD Okay, okay, relax, I'm not trying to get hostile, or anything...
Last edited by Bernhardt (Dec 05, 2010)
By XLord007 (Dec 05, 2010) (#42)
Yeah, early N64 games, especially third party ones, were very expensive. I remember War Gods was $79.99 when it first came out, and it's a contender for worst game ever made.
By Amazingu (Dec 05, 2010) (#43)
Hmm, I seem to recall Conker being ridiculously expensive, but that may have been just the Netherlands/Europe then...
By Ashley Winchester (Dec 05, 2010) (#44)
Bernhardt wrote:
Good to see new villains. I get tired of Nintendo recycling the same villains over and over again...and THAT could also be another sub-topic! Try not to get side-tracked now! XD Okay, okay, relax, I'm not trying to get hostile, or anything...
I disagree... AGAIN! The Kremlings have hardly hit their expiration date. If you want to talk about a villain I got sick of seeing, there is this guy named Sigma you just have to meet. Hell, I can't even say Sigma is a villain I love to hate, I just hate him. However, in hindsight it's not really his fault as much as it is Capcom's.
By Amazingu (Dec 06, 2010) (#45)
Bernhardt wrote:
Good to see new villains. I get tired of Nintendo recycling the same villains over and over again...and THAT could also be another sub-topic! Try not to get side-tracked now! XD Okay, okay, relax, I'm not trying to get hostile, or anything...
Have to agree with Ashley here, I would've much preferred the Kremlings making their return.
It's been about 10 years since we last saw K.Rool anyway, so he's hardly overexposed at the moment.
Besides, every popular series ever made in the history of mankind EVER (ever!) recycles villains.
By Bernhardt (Dec 06, 2010) (#46)
Last edited by Bernhardt (Dec 06, 2010)
By Datschge (Dec 09, 2010) (#47)
this sums it up quite well for me, besides multiplayer being ace, of course
By Angela (Dec 09, 2010) (#48)
Datschge wrote:
I didn't have too much trouble with the rocket-themed levels, but he's dead-on about the extra boost/super jump problem that I initially described.
It's promising to hear about the level designs after World 4. I'm still stuck riding on that damned Mole Train.
By Ashley Winchester (Dec 09, 2010) (#49)
I have to agree with what that review says about DKC1 and 2. Something about the first one just seemed off to me; I think it had to do with Donkey and Diddy being a more limited team (ability wise) than Diddy and Dixie. However, I can't really say for sure until I get around to replaying the second one.
Edit: And sorry Berny, "Oil Drum Alley" is my favorite level.
Last edited by Ashley Winchester (Dec 09, 2010)
By Amazingu (Dec 12, 2010) (#50)
Datschge wrote:
this sums it up quite well for me, besides multiplayer being ace, of course
I think the guy is being a bit more negative than is necessary, but most of his points are true, I guess.
I'm at the end of World 4 now, and man, this game is kicking my ASS.
Controls are not bother me as much as people would have me believe.
Yes, they could have been better and more sensical, but they're perfectly accurate to work with (apart from the Super Jump thing). I also expect that the Rocket Barrel controls were made difficult on purpose, I see it more as a challenge than as bad programming.
That Rocket level at the end of World 4 is a TOTAL BITCH though.
In fact, the game has me swearing like a particularly frustrated sailor pretty much constantly.
Retro was obviously trying to emulate Rare's penchant for hair-pulling difficulty, because this game is truly insane.
It's also often just down-right MEAN, which is not the correct way of making a game challenging if you ask me.
