Video Game Collecting

Well I finally got around to making the New Nintendo Soccer Label.. tada:

Some of us might remember my project of creating a new label for Nintendo Golf.  I originally had the idea of making new labels after I faced the harshed reality that some of the used games I buy will have damaged labels, and in some cases no label at all.  I could go through the process of just making a replacement label – an exact copy scanned and printed, but thats kind of… boring, especially if its a boring game (not to suggest that Nintendo Golf was boring, but Soccer is).  I decided to follow the “hussy” theme of the Hussy Golf game featuring the same woman in the red top.  I thought about calling this version “Soccer Mom” but decided against it.

Anyways here are the steps on how to make it (since I really never shared it with the Golf game even though I promised I would – oops).  The first thing you need is a copy of a game you want to mutilate.  In this case it was Nintendo Soccer – duh!

As you can see its a pretty boring label.  It features the traditional “Nintendo Black Label” that most of the first party launch titles had along with a representation of the actual pixelated graphics.  The soccer players on the label (and in the game which don’t really look like the ones on the label) kinda look like children to me – thus the idea for the soccer mom label.  Whatever design you use is up to you.  I created the new label using an image from Flickr.Com for inspiration and Corel Photo-Paint 7 (circa 1997) to edit the picture.

Removing the label is a pain, make sure you open the cartridge first, then put it in a ziplock bag with CLR or other harsh cleaner.  Let it soak in there for a while.  Running hot water under it also helps loosen the glue.  You can use a screwdriver or a scraper to help remove the label but try to keep from gouging the plastic too deep.

Next we’re going to apply the adhesive.  Tape off all of the areas except the area where you are going to apply the adhesive.  I use this 3M Super 77.  It works great and you can use it on someone’s windshield afterwards – on a dusty windy day its particularly evil.

Make sure you have the label already printed.  I print them on glossy photo paper, but matte photo paper works well.  I used 600  dbi, but if my printer supported higher I’d have used that instead.  After cutting out the label do a a few practice applications to the game cartridge.  Meaning lay it flat, make the fold that wraps around the top and make sure it looks correct.  Then use the spray and put a fine mist over the label area.  When applying the label I recommend starting at the fold and working your way down.  Rub from the center out to the edge.

And now we have the final product.  You may have some residual 3M glue, but just wait until the stuff dries and your thumb can easy rub it off with out messing up the label.

If you’d like the details on the Hussy Golf label go ahead and follow my label category here: http://www.salzmafia.com/blog/category/labels/

From the Anchorage Daily News Nov 11, 1982:

So where is Dr. Charles Everett Koop now?  Well he does commercials for Life Alert.  My favorite comment of his is “…sleeplessness in kids and dreams that have to do with the things they have been doing all day.”  Come-on!

I started playing around with a new label for Nintendo NES Soccer. It seems to me that the Hussy Golf label works well. This label is getting there and it’s certainly better then my attempt at Volleyball.

So I had another awesome purchase from eBay seller Almigames.  The first purchase was for the incredibly cheap Metal Storm, and this most recent purchase was Tiny Toons 2…. for $2!  The game is easily worth 8 but it did have slight cosmetic damage so the discounted price was well worth it.

Aside from having a cute octopus logo Almigames always has excellent prices, and the shipping is so fast!  Seriously if I were to purchase from Almigames and PedroGames.Com at the same time I’m certain they’d arrive at the same time even though they are on opposite coasts.

I can’t sleep tonight, and it reminds me of Little Nemo which I must now obtain.

In the darkened backroom of my grandparent’s house I had saved the world from alien invaders, dodged space rocks, protected convoys from enemy choppers, explored the deepest caves, and enjoyed endless adventures with my ColecoVision and Atari 2600.

More than 20 years later the adventures are still fresh in my mind. And I do believe everyone needs adventures from time to time.

Im on vacation right now and I wanted to spend time thrifting in this foreign land. I have a theory about thrift stores that the best items and bargains are found in old neighborhoods. This neighborhood is about as old as any and its sparse population leads me to believe that there are treasures out there.

I visited two thrift stores yesterday, the first was a Goodwill and it only had some SEGA Genesis and Master System games but they were sports games and they didn’t interest me. The second thrift store was called ARC and it had some PS2, Game Cube and a few Super Nintendo games, but nothing of any real interest.

Then a few miles down the road were Antique/Flea Market stores. I was only able to visit one so far. I’d like to say I found the jackpot even though I hadn’t bought anything. Inside there was a complete Nintendo NES with 15 games for $125. Loose copies of SMB/DH and Wheel of Fortune for $3 each. An N64 for $15. And another display case with many NES and SNES games. Had I stayed longer I’m sure I’d have found even more.

In a few days I should be going back to that high concentration of flea markets (there were more than six that I counted) and possible find a Stadium Events for $15 and a Tengen Tetris for $3.

So GI Joe: The Atlantis Factor finally arrived. It never fails to amaze me of the excuses that eBay sellers come up with when they don’t ship an item in a timely manner. The circumstances over this game don’t really matter, but eBay sellers need to consider what it means to be dishonest. You do it once it will become that much easier to do it again. And before you know it, being dishonest becomes your sale strategy.

I’ve been playing Side Pocket for Nintendo NES pretty frequently recently.  I encountered this bonus stage.  It was strange.  I sunk a ball then the table faded to black and all of the holes started to star-flash.  I sunk the ball but scratched, but it still restored 8 shots to me.  Very weird. I haven’t been able to make it happen since.

I love Strider for Nintendo NES. It’s nothing like the Arcade or SEGA Genesis version but is a fun game on it’s own merit. Yes it’s buggy. Hit detection is way off and the ‘Engrish’ shows how the programmers were either not paying attention or rushed. In either case it doesn’t matter because the game is worth the music alone.

A bunch of information on the internet compares Code Name Viper to Rolling Thunder and nothing more. And it’s true they are similar right down to enemy AI. But Viper is a good game. Destroying a drug cartel wasn’t something we’d see too often in a Nintendo game and some might say it was risque at the time. But Viper plays extremely well and has an undeniable arcade feel to it. If I could change anything it would be the damn jazz music. Jazz has no place in this game and I would have preferred to have heard a military beat or even even a Spanish lullaby (the game takes place in South America).