I am a robot made of cardboard, so you know it’s necessary I spend money upgrading my systems before I indulge in most newly released entertainment packages….I assume I am not the only one here, so I am going to bring you some budget gaming advice, courtesy of Budgetron.  In the future of this column I will cover a couple of newly purchased games that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and also do not suck.  So, without further adieu, Budgetron’s gonna show you how to save a few bucks and still be cool.

This week, I got a bonus at work, so to stretch that dollar to the max, I went to my local Play N Trade and headed straight for the back shelf…to the classic concole area.  Now, generally it’s pretty hit or miss on weather or not you’ll be able to find good games, but luckily this was budgetron’s lucky day, because I made 2 awesome purchases.

First up was Super C for the NES ($13).  Now, generally the original Contra is the more sought out of the two, and I think besides for purely nostalgic reasons, it is because it was the first of the series (on the NES) and it is the game that made “the code” famous.  But I would have to say that after jumping into Super C, it is definitely a more finely tuned version of the original.  The sidescrolling levels are well laid out, with a variety of enemies and obstacles, and the overhead levels are much better than the shitty “electro beam lazer monkey” stages from the first one.

Now, the question is, was it worth $13?  Yes and no.  The no comes from the fact that although it is a great pick up and play game, $13 is a bit steep for an NES sidescroller, and I think it may have been priced as such merely because of the big red “C” on the cover.  Contra sells, and all sellers know it.  That said, it is a definite must buy because it IS a Contra game.  If a friend comes over and you have a NES but no Contra–? Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.  Contra is a fine game, and since the first game fetches $20 or more on ebay, go for the lesser known (and arguably better) sequel for a fraction of the price.

My second purchase of the night was the pinacle of Disney Afternoon Capcom gaming on the NES, Duck Tales.  Now, this is another game I did not have growing up, but played at friends houses from time to time, and although I wondered how it would hold to those memories when thinking of buying it, the price tag ($4) made me take the gamble.  The gamble paid off, ladies.  This is a quality piece of gaming, and with the name Capcom on the tag, I wasn’t surprised.  Along with Konami, they were basically sure things in the 80’s.

The first thing I noticed when popping this game into my top loader (yes, I’m bragging…I have a top loading NES) was that the level select was much like that of Mega Man, a list of levels with no clue as to which one to approach first.  Now, I know some of you may be annoyed by this cheap tactic by developers to inject more playing time into their games, but it works.  I tried the Mines level first, and nope, I need a key from Transylvania, so I go there and beat that level, then I go to beat the Mines, beat it and head off to the Amazon, where I get my ass handed to me…then I start all over and try a different combination of levels.  Sure I have to play each level a million times, but I like to get a sense of satisfaction when I beat a level, and when you play a level a million times before it’s beat, theres satisfation to be had.  And remember when games had secret rooms with treasure?  And fake ceilings you could jump through to get to new areas?  Yeah, this game’s got em.  And for $4, you can’t go wrong.  Duck Tales is a fun platformer with classic gameplay.

Now, if you don’t have a play and trade, or other classic game peddler near you, I advise you to buy your games from a trusted online retailer.  I have bought from these guys and they have good prices, and are really nice!

http://www.collectorscardsandgames.com/games.htm

Happy gaming, cheapskates!