Reason #402 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

I have a bit of a "thing" for European DS game cases.

Oh, get your minds out of the gutter. I don't mean that I, uh, do things with them; I mean that I have an odd attraction to them.

It all started when I bought a copy of Freshly-Pickled Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland from the UK. For some unknown reason, that game's clear, thicker-than-the-ones-we-get-in-North-America case (see it in this photo) appealed to me so much that I wanted a few more.

I got my wish a few months later when I picked up a copy of the Euro version of Professor Layton and the Curious Village. (Here's a photo of it, in case you're, er, curious.)



There was, it seems, no turning back after that, as I quickly added Euro copies of Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, Professor Layton and the Lost Future, Last Window (the sequel to Hotel Dusk: Room 215) and Jam with the Band to my collection of DS games. (Photos of the aforementioned games can be seen here, here, here and here, respectively.)

Sadly--for my bank account, especially--I'm not through purchasing such games. I plan on picking up a copy of the Euro release of Inazuma Eleven at some point this year, for instance, and I also hope to buy a copy of Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call (the fourth in the series--it was called Professor Layton and the Last Specter in the States).

After that, though, I probably put a cork in this particular obsession--or at least that's what I'm hoping to do.

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

So, what did you think of the first Mario Kart 7 gaymer night?

Now that the inaugural "Mario Kart 7 Gaymer Night" is over, I'd like to ask all of you who participated what you thought of it.

I'm especially eager to hear what you thought of:

* the day (Monday) that was chosen,
* the time (7 pm PST/10 pm EST) that was chosen, and
* the, er, "venue" (150cc, all items, etc.) that was chosen for this event.

Also, if you wanted to join in on the fun but didn't due to any of the aforementioned particulars, let me know that, too.



I'd really like to plan another one of these shindigs--and for sooner rather than later--but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. Should it be scheduled it for the same day and same time as the first one, or should it be scheduled for a different day and time? Should we continue to use the 150cc community I set up a while ago, or would you prefer to use a 100cc or 50cc community instead?

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who popped in for even a few races last night. (I was only able to partake in three "cups" myself, due to a rather hungry husband. Next time I'll feed him first, I swear!)

Also, I'd like to thank, many times over, the mysterious man behind the Video Games Made Me Gay tumblog for suggesting this little meetup in the first place.

See also: 'Who's up for a Mario Kart 7 gaymer night?'

From the back of my boyhood closet, part one

Those of you who read this post from yesterday afternoon will know that I recently discovered a bunch of game-related treasures while digging through my boyhood closet. (And if you haven't read the aforementioned post? Uh, maybe you should read it now.)

Well, one of those finds--I'll write about five more in the coming weeks--is the Sega Genesis 2 system (and controller) seen in the following photo.

Neither item is in perfect condition, but both are in good, working order, so you know what that means: I now can play that copy of Pier Solar I bought early last year. (Read about that situation here.)

I don't expect Pier Solar to be the only game that gets stuck into my recently-rediscovered Genesis 2 this year, of course; I also expect to slide copies of Shining in the Darkness, Shining Force, Shining Force II and Landstalker into the system's cartridge slot at some point or other.

Before I purchase those titles, though, I'm going to have to get one of those slick, six-button controllers, since I've never been much of a fan of the cheap, chunky, three-button ones.

See also: Previous 'from the back of my boyhood closet' posts

From the back of my boyhood closet

While at my parents' home over the holidays, I spent a bit--OK, a lot--of time digging through my old bedroom closet in the hopes of finding a few game-related treasures.

Some of the games and systems I found during that expedition surprised me, while others simply brought a smile to my face thanks to the fond memories I have of them.

Anyway, I shipped most of these finds back to Seattle before I left my hometown (McFarland, Wisconsin) a few weeks ago. Said shipment just arrived, and I'm so excited about it I could spit.

As such, I think I'll document each of them in a short series of posts that will be published over the next few weeks. Expect to see the first one appear tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, have any of you found any long-forgotten games and/or systems while digging through your childhood bedroom or basement?

Note: The photo to the right isn't of the contents of my boyhood closet, although I wish it were.

And here I thought I had seen everything related to that ancient Billy Herrington meme

The always-fabulous Video Games Made Me Gay tumblog proved me wrong by highlighting the following video in a recent post:



I don't know about you, but I think it's a crying shame that no one ever took this idea and made it into a full-fledged racing game.

I mean, who wouldn't want to take control of a nearly naked Herrington as he rides his similarly muscular (and similarly lacking in clothing) bud in pursuit of ... whatever the hell it is they're chasing in the video above.

See also: 'Billy Herrington Tetris'