New to RetroPie

Kaveman42

Just looked it up and I was wrong. The store was called Software Etc and it looks like it became GameStop when it merged with Babbage.

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edmaul69

@Kaveman42 wasnt the store software etc.?

Edit: i just saw your correction.

backstander

@Kaveman42
Yes I want to Software Etc.. as well!

mediamogul

I really miss those software stores. I used to browse around them forever just reading the back of every box.

backstander

@mediamogul
I miss them too and GameStop doesn't cut it for me. I also loved browsing the Strategy Guides for Point & Click Adventures that I happened to be stuck on lol.

mediamogul

@backstander

GameStop doesn't cut it for me.

I've never been a fan of how GameStop does business, so it's been a while since I've been in one. However, I stopped in last month to pick up a few controllers for the NES classic and the place seems to be more like a Hot Topic or Spencer's Gifts with all the erroneous brikabrak they sell now in over half the store. I suppose they're transition to other merchandise in the wake of digital game delivery becoming more and more common. I halfway expect to see them selling mufflers and seafood next time I visit.

mattrixk

@mediamogul said in New to RetroPie:

the place seems to be more like a Hot Topic or Spencer's Gifts with all the erroneous brikabrak they sell now in over half the store

We have a store called EB Games here in Aus that's gone the same route. They never had the best prices on new stock, but they often had some really good sales. Now half the store is game-related toys, clothing, nik-naks, candy, etc. I'm not complaining though, I think it's great because it's really the only place selling that kind of stuff here.

mediamogul

@mattrixk

It's funny, we used to have EB Games here going back as far as the late 70s when they were named Electronics Boutique. Back then, the stores looked almost identical to the Software Etc seen above. I just assumed they all dried up, but looking at Wikipedia, it seems that they were bought out by none other than our infamous friend... GameStop. I guess that explains the change. I really hate to hear that. That's the store I was most fond of growing up. I still have a few boxed Commodore 64 games I bought there.

edmaul69

@mediamogul i used to go to both software etc and electronics boutique all the time back in the day. It sucked because they were the 2 farthest stores from each other in the mall. So i would check out one, then take the long walk to the other and then i would have to walk all the way back to the other one if i found something to be a better deal at the other one. I did like software etc more though. I did visit kb toys for games too while i was in the mall too. I remember going to software etc repeatedly to demo the 3do until i came up with enough money to buy the thing. Best store deal i got back in the day however was at toys r us. They were clearancing the sega nomads for some reason for $20. I bought all 5 they had left. I kept one and sold the other 4 to a game store for $100 a piece. So in the end i got a free $300 and a free sega nomad which i played the crap out of. I even used my sega channel adapter on it. I played comic zone so much on that thing.

mediamogul

@edmaul69 said in New to RetroPie:

They were clearancing the sega nomads for some reason for $20. I bought all 5 they had left. I kept one and sold the other 4 to a game store for $100 a piece. So in the end i got a free $300 and a free sega nomad which i played the crap out of. I even used my sega channel adapter on it. I played comic zone so much on that thing.

That is an amazing deal! I love my Nomad. I traded in my Sega CDX for it when it came out. Both are now pretty rare, but I still don't regret the trade-in. When hooked up to a TV, it actually produces a decently better picture than the other available Genesis/MegaDrive models of the time. The built-in screen is a bit sketchy and it eats batteries like candy, but it's all part of the original experience. I've toyed with the idea of modding the screen, but I've pretty much decided to leave it as-is for nostalgia sake.

edmaul69

@mediamogul the screen does have trailing issues but the way i viewed the screens on portables was "if its better than the game gear and the atari lynx screens then its good enough for me." I bought my cdx for $90 from toys r us and when i sold it to the same game store i sold the nomads to (game force) they gave me $175 for it. Being in the business though i have gotten so many awesome deals that most people would kill to get.