Retrogaming with Goozex

Dale Culp Says Have you hugged your Dreamcast, lately? I have. A few months back, a Goozer by the name of mzipper sent me a sealed copy of NFL Blitz 2000. It's not exactly a classic in the “games you must play” sense of the word, but with the series going into its 8th year, I wanted to see where the series stood long before Blitz: The League II came out in October 2008. In terms of seeing where the series was and where it is today, it was a fascinating history lesson. Then, you have classics that are completely in the “games you must play” sense--games such as Shenmue, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, Phantasy Star Online and Jet Grind Radio. There were quite a few great games on the Dreamcast--and plenty of them are available on Goozex--but you won't find any of them at GameStop. That's the trouble with brick-and-mortar shopping; it's just too limited.

I love retrogaming. I especially love when I come across an old game that was ahead of its time. I love seeing the crazy ideas that were fresh and unique, yet so prolific today that we take them for granted. I love the feeling of nostalgia I get when I pop in an old favorite and relive the old days. There's no better cure for a rainy day than a couple of friends and a few rounds of Contra, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, Goozex doesn't go back quite as far as the Nintendo Entertainment System, but it does cover the PlayStation--a system well over 10-years old. From there, it's only a hop, skip and a jump to the Dreamcast, Xbox, Gamecube and PlayStation 2. So many classics, so little time.

Goozex, for me, isn't about getting the better deal or getting the game before anyone else; it's about choice. It's about searching through the breadth of games that I might have missed in a quick, convenient way, where I can be sure I'm getting what I actually wanted. It's about finding those games that retail shops won't even touch because of their age. Long after the bargain bins have been picked dry and even eBay can't save you, there's a chance some Goozer probably has what you've been looking for. Thanks to them, retrogaming is alive and well on Goozex.