Finally beat Mother/Earthbound Zero/Beginnings. Took way too long because I kept putting it down getting confused and restarting. Probably move onto the sequel soon. I’m not sure if I like it better than the OG Final Fantasy but it certainly wasn’t afraid to push the Famicom/NES hardware. Five Stars. #earthbound #earthboundzero #earthboundbeginnings #mother1 #famicom #retrogaming https://www.instagram.com/p/Ciif6FcvjLX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s not exactly black box, but it feels at home next to the black and gray boxes of early NES. I’ve beaten it twice in 30 years and the more time that passes since the last time the urge to play grows anew. #nescollection #miketysonpunchout #miketyson #80sgaming https://www.instagram.com/p/CiQCRiku1-b/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

28/30; last black box post for a long time. The last two are either exceedingly rare or prohibitively expensive or both. Gonna make sure all my loose black box games are non-Rev A for arbitrary reasons. #nesgames #gamecollection #nescollector #retrogaming https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg5OGFWvAmP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

27/30, unexpectedly crossed this one off. Two of the last three are prohibitively expensive these days and one is only painfully so. #nescollector #retrogaming #blackboxgames #iceclimber #nintendo https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf24N7CsRCF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

26/30 so close but maybe forever far away. #nesgames #retrogamingcommunity #retrocollector #blackboxgames https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfho9TiPzjR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Didn’t have much time or energy to play Alwa’s Awakening because covid but I finished it up tonight. Probably in the top 5 of games released after the NES was put to pasture. Just so well done @eldenpixels bravo. #alwasawakening #nesgaming #eldenpixels #crtgaming https://www.instagram.com/p/CeQLaUAuhtG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Finally beat Final Fantasy V, while less ambitious then it’s American released siblings, fun mechanics, gorgeous music, and a novel (for an American) job system that I absolutely grinded my ass off to finally beat ExDeath the final boss. #finalfantasy #snesgames #finalfantasyv #crtgaming https://www.instagram.com/p/CdfWg9ru8Im/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I randomly came across @spitfirelabs online a year ago and loved their Contra controller only to stumble upon them tonight randomly and finally got my hands on this gorgeous art. Just wow. #contra #nesgaming #spitfirelabs https://www.instagram.com/p/CdC4BxnOB0v/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I love the Nintendo Playchoice-10 arcade toppers, the first time I played these games was at Jack O’Connors on a Sunday morning with many quarters. #nes #metroid #castlevania #supermariobros2 #playchoice10 https://www.instagram.com/p/CbozPHxOrHr/?utm_medium=tumblr

I remember when I was a kid, I had cousins who had this game and they gave it to me because my uncle decided it was witchcraft. This sun drenched copy came from a rental joint in seaside heights, appropriately where I got the original all those years ago. #nesgaming #crtgaming #raregames #occultgames https://www.instagram.com/p/CZLr-bouNtI/?utm_medium=tumblr

Faxanadu, an action rpg that didn’t get the sequels that Zelda, Dragon Warrior, and Final Fantasy did. Nothing in this game feels impossible yet it still presents a challenge. #nesgames #retrocommunity #crtgaming #faxanadu https://www.instagram.com/p/CWcr9S3r8Ns/?utm_medium=tumblr

About a week ago, 7/31 exactly, it was the 40th anniversary of Donkey Kong’s US Arcade launch, despite setting a reminder, I forgot to post, and then didn’t out of deep seated shame. Anyway I’ve had that big doll for at least 37 years. Peep those slurpee cups. #donkeykong #retrocollection #donkeykong40 #711slurpee https://www.instagram.com/p/CSYlxkYAw0m/?utm_medium=tumblr

Not exactly undiscovered gems but definitely somewhat unknown by the kids. #startropics #nescollector #startropics2 #videogamecollecting https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ2w66OHiV9/?utm_medium=tumblr

I may never have all the black box games complete, but I have the gray box ones. Also low key hard to find a filter where Metroid and Rad Racer are both legible. #nescollection #metroid #kidicarus #radracer #retrogamescollector https://www.instagram.com/p/CQRf5PMHJCe/?utm_medium=tumblr

All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros! World 8-4 is almost unfair, I repeated all of world 8 like 5 times. This was a promotional game on the disk system, SMB with SMB2 textures and then custom sprite work. #famicomdisksystem #supermariobros #crtgaming https://www.instagram.com/p/CQIQ2oanamG/?utm_medium=tumblr

I started this game two years ago, finally picked it back up and finished it, like 100% finished it, N64 holds up! #zeldaocarinaoftime #n64ever #crtgaming #xennialsgetit https://www.instagram.com/p/CP7bTv9HCf5/?utm_medium=tumblr