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[Palmer_v1]

Do people still play Shadowrun online? For 5 bucks I would take a chance on it.

I have a guy in my friends list that still plays it on occasion. FWIW, I had a shit ton of fun with it back when it released. If you look at it objectively, and ignore it's source material, it's a good game. just got fucked over by the GFW Live and rabid Shadowrun fanbase.

 

[eternaLightness]

I need to go and browse some Xbox games that I missed out on. Last used PS2 games I got were Max Payne(4.99) and Star Ocean:TTEoT(12.99). Thinking of going later this evening.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Played some more of this Transformers 2004 game. It's pretty good stuff. You even get powerups you can use to explore previous areas to find more weapons/unlockables. Just took out Tidalwave.

Really impressive game. I wish the framerate held up a bit better and there was a dodge-roll or something but otherwise it's a pretty class affair, definitely worth looking up.

Completely forgot about "Browse All -> Deals" when doing a search. This makes updating pretty simple. Might be worth doing monthly or bi-monthly since games drop in price so quickly but on the other hand there are hundreds of games getting drops at once so it can take awhile to search unless you have a price-point in mind.

I'll also try to slip in some new games that go for 9.99 or less whenever I can(there are a few of them in fact).

Query: Something I've been curious about. I've noticed that at some stores the prices on the cases don't match up with what's posted online. If I were to bring this up to the dude(dudette) at the counter they'd fix it right? I tend to frequent multiple stores and see the same games going for different prices.

Too Human - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=43440
The case for: Co-op with phat loot....uh...dual-stick combat?
The case against: Long story.

Sid Meier's Pirates! - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64125
The case for: Incredibly addictive Buckleswashing game.
The case against: Probably sucks on the PSP. Hell if I know really.

Super Dodgeball Brawlers - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=68886
The case for: Update to the NES classic with all the expected extras
The case against: Maybe it's nostalgia talking but the controls didn't feel right to me.

Motorstorm - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64608
The case for: Xtreme off-road racing.
The case against: Rubberband AI can eat shit.

Sega Ferrari F355 Challenge - 2.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=22397
The case for: In its heyday it was known as the ultimate Ferrari sim-arcade racer...probably still is.
The case against: The learning curve is BRUTAL. No wonder celebrities are always wrecking these things.

Meteos - 5.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=38441
The case for: One of the classics of the falling-block puzzle genre.
The case against: Good luck finding a copy.

New Zealand Story Revolution - 3.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=69373
The case for: Remake/Sequel of a Taito classic.
The case against: Sucks bad. Don't buy it.

 

[xKilltheMx]

Just got back from GS now because of the B2G1. Picked up

GTA Vice City Stories

Pursuit Force

Burnout Legends


All great PSP games that can be easily recommended.

 

[Bebpo]

Started playing Neo Contra. Game is good but it NEEDS to get remade as an XBLA/PSN title with twin stick controls. Even with the strafe & stand still triggers I always feel like I'm fighting the controls, especially on boss fights. The switching between standard shot & lock-on shot is not very intuitive either since you want to keep standard shot held down and just fire off lock on when needed.

But man, nothing beats starting a level by getting blown out of a volcano on fire doing flips.

Any tips for best character, weapon set? I didn't try using the samurai guy yet. Just been using Bill and trying the different weapon layouts. It seems like his 3rd one with Spread/Fire shot/lightning laser is his best because the spread up-close just DESTROYS things. The problem is if they're only weak to laser, his lightning laser is pretty awful and makes things tough.

Besides the controls being kind of weird and unintuitive, the game holds up quite well. Even the difficulty unlocks are good. By the time I finished a session I had my credits up to 7 and lives up to 7. The patterns are pretty good, I only did the first 3 stages but I felt like everything was fair even if sometimes they're hard to see coming and doge correctly.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Started playing Neo Contra. Game is good but it NEEDS to get remade as an XBLA/PSN title with twin stick controls. Even with the strafe & stand still triggers I always feel like I'm fighting the controls, especially on boss fights. The switching between standard shot & lock-on shot is not very intuitive either since you want to keep standard shot held down and just fire off lock on when needed.

But man, nothing beats starting a level by getting blown out of a volcano on fire doing flips.

Any tips for best character, weapon set? I didn't try using the samurai guy yet. Just been using Bill and trying the different weapon layouts. It seems like his 3rd one with Spread/Fire shot/lightning laser is his best because the spread up-close just DESTROYS things. The problem is if they're only weak to laser, his lightning laser is pretty awful and makes things tough.

Besides the controls being kind of weird and unintuitive, the game holds up quite well. Even the difficulty unlocks are good. By the time I finished a session I had my credits up to 7 and lives up to 7. The patterns are pretty good, I only did the first 3 stages but I felt like everything was fair even if sometimes they're hard to see coming and doge correctly.

I don't want dual analogs, it completely changes the feel of the game. Locking between the two positions comes in handy during the game and switching to just 2 analogs changes the way the game is played. You'll get used to the controls quick enough most likely.

 

[Bebpo]

Well, for example I was fighting the girl boss of stage 3. She has a small hitbox and moves around a lot. I was using the strafe with spread shotgun and trying to stay in her face while dodging her attacks, but about 25% of the time I'd shoot past her and miss her completely even though I swear I'm aiming right in her direction and when I try to recorrect my angle I get hit and lose a life. That's my main issue right now, most of the time spent dying is trying to reposition and relock so I'm actually aiming where I want to. Which in a shooter aiming where you want to shouldn't be a concern at all.

But yeah, most likely I'll get used to it. Still, I think a port with at least an option to use twin-stick would be nice. Also online coop.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Well, for example I was fighting the girl boss of stage 3. She has a small hitbox and moves around a lot. I was using the strafe with spread shotgun and trying to stay in her face while dodging her attacks, but about 25% of the time I'd shoot past her and miss her completely even though I swear I'm aiming right in her direction and when I try to recorrect my angle I get hit and lose a life. That's my main issue right now, most of the time spent dying is trying to reposition and relock so I'm actually aiming where I want to. Which in a shooter aiming where you want to shouldn't be a concern at all.

But yeah, most likely I'll get used to it. Still, I think a port with at least an option to use twin-stick would be nice. Also online coop.

Ya, you get used to swtiching positions and locking after a little bit. I don't know, I enjoyed the hell out of that and shattered soldier from all the times I played co-op with my brother so I don't want the controls to change but I'd take a remake with online co-op in a heartbeat but I would be afraid that lag would kill a game like that. Especially with the precision dodging for some bosses.

Edit: Another game people may want to try who like contra is The Red Star, me and a buddy played that co-op a lot and I loved that game.

http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=62407
It's only $5!

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I'm approaching the end of Drakengard. Right now I'm just waiting for the next couple weapons to unlock and then I'll be able to play the best part of the game...
....oh god why am I doing this to myself?

I've been listening to that particular track on constant loop for awhile and aside from it driving me insane I really have no idea how I'm going to pull it off. The inputs are insane and there are no real patterns towards the end. I...fuck...dammit. I know I'm going to be stuck on this for the longest time...

I really don't know what it is. Out of my latest batch of games this has been my most played. Something is terribly wrong here.

EDIT
Major spoilers
The last 20 seconds of this game is murdering me.
Major spoilers

 

[Bebpo]

Ok, played the hell out of Neo Contra. Great game, just like Shattered Soldier and Contra IV. I'm actually a bit surprised how consistently good the franchise has been as a whole. Total steal for bargain bin prices if you like Contra.

Anyhow, the ranking system is a bit harsh. IIRC it's the same system as Shattered Soldier where to unlock the last stage & final boss you need all A ranks. Kind of annoying when 20+ mins of intense gaming I get to stage 5 with all A ranks in 1-4 and then I get a B and the game just ends when I beat the stage

But man, the stages are so much good lol. Running on top of helicopter blades ftw and ANIMAL CONTRA lololololol

Think I'll move on soon. Gonna play Samurai Western. Also thinking about playing Megaman X8 since I picked it up in the bargain bin at some point after hearing unlike X7 it wasn't horrible. I wonder if it'll hold up after MM9/10.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Moved on to Dual Hearts.
It's a very easy peasy game thus far. Good for the kids I guess though the first character I ran into is Megarack Mcboobsville so dunno what's up with that. Apparently Matrix Software is also associated with the Alundra games which is cool I guess(not an Alundra fan). There's a harder difficulty but from what I've read it's just the stupid kind where it's "Everything takes less damage, you take more damage" which is stupid.

And yeah the Banjo Kazooie + Zelda comparisons hold up. The camera, the way lock-on works, hell even little things like the map layout and UI feel straight out of Ocarina of Time. You play as some douche of an adventurer and you can summon a dog/pig thing(called a Baku?) to cover ground faster, jump higher, and other fun things. It's also got the whole collectathon aspect going. In each stage(there are around 15 or so I assume) you can find 100 rings, a handful of items that raise max health, and other stuff like orbs used to progress.

You also find new weapons and abilities so you can back to previous areas and all that jazz. It's really unoriginal but still kind of charming. Combat isn't that good thanks to the wonky framerate and lack of animation though. Still for $3 it just might be worth some while.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

The power saver sale has some neat stuff but uh I dunno.

Thought about getting Dark Void. It's 9.99 and considering I managed to survive Bionic Commando this can't be any worse...can it?

Latest pick-ups:
Genji: Days of the Blade - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=63774
The case for: Slash things(...okay I dunno I haven't played it yet)
The case against: Can't resist the urge to say something about giant enemy crabs.

Bulletwitch - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=64562
The case for: Ridiculous physics. Did the whole witches with guns thing way before Bayonetta. Some of the DLC is actually way fun.
The case against: It's a Cavia game. Cheap one-hit kills.

Beat Dual Hearts by the way. Planning on reviewing it but it's really not something I can say is worth any sort of critical analysis. As much as it cribs from Banjo and Zelda it does little to really push the genre forward. Considering the kind of things Majora's Mask and so on were doing and this game feels like it's still on the tutorial section. It has its own charm though and it was so easy that I flew through it without so much as a stumble. Expert mode sounds stupid though since if I wanted to make the game harder I could just avoid getting the permanent life-up items(another aspect stolen from Zelda!)

 

[StoOgE]

People still play the Shadowrun DEMO online.

Yeah I was baffled too.

The demo has the best map in the game and is better balanced than the retail game.

This is a game that was a really good idea for a game, with a license that didn't fit and a lack of single player.

It was like a top tier HL2 mod.. but they wanted your monies for it.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Timeshift is down to 3.99 now.
Dunno what others think but I love it.

Reviewed Dual Hearts while I was at it cause I'm that kind of guy.

Power Save Sale ends on the 8th of this month. Dunno what else I should consider picking up.

Quantum of Solace (360 - $7.49) any good?
Conan (360 - $4.99) How 'bout it?
Alone in the Dark (360 - $4.49) Is it that shit and even then can I at least laugh at it?
Astonishia Story (PSP - $7.99) Why not? I enjoyed Valhalla Knights for crying out loud.
Yggdra Union (PSP - $9.99) Tried to get into the DS version, no dice there. Anything here that would convince me to give this one a look?
Fracture (PS3 - $9.99) Apparently it lets me rock a shaved head and dig holes in the ground. Worth it?

 

[xKilltheMx]

Timeshift is down to 3.99 now.
Dunno what others think but I love it.

Reviewed Dual Hearts while I was at it cause I'm that kind of guy.

Power Save Sale ends on the 8th of this month. Dunno what else I should consider picking up.

Quantum of Solace (360 - $7.49) any good?
Conan (360 - $4.99) How 'bout it?
Alone in the Dark (360 - $4.49) Is it that shit and even then can I at least laugh at it?
Astonishia Story (PSP - $7.99) Why not? I enjoyed Valhalla Knights for crying out loud.
Yggdra Union (PSP - $9.99) Tried to get into the DS version, no dice there. Anything here that would convince me to give this one a look?
Fracture (PS3 - $9.99) Apparently it lets me rock a shaved head and dig holes in the ground. Worth it?

Wait they lower prices during this sale?

 

[ULTROS!]

So if I (a) love survival horror, (b) was even able to enjoy things like Rule of Rose, and (b) am perfectly fine with games that have questionable levels of quality like Disaster Report and Raw Danger, should I go for this?

I loved Raw Danger and Rule of Rose so I'd recommend this one, the quality of the game is not so questionable at all. This game is definitely scarier than RoR although it is kind of hard.

 

[Gameboy415]

I mentioned earlier that a Gamestop near me seemed to have Trapt and Outrun 2K6 in stock. I cruised over there during the Buy-2-Get-1 sale a few weeks ago and scoured the PS2 racks up and down looking for my games with no luck. I ask the clerk to check if they have them and he says "Yeah, but since they're under $4.99 we have them in these bins, but they're not alphabetical so good luck finding them" and gestures to two huge bins of disc-only games on the counter. I asked if they had the cases/manuals in the back and he said they threw them away. I left empty-handed.

What kind of crap policy is that?! Does anyone actually want to buy disc-only games?
I'm glad I got most of the last-gen stuff I wanted over the last few years because this "throwing the cases away" stuff is BS.

 

[Dave Long]

I love this thread and am sorry to see it didn't continue.

I picked up a perfect condition Urban Reign for $6.99 at the Collegeville Gamstop and am seriously impressed. Completely overlooked gem of a brawler that makes me want to punch people in the face. Great stuff.

Also got a complete but a little less perfect WarTech: Senko no Ronde which is also a cool little game for the asking price of $2.99. Worth a lot more than that. Fortunately I have kids to play offline mulitplayer against.

Finally, though I haven't played it, Space Invaders Extreme for DS is $6.99 and I threw that on my stack for a less than $20 purchase of three really cool games.

Anyone see anything marked down recently that offers as much excitement as the three above?

 

[Volcynika]

I love this thread and am sorry to see it didn't continue.

I picked up a perfect condition Urban Reign for $6.99 at the Collegeville Gamstop and am seriously impressed. Completely overlooked gem of a brawler that makes me want to punch people in the face. Great stuff.

Also got a complete but a little less perfect WarTech: Senko no Ronde which is also a cool little game for the asking price of $2.99. Worth a lot more than that. Fortunately I have kids to play offline mulitplayer against.

Finally, though I haven't played it, Space Invaders Extreme for DS is $6.99 and I threw that on my stack for a less than $20 purchase of three really cool games.

Anyone see anything marked down recently that offers as much excitement as the three above?

Actually new copies of Space Invaders Extreme 2 DS are $4.99, provided you can find one in-store (not available online). Good price for a new game.

 

[Drkirby]

Oh, on anther note, Gamestop just got a sizable batch of copies of new Tales of the Abyss. They took the plastic wrap off, placed used stickers on them, and put them out for sale, their standard proceadure for these kinds of things, so you should be able to get near mint copies of the game at most stores.

On anther anther note, I just noticed they changed their site, first impression is I don't like it D:

 

[fernoca]

They are also selling Xbox 360 Live Vision Cam bundles (with You're in the Movies) for $5.99 and Scene it! (the first one) with 4 controllers for $9.99. Both are new, but with 'preowned' labels; so you can even get an extra 10% off with their card.

 

[Dave Long]

I've purchased a few games that way. I don't understand the reasoning behind opening them and selling them used, though? Is it because the new price is fixed by the publisher? I didn't think price fixing was legal.

 

[quinntendopower]

i've been scooping up alot of ps2 games at my local gamestops recently

100 bucks went a LONG way in terms of catching up and quality gameplay time.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

I asked if they had the cases/manuals in the back and he said they threw them away. I left empty-handed.

What kind of crap policy is that?! Does anyone actually want to buy disc-only games?
I'm glad I got most of the last-gen stuff I wanted over the last few years because this "throwing the cases away" stuff is BS.

That probably explains when I ordered from Gamestop.com 2 of the 3 items were disc-only (I'd imagine Gamestop.com gets used games from its stores, maybe looks at what stock isn't moving in smaller stores and gets them to send it to head office), I just swallowed my pride as it was the only practical and affordable way for me to get the games. I think it happens accidentally as well. As in store throws out dummies from shelves but leaves disc in bottom of draw and finds them years later. Also, no cases saves loads of space which is handy when you've got a storage room stuffed top to bottom full of DJ Hero, Band Hero, The Beatles Rock Band and Tony Hawk Ride.

I've purchased a few games that way. I don't understand the reasoning behind opening them and selling them used, though? Is it because the new price is fixed by the publisher? I didn't think price fixing was legal.

I remember when some rare games got reprints (Valkyre Profile, Resident Evil 2 and £ gamecube) they did it to up the price :lol It could also be a way of making stores reach targets of selling x% used so things look good on paper.

Back to the topic of bargain bin. Basically it is all I can buy through Gamestop.com as I like to keep my imports below the tax threshold (£18 which gives me ~$25 depending on the exchange rate) as above that you tend to pay tax as well as a handling fee from the courier but the $15 in shipping means I usually have to do it with at least 3 games for it to be worthwhile in cost even then I'm usually better off buying the games from my region so I use it for games not available in my region. Then comes the fun and games of everything you want actually being in stock at the same time so you can make an order.

Speaking of which Meteos is in stock online. Well, what are you waiting for?

 

[ZealousD]

I've purchased a few games that way. I don't understand the reasoning behind opening them and selling them used, though? Is it because the new price is fixed by the publisher? I didn't think price fixing was legal.

When games have been out for a real long time, people are more likely to buy them used rather than new. They'll completely gloss over the new section and go straight for the new section. So if an old game is in the used section, it stands a better chance of selling. Even if the price was the exact same, it'd have a better chance in the used section.

I mentioned earlier that a Gamestop near me seemed to have Trapt and Outrun 2K6 in stock. I cruised over there during the Buy-2-Get-1 sale a few weeks ago and scoured the PS2 racks up and down looking for my games with no luck. I ask the clerk to check if they have them and he says "Yeah, but since they're under $4.99 we have them in these bins, but they're not alphabetical so good luck finding them" and gestures to two huge bins of disc-only games on the counter. I asked if they had the cases/manuals in the back and he said they threw them away. I left empty-handed.

What kind of crap policy is that?! Does anyone actually want to buy disc-only games?
I'm glad I got most of the last-gen stuff I wanted over the last few years because this "throwing the cases away" stuff is BS.

It saves a shit ton of shelf space to throw away those cases and manuals. Saving that kind of shelf space is extremely helpful when you're operating a smaller store. Even the back room only has so much space for that kind of thing.

Given that these are ancient games that are under $5, next to nobody cares about actually having the cases for them.

 

[B.K.]

Oh, on anther note, Gamestop just got a sizable batch of copies of new Tales of the Abyss. They took the plastic wrap off, placed used stickers on them, and put them out for sale, their standard proceadure for these kinds of things, so you should be able to get near mint copies of the game at most stores.

Same with Xenosaga Episode III.

 

[dorkimoe]

I have a guy in my friends list that still plays it on occasion. FWIW, I had a shit ton of fun with it back when it released. If you look at it objectively, and ignore it's source material, it's a good game. just got fucked over by the GFW Live and rabid Shadowrun fanbase.

was such a fun game when it first came out

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Oh, on anther note, Gamestop just got a sizable batch of copies of new Tales of the Abyss. They took the plastic wrap off, placed used stickers on them, and put them out for sale, their standard proceadure for these kinds of things, so you should be able to get near mint copies of the game at most stores.

Yeah I noticed that. Kind of nice really.

Oh and I did a couple bargain bin pickups earlier:

Legend of Heroes 1 - 6.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=40293
The case for - Turned-base RPG.
The case against - The translation is an abomination.
Note: You can also snag LoH 2 and LoH 3 for 9.99 a pop. I expect the translations still suck though.

Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light - 7.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=43295
The case for - Turned-base RPG. LoL.
The case against - You have to craft new weapons cause your old ones eventually break. DUMB

Other stuff
Ys 6: Ark of Naphitism - 5.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=37585
The case for - It's Ys
The case against - load times

Powerstone Collection - 6.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=62157
The case for - Great cause the Dreamcast versions are freaking expensive.
The case against - Try and get a party together to play Powerstone 2. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Guilty Gear Judgement - 6.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=40031
The case for - A side-scrolling beatemup starring the cast of Guilty Gear? Well okay.
The case against - Frustrating bullshit beatemup

Tomb Raider Underworld - 8.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=68944
The case for - Starts off well enough
The case against - Boy could it be anymore obvious this game was rushed?

Platypus - 4.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=62334
The case for - Pretty decent....for a euroshump
The case against - Wait isn't this on the Xboxlive Indie service for even cheaper?

Sonic the Hedgehog 2k6 - 9.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=61044
The case for - The soundtrack.
The case against - Costs about $1009.99 too much.

Warriors Orochi - 9.99
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65819
The case for - Dynasty Warriors vs Samurai Warriors. Easy 1000 points.
The case against - Still hate DW/SW? Well this won't change your mind.

BTW: For whatever dumb reason Gamestop/EBgames suddenly made it a lot harder to search for the most recent price-drops. It's not so bad for more recent systems but for the PS2 I have to thumb through over 1500 listings in the under 9.99 category. Yikes.

 

[EvilDick34]

I just got " The Saboteur " on pc for 9.99 at gamestop, woot.

 

[biggyfries]

Actually new copies of Space Invaders Extreme 2 DS are $4.99, provided you can find one in-store (not available online). Good price for a new game.

The stores in my city have it at $10 new.

Still a good price.

 

[Drkirby]

The stores in my city have it at $10 new.

Still a good price.

Yeah, it went back up in the last day or two.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Alone in the Dark (360) - 6.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65358
The case for: I don't have your stone and something something anyway!
The case against: Best thing the game has going for it is a 15 second clip on youtube.

Blue Dragon Plus - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72983
The case for: More wacky hijinks with um..those kids.
The case against: Isn't this an RTS or something? Who wants to play those?

Moon - 8.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72221
The case for: FPS on the DS? Sure why not. Looks impressive to boot.
The case against: Dunno. Maybe if I can find a copy of the game I'll get around to writing something.

Me & my Katamari - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=42737
The case for: More Katamari................................yay
The case against: If I'm going to destroy my thumb on a PSP analog nub it's going to be on something awesome like Monster Hunter.

Madworld - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=71454
The case for: Hey it's a game by that guy.....
The case against: ....heard it wasn't so good though. Also this game has been less than $10 since like a week after it came out.

Ultimate Shooting Collection - 5.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72735
The case for: Didn't I mention this game before? Whatever it's a price-drop.
The case against: Can't save highscores! How stupid!

Geometry Wars: Galaxies - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=3843
The case for: Can't get enough Geometry Wars?
The case against: Hell if I know. Geo 2 was enough for me.

Samba De Amigo - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=7754
The case for: Finally an affordable Samba De Amigo game.
The case against: Lackluster controls. Well hey at least you get what you pay for.

Rygar: The Battle of Argus - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=9653
The case for: From the makers of Quantum Theory comes a port of Rygar PS2?!?
The case against: Hideous main character and it's still way more expensive than the PS2 version.

Alien Syndrome - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=1196
The case for: How bad can it be? Aliens, guns, possibly a syndrome.
The case against: I'm not willing to take the risk.

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=33312
The case for: R&C is a good dependable series.
The case against: Seems like an R&C collection would be ripe material for an "HD classics" re-release. Oh and Up Your Arsenal is a horrendous subtitle.

SNK Arcade Classics 1 - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=69560
The case for: Nice collection of NeoGeo games.
The case against: Emulation is hit and miss.

Shadow the Hedgehog - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=38520
The case against: $8 could buy you a king's ransom in Microwave Burritos.
The case against: $8 could also be thrown out the window and into a fire.

Atari Anthology - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=35723
The case for: Great value for the money. Lots of freaking games.
The case against: Lots of freaking crap. No wonder the industry crashed all those years ago.

Yeah slim pickings for this update.

 

[rollingstart]

I will say that if you want Madworld, Amazon sells it new for $6.40. Seriously.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019SY1D4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Volcynika]

I got Alien Syndrome for free when it was out (press copy, thought I'd have interest in it)

I still felt ripped off.

 

[TheSeks]

Blue Dragon: DS is a RTS like FFXII: Reverent Wings. Not a SRPG.

 

[Drkirby]

I may bite on Ultimate Shooting Collection if I can find a good copy without going out of my way.

Eh, looking at a store locator, I may be better off with the $10 "new" copy.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Blue Dragon: DS is a RTS like FFXII: Reverent Wings. Not a SRPG.

Ohhhh okay thanks. I don't get paid enough to keep up with these things. =/

 

[TheSeks]

Ohhhh okay thanks. I don't get paid enough to keep up with these things. =/

Well, there's probably some RPG elements (like leveling up the units) like there is FFXII:RW. But it isn't a traditional "SRPG" and it's more "RTS" to where I consider it a "RTS" than a "J/SRPG."

That said:

Quantum of Solace (360 - $7.49) any good?

QoS PS3/360 is pretty good for the price. The online multiplayer is dominated by shotguns (as they're INSANE in range and kill speed) if there is any players left, however.

The singleplayer is decent, but rough-around-the-edges. It could be better, but it was (to my knowledge) a majority of newer Treyarch employee's first game, with that in mind it was a decent first attempt.

I bought it for $20 at the Best Buy sale for it a year ago, IIRC. Don't really regret it so for $8.50-10 you can't really go wrong with it.

Tomb Raider: Underworld

I bought the PS3 version this past week. That said, it's decent but rushed, yeah. The PS3 version also has framerate issues (stuttering like it's loading something), it isn't a killer but it's annoying.

That said, it's still a decent outing from CD but it could've used some more time in the oven polishing it up.

The 360 version also has "exclusive" DLC "chapters after the game" which is a bit bullshit, but meh: If you have the choice and story matters to you, go with the 360 version. Otherwise the PS3 version is passable, if slightly disappointing if that's the only choice you got.

 

[biggyfries]

Moon is pretty good, actually.

Liked it better than Metroid Hunters.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Assassin's Creed 1 - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=62255
The Case For - See how it all got started.
The Case Against - One of those "sequel is better in every way" deals.

FF7: Crisis Core - 8.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=68371
The Case For - Follow Zack's wacky adventures
The Case Against - Uhh..no idea. Going to pick this up from Gamestop now though.

Operation Darkness - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=70964
The Case For - An SRPG involving Nazis, Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and...you get the idea.
The Case Against - Amateurish production values and camera

Stranglehold - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=61495
The Case For - Chow-Yun-Fat running around doing ridiculous slow-mo kills like this was a John Woo game or something.
The Case Against - Campaign is incredibly mediocre with a stupidly-long "shoot things out of a helicopter" section.

Rock Revolution - 2.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72167
The Case For - Wasn't this game 59.99 a few months ago? What a deal!
The Case Against - There's most likely a lot of reasons for that.

Hellboy: Science of Evil - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=3753
The Case For - Didn't the developers of this game get shut down recently? Might be worth a curiosity look.
The Case Against - Hellboy will never have a good videogame attached to his name. At least Superman has that pretty swell arcade game.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65472
The Case For - Scratch it up in a Stylus-based Ninja Gaiden adventure.
The Case Against - I get my ass kicked enough holding an Xbox or 360 controller. What chance do I have here?

Dungeon Maker - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65656
The Case For - Make your own dungeons
The Case Against - and then play a mediocre action-rpg.

N+ - 5.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=67297
The Case For - N on your PSP..what could go wrong?
The Case Against - PSPs are rather fragile and N is a game known to cause irrational object-throwing behavior.

Battle Fantasia - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72388
The Case For - Fighting game by the Guilty Gear/Blazblue dudes with an interesting art-direction.
The Case Against - Kind of lame and unbalanced.

 

[The Lamonster]

Wow, nice OP. I read through the games I've played and the analysis is dead-on.

 

[ZealousD]

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65472
The Case For - Scratch it up in a Stylus-based Ninja Gaiden adventure.
The Case Against - I get my ass kicked enough holding an Xbox or 360 controller. What chance do I have here?

Dragon Sword is piss easy.

 

[TheSeks]

Assassin's Creed 1 - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=62255
The Case For - See how it all got started.
The Case Against - One of those "sequel is better in every way" deals.

Been meaning to grab this. I should do that this week...

Operation Darkness - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=70964
The Case For - An SRPG involving Nazis, Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and...you get the idea.
The Case Against - Amateurish production values and camera

The Camera and the later half the game suddenly shifting gears from "use your guns" to "drop all your guns and use MAGIC!" is probably the negative against this. I'm up to like mission 13 in the story or something like that and haven't played it in a year. I should get back to it... For $10 it's not a bad look, but it's a love/hate game.

Stranglehold - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=61495
The Case For - Chow-Yun-Fat running around doing ridiculous slow-mo kills like this was a John Woo game or something.
The Case Against - Campaign is incredibly mediocre with a stupidly-long "shoot things out of a helicopter" section.

Is the collector's edition with "Hard Boiled" on bluray for the PS3 included on this price? Been meaning to find that.

Battle Fantasia - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72388
The Case For - Fighting game by the Guilty Gear/Blazblue dudes with an interesting art-direction.
The Case Against - Kind of lame and unbalanced.

I think I'll wait until it's $5. The demo didn't wow me, but I can't really say no to most Arc Sys games.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Dragon Sword is piss easy.

Oh well dang.
Still I'm like a fish in the woods when it comes to stylus-based games.

 

[B.K.]

FF7: Crisis Core - 8.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=68371
The Case For - Follow Zack's wacky adventures
The Case Against - Gackt

Fixed.

 

[GodofWine]

Great thread.

I'd totally mention SOCOM Confrontation now for $9.99...the patches out size the game, but it is actually the best tactical shooter I can find now. (I'm too old and slow to play twitch warfare)

 

[SonOfABeep]

Timeshift is a fine time waster for $7. If you want to play a fairly mindless FPS with decent graphics for 2007 you could do worse.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Over G Fighters - 5.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=42537
The case for - You want a air combat-sim? This is an option.
The case against - Not a particularly great one.

Big Bang Mini - 6.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72839
The case for - This was a big deal at one point right?
The case against - Heck if I know. Can't remember any bad things being said about this game.

Wipeout Pulse - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=68643
The case for - Wipeout on the PSP
The case against - I hate Wipeout...okay it's not a strong case.

Izuna 2 - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=71633
The case for - Roguelike with boobs/lesbian overtones.
The case against - Shouldn't you be playing Shiren the Wanderer instead?

Princess Debut - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72195
The case for - Win the hand of Prince Charming in this sim by Cave(?!)
The case against - It'll take years of hardcore Gears and God of War playing to get your manhood back.

Nights: Journey of Dreams - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=12570
The case for - From what I hear it's actually quite decent and even good.
The case against - The main characters are a couple of uggos.

Army of Two - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=60822
The case for - Remember when some dude got fired over reviewing this game?
The case against - Oh wait that was Kane & Lynch wasn't it? Wow this game has nothing going for it then.

Just Cause - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=60860
The case for - Fly a plane really high into the air and admire the view.
The case against - You could probably get the much better sequel for another $10 or so.

Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72118
The case for - Woman in bikini kills zombies by the thousands. The controls aren't anything amazing but it's the most fun I've had with the series.
The case against - Lots of sword swinging leads to arms getting wrecked before too long.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=71020
The case for - Part RTS part Tower Defense part beatemup part fighter part of parts
The case against - Can you make sense of all that? I certainly can't.

Stranglehold CE - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65827
The case for - Includes a blu-ray of Hardboiled.
The case against - Good luck finding it.

Lost Planet: Colonies Edition - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=70791
The case for - The definitive version of Lost Planet 1 and actually a good game..or at least I think so.
The case against - The extra singleplayer modes will hopefully make up for the possibility that nobody is playing online anymore.

-----
Oh and I picked up the following recently:

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=42575
The case for - It's like a Metal Gear game but you choose your next move from a random deck of cards.
The case against - It's like a Metal Gear game but you choose your next move from a random deck of cards.

Urban Chaos: Riot Response - 6.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=43306
The case for - An FPS by Rocksteady and it is pretty fun stuff.
The case against - Framerate is pretty ew. Maybe I should have went with the Xbox version(9.99). I dunno if its BC though.

----

If you google "Gamestop bargain bin" this thread is the second listing (with quotes) or fourth listing (without quotes). I don't even have to throw my name on the search to find this thread.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

I have always loved, and will always love The Bouncer.

I've "triple S'd" the game about 5 times.

 

[TheSeks]

Stranglehold CE - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=65827
The case for - Includes a blu-ray of Hardboiled.
The case against - Good luck finding it.

Have I told you, I love you? Because I do. <3 Too bad the "home store" doesn't have a copy, and EB/Gamestop both fucked up their "nearby stores have it?" option on their website so I can't check there. This is my holy grail this generation it seems. :lol

Lost Planet: Colonies Edition - 9.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=70791
The case for - The definitive version of Lost Planet 1 and actually a good game..or at least I think so.
The case against - The extra singleplayer modes will hopefully make up for the possibility that nobody is playing online anymore.

There's no one playing? Really? There were players shortly after LP2's launch on the 360 side for me this year. :/

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 - 7.99
http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=42575
The case for - It's like a Metal Gear game but you choose your next move from a random deck of cards.
The case against - It's like a Metal Gear game but you choose your next move from a random deck of cards.

I bought this and the first one for $20 when I first got my PSP. I can't understate that everyone should attempt both these at least once, esp for $8. You can't go wrong with them.

Edit: You might want to add "No subtitles" to the case against on Ass Creed 1. That was truly my "WTF" moment on booting up the game.