My Video Game Side Quest: Magazines

    I am always wanting to try something new, usually by finding out as much as I can about it before actually doing it.  When I started gaming in the 90s, there was pretty much only one way to find out about it.  Magazines. I got my first gaming mag just after I got my NES that Christmas.  I relied on mags throughout my entire gaming history, even after the internet started to become the dominant source for information.

    While it might not have been my first mag, Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) was the most dominant one. It had a great mix of news, articles, previews, reviews, strategy, and humor. Sure, I think I ever decided to buy only one game based on what I read there, but I still feel it gave me more than enough to make that and other decisions. As its height, EGM regularly broke 200 pages and came bagged with multiple inserts. They even had spin-off mags.  This included EGM2 (again, should be read as an exponent), a regular monthly published about two weeks after the main mag. It focused more on strategy and tips, but still had some articles. These articles were usually taken from the main mag, either in part or an expanded version. It didn't last that long.  [They also published a comic book mag, Hero Illustrated, that only lasted a short time, as well as the Official US Playstation Magazine. More on that one later.]

    EGM would outlast many of its competitors, but it was cancelled in the 2000s as online sources took over. A blurb in the final issue alluded to "hell freezing over."  To this day, I can't be sure if it meant a demonic-themed game or that they knew it was their final issue and I missed any other mention in the mag. I had gotten almost every issue for over a decade, and then it was over.

    There were other mags, such as GamePro, Nintendo Power, and the aforementioned Playstation Magazine, but I only picked those up whenever they featured a game I liked.  Although I did get most of the last mentioned one, for reasons that will be evident in a future post. Following is a list of most of the places where I bought gaming mags. I don't remember subscribing to any, so this list is mostly complete, baring any one-time stops. Closed stores are in black. Store still open are in blue, while those that still have mags are in blue and underlined. I will also add some extra facts when I feel necessary.

• Prestonsburg:  Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Readmore, Food City (Glenview Plaza location. The current larger location still has a small magazine section, but I don't think I have ever bought any there.)
• Pikeville:  Economy Drug (I bought many there, but they discontinued having mags years ago.), Food City (Town & Country. The current larger location has a small magazine section, but I don't think I bought any gaming mags there.), Page 3 Game Zone (They had a small newsstand section for a brief time in the late 90s when they were still downtown. I may have bought at least one gaming mag there. Currently, they don't have any mags, but they might be able to order some in the near future.), Winn-Dixie, Walmart (I bought many mags here, especially after I opened my store. The current magazine section is about 25% of what it was at its height, as well as in the back of the store after its major remodel from a few years ago.)
• Coal Run:  Kmart (Only store that regularly carried NP, but I bought a few others here. They got rid of magazines a few years before they closed.), Readmore, Magic Mart (final location), Walmart (Didn't get as many here as when they moved, but I remember an NP.), Kroger/Food City (I got mags at both places, but I can't remember any gaming ones in particular. They were about the last places I visited on shopping trips, so I usually had already gotten any mags by the time I got there. Not always.)
• Williamson/South Williamson:  downtown newsstand (I got many mags here over the years, but I can't remember if any were about gaming, but it's possible.), Kmart (I think I got at least one by the time I finally discovered the magazine section. They closed soon after, I think.), Kroger (I know I got a TCG mag there, so I may have gotten a gaming mag or two as well. Not positive though.)
• Norton/Wise VA:  somewhere, maybe (I am all but certain I got a mag during one of the few trips I took here in the mid-late 90s. Candidates include Food Lion, Kmart, Ingall's, Walmart, and Food City. The first three are closed, although I don't remember if Food Lion had mags. Walmart and Food City have since moved to new, larger locations, with the former still having mags as of the last time I went there. Food City might not, but I may have finally found the section hidden in one of the aisles I rarely went down on one of my last trips. Still not sure.)
• Paintsville:  Food City (Their magazine section was in the front of the store at times, so I didn't always get a chance to look, but I think I bought one there. Haven't been in years, so I'm guessing about mags.), Kmart (found an issue that wasn't out in Huntington once.), Read-a-lot/Kroger (I got mags at both, but rarely. I frequently stopped here after trips to Huntington, so I usually had already bought them by the time I got here. Still, I also had my dentist here for part of the 90s, so I may have gotten one of those times.)
• Huntington Mall:  Phar-more (This was usually my first stop most trips, so I think I got one of the lower tier mags here.), Waldenbooks, Game Stop (I got a TCG mag here, so I may have gotten a gaming mag once as well. The store was still open the last time I went to the Mall, but I don't think they still have mags.), Borders, BAM (The timeline may be off, but I might have gotten one of the last EGMs here. Still, I did get Mac magazines here, and they sometimes had game reviews, so it counts.), Kroger (Barboursville. I think I got an earlier/current issue of one I picked up at the Mall, thereby getting two issues in one day. Could be confusing it with somewhere else. They shrank their magazine section by over 75% when they remodeled/expanded, before getting rid of it completely.)
• Lexington:  Kroger (Regency Center.  The previous experience may have been here instead, or it happened twice. Haven't been in a long time, but they still carried a few mags that last time.), Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Waldenbooks (Fayette Mall), Walden Software (Fayette Mall.  A spin-off store that sold computer software and video games, as well as some hardware and mags. Felt embarrassed buying just a mag here just one time. The store didn't last long.)

        Aside from the occasional bookazine limited edition, such as recent one for the Pokémon anniversary, gaming mags can't be found on most newsstands. In fact, the only mags I see nowadays are imports. Only Joseph-Beth and BAM above would carry them. They are too expensive for me for what they are, and they usually don't carry information about things I want anyway. Never have bought them.

My Video Game Library: Street Fighter II/Alpha

    When Street Fighter II came out for the arcades, its success was phenomenal. I mean, the original game had its fans, but the follow-up was just huge. While I never played it in arcades, I did know about it from magazines. Mostly, from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and the infamous April Fool's Day prank about how to fight a hidden boss. (More on that in a later post.) Now, I didn't like fighting games, but there was just something about following trends that led me to ask for one of the later versions of the game for my SNES for Christmas. Probably the one after they added the new 'World Warriors' and the new boss. Akuma. Yes, he was technically based on the back story that led to the fake boss above, but it was still cool and amazing. Now, I wouldn't say that I was any more obsessed with this game than any other, but I did occasionally get blisters on my fingers from playing too much.  The SNES controller just wasn't designed for the smooth motions required for fighting games. I think I did beat the game for at least one character though. Or close to it. 

    I was glad when one of the updates finally came out for my PS1. My mom couldn't find that version in stores in time for Christmas. So, I had to settle for the SNES version.  I would get the other version later. I can't remember if it was for my birthday or later. Anyway, that game became to only one that I bought for two different systems.

    The game may or may not have been a version of Street Fighter Alpha. This was technically a prequel to the entire Street Fighter series, with elements from both previous games and my other Capcom fighting games.  It's just been so long since I played it, that I can't remember enough to give more details. However, it was a running joke that it was just a stopgap measure until Capcom could figure out how to count to three for the official sequel to II.

    Like some other fans, I did not like the 3D update to the new game. Of course, I never played it the arcade. Didn't even think about getting for any game system, although I might not even have been playing much by the time it was ported over to home consoles. I just wish I could remember more about the games I had. I know I got more than two or three different games, and that I beat some of them with at least one character, but that's about it. One of the games had a story challenge mode that I got about halfway through with Ryu, I think, but I just gave up trying to progress after a while. 

    I really liked the games, but not enough to want to play them any more.

My Video Game Library: MegaMan X

    When Capcom finally decided to update the MegaMan series for the SNES, they chose to go beyond what other developers did.  Instead of just adding new features and improving the graphics, they made a whole new game. Sure, the basic premise of the game remained the same. Beat eight preliminary robot bosses, and then use the powers you took from them to get to the main boss. MegaMan X was slightly different. First, it was set further into the future than the original MegaMan series. Next, the robot bosses were now animal-based. (Although future installments would stray from the definition of 'animal.') This allowed for greater styles of enemies. Then, lots of hidden power-ups and features were added. Special hearts that increased the health bar were in each level. Four levels had energy tanks that could be filled up with spare energy pellets, and then drained whenever needed.  The other four levels had armor upgrades that had special abilities. For instance, the leg upgrade added a special dash jump that allowed you to reach new sections of the stage. By tradition, this is the one that is usually the easiest to find. The arm upgrade allowed for powered up charges, that included special abilities when using the bosses' powers. The biggest surprise was the super secret "Hadoken" fireball power-up that, once found and installed, allowed you to perform the action from Street Fighter II to perform a one-hit energy blast, as long as you were at full power. While some new features would later transfer to the original game line, all-in-all, it was a new experience. It took some time, but I did beat the game. 

    When news broke on MegaMan X2, (Note: that should be an exponent, but it is just easier to type the number, especially once I get to the other sequels.) I was thrilled.  While the original game was tough, it was the type of challenge I liked. Unfortunately, I could never find the game. Neither locally or out of town. I don't know how I missed it, but I did.

    MegaMan X3 was found. Its main new feature was mech suits that you could pilot in certain sections.  There were four different suits to be found, each with different capabilities. It took a long time to find everything, and beat the bosses, but I did it. Too bad that the first of the main boss level had a closing wall segment in the middle that I just couldn't figure out the right jump moves to get through it. I never even tried to finish the game.

    X4 and X5 proved to be even harder games, which makes sense since they were designed for the PS1. I think I actually made it to the end of the game for the former, but I could never pull off the final win against the big boss.  The latter one was worse, aside from the fact that the US port changed the names of the robot bosses to ones based on members of the band Guns N' Roses. I don't remember even managing to get to the final levels for that one.  Its apocalyptic plot also was a little off-putting.

    I think that MegaMan X6 was the only one that wasn't a Christmas present, but I could be mis-remembering. I know I bought one of the PS1 games from the Pikeville Kmart, and this one is the most likely of them. This game was just way too hard. Some of the moves required were just barely beyond me. Also, each of the first stages changed depending on which one you just left. Things were just way more complicated than I liked. I was still trying to beat the game, maybe, when the flood hit.

    While there were more sequels, I never bought any of them. X7 came out just after the flood. I either forgot about it or just didn't bother to get it. I needed the money to buy replacements for other things that I had lost. I don't think I even knew about any other sequels until recently when I saw videos of people posting the play throughs. 

    A few years after the flood, a collection of the first six games came out. Not only did it include the X2 game I initially missed, it had bonus features including artwork and a MegaMan game that never made it to the US. I played X2, and maybe a bit of some of the others, but I never beat any of them or opened up all the bonus features. It would turn out that it was the last PS1, and probably the last ever, physical game I ever bought. 

My Video Game Side Quest: Accessories

    To gain extra enjoyment from playing video games, I got some accessories. Some were vital. At least one was unintended. I still got them all, though.

    As I have hinted at before, I got a Game Genie for my NES. Yeah, technically that was cheating, but I really needed some help.  I was just barely able to make progress into "Super Mario," but I felt like I needed a boost to really get through some of those games. I can't remember if this was a Christmas or birthday gift, or if I got it much later. Anyway, I barely used it. The most I used it was to see all of the victory animations in Tetris. One block wins made things much easier. I mostly used it in "Super Mario" so I could skip levels to save time. The Genie came with a booklet with codes for all sort of games, while newer codes would sometimes be printed in magazines. (More on those in a later post.)

    Yes, I also got the Game Genie for the SNES as well. Unlike the one for the NES, this one was definitely bought later on at Walmart, probably. Well, it was the opposite of the NES wherever it came from. I remember looking at the instructions in the car.  I used this even less than the one for the NES. The games I had never interacted properly, but I think I still used it for a few things.

    There may have even been a Genie for the GB, but I never got it, since I only played Pokémon with it. However, there were other things that I got, but I'll return to that later.

    There was never a Genie for the PS1.  It would have been to hard to do that with the disc format. Aside for the memory card, which was pretty much mandatory, the only accessory I got for it was a special controller. As I mentioned in the MegaMan post, I was having a hard time with an auto-scroll sledding section in an early level. I just couldn't get through it reliably. I thought that getting a controller with slow-motion features could help. I got one in Lexington, wither at a video game store (not Game Stop) at the Fayette Mall or at one of the large stores on the other side of Nicholasville Road. (both Kmart and Toys-R-Us were open back then.) All I can be sure of is that I looked at it in the car while my mom went into Red Lobster to pick up a slice of "Death by Chocolate" cake. It was third-party, but I felt that there wouldn't be any problems. When I tried it out, I found that it worked by quickly pausing the game, switching between the pause/inventory screen and the action. It actually made the game even harder, as I couldn't catch the notifications as to when I was supposed to slide or jump. I don't remember trying it for other games. 

    Fortunately for me, all accessories for the PS1 were backwards compatible with the PS2, so I didn't have to buy anything new, aside from another memory card, just to be safe. 

    When the GBA came out, I finally had the chance to trade Pokémon between games. This was the one part of the game I never got to try out before, as I had no one to trade with. However, I needed some special equipment to make that happen. I found a special connection cable that could attach various versions of devices together. Very third-party. I got it at Electronics Boutique at the Huntington Mall. I'm just lucky that the games could trade with each other through various generations and backwards compatible devices.

    When my first GBA got lost in the flood, I got a new one for that Christmas. It was in a bundle with an e-card reader. With it, I could swipe special cards that could either add new features to old games or play special games that originally came out in the 80s on special watches from Nintendo. I played the free games only once, as I didn't really like them. The extra feature for the Pokémon games was a new trainer that you could challenge multiple times. Meh. 

    [For completists sake, I will mention that I got a third-party mouse for my MacBook. While I am good with the trackpad, some actions are still easier with a mouse. My mother prefers them anyway. The mouse can also hook up with my iPhone, but I have yet to make the connection work.]

My Video Game Library: MegaMan

        The next Christmas after I got my NES, I started an entirely different game series. MegaMan 4.  I had heard about the first three games, from various sources, and I finally decided I wanted to try this one out. I have no idea where it was bought, though. I remember playing it instead of watching either a Christmas or New Year's Day parade. I started the game and got smoked on the first screen on the first level the guides suggested I should start on, RingMan. For some reason, I wanted to stomp on enemies, like Super Mario, only to take massive damage. Getting used to so many projectiles was another thing. It took a long while, and help, but I finally managed to defeat all eight bosses:  SkullMan, RingMan, DiveMan, DrillMan, DustMan, PharaohMan, BrightMan, and ToadMan. (I am pretty sure that MegaMan is one word, but I can't remember about the bosses. So, I am writing them as the same way, for now. Besides, spellcheck clears them.) The Dr. Wily boss levels were trickier, but I made my way through them and beat the game.

    The following years, I would get the next two games locally.  I think they came from the Pikeville Kmart and/or Magic Mart (last location). I remember looking at the games in my car, but not exactly buying them beyond the general locations. I enjoyed to improved features and gameplay. Then, the news came out that the game would finally be porting to the SNES. Sure, a spinoff was already there, but bring the original "Blue Bomber" to the system was terrific. I kept looking out for the game, after I was sure it was in stores, but I could never find it. I either skipped over it when I was on a trip and chose to wait to get it at home, or I just never saw it.  The only place locally that had it was the Coal Run Blockbusters, and it was only available for rent, not for sale. This was the first game that I truly hated missing out on. 

    MegaMan 8 would then be available on the PS, and another system that I never got into.  The two versions would be about the same, with only a few small differences. This time I made sure to buy it when I first say it. I'm thinking the Pikeville Walmart, but I may have gotten it at the Huntington Mall.  Perhaps Game Stop, but I honestly can't remember where I got it.  Anyway, I quickly started playing it as soon as I could. I then hit a wall.  One of the first levels involved an auto-scroll sledding area that I just couldn't get the hang of.  I had to stop playing the game, until I bought a special controller with slo-mo function.  Didn't help, but I managed to beat both auto-scroll sections of the level. I beat all eight bosses, but got stuck on the first Wily level by another sledding section, a much harder one.  I have yet to try and go back to beat the game.

    The last MegaMan game I got was actually the Legacy Collection for the PS2. It collected all of the first eight games in the series, plus a special ninth spinoff game that was never released separately in the US, as well as some other special features that were unlocked by beating the original games.  I finally got to play the seventh game that I had missed out on, as well as the first three games that were out before  I started gaming. While I played each of those four games, I only got close to beating one of them, before I grew frustrated and stopped playing.  I never even tried to replay the other four games as well.  I don't think I unlocked anything worth mentioning. 

    Since then, there have been other games in the series. A remixed version of the original game came out for the Playstation Portable (PSP) that featured a cutesy, chibi style, as well as two new levels with new bosses. MegaMan 9 and 10 came out for systems I never got.  Both were in an 8-bit style similar to the first six games.  Finally, the was even an eleventh game that came out that I never knew about. It featured an enhanced version of gameplay that brought out the best of whatever system it was made for.  I've only seen gaming videos of it in action, so I can't really comment on it beyond saying it looked incredible. [I've been seeing so many gaming videos, that I might be confusing the games I've actually played with those I've only watched.  It is crazy at times, but a lot of them are quite similar.]

    News broke recently that a new MegaMan game will be out next year. It won't be "12," and it will instead have a different subtitle. I think it is still a mainline game, though. Many s

My Video Game Library: Tetris

    As luck would have it, Tetris was ported over to the NES in an official version from the GB just before I got my NES for Christmas. (There had been an 'unofficial' version, but that one had some technical issues working with the game system.) So, of course, it became my first game, excluding the one that came with the console. As the game that led me into video gaming, it holds a special place in my life.

    I played with it a lot, since it was one of only two I had. I couldn't play competitively, as I had no one I could play with.  My mother would never get the hang of playing video games. And I couldn't really play against myself.  The solo version was okay. I even got to beat every level, including the hardest one, and got to see the winning graphics and to hear the special tunes for doing so. Okay, I had help to do that, but more on that in a 'side quest' post later on. As I got more games, I had less interest in playing Tetris, and it became one of the first games I pretty much put aside. 

    Years later, a version of 'Tetris" would come out on the PS1. It was one of the last games for the system I ever got. It was another Christmas gift. After so many years, I thought I would be still interested in playing the game on a better system. I played the game once that Christmas, but I don't think I ever played it again. Most of the game focused on competitive play, which I didn't have. Maybe if I had the internet connectivity, I would have played in more.  Instead, I just had solo mode, which felt strange. I don't think the game relied on the same grid system the original one did. The game was just too different and boring now. I let the game go. It was one of the many destroyed in the 2003 flood.

    I have since had the opportunity to play other line destroying games, but that sort of thing no longer seems interesting to me. 

My Video Game Side Quest: Systems

    This is the first of the occasional bonus posts in my latest series, My Video Game Library.  These side quest posts will cover tangental topics related to my gaming history. Today's post is about every game system I ever had. Strangely enough, each one was a Christmas present. 

    First, there was the NES which I received when I started college. Probably my first year. My mother probably got it from a catalog, either Sears or JCPenny's, but she may have gotten it from a local Walmart instead. Most likely Prestonsburg, but I can't be sure. It took a little while to get used to the square controllers, but I managed it. I really didn't play with the light gun the was included with the system. I beat the Duck Hunt game that came with the system with it, but by standing almost right in front of the television screen to do so. I would manage to get a few games for it, even keeping it around for a while after getting newer systems before putting it away. Somehow, both the NES and my games managed to survive the 2003. However, I through out the light gun and some other pieces when I cleaned up the old house. Very dumb move. I am not sure where any of them are at the moment, but I think they are safe.

    My next system was the SNES a few years later. Again, there was a chance my mom got this through the JCPenny's catalog, as Sears was phasing theirs out. Still a chance it came from a local Walmart, again Prestonsburg. As I mentioned, I managed to find the SNES and play Super Mario World on it before the present got wrapped. The was just the kind of mischievous kind of guy I was with many of my gifts, either finding them early or discovering what they were after they were under the tree. I was alone at home during winter break from college, so I just did what I wanted, and nobody was the wiser.  I got about the same number of games for the SNES as I did for the NES. I stored the system when I upgraded systems. I think the system survived the flood, but it may have been stolen from where it was stored before I could move it to my new place. I know the games survived, but I don't remember where they are at just now. 

    Next came the GameBoy. Technically, GameBoy Color as that version had just came out. I'm pretty sure this came from a local Walmart, no telling which one though. I had finally got it, years after first seeing it in high school, and I only wanted one due to Pokémon. In fact, those were the only games I ever got for the GB. I was so frustrated with it my first time that I didn't try to play the game again for a long time before I went back. I was my first RPG, and even though it was made for kids, my mid-20s brain wasn't dealing with it well. Still, I didn't get any other GB games but that series. I lost my GameBoy in the flood, but the games were saved. Haven't touched them in decades, but I believe I know where they are at.

    When I decided to go all in for gaming, I switched over to the PS1. Catalogs had basically phased out by then, so I'm positive my mom got this at the Prestonsburg Walmart, only because she had to go back there for the adaptor for our older model television. They were sold out. Fortunately, I managed a workaround through my VCR to allow the signal to get through, and we saved some money. The old TV would die soon anyway, and the newer model easily worked with system. I was so surprised after I was finally able to check out the preview disc included with the system. Everything looked so much better than with my other systems. I would wind up getting more games for the PS1 than with any of my other systems, I think. I never put the thing away, even when I got a new system. Unfortunately, while my PS1 survived the flood, someone stole it from where it was stored before I could retrieve. Worse, all of my games were destroyed. I still had some of the discs, but I never tried to see if I could get them restore so they could work. 

    The next upgrade was the GameBoy Advance. This system was incredible. Full color, perfect fit for two hands. Another Walmart buy; no idea which one. I was a very early adaptor. In fact, I actually got games other than Pokémon for it. The best part was that I could play at work. Or was it that I could finally connect my older Pokémon games and trade between them? Anyway, things were going great, until the flood. I lost my original GBA, but I would get a new one that Christmas. It didn't look as good, but it still played well.  The games were safe though. Haven't touched it in over twenty years though.

    I got my PS2 for Christmas in 2002. This was definitely from a Walmart, but I'm not sure which one, as my mom was in Pikeville a lot more frequently by this time, and it had a better electronics department compared with the one at P-burg. I mostly played PS1 game on it at the start, as there were few new games I wanted at the time. Also, I was only able to play twice a week, but I did manage to play some CDs and even some DVD footage on it. Miraculously, it survived the flood and wasn't stolen. Why it wasn't, I have no idea. I suspect something was up with the person who was storing it for me, but nothing can be proven. I only had demo discs to play until I got some new games for it. However, as I had less time to play, I have ultimately put it away. Haven't touched it in decades.

    Finally, I got a special edition GBA that looked like the original GB, but you could fold it in half for storage.  Another Walmart purchase from Pikeville. I was able to trade again, now that I had two systems. I managed to keep both GBAs around a little past when I stopped with the PS2, but not much before they were put away too. I haven't gotten a new system since.

    [Sidenote:  Although not purchased for gaming, my MacBook Pro and iPhone could be included. I got my first MacBook at the Apple Store at its original Lexington location at the Fayette Mall. I got my second one, after the first one died, from Best Buy online. It also ment I couldn't retrieve/move anything stored on the old one. I got my iPhone from Appalachian Express.  It's almost time for an upgrade on it. All were purchased for school, which I still haven't completed yet.]