Flintstones: Surprise at Dino Peak

Recently I became a proud owner of the NES title "Flintstones: Surprise at Dino Peak." The game is regarded by many to be the rarest officially licensed American game made for the NES (outside of Stadium Events, of course.)

Apart from its obvious rarity, the game itself has proven to be a fun platformer. You control Fred and Barney who are trying to rescue Bam Bam and Pebbles. Each character has his own strengths and weaknesses. You can also switch characters at any time, which is convenient.

I got the game for a reasonable price, mostly due to its cosmetic condition. The sticker (see the photo) is damaged, and even the cartridge itself is a bit scratched up. I am exploring options to restore the cartridge and possibly replace the label, but who knows.

A quick note on the game's rarity: it was released by Taito, who began releasing their games in the rental market exclusively once the NES entered the twilight stage of its life cycle. Other notable examples from Taito includes Little Samson and Bubble Bobble 2. Thus, such titles are very rare - even more so if you're looking for one in pristine condition with box and manual.

Though its rare, its widely available through emulation. Either way, Dino Peak is certainly worth checking out.

Super Famicom

Just like many other gaming collectors, EBay is a wonderful though not perfect venue to get classic games and consoles.

Recently, I took a chance on a Super Famicom system which was untested and not in spectacular cosmetic condition (see photo). But the gaming gods smiled upon me and it works just fine.

There are two prominent reasons for me to own the Super Famicom. First, its me: this is what I do. The second, real reason is that it provides me an opportunity to own SNES titles I would never be able to experience due to regional coding.

As of now, I only own the Japanese version of Street Fighter 2, but as far as I can tell, by and large the cartridge, console and controller are similar to the US version. The Super Famicom, minus the cracks and holes, is a bit sleeker than its North American counterpart. The same can be said for the cartridges and the boxes they come in (which remind me of VHS boxes.) The controller is exactly the same with the noticeable exception of the colored buttons.


I'm only now becoming more active in collecting imported games/systems. Along with the Super Famicom, I own the Famicom and various systems that lack regional coding (such as my Virtual Boy.)

All in all, it was a decent purchase as my import collection continues to grow.

Going Batty

I have been enjoying Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga on my 360, minding my own business, having a good time, when lo and behold, I play the Degobah level from The Empire Strikes Back.

Then something that I thought would never happen again, I met my old school gaming arch-enemy: bats.

Bats, along with flying Medusa heads, were one of my least favorite enemies to battle in Castlevania.

Bats, and other flying animals (though eagles were the worst), were the bane of my existence when ever I was sadomasochistic enough to attempt beat any Ninja Gaiden game.

So here I am today, in 2010, getting my 'you know what' handed to me by remarkably slow moving Lego bats. That's right, Jedi Knights, Dark Sith Lords and Stormtroopers are no match for flying Lego bats.

The more things change, the more the stay the same I guess.