Basically, you find the game you have and want to trade, find out how many points it is worth. If you find the amount acceptable, you offer it online. In my case, the game I wanted to trade was worth 1000 points, enough for Fallout New Vegas, so I figured I should do it. Worst case scenario, I’ll get screwed and have something to post on this site. They have a feedback system like ebay and they act as intermediary for all transactions, so it made me feel safer. Their fee is also pretty decent (1$ for every time you buy a game with your trade points).

The game I wanted to trade already had people waiting for it, so I was ready to trade the game right away! I went to the post office to ship the game (you pay the shipping for the games you trade). I was really excited about getting fallout or maybe buff up my NES or SNES collection (I saw Earthbound in the list so I was already dreaming of a second copy!)

Unfortunately, when I got back from the post office, I noticed none of the games I wanted were actually available, and that most of them had huge queue of people waiting for it. I then started looking at the available games (the ones that could ship right away) and I noticed that the selection was less than stellar. There is still some good games in there so I’ll see what I’ll do with my points once they are unlocked (when the delivery of my trade is confirmed).

Anyway, stay tuned for part 2… Once my points are unlocked and I actually buy something with them!

This video is on Nightshade, on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

A fun fact about this game is that it’s one of the cheapest and one of the most expensive game at the same time! Basically, the game was initially released has Stadium Events by Bandai for it’s Family Fitness Fun mat, but Nintendo rebranded the mat into the Power Pad. Stadium Events became World Class Track Meet.

The NTSC (North American) version of Stadium Events is really rare and generally sells at over 2000$. The PAL version is less rare (and a lot less valuable) and you can often find scammers on Ebay selling the PAL version trying to make a quick buck. World Class Track Meet on the other hand is not rare at all, specially since some NES bundles came with a cartridge containing Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt and World Class Track Meet on the same cart.

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce you to one of the coolest event to be happening soon to the internet. Pat The NES Punk, one of my favorite internet reviewer, will be hosting a live event to raise funds for the Child’s Play foundation. In case you don’t know what Child’s Play is, check out their website! They are dedicated to buying toys and videogames for hospital to brighten the days of the kids there. I used to have many health problems causing me to be hospitalized often as a kid. I don’t have a lot of memories of these days, but I do remember that one of the the only things that would cheer me up was when they brought me to the toy room.

The event will start on Saturday October 16th 3PM EST (12PM PST). It will be hosted on USTREAM but will be accessible through Pat’s website, as well as Screwattack.com, RetrowareTV and NintendoAge.com.

If you don’t know Pat The NES Punk, you should head over to his website, he his a great reviewer. His videos are a bit long so plan ahead before heading there! However, they are well worth the time.

Here’s a few of my favorite videos from the guy:

Panic Restaurant (NES) Review: I don’t know why but it’s my favorite one so far… I guess it’s the random quotes at the dinner table!

Flea Market Madness: Not a Review, but he tells us a bit about retro games collecting and the type of video games merchants in the flea markets.

Here’s the Press Release for the event:

San Diego, CA, October 5, 2010:

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) marks its 25th Anniversary in North America on October 18th, 2010. To celebrate the occasion, game reviewer “Pat the NES Punk” will play every game in the 8-bit NES game library (750 games) in a row during a 24 hour marathon. The event will be streamed live via the internet to raise money for the charity Child’s Play, an organization that provides hospitals with toys, books and games for sick children.

Released in the autumn of 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System greatly helped to revitalize the dying home video game market in the U.S., and was largely responsible for helping to re-grow the industry into the multi-billion dollar mammoth it is today.

“The 25th anniversary of the NES is an historic day not just for video game history, but for popular culture in general,” said Pat Contri. “The NES had a significant impact on society, as both children and adults today still enjoy the games and characters that lived and breathed during that time. Playing every game that was released for this beloved game system will be a great opportunity to pay homage, educate the public, and have fun while raising money for a great cause. Also, I have nothing else planned that weekend, so it seems like a good idea.”

The NES 25th Anniversary Marathon is sponsored by NintendoAge.com, RetrowareTV.com, and ScrewAttack.com. The charity Child’s Play has existed since 2003, and has collected over 5 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books, and cash for sick kids in 70 children’s hospitals across North America. Their website is located at childsplaycharity.org.

The marathon’s live coverage will begin on Saturday, October 16th at 3PM EST and will carry over into the following Sunday evening. Sponsors NintendoAge.com, RetrowareTV.com, and ScrewAttack.com will all be live-streaming the event, which will be powered by Ustream.com.

So here is the first hommage I convinced LP to help me with!

On a side note, we finally posted a new video! We are currently working on a few more video ideas, so you should see a few more in the next weeks. We will also try to keep up the pace with the articles. Hopefully, we’ll have new content at least 3 times a week!