Sunday Roundup: 9/8/13

Finally! I’ve been in search of this game forever, and even as recently as last week the game had slipped through my grasp! But not this time, you delectable chef, I’ve got you! Cook Off is the sequel to the original Cooking Mama on the DS and both feature gameplay where you must accurately spin, tap, and move foods while you cook them in order to properly prepare the cuisine. I’m pretty sure these games are all regarded as being fairly decent, and I think the Cooking Mama franchise, at least the core games, will go down in history as a fun, memorable series of games.

Oh man, Chocobo’s Dungeon for a great price and in damn near perfect condition! This was an immediate buy for me. Coupled with the Buy 2 Get 1 Free on used games sale, I just had to find two other games to round out this awesome package (see below). As a part of the Final Fantasy series and the latest game in the Chocobo series of RPGs, Chocobo’s Dungeon is a unique RPG for the Wii that features charming visuals the series is known for as well as light, approachable RPG elements. A must-buy if you find it this cheap at a GameStop near you!

My brother is a huge fan of the Kane & Lynch series of co-op shooters. Though they’re not seen as the best in their genre, I think producing a cooperative shooting game has a lot going for it. Now that I live with Laura I think owning games we can play and enjoy together is a huge plus. Also, getting Achievements together is something I’m sure she’ll love too! Oh, and this was part of the 3 for $10 deal, which also happens to stack with your PowerUp Rewards card, meaning you still get 10% off used games. So it’s really 3 for $9!

Well I’ll be damned. I had no idea that The Forgotten Sands on the Wii is completely different from The Forgotten Sands on the Xbox 360. The PSP version is also a unique version of the game, as well as the DS version! How did I never know this until now! That’s totally amazing and now I must own all of these games! Beyond that, the Xbox 360 version here features standard PoP gameplay you’d come to expect from a console version of the series, and it is set in the same timeline as the Sands of Time trilogy, taking place between Sands of Time and Warrior Within.

The other third of the Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal, Rage has been a game I’ve almost bought for years. I recall picking up the game back in 2011 after Christmas and wanting to get it then (likely also on a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal), but I ended up putting it down in favor for something else (I think it was Brink?). I’m happy to have finally brought the game into the collection. I’ve been interested in the game since it’s launch for several reasons: 1) It’s by id, the developers of Doom among other games, 2) it looks a lot like Fallout and Borderlands had a relationship and this is the resulting bastard child, and 3) it looked gorgeous.

The final third of the sale and the FREE game, Shiren the Wanderer would have easily been the best find of the day, but I think Chocobo’s Dungeon and even the great condition of Rage and Cooking Mama are up there. So all and all this was a great trip to a random GameStop! Shiren the Wanderer is a Wii-exclusive Roguelike that normally commands upwards to $20 online, but for some reason GameStop had it at just $10 (free to me thanks to the sale!). Also, I think I got lucky going in at the time because the store had about a dozen wonderful looking Wii games and all RPGs or more niche titles. I am wondering if a collector or adult gamer traded in their collection? Either way, I took advantage and I am very pleased!