Random Gaming Thoughts

[RobertAugustdeMeijer]

Interesting list. I'm curious the reasoning for some, like why Soul Calibur 2, 4, and 6? 2 I understand, but I didn't keep up with the series and never played 4 and 6.

Soul Edge was good, Soul Calibur 1 even better...
But Soul Calibur II added some really fun characters and hit the mainstream appeal required to host tournaments.
Soul Calibur III was a dud, simply didn't improve the game in any way, imo. And nobody played it.
Soul Calibur IV wasn't that much better, although I personally liked the more tactical pace. But it came out in a time that there were very few quality fighting games (right before SFIV), and hence, there was some competition. Until Hilda became broken...
Soul Calibur V was a huge flop, probably because half the characters got replaced.
Soul Calibur VI grew its player base, maybe because of Covid, or just because it brought a lot of characters back.

[opa]

It will never cease to amaze me that - to this day, mind you - some games stores will still put stickers on cartridge labels. It doesn't matter how much empty plastic space the cart has. By golly, that superglued price tag is going right on Mario's face.

[Note]

Also, game stores that put difficult price stickers right on the box of games in cardboard boxes. Have a copy of Return Fire that is littered with a few tough stickers. Still annoys me. Lol.

[Ack]

Hey, I have one cart where the store did branding. As in they melted the name of the place into the plastic.

[Golgo 14]

I bought some used N64 carts from Hollywood Video that were like that. Barbaric.

[Ack]

Yep, Hollywood Video, that was the place. I know I had seen the sign, but I don't recall us having many of them around Alabama. So when I got that cart, I was shocked.

[opa]

I remember stickers plastered all over carts from blockbuster/movie gallery but I never seen branding.

Savages!

[Note]

Wow, I do have one game from Hollywood Video, which is Saturday Night Slam Masters on the SNES.

I only went there a few times when I was with my friend's family. I picked it up out of the bargain in the late 90s. Luckily, the cart was spared that branding, and just has a faded rental sticker on the back.

[o.pwuaioc]

I remember stickers plastered all over carts from blockbuster/movie gallery but I never seen branding.

Savages!

Blockbuster post 2000 was better, since we replaced all the DVD/games cases with our own. I bought a ton of DVDs after we rotated them out, though we had fewer games and they lasted on the shelves a lot longer.

The branding was done to discourage theft for resale purposes. People stole rentals way too frequently.