Sunday Roundup: 11/13/11

Ahhh…
There’s nothing quite like buying a game you’ve been looking for for well over ten years. The satisfaction of thinking you somehow beat the system, found a gem, and finally attained the sought after holy grail of your collection is exhilarating. Until you realize there’s about 400 other rare games you’re still looking for!


Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix
Playstation 1
Release Date: September 18th, 2001

I’ve already talked about this game, but let me elaborate on the title a bit (AKA let me stroke my ego hardcore). The DDR series on the PS1 has only three released titles for the American PS1: Dance Dance Revolution, Konamix, and Disney Mix. DDR Disney Mix was the second title to be released in the States, and since DDR wasn’t nearly as popular as it would become in the early 2000s in the arcades, many people simply passed on this one. Through time and a relatively low shipment quota, copies of the game were worth over $100 back in peak DDR season. Nowadays the game runs about $30 on eBay. You can imagine my glee when I found the little sucker sitting behind a row of other PS1 titles for the outrageous price of $9.99. I was shocked and exuberant about the find. Needless to say it was an easy choice for me.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Nintendo DS
Release Date: August 24th, 2009

I received the first game in the series, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, as a Christmas present about two years ago and instantly fell in love with the game. The mix of nice graphics, addictive puzzles, and a rather complex storyline grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. Since then there’s been a few more releases in the series, the most recent of which was this past week I believe. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is the second game in the series of puzzlers, and so far the game has not disappointed. Though very little seems to have changed to the core gameplay formula, the title is still a blast and really hard to put down. These games have one critical point that makes them superb, and I don’t think people often note it: This game can be played for small amounts of time or large sessions of gaming, and that is key for ANY successful portable title. If only every game were made this way.

Laters,
Jsick

DownStab has been a personal endeavor of mine for many years. Please enjoy the content and let me know if you have questions, comments, or just want to connect. And as always, game on.

– Jason J

Original blue and red Nintendo Switch controllers
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