One Year and More

So last week was my 1 year anniversary of living in Japan, the day actually passed with little fan fare I actually almost forgot but I came here on 9/11 so its something that pops into my mind regardless. The first year here has gone by really fast, which I knew it would, I have got a steady job teaching English, I have bought 707 games/game hardware (according to my tracking sheet) but sadly my Japanese has improved only slightly. I have really enjoyed my time here and will hope for another good year going forward.

So why is this post so late, well I was pretty busy and when I wasn't busy I was sinking all my time into Borderlands 2, that game I got for the 360. I did beat it, it took about a week maybe a week and a half, but now I'm going though it again in what they call the real story where everything is harder (reminds me of how putting your name as Zelda in the original Legend of Zelda would give you access to the Second Quest were it was the same game but harder), then I still have all the DLC packs (which were part of the game of the year edition that I bought) and replaying with the other characters. So I will still be playing the game for a while, which is a good thing at least for me.

I also went to an out door concert thing that was going on here in the city for a few days. It was a lot of fun the band we saw was pretty good, it was kind of funny because the location was in the red light district so there were a lot of strip clubs and escort service buildings around.

It was also grandparents day again here if you remember last year we had lunch with my wifes grandparents which was basically a nice a bento box meal. I still haven't really gotten used to the food here at least not the traditional stuff, I don't think I ever really will I'm kind of a pain when it comes to food.

A few days later I went out with my wife and her friends to a festival that was at a shrine. Basically it was a lot of food vendors along a road and games for kids. I had a pretty good time even though it was really crowded. They had a flower arrangement section that had some cool pictures hanging.

When I got to work today I noticed that the signs that Daichi designed and I put into the computer came in and had been installed on the building. I know the one picture is not original but I did have to recreate it in illustrator which took a lot of work.

As far as games really not too much I did get another package of Saturn games from Yahoo Auctions (not the 80 or so games like last time) which had some good games. Ill just list the games off first up is another copy of Grandia, Sim City 2000, Tactics Ogre, Super Robot Wars F, another copy of Fighters Mega Mix, another copy of King of Fighters 96 (with out the instruction book), another copy of Fatal Fury 3, Samurai Spirits Boshidouretsuden (with out the instruction book).

Then the two games that where the reason I bought the lot in the first place, another copy of X-Men vs Street Fighter and another (working and with the instruction book this time) copy of Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter. Both games were the stand alone copies so they had real cases with pictures on the back.

After shipping all of these games cost me only $1.70 each which was not too bad.

What Have I been Doing

The other day I picked up a new game for my Xbox 360 and it has been consuming my life the last few days. That game is Borderlands 2, I had tried the first game a long time ago but didnt really like the way it played. To be fair I only played it for maybe 30 minutes and all of that was in a co-op setting. When this game came out I didnt even try it but for whatever reason I just got the itch to try it.


Basically I have had it for 2 days now and have played it for about 20 hours or so, I just haven't been able to put it down.

I did manage to drag myself from Borderlands long enough to finally get to that Game Boy Advance custom case paint job. The last one I did was a neon orange this time I went with a lime green color.

I wish it was a little more bright but overall I think it came out pretty good. I also replaced the battery cover, which I painted as well. I also but on a new screen cover which looks awesome, just like new.

In the pictures there is some paint that shows on the outside of the case, even tough I taped it off, this has since been removed.

Yahoo Auctions

Last week I bought a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of Saturn games on Yahoo! Auctions. The whole lot cost me $150 but I think it was worth it.

So lets just jump right in, the game I wanted the most actually turned out to be the only one that was scratched up and unfortunately will not work. The game is Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and it also was missing the instruction book. It loads the Saturn intro and the copyright about the characters but then it locks up, Ha Boo. I tried the toothpaste trick to try to get rid of the scratches but had no luck. 

The most valuable game is probably Arthur to Astaroth no Nazomakaimura, I should be able to get about $50.

Alright lets speed this up a little bit other wise we will be here all day. So here is the rest of the games.

First up is X-Men Children of the Atom, X-Men vs Street Fighter (the boxed version only with out the box), Marvel Super Heroes and Vampire Hunter. The disc art on Children of the Atom is really cool.

Next up, Saturn Bomber Man (the SataKore version), Bug, Wachenroder and Lupin the 3rd Pyramid no Kenja.

Next up, Lemmings, Snatcher, Black Matrix and Twin-Bee.

Next up, Dynamite Deka, Choro-Q, Vatlva and Gungriffon 2.

Next is Puyo Puyo Sun, Baroque, Uno DX and Super Real Mahjong Graffiti.

Next is Policenauts which comes with a really nice art book and Burning Rangers. 

Then we have Kiss Yori...., Ruriiro No Yuki, Princess Quest which is missing the instruction book. 

Then Area 51, missing the instruction book, Final Romance 2, Myst and Space Invaders.

Next up, Real Bout Special, Last Gladiators, Shell Shock and Culdcept. 

Then Kakyuusei, Enemy Zero and a really beat up copy of Nights into Dreams. 

Next, Eve: The Lost One, Eve: Burst Error, Desire and Kuro no Danshou: The Literary Fragment.

Next up Doukoku Shoshite, Tengai Makyou: Daishi no Mokushiroku The Apocalypse, Nonomura Byoin no Hiboito and Elf Okaru Monotachi: Hanfuda Hen.

Next, Devil Summoner Soul Hackers: Akuma Zensho Dainishuu, Civilization, Battle Monsters and Fighters Mega Mix. 

Next, Friends, Doukyuusei 2, Idol Jansi Suchie Pai Special and Idol Jansi Suchie Pai 2.

Next up, She'sn, Mahjong Hyper Reaction R, Kunoichi Torimonocho and Super Real Mahjong PV.

Then we have Welcome to Pai Carrot, Welcome to Pai Carrot 2, Falcom Classics and Falcom Classics 2. 

Next, GeGeGe no Kitaro, Galaxy Fraulein Yuna Remix, Roukanilchidantoa-ru and 2do Arkotowa Sandoahru.

Next is, Atelier Marie, Zonk I,  Sakura Taisen Hanagumi Taisen Columns and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (SataKore version).

Finally we have Can Can Bunny 2, Battle Cos Player,  Hokago Ren-ai Club and Tokimeki Mahjong Paradise. 

It also came with the 4MB Ram cart.

I also finally got an eBay order I made a few weeks ago, 3 Game Boy Advance screens and 3 clear battery covers. As a nice bonus they accidentally sent 4 battery covers, woo!

Yesterday I was at Super Book Off and I found a copy of Fighting Vipers 2 ($2.50) for the Dreamcast. 

Then today I went to Mandarake and picked up PC Genjin 3 ($40) on the PC Engine. I also found Doki Doki Panic ($12) for the Famicom Disk System. Bonus it still had the stickers in the instruction book. The interesting thing about this game is that it is the game that got turned into the US version of Super Mario 2. Nintendo thought that the real Super Mario 2 was too difficult of a game for the US market so they took this game and removed the original characters and slapped Mario and gang in there instead. 

I also went out to lunch today and had a really good pizza.