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I think we can safely say that the 16-bit era of JRPGs was the greatest era in all video games. The limited graphical power forced the story and characters to take on the weight of the game and yet we can still look back on those games as having amazing art design, capturing unique worlds with as few resources as possible. Shadows of Adam, available for the Nintendo Switch, aims to reignite your love for those kind of games. We are treated to a story about a young hero venturing into the world to save her father and the entire world, as per usual in these types of games. You get to explore dungeons, build up a party of unique characters, and fight cool-looking bosses. It’s clear the developers took their time and passion and put it in every aspect of this game. Plus, because it’s a limited run release, you get a physical copy, instead of just getting a digital copy. This would look so cool on your shelf! There weren’t a ton of reviews on metacritic, but those that were praised the game for it’s presentation and gameplay and didn’t like that it wasn’t as long as your typical JRPG, only about 10-12 hours, but honestly, as an adult with stuff to do, I kinda like shorter games, but that’s a rant about game length for another day. Shadows of Adam is available right now at Start Over Games for $36.99.

Ah, the Dreamcast, everyone’s favorite…well, okay, to be honest, the Dreamcast is a bit of a strange egg in the video gaming world. The last gasp of a company to stay relevant while, at the same time, actually being a pretty good console, certainly ahead of its time in a bunch of ways. There’s some really good games for the Dreamcast. And, while some of them haven’t aged well, it’s worth it to see the video game time capsule open up and have something different from Mario. So, anyway, D2 is a game. The sequel to D in name only, the original D was a puzzle game while D2 is more of a survival horror game, D2 is about a plane crash, a plane crash that occurs due to circumstances that would not have been allowed to be part of this game had it been released a year earlier. Turns out, a lot of people can survive plane crashes. As our main character explores the woods surrounding the cabin she takes up residence in after she falls from the sky, she begins to run around monsters and other crazy things as she uncovers what REALLY happened in the crash and if she’s really crazy. Standard 2000 stuff. Upon release, the game was panned by critics, earning a 69 out of 100 on metacritic, with critics praising the horror aspects of the game, but really not liking the actual mechanics that you use to play. Will you be brave enough to solve the mystery of D2? The game is available at Start Over Games right now for $189.99.

Once, I was a cop, a road warrior…okay, I don’t remember the rest and don’t really want to check it, but I freaking LOVE Mad Max. The film series is of the rare breed that it has far more good entries than bad (looking at you, Thunderdome). So, in 2015, when a PS4 game set in the Mad Max universe was released, I was all about it. Set around the events of the fourth movie, but never getting specific, Mad Max finds our hero getting kicked to the curb by the son of Immortan Joe and having to rebuild his car and his body, I guess the second one is more than just an upgrade system, but the car is really the selling point. Joined by a mechanic who looks a bit like that guy from 300 who ruins everything for the good guys, Max gets to turn his car into hell on wheels. Spikes on the tires, a harpoon, even a sniper rifle are at play as Max drives around the wastelands. He also gets to travers bad guy camps, find secrets and get sucked into gigantic storms. You know, a Tuesday in the wasteland. I have to be honest here, even though this isn’t the best game on the planet, I went nuts for it when it was released. The driving feels really nice, clearly the aspect that was most focused on, and I love me some Mad Max at any point. Reviews were…less than kind, with metacritic giving it a 69 out of 100. Critics praised the game for the fun that can be had in the open world sandbox, but disliked the sections of the game that aren’t driving, which is very fair. Is Mad Max for you? Do you like the films? Then absolutely give it a shot. It’s a better-than-average open world game that deserves your attention. You can get Mad Max on PS4 at Start Over Games for $11.99.

Oh man, guys, I think I love this game and I’ve never played it. Released on the PS1 in 1998, Ehrgeiz (come on with that title!) is a fighter and dungeon crawler you probably recognized at the store because it had Cloud from FF VII on the cover. But it’s really, really so much more. Composed of an amazing roster of characters, ranging from a Prince that likes to deploy his famous catch phrase “I’LL DESTROY ANYONE WHO STANDS IN MY PATH!” to a girl called “Wolf Girl” Jo because she SURVIVED A PLANE CRASH IN THE AMAZON AND WAS RAISED BY WOLVES. Ehrgeiz sees all these incredible characters fighting for the sword the game is titled for. This is the basic story, but there’s also a dungeon quest element to it where you fight monster after monster and have to contend with your hunger meter, which needs to be filled constantly or you’ll die. Monster slaying is difficult, better eat some RAMEN! Oh, and there are Final Fantasy VII characters in this game, like, more than one. This was before fan generated content or Smash Bros made crossover games possible. If you don’t think playing Cloud in a fighting game sounds fun, why are you even READING THIS!?!?! The game has a healthy user rating on Google and eBay (I didn’t know that was a thing) and, as I’ve mentioned before, has a GIRL THAT WAS RAISED BY WOLVES AFTER SURVIVING A PLANE CRASH!!!! Buy into the hype I’m selling at Start Over Games right now for $69.99.

Who doesn’t love a good PS1 RPG?!? The Breath of Fire series, while not reaching the highest levels of the Final Fantasy series, definitely held its own in the RPG market. Breath of Fire: III released around the same time as Final Fantasy VII and gave players more of that gooey role playing high they had come to expect on the PS1. The story centers around Ryu, a young outcast that has to amass a party of do-gooders, stop an ancient evil from destroying the world and encounter cool creatures while they do it. The story spans years, watching the characters grow from kids…to…well, older…kids. I don’t really like spoiling RPG’s like this as a rule, because most of the fun is discovering the story on your own. Lets just say it’s cool and move on, shall we? The review scores for this one were a little harder to track down, but the Breath of Fire series is one that has experienced an all-stop when it comes to production. There hasn’t been a new game in this series in decades, just ports of classic titles onto now platforms. But why experience those when you can play the real thing? Breath of Fire III is available at Start Over Games right now for $74.99

How many games try to sell you on the illusion of a moral choice system? The ability to affect the game world with your actions, both big and small. This was one of the main selling points of Fable, an original xbox exclusive from a big developer that ended up delivering on…some of their promises. Released in 2004, Fable starts you off in the young shoes of the hero of the story, who is left as a blank slate for you to slap whatever personality you want on them. The village you’re being a kid in gets raided by bandits and set on fire, so, you know, time to move. What follows is your cookie cutter revenge plot: Become real good with sharp objects, use those to become either good or bad, save or destroy the world, it’s really up to you how you play this one, which is kinda the point. Going into too many plot points would sort of spoil the who thing, since the player making split second decisions is kinda the point. The game earned an impressive 85 out of 100 on metacritic, with critics saying that the game was visually impressive but found the combat lock on mechanics frustrating and couldn’t help but point out the fact that it was a few features short of what was promised before the game was launched. You can try out Fable for yourself right now on Xbox for $6.99 at Start Over Games.

Okay, excluding the title, I’m going to try and get through this entire post without making another Top Gun joke. I’m going to really, really try. The Ace Combat series has become something of a niche console staple. It has cornered the market on something very few other titles even want to attempt: aerial combat, and while most players weave throughout the series, only playing certain titles, there are some players that make THIS series their bread & butter. Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies takes place in a fictional world where landmasses and countries are both different from our own. Two of these countries have gone and gotten themselves into a big ol’ boondoggle (there’s a word that should be used more) and it’s up to you and a wide variety of fighter planes to end the conflict and bring peace the only way you know how: MISSILES. The gameplay of Shattered Skies is pretty straightforward, fly to place, shoot stuff, fly other place, repeat. This might sound bad, but what makes the game great is how intense all the missions feel. It really does seem like your actions are having an impact on the larger story. As you rise in rank, you’re treated to things like public radio broadcasts talking about you as you fly over to defend a city. That sort of immersion is really amazing and might be the best selling point for the game. Well, that and the MISSILES. Ace Combat 4 was released to a resoundingly positive metacritic score of 89 out of 100. Critics praised it’s combat and emersion, while one critic said it was too easy, which is dumb, because why do games all have to be hard (that’s a whole other thing I could go on a rant about)? Take to the skies in Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies for the low, low price of $4.99 at Start Over Games. That way you can feed your need, your need for spAH DAMMIT I SAID I WASN’T GOING TO DO ANOTHER TOP GUN JOKE!

We all know everyone loves Star Wars, no exceptions, anything that is put out with the Star Wars name is gold. Get it? Cause so many people hate…it…I’ll be here all week! Star Wars video games have always sort of absorbed trends and put their own spin on whatever genre they have set their targeting computers on. In the pile of cart racers, fighting games (well, game, and we don’t talk about that one) you can always see the force flowing through the games industry. That is certainly the case with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a game that means to say “what if Dark Souls, but with Star Wars!?!?!” This game is Dark Souls light-saber (still here all week!), with the difficulty turned down, but still there if you suck like I do. The bonfires? Oh, they’re in there. The difficulty? I just said that pay attention. The time being set in between episodes III and IV like everything else that’s coming out Star Wars right now? You better believe it. You play the red-headed Cal Kestis, a Jedi who’s hiding out after Order 66 and is hiding out doing cool non-Jedi things. He’s pulled back in to a life of scum and villiany when he uses his powers to save someone at work, which, I mean, put him in the line for employee of the month, don’t jump straight to murder, right? Along the way he meets a whole host of marketing-approved characters and uses his lightsaber to cut down…well, not much. They sort of nerfed the most deadly weapon in the galaxy to accomodate for the Souls gameplay. Yay? The game received a 79 on metacritic, with praise being heaped on the presentation and not really enjoying the bugs and glitches that come with the game. Try it out for yourself right now at Start Over Games for $19.99 on the PS5.

We have a bunch of PS1 games going out! Also just a friendly reminder, both PS2’s and PS3’s can play PS1 games!

Hey everyone! We just wanted to take a minute and say thank you for yesterday! It was so nice to see both new and familiar faces, and all the support that came with them. We had our best sales day ever yesterday, and of course that could have never happened without your continued support for our store! You all really do mean the world to us, so again, thank you for being there over the last three years. Here’s to many more! -Rob, Mike, Cece, & Chris

Superheroes have been everywhere long before the MCU and every other imprint vowed to clog the release schedule of every major movie release from now until doomsday (tv too). But, what about before? When game developers would actually take risks on NEW properties, instead of running everything into the ground (I’m not bitter, shut up or I’ll take your lunch money!). Enter Nightshade, a game set in the fictional city of…well…Metro City. When the Superman of this universe is killed, only Nightshade and his trusty…glasses…are there to stop them. The game actually utilizes some fun mechanics in the point and click genre. Nightshade has a popularity meter that fills when he does good deeds around the city and falls whenever he does the opposite. Likewise, when ever Nightshade gets low on health, he doesn’t rely on save points or health potions, rather he gets thrown into “death traps” by the villian that he must solve in order to keep progressing in the game. You get three of these, on the third one, you have to restart the game from the beginning. Fun stuff. That’s the kind of stuff I don’t miss about classic games… I couldn’t find a Metacritic score for Nightshade, so we’ll just make one up. The game garnered a 159 out of 100 on Metacritic, with critics praising that it “looked like a video game” and “allowed you to point and click on things.” Truly, a marvel for the ages. Check it out yourself at Start Over Games, where Nightshade is currently being sold for $40.99.

Remember when games based on comic books were fun? Remember when they weren’t just ground out through the AAA machine and focused grouped and microtransactioned into oblivion? No? You don’t? I’m too cynical and should focus my energies on making the world better? You’re probably right, but as long as you’re here, why don’t I talk about the Punisher. Released in 2004, for the PS2, Xbox and (vomits) the PC, the Punisher sees…well…The Punisher in a holding cell in Rikers Island, the Six Flags of New York prisons, being interrogated by two cops for his NUMEROUS crimes against criminals. Each level of the game sees The Punisher (voiced by Thomas Jane, who played him in the movie that was released around the same time, though the two are not connected thematically.) recounting his murder sprees, then you get to play them. The gameplay is pretty standard, you shoot people with a variety of weapons, sometimes running into other characters from the Marvel universe (there’s a really fun Iron Man cameo that makes you wonder if Marvel even considered he’d be a huge super hero at any point). The violence is very over the top, with The Punisher doling out interrogations to various goons that could end in a horrible death if you so choose, although, weirdly, the game penalizes you for choosing these options. I mean, guys, I’m The Punisher, don’t punish me for punishing. The game earned okay scores on Metacritic, with the PS2 version rounding out at a 68. Is it a perfect game? Not even close, but it is more fun than the score gives it credit for, especially if you’re a fan of the Marvel universe (just don’t expect the MCU, that was years away). You can find The Punisher for PS2 (sorry, no Xbox version at the moment) at Start Over Games for $49.99.

Relationships are tough, right? Like, what are we supposed to do, traveling this big wide world, without another person by your side? What will we be, if not part of a duo? That’s not the real question Cathrine: Full Body is asking us, but it made me sound smart, right? I sounds smart sometimes. Catherine: Full Body is the “director’s cut” of the original Catherine, which came out in 2011. It’s split between a puzzle game and a social simulator, which I know makes you think “Mike, those are the same thing!?” which I would agree with, but this is a legitimate puzzle game. We follow Vincent, a man who’s torn between two women and is plagued with nightmares. The social simulator takes place during the waking hours, and when Vincent dreams, then he’s trapped in a nightmare, constantly climbing a tower that throws puzzle challengers in his way. The Full Body edition involves yet ANOTHER woman for Vincent for choose from and all the other DLC for the game. It is the definitive edition of the game. On metacritic, the Switch version sits at an 80 out of 100, with critics praising the gameplay and critiquing the story not holding up since it’s initial release. Decide for yourself if Catherine: Full Body is worth exploring. The Switch version is available right now for $24.99.

Everyone goes a little mad sometimes, especially when they’re trying to find a new video game to play. Alice: Madness Returns could be the one you’re looking for. Set after the events of the first Alice game, Madness Returns picks up with Alice again in Wonderland fighting off monsters and ghouls and other things that are bad, like the Mad Hatter, the giant bug thing that gave me nightmares as a child, and ends up in a fantastically named Londerland, a mash-up of London and Wonderland. GET IT! The game earned a 70 on metacritic, with critics praising the platforming aspects and finding the game very surface level, which is funny, if you think about it. Alice: Madness returns can be found at Start Over Games right now on Xbox 360 for $24.99, marked down to $21.99 due to a lack of a manual.

Aliens! We all love them, some of us wish that they’d hurry up and get here already (I HAVE A POOL TO WIN) but one of the quintessential video game tropes is shooting aliens by the droves. Who doesn’t love taking out a group of greys and saving the world in the process? Well, Area 51, for the PS2, allows you to do just that. A loose remake of the 1995 arcade classic (that was literally in every restaurant and gas station and tanning salon if you’re my age), Area 51 sticks you in the shoes of Ethan Cole, a soldier sent to Area 51 to clean up a nasty virus that’s making a mess of everything around him. The voice cast is pretty stacked for the time period. David Duchovny voices Cole, while the likes of Powers Booth and Marylin Manson provide additional voices (okay, that last one isn’t as cool, but you know, I have to work with what I can). The game scored a comfortable 75 on metacritic and was praised for its gameplay and docked for its lack of originality when it comes to the story. All in all, a nice, summer game to keep you busy while the Earth literally cooks around us. Area 51 is at Start Over Games right now on the PS2 for $19.99

Our Nintendo section almost never gets filled, but RIGHT NOW we have a pretty good selection of titles for you to choose from! We even have some higher end NES games in the case for you to check out! Stop down to Start Over Games and take a look!

PC games are awesome, except when most computers now don’t come with CD drives, because apparently that’s a relic of the past (tell that to my car). While Start Over Games no longer accepts PC games, we DO have our remaining PC games on clearance RIGHT NOW. That makes you could come in, buy some cool PC games you thought you’d never see again, and take them home to your computer, that still has a CD drive and relive what it was like in 1997 to feel superior to the lowly console gamer. This obviously doesn’t happen anymore and PC gamers are super chill, so it’s good that they calmed down. Check out what we have on the clearance table at Start Over Games

Start Over Games is turning three years old! And what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a sale! On July 9th, our store will be holding the following deals: Buy two, get one free games, on ALL games Buy two, get two on all Skylanders and Disney Infinity figures 10% off on all systems 10% off on all used accessories 10% off all collectables/collectors editions 75% off anything on the clearance table! 25% off strategy guides That’s almost the whole store on sale! Come down and celebrate with us July 9th!

It’s time to introduce you to Start Over Games most valuable employee! Meet the magically resurfacer!!! This little guy is instrumental in getting you the best video game experience possible. It’s actually really cool, how it works *pushes nerd glasses up*. The five levels of pads sand off a microscopic layer of the disk, which removes scratches, but still leaves the data of the game intact, and voila, no more damage on your disk! There is only so much this guy can do with a blu-ray, though. All we can do is clean those disks, because there’s so much data, even the smallest layer removed causes it to be unplayable, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at your games! For a $3 fee Start Over Games is happy to resurface your games, and this is something we do to every game that comes through our store, so you know you’re getting the best experience possible!

AIRWOLF! This thing takes me back, not only to the heyday of television that will never be topped (DON’T YOU DARE SAY OTHERWISE!) but also to an era of licensed games that has (thankfully) dried up. When everything that was on some sort of screen had a game. The golden years. The game, just like the show, had you flying missions like rescuing prisoners or capturing enemy bases. You had either guns or rockets at your disposal, you know, for peace. The gameplay is…fine? You switch between first person cockpit view and side view to complete objectives. Look, is this going to be the best thing you ever play? No. Is it something you can play while you wait for the Hardcastle and McCormick game to come? Definitely. (LOOK IT UP. IT’S THE BEST SHOW EVER. Airwolf is currently available for the NES for $5.99

We got a TON of Pokemon games in at Start Over Games! Stop down and check out the collection!

Everyone who knows Final Fantasy, but are you aware at just HOW many JRPG series are out there right now? I didn’t before I started working at a video game store. The genre is full of heaps of games that you might not even know are part of a long running series. Tales of the Abyss is one of those games. The eighth game in the mainstay Tales series, Tales of the Abyss follows a young sellsword named Luke, who finds himself on a quest to save the world, which, you know, is like a lot of JRPGs. The characters and world are what makes this game so fun, and it earned mostly positive reviews and selling well enough to eventually make its way to the 3DS, years after the Playstation 2 and other versions were released. The handheld version is really the best possible way to play this game. It has dual-screen integration, which allows for a smoother combat experience and new art from one of the games designers. Tales of the Abyss is an amazing game that you’ll happily sink hours into. The 3DS version of the game is at Start Over Games right now for $64.99

Hey everyone! We will be closed on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day! Normal Hours will resume on Tuesday, May 31st. Thanks, and have a great weekend!

War video games are as much a staple of the medium as jumping from one platform to the next. Every time there is a new innovation in gaming you can bet that, right behind it, are games about war. So saturated is the market for war games that it truly takes something special to stand out, Spec Ops: The Line is very much one of those games. You follow a trio of soldiers as they enter the ruins of Dubi looking for an evil commander who has set up shop in the destruction of the once thriving city. This story takes a lot of inspiration from Apocalypse Now, and many other interpretations of Heart of Darkness (both excellent if you haven’t watched or read them, respectively), so the story isn’t wholly original, but man does it translate really well. The three squad members you’re around for most of the game are all believable and feel like genuine characters, as oppose to the stereotypes you usually find in games like this. I don’t want to spoil much of the story, because it’s really that good, but yeah, you should experience it for yourself. The best part of the story is that it even influences the gameplay. The cover-based shooting really becomes a commentary on the story and war games itself. When you actually start picking it apart, it’s really fascinating. You’ll never look at games like that the same way again. This game is great, everyone, and it really flew under the radar for a lot of people. Come grab a copy at Start Over Games for $14.99

Remember, when Resident Evil 4 came out, Capcom released a crazy chainsaw controller that worked fully and was meant to create a more immersive experience? Me either! Yet here it is, in all it's glory. This is the first time I've seen anything like this in Start Over Games, let alone in this good of shape. You are doing yourself a disservice by not checking this amazing piece out for yourself. Come down and take a peak! The controller runs $299.99 and does not include the disk for RE4, just the case.

You guys hear there’s a new Evil Dead game coming out!?!?! Who knows if it’s going to be any good, so, while we wait for patches and fixes to smooth out THAT experience, remember when games shipped (mostly) finished!?!, lets take a look at an OLD Evil Dead game that’s actually pretty good! Evil Dead: A Fistfull of Boomstick was released in 2003 for the PS2 and Xbox consoles. It finds Ash forced to, once again, to deal with the Deadites when a TV broadcasts releases them from that pesky book, you know, the one with the face on it? I think it’s 50 Shades of Grey… Ash fights his way through time and space to get rid of the menace. This is a hack and slash through and through, you’ll get various weapons to fight the hordes of the undead, but really, all you need is the chainsaw, right? Franchise main-man Bruce Campbell is back to voice Ash, so you know he’s going to have the same charm as ever. The old Evil Dead games have become kind of rare as of late, so don’t miss your chance to snag this one! A Fistfull of Boomstick is currently at Start Over Games on Xbox for $36.99

Ah, Hideo Kojima, I’m honestly surprised that I didn’t talk about one of his games in the first post in this series. The video game industry is full of creative, cool designers, but Kojima stands all on his own. He’s become a force in the gaming world, creating characters and worlds that people still love to explore. His most famous, Metal Gear, is something I’m going to save for a later post, so instead, I’ll focus on one of his lesser known entries…Zone of the Enders. Released in 2001, Zone of Enders is a mech combat game where pilots control giant robots called Orbital Frames. The plot revolves around a little kid (natch) who gets embroiled in a struggle to save the colony he lives on when it’s attacked by evil forces. The kid, Leo (talk about an un-anime name) bonds with the AI of his mech, giving him something to talk to and also something to push him to become a hero. The big thing about Zone of Enders was, when it launched, it came packaged with a demo disk for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The first MGS game is, still, my favorite game of all time, so I was more than eager to run out and snag Zone of Enders. After I played the game to death, which tricks you into thinking Snake is the main character, but that’s for another day, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed ZOE. It’s combat is fun and fluid and the story is gripping enough to keep you invested. It’s not a perfect game, in fact it’s probably one of the low points of Kojima’s work, but when you’re average is an A+ and you produce a B, that’s still pretty dang good. Check it out for yourself at Start Over Games, where Zone of the Enders is in stock right now for $14.99

Start Over Games is running a sale on Xbox 360 consoles this week! Come in and get 10% off any Xbox 360 console. The systems have been freshly repriced as well, so you’re going to get the best value possible from us! The systems come with one controller and all of the cables to hook it up. We currently have one extra controller in stock so hurry up because those never last!

Oh man, guys, this game is something else. Released in 2000 on the PS2, The Bouncer had a lot of things going for it. It was produced by Squaresoft, who, at the time, were pretty bulletproof at the time in terms of content. It had a huge marketing push behind it AND it was supposed to usher in a new level of gameplay for the next-gen hardware, and then it just…didn’t. The Bouncer is set in the fictional city of Edge (hard to believe some town hasn’t snapped that name up). Our heroes, Sion, Kou and Volt are hanging out, just chilling like Bouncer Bros (trademark) when Sion’s friend is kidnapped and the three have to go on a merry chase to get her back. Along the way, the three end up kicking a lot of ass and the plot gets VERY Japanese and just…well…it’s a weird one, guys. Reception was mixed when this game was released and the sales numbers were way lower than everyone predicted. It just sort of landed with a thud, but really, was it justified? The game is fun, if simple, to play and the presentation was top notch for the time period. This game definitely doesn’t deserve the reception it got, but honestly, if it had done awesome, we’d still be getting bouncer games and I’m not sure if the world needs that. This is kinda enough, but it is worth playing! The Bouncer is currently at Start Over Games for $22.99. Please know that our copy is missing the manual and is priced accordingly.

Space. The final video game genre. These are the continuing voyages of…(checks notes) the Ishimura? That doesn’t have nearly the same ring! Oh, well, guess we’re going to have to make due. So, for a while, in the late 00’s, Dead Space couldn’t be beat. It was the face of horror as Resident Evil floundered. The first game became something of phenomenon, spawning sequels, animated movies and spin-off games. There’s usually a reason a whole universe of gaming takes off, and man, this first game sets everything up really well… Players take control of Isaac Clarke, an enteneer on board a rescue vessel that’s tasked with finding out what happened to the Ishimura, a planet cracker that has strangely fallen silent. Scared of their PROFITS shrinking, the company (I’m not even going to look up the name, they’re the company from Aliens) decides to send three people to check out a ship the size of the empire state building. Probably keeps the cost down to have less people? Or it’s scarier. Actually, both are scary. Anyway, our heroes show up to find the ship has been overrun with monsters. Issac must also try to find his long lost love, who was crewing on the ship when it became infested. Long distance relationships are bad enough without adding flesh eating ghouls into the mix. Feel like that’s just asking for a breakup. The gameplay is incredibly tight and responsive. The hook for this game is the monsters have to be severed at the limbs to really kill them. So, not only do you have to shoot with a purpose, but you have to make SURE the monsters are dead, or they really wont be. I love how they justify the fact that, because Issac is an engineer, he can design and work with all the available weapons in the game. Too often, in games now, you get some rando who just happens to know how to craft, unlike Issac, who looks very at home with a worktable and an all Rush mixtape. Also, and this is a personal thing, Dead Space does something that I haven’t seen since in a video game and I desperately want to. If you click the right thumbstick in, Isaac shoots a beam on the floor to guide you to your next objective. It’s genius. No checking a map, no being glued to a second screen, just you and the game. It pulls you into the world of the Ishimura in a way no other game has done before or since. God, was it awesome the first time I hit that button. There’s a remake of Dead Space on the way for modern consoles, so before that hits, play the original and be impressed. Dead Space is currently at Start Over Games for $7.99

Did you know that Start Over Games sells posters!?!?! We do! All your favorite video game posters are now in stock and we're constantly getting more in! Is there a favorite game, movie or anime that you want to see us get a poster for? Let us know! Posters are $10.99 and come with a cardboard back.

How could I possibly convey how much of an impact this game had on me? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, like many kids of the 90’s were an integral part of our Saturday mornings, and beyond. This was a widely known fact, because the turtles were absolutely EVERYWHERE. Cereal boxes, toys, VHS tapes (look em’ up) and, of course, video games. The turtles have been slammin’ shells since the days of the NES, but it took the release of TMNT: Turtles in Time for them to really explode in the 16 bit circuit. The plot is straight out of an episode of the 90’s show. Krang steals the Statue of Liberty, because it’s Tuesday, and he just needs to steal something. Shortly after, Shredder hacks into the TV signal the turtles are watching and taunts them, the turtles chase shredder, but he manages to suck them into a time vortex. The turtles have to then battle shredder’s forces and get back to the “modern day” of 1991. The combat was simple, but also really fun to master. The best thing about it was how it used the space of the levels to maximum effect. You could throw foot ninjas onto the front of the screen, smashing them against the tv and putting you as the player right in the action with the turtles. The turtles play styles were very similar, but who cares, a completely detailed different system for each hero was out of the cards in the 16 bit era. I’m also a complete apologist for this game, if you couldn’t tell. Look, this game boils down to “are you a turtles fan?” If the answer is yes, then this is the game for you. TMNT: Turtles in Time is on sale at Start Over Games right now for $59.99

People always ask us "do you have anything new in the store?" Well, the answer is yes! This is just some of the cool new stuff we've got in the store. If you see anything you like, stop down and say hi!

What is the thing with Godzilla? For some reason the representation of Japans…struggle…with nuclear weapons has always carved a giant lizard hole in pop culture. What began as a cathartic way to deal with a tragedy has evolved into something…else. But who cares, right? Time to smash some stuff! Godzilla Save the Earth and Godzilla Unleashed were both released as part of a trilogy, with Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee serving as the first entry. They’re 3D fighting games where the big G and his assorted friends and enemies duke it out in destructible environments with all the grace of a wrecking ball trying to make its way through the glass section of a hardware store. Save the Earth and Unleashed continue the plot of the first game as well, which involves stealing Godzilla’s DNA (‘natch) and introducing characters like SPACE GODZILLA, like regular Godzilla but has no sound, into the mix. The combat is…fun? Look, you’re going to get what you get with games based on this property. The real question is, are they any fun. There’s a certain amount of charm that goes into things like this. Kaiju properties don’t get more OG than Gzilla, so if you want to grab two thirds of a bonkers trilogy, we have the games for you. Godzilla Save the Earth and Godzilla Unleashed are available at Start Over Games Right now for $34.99 and $39.99, respectively.

Alright, everyone, it’s time to finally talk about one of the GOATS of video games. Unapologetically, Castlevania - Symphony of the Night is one that is constantly referenced on best-of lists, with good reason. It’s gameplay and mechanics were so on-point that it spawned an entire subgenre of video games. Released in 1997 to critical acclaim but relatively muted sales, SotN slowly gathered momentum by word of mouth and insanely positive reviews. Critics cited the amazing gameplay and remarkable use of 2D graphics as some of the high points. Now, is this the game to jump into if you’ve never played Castlevania? The answer is, yes? SotN is wrapped up in the dense lore of previous Castlvania games, with characters returning to seek out the destruction of Dracula…because…well…he’s bad, okay! It’s also worth noting that subsequent releases of this game on other platforms have re-recorded dialogue, which absolutely KILLS part of the experience. If you put in this game from the original disk, you’re going to be treated to some of the best (worst) PS1 era dialogue you’ll ever hear coming out of a video game. A commentary on religion within the first ten minutes of the game? Strap in, baby, we’re in for the whole show now. The price tag on this game, black label especially, might scare some people off, but if you can swing it, SotN will easily become one of the best things in your collection. You can grab it right now at Start Over Games for $189.99.

I like video games, I hope you realize that, what with working at a video game store and all, but I also like OTHER nerd things, like movies and comics and stuff like that. It’s rare when these nerdy things cross over, and even more rare when the crossover is actually good. Movie tie-in games used to be all the rage back in the golden age of developers pumping out whatever crap could net them a quick buck, unlike today when it comes in a shiny yearly-release of your favorite awful franchise. No, the movie tie-in game was its own thing, mostly devoid of soul and simply existing to give kids something to grab in the store. But, like a random find at a thrift store that you won’t stop going on about, there are a few bright spots in the pantheon of movie tie-in games. Case in point, Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers and, probably just as well, Return of the King. These games provided you with the LotR experience that you were craving when the movies were at their peak of popularity. In the games, you play as various characters as they fight through the major battles of the films. Defending castles, fighting trolls or, spoiler for an old film series and an even OLDER book series, clashing with Gollum in mount doom before you drop that damn piece of jewelry to save the entire realm. The games were fun, with snappy controls and good graphics, for the time, have to clarify that, and it even contained little bits of the films in the cutscenes for good measure, the second film hadn’t been released yet, so to see even seconds of the film after finishing a level felt like a treat. They represent a kind of game we don’t see anymore. Someone taking the care to translate a different property into the video game medium. Say what you will about the LEGO games, but as the movie tie-in game has sailed off to the land of the Elves, again, just watch the movies or read the books, there are a few gems like these two games. You can usually find both of these games for pretty cheap, but right now you can snag Two Towers for $6.99 on Xbox and $8.99 on PS2 at Start Over Games.

People often forget about the Gauntlet series, which was directly responsible in creating the entire dungeon crawling genre. It’s a shame, because especially in the 90’s, no franchise destroyed quarters quite like it. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy remains one of the pinnacles of the dungeon crawling franchise, while at the same time being a signal of its death note. Released in 2001, Dark Legacy is an expansion of the 1999 arcade game Gauntlet Legends. Also ported to the Dreamcast, the game added four new character classes: Dwarf, Knight, Jester and Sorceress, and let me tell you, few things are better in this world than a dungeon crawler as a Jester. The game refined the mechanics of the original Legacy, adding additional attacks, items and levels and was received good to mediocre upon its release, with the consensus being that it didn’t add a ton new to the genre, but was still mindless fun to have with your friends. At the time of its release, people had largely forgotten about the series, focusing more on the new king, Diablo, but it’s worth remembering and playing this game to find out what came before and subsequently influenced the dungeon crawlers we see today. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is on sale now at Start Over Games for $24.99.

Lets be honest, most games based on movies are bad. There are a few outliers, I’m looking at you, X-Men: Origins - Wolverine, but on the whole most of them are straight trash. Also, continuing the honesty trend, I was completely unaware of the fact that they released a SAW video game for the PS3. We’re all learning something today. So, the real question is, does it stack with the awful tie in games, or with the few that are actually fun? The game follows detective David Tapp (that’s Danny Glover’s character from the first one to you and me), who, despite being shot in the first movie, is magically healed and placed in an abandoned insane asylum to work out all of his personal issues with the help of death traps and people stuck in the asylum by Jigsaw to help Tapp learn to appreciate life. The game received mixed reviews upon release, but overall it was praised for its story and multiple endings, so you know, there’s that. Players can expect a bunch of third person combat in the vein of early Silent Hill games with death traps sprinkled in that were, apparently, supervised by the creators of the SAW film franchise. Because it’d be silly to assume game developers could develop a death trap on their own without the director of Aquaman having a hand in it. Is this a good game or not? Only you can decide that. Live or die, make your choice. SAW is on sale now at Start Over Games for $34.99

Now, this one is near and dear to my heart, sports fans. Mortal Kombat is MY fighting series. I love everything about it, from the first game all the way to the most recent (I think it’s 11? They’re going to take away my decoder ring for not knowing offhand). The over the top violence, the CHEESY story (involving an invading realm, a big guy with four hands and a movie star) Mortal Kombat immediately set itself apart from Street Fighter and the like as being its own, unique take on the fighting genre. Mortal Kombat made its debut just as arcades were waning in terms of popularity, but with their downfall came the rise of the home console as a legit contender for people’s attention. With Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo being the only real players in the game, Mortal Kombat was released on each system, with one huge difference in the carts. The Genesis version of the game came with all the violence and gore the game was known for, but it was locked behind the famous BLOOD CODE (guitar riff). At the start of the game you could input the code and get access to the full arcade experience. The Super Nintendo version, well, it had no BLOOD CODE (harder guitar riff), so players, like little old me, begged their parents for Mortal Kombat only get get it home and discover that their game was way more tame than the people playing it on Segas machine. So, why pick this game up? Because it’s a piece of video game history, darn it! This is where it all started on home consoles and even if the blood is replaced with sweat (just like a real fight) it still gives you a fantastic sense of where this seminal franchise got started. Or you could just wait until a copy of Mortal Kombat 2 turns up, which had all the violence turned up to its original arcade roots, which made young me much happier. Mortal Kombat is on sale at Start Over Games for $14.99

We’re back, to talk about, the Wii? Again? Yes! We’re here to talk about a game that flew right under the radar for most people, Pandora’s Tower, an action role-playing game that saw you take up the mantle of Aeron, who is on a quest to rid the love of this life of the curse that’s turning her into a monster, you know, typical Tuesday kinda stuff. The bulk of the gameplay takes place in thirteen towers, where the player has to ascend them, solve puzzles and fight monsters. Aeron uses the Oraclos Chain, a powerful weapon that can bind, attack and rip the armor off of enemies. Aeron can use sub-weapons as well, such as a sword, but who cares about a sword when you have something called the Oraclos Chain!?!?! The Wii saw a pitiful amount of role-playing games throughout its life cycle, so hopefully someone will come and enjoy this one soon! Pandora’s Tower is now on sale at Start Over Games for $124.99

Most of you youngin’s are probably too…well, young, to remember the glory days of the LIGHT GUN, but that type of game used to hold it down routinely at the local arcade. Without overexplaining the arcade genre…well…they were all games where you shot stuff that flew past the screen. Sometimes you were a cop, sometimes a one-person-army fighting off aliens. Sometimes you were fighting a facist regime with a gun that fired CD’s and you were backed by a horribly converted Aerosmith soundtrack. Actually, that’s a post for a different day. Gunblade Arcade Hits for the Wii gives you two awesome ports of light gun arcade hits. When you think about it, the Wii’s motion controls are perfect for light gun ports, allowing for faster reflexes and not having to rely on joysticks and their HORRIBLE lag. You’re free to work through both titles, Gunblade NY and LA Machineguns respectfully, at your leisure, free of those pesky quarters that drove the cabinets back then. It’s a rare title, and definitely has a price that reflects that, but you could do so much worse on the Wii and you can be one of the few people to get the reference when my new band LA Machineguns makes it big. Gunblade Arcade hits is currently at Start Over Games for $89.99.

Make sure to stop by the store on Saturday, April 16th! We will be running a one-day sale where you can save 5% to 25% off everything in the store! The percentage off will be determined by drawing an egg out of a basket! There is even a couple buy 2 get 1 game free eggs in there too! In addition to the sale, we will have free candy and eggs spread around the store for the kiddos! Rules: You can pick your egg as soon as you get to the store. 1 egg per shopping group. No repicking your egg. If you have any questions feel free to reach out! Also, just a friendly reminder, we will be closed on Sunday, April 17th for Easter! Thanks! -Rob

Like many video game nerds, I hold a special place in my heart for Scott Pilgrim. The comic book, but especially the movie, is packed to the limit with references, Easter eggs and anything else a fan of the genre could enjoy. I’m hopefully not the first one to admit, but some of those references flew right over my head. That’s why I was shocked when Clash at Demonhead found its way into Start Over Games. I thought it was just a cool band name! Clash at Demonhead revolves around the character Billy “Big Bang” Blitz, who probably could have used either name instead of the nickname, but if you can make “Big Bang” work, go for it. Big Bang is called on, while on vacation, to rescue a scientist who is working on a doomsday bomb for some pesky aliens, who want to, natch, destroy the Earth. It’s going to take a lot of moving from left to right, jumping and shooting to take care of this threat. Released in 1989, the game didn’t do amazing numbers, but has become something of a cult hit, which then was wrapped up in another cult hit, so when Scott Pilgrim gets referenced in something else, we can finally get our reference hat-trick. Is the game fun? Is it worth your time? Who’s to say!? That’s up to you, but, at the very least, you’ll be able to say you know where that band in Scott Pilgrim got their name. Clash at Demonhead is available now at Start Over Games for $24.99

We received this in the mail today! Thank you to all who helped us raise money for Extra Life throughout 2021! Also a huge thanks goes out to Jack, Amanda, Chris, Gregg, the folks at Just Press Next, and last but not least Alex, the human garbage disposal who ate everything that was put in front of him during the charity stream!

Another uncommon handheld is hitting the case today! The PSP Go has 16 GB of internal memory, but DOES NOT have a UMD drive. This means you can only play the games you have purchased from the PlayStation store on it! The system is in great shape, includes a charger, and holds a charge well!

Pretty cool to finally see one of these in person! A huge thanks to Mr. Koon for getting it up and running for us!