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Archives for 2013

Neo Geo: The Phantom-1 Menace

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There was never any doubt, if you had the cash to splash, the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (AES) was one badass console to own. You could play Nam-1975 at the arcade parlour on the Neo Geo MVS and then go home and play the exact same game on the AES. You couldn’t really say the same for the Mega Drive nor the SNES, even though they did have some near perfect arcade conversions.

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If you are one of the lucky ones to still own an AES, then you will be well aware that the cartridges are quite expensive, especially when compared to their MVS arcade versions. So how does one get around paying a king’s ransom for AES games? Easy, you get yourself an !Arcade! Phantom-1 MVS to AES converter. The Phantom-1 converter lets you play (the cheaper) MVS games on your AES – just plug in the converter, whack in the MVS cartridge on top and viola, you have saved yourself several hundred dollars. The only problem is, the Phantom-1 converter is rarer than hens teeth. If you do find one in your travels, be prepared to fork out for it – it is well worth it!

 

The Thrill Of The Chase: Garage Sale Loot

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Last Saturday I set my alarm for 6:30am. Had I lost my mind? Why would I do such a thing on the weekend? I’ll tell you why – I wanted to get to the once-in-a-blue-moon Lobo’s Collectables garage sale. The garage sale was slotted for a 7:00am start. Knowing that the best items go first, I wanted to ensure that I was the early bird that caught the worm. Upon arrival, I could see the back alley garage sale being manned by two Star Wars heavyweights, Darth Maul on one side and Jar Jar Binks on the other. As I approached, I noticed that I wasn’t the only early bird trying to snag the worm. To say the place was packed, would be a gross understatement. I started my surveillance of the area, looking for all things related to retro gaming and vintage toys – Star Wars and Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) in particular. Once the reconnaissance was completed, I devised my plan to squeeze past the hordes and get to my targets.

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Once the targets were reached, I did not waste time in grabbing items out of boxes and off the shelves. I was clutching them tightly. My plan was executed flawlessly and I walked out with all the goodies I was after – Atari VCS/2600 game cartridges and retro gaming figurines, Star Wars items and Masters Of the Universe action figures. As a bonus, I latched onto a MOTU board game. It seemed that everyone missed it in the mad rush! It pays to keep your eyes open.

As I drove away, with my loot in hand, I was reflecting on what to have for breakfast. Bring on the next garage sale!