wickedchadwick

Tag: video-games

  • Loot Run round-up

    Loot Run round-up

    Sixty-eight. 68 games. An average of 11 games per month since my last Loot Run post. If anything, I should post more often to spread the buyer’s remorse out a little. Wow.

    Ah shit, i just remembered I bought a new console as well.

    Goddamit, and another hand-held.

    Let’s get this guilt trip over with.

    At the top of the pile has to be the addition of a Switch 2. If you’re not aware Nintendo announced an upcoming price increase (in September I believe). This would increase the price by $50 CDN and put the pressure on to acquire one. Long story short I solved the puzzle by using PC Points to pay for the whole thing. I’m quite proud of that one and may be the high point of my PC Points spending since starting in 2018.

    The second handheld mentioned had been on my wishlist for a while. The Game & Watch Legend of Zelda edition. This little collectible handheld was released for the 35th anniversary of Zelda several years ago. I thought it was interesting and moved on. Then I saw one in box for $60 at last year’s East Coast Comic con. And I missed picking it up. Fast forward to the same Con in 2026 and I find it for $80 with a nice rubberized shell and acrylic stand to show it off. Box too. So I offer $70 and he takes it. It’s beautiful. And it plays the original Zelda, Zelda II, and Link’s Awakening (Gameboy). A new centrepiece for my handheld collection (or Zelda shelf depending on available space).

    Then come the games. Whew.

    The vast majority of the additions are Switch titles which seems to be my primary focus lately. There’s a lot going on right now in the physical media world and more and more I’ve gravitated to the novelty of the Switch. Something about cartridges harkens back to the “good old days”. It must also be stated that some of the most interesting indie/niche titles end up on the platform.

    Some notable highlights from my more curated purchases include:

    Anno Mutationem – A 2D/3D cyberpunk side-scrolling platforming adventuring….

    Axiom Verge, Another Crab’s Treasure, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, and Tunic round out some of my bucket list items.

    Two copies of Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Ed. Now hear me out. I grabbed the PS5 version first and put roughly 100 hours into it. I rolled credits but the game is like Skyrim and Oblivion. You know you’ll go back someday to try a different angle. Or pick a stealth-archer again but whatever, it’s fun. The second copy, for Switch 2, was acquired under the guise that Zombie watched the Edgerunner anime and had a passing interested in playing the game. So there’s one reason to add it. The other is, honestly, a little petty but the DLC, Phantom Liberty, does not exist on the PS5 disk. Instead a download code was included which is now attached to my Sony profile. Boo. I want the whole game on the disk. I find out after that the Xbox Series version is complete on disk. Cool but I’ve got to play that in the basement. I can’t stream the Series X to my One S in my bedroom. Gawd, I’m lazy. Wait, what’s this? the Switch 2 version is a technical marvel raking in very positive reviews. The DLC is included on the game card along with all content. (insert Fry’s “Shut up and take my money!” meme).

    Anyways, that’s enough storytelling. You can see the batch of games above and pass judgement as you see fit. I’m happy, it’s a great hobby. I hope everyone can find this much joy from their hobbies. Whew, getting a little sappy this long weekend evening. That’s enough for tonight. And as always, thanks for reading!

    *please note. I’m well aware my grammar and composition degrade rapidly as I write these articles. I try to write them the way I would have a conversation. But I converse like 13 squirrels with ADHD so you get what you get

  • Pandora’s Box of Loot

    Pandora’s Box of Loot

    I swear I was going to do the responsible thing this morning. A respectable deal at Shoppers Drug Mart had me planning to restock the essentials. I expected to pick up some toilet paper, paper towel, toiletries, and maybe some food if it was on sale. But it all went wrong/right.

    Today’s deal was a regular one at Shoppers. An offer to spend $60 and get a mystery bonus of either 20k or 30k in points. Potentially 50% back in points but at a minimum 33%, not bad. The only real restriction with this bonus is to limit yourself, purchasing only as close to $60 pre-tax as possible to maximize your bonus.

    The path I travel through this particular location had me pick up deals on cookies (2/$5) and then I drifted over to my guilty pleasure, the coffee-flavored Monster energy drinks. They were 2 for $6 which is now a better deal than the Dollarama and I thought I should treat myself. I drifted through the aisles glancing quickly for sales before aiming for the paper products. Although I had decent stock at home, if any were on sale, it was always a good idea to pick them up. And that’s when I saw the clearance section at the back of the store.

    I had generally been ignoring this section of the store since Shoppers announced they were getting out of the electronics business. Although this was my favorite location for grocery shopping it didn’t have a great game section to begin with. From what I could tell the only remaining games were Xbox One titles behind a glass case and they were still at full retail price. So it became a routine to quickly look at the case, make sure nothing was on clearance and move on. But to the next of this section was a cart and some baskets, evidently the most recently clearanced items in the store that had yet to be put on shelves or out front to be seen. I thought nothing of it but then did a double-take when a PS5 logo appeared amidst a small collection of movies. Long story short, I grabbed every non-sports title.

    Most were $10 each but the real score for me was Avatar at $25. This game had been on my radar for a while as it was current-gen exclusive and I knew it would showcase the power of my PS5 or Xbox Series X. It consistently sold for $50 in my favorite pawn shop and I was not willing to buy a potential Far Cry-esque experience with all my unfinished titles in that series still on the shelf. But thanks to this deal I was spending $25 plus tax and getting 25% back in points (yes, I did the math).

    Will I play all these titles? Probably not anytime soon but we all know I’m a hoarder and at these prices I don’t feel that guilty. I’ve even been toying with the idea lately of reselling some of my collection if I know I’m not going to play them. I’m sure I’d be able to get $20 for most of the $10 games, heck they’re still sealed.

    NIck Wilde Disney Infinity character acting pretty impressed with his new buddy

    On top of that this weekend started amazing with the end of my work day on Friday. A client surprised me with a 3D-printed Deadpool that I had always wanted. Modeled after the Disney Infinity toys I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. He wasn’t thrilled with the work as it was challenging and the model was not easy to work with. He insisted on giving it to me for free. We agreed that I would be buying the Deadpool mask from him in the future and I’ll make sure to repay him then.

    Finally, because it’s also geeky I’m excited to be going to my colouring tattoo for my Skull Kid in the next couple of hours. Stay tuned for more pics.

    Hope everyone has a great weekend whenever you read this.

  • Zelda: Out of Breath

    Zelda: Out of Breath

    I’m a Zelda fan. Long history beginning with rage-quitting the NES rental (Mom won’t let me forget that) to getting a Majora’s Mask tattoo (this afternoon!) I have a shelf in the Geek Room dedicated to Zelda. I have hardcover books. I spout useless Zelda trivia to anyone that (doesn’t) ask. I’m a fan.

    BUT. I didn’t like Breath of the Wild. I bought it immediately when it released on the Wii U. I didn’t want another Twilight Princess cross-gen release with limited printing. I played it for a while. I got lost. I didn’t have goals. I moved on.

    Years later on the Switch I played it again. Aprox 20hrs in I lost interest again. I was never going to finish this game. I didn’t like the breakable weapons. I was disinterested in cooking. I wanted dungeon items that would open up overworld locations. Arrrggh!

    My brother would give me shit each time I saw him. “I thought you were a Zelda fan. I collected all the Korok seeds” blah blah blah. Fine! The last time we visited I knew it would come up. I started a fresh file while on the vacation and have been playing since.

    I’m exhausted. It feels like a job. Maybe it’s my attention span. Maybe it’s my need to explore. The problem is, I’ve grown to love it. I don’t feel it HAD to be a Zelda game. It could have been an open world adventure from a brand new IP. Think Immortals: Fenix Rising. But because it’s a Zelda game fans are rewarded with lore, easter eggs, and more. All lending itself to the connection (or Link) to the world and characters.

    I’ve tamed the Divine Beasts. It’s time to face Ganon. But not yet. 10-20 more hours of collecting, upgrading, and harnessing the block/parry before I face true Evil. Oh and then do I follow up with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity or Tears of the Kingdom. Oh and there’s the new Zelda game still in the plastic. And did I ever beat the original? I see why Skull Kid went mad. As always, thanks for reading.