The Stupid Gamer

I’m not Gamestop’s biggest fan, but I don’t believe that they’re evil either. Right now they actually have a pretty strong sale going on for new games. Many pretty good games can be found for up to 50% off. Here’s some of the notable games I saw on the list. I bolded the ones that I found particularly appealing.

Nintendo DS

• Final Fantasy III – $15
• Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution – $15
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2 – $20
• Metal Slug 7 – $15
• Chrono Trigger – $30
• Exit DS – $10

Sony PSP

• Worms: Open Warfare – $10
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary – $15
• Final Fantasy I – $10
• Final Fantasy II – $10
• Silent Hill: Origins – $10
• Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles – $10
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions – $15

Xbox 360

• Call of Duty 2 – $15
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary – $15
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – $10

Nintendo Wii

• Ghost Squad – $15
• House of the Dead 2 & 3 Returns – $20
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – $10

PlayStation 3

• Valkyria Chronicles – $30
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – $10
• Call of Duty 3 – $20

PlayStation 2

• Devil May Cry Greatest Hits Set – $20
• Resident Evil: The Essentials – $20
• Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection – $30
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – $10
• Persona 3: FES – $20
• Mortal Kombat Kollection – $20

There are also a ton of UMD movies all marked at $5 a pop. PC game selection was weak, but some of the Blizzard Battle Chests were there for $20, and there were a few accessories marked down as well. All in all, you could stock up quite a few games to have around if your gaming budget ever runs dry or if you need to pass the time through some release droughts. Summer is also going to be here before you know it, and there’s no better way to waste the best time of the year than in your basement playing games completely oblivious to the outside world.

Pretty much everybody has a PS2 by now, but in case you passed on it last generation and you don’t have a backwards compatible PS3, it’s time to pick a PS2 and see what the fuss is/was all about. There are countless games worth playing on the PS2, including some all-time classics that shouldn’t be missed by serious gamers. Yes, the PS2 is serious stuff.

Honestly, it’s probably worth buying a system at this price just to play Shadow of the Colossus, if nothing else.

Since I love all of you, I figured I’d post some nice deals that I ran into checking out games on Amazon. In my opinion, the games listed here are well worth the price of entry, at these prices. In the case of Patapon and Zak & Wiki, that is actually full retail price, but you should go ahead and grab them now, as a price drop will most likely be a long time coming.

The prices below are for the games if you bought them new. If you buy used, from a private seller, you can most likely pick them up for 25%-50% less.

• The Orange Box (PC) – $29.99 IF YOU DON’T BUY THIS YOU’RE AN IDIOT!
• Assassin’s Creed (360) – $39.99
• Assassin’s Creed (PS3) – $39.95
• Patapon (PSP) – $19.97
• Zak & Wiki (Wii) – $29.99
• Dead Rising (360) – $29.99
• Rainbow Six: Vegas (360) – $29.99

Pretty nifty deal, huh? Right now, until February 3rd, if you pick up BioShock at Gamestop, you’ll receive a free copy of The Darkness. If you don’t have BioShock yet, somehow 2K games has managed to give you another reason to do so immediately. While I personally felt that the The Darkness was a bit of a disappointment, it’s definitely worth playing through for the interesting mechanics and setting.

BioShock finished second in my personal top 10 games of 2007, and it’s won many, many, game of the year awards from other publications and media outlets. I know that many of us are dealing with some crazy post-holiday backlogs, but you really should promote BioShock to the top of you list. Don’t be silly, buy this game!

Again, you only have until February 3rd to take advantage of the deal.

Update: The pricing has been changed back to regular MSRP. No word yet on whether or not Wal-Mart will honor the orders already placed.
This might be a pricing error, but many preorders at Wal-Mart.com are worth checking out. The most notable games are:

Wii – Super Smash Bros.: Brawl – $20:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ…30411815755716

Xbox 360 – Devil May Cry 4 – $40:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ…14903098620702

PlayStation 3 – Haze – $30:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ…uct_id=6527031

Xbox 360 – Burnout Paradise – $40:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ…uct_id=7080024

Xbox 360 – Turok – $30
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5651618

Xbox 360 – Condemned 2: Bloodshot – $20
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8217142

There are more games that are priced way below normal retail price. If it’s a mistake, there’s a chance that Wal-Mart will honor all orders that are placed before it gets corrected, and you could always cancel your order if they don’t honor the price. Who knows how long the prices will be active if it is an error…so be quick!