CrossBow

I didn't receive an email stating my order had shipped, but I did receive an email last week from AtariXP stating that orders would begin shipping soon. But if I do get a specific one for my order of games, I'll update here.
 

The first three Atari XP carts: Aquaventure, Saboteur and Yars' Return are shipping today, Friday, July 26.  
From Atari:
All three cartridges in both standard and limited edition are scheduled to ship today, Friday the 26th of August 2022.
We regret the delay in shipments for these XP pre-orders. A number of supply chain issues extended our production timeline, and we did not want to compromise the quality of the product in order to ship the product faster. 
As a gesture of thanks for your patience, we are giving everyone who ordered a cartridge redeemable codes for all three Series One titles on the Atari VCS.
We are also extending a special offer for a heavily discounted Atari VCS Black Walnut All-in Bundle. Use the code VCSFORXP in all caps on Atari.com to purchase a bundle for $319.99. Quantities are limited. One bundle per customer. If the code expires before you get a chance to use it, please contact us and we will make sure you can make a discounted purchase.
We have been able to secure the parts and materials we need for releases that we have planned over the next six months, and look forward to bringing you more of these limited run, collectors versions of classic Atari titles.
Stay tuned for an announcement in the next few weeks!
Thank you,
Atari Support

Couldn't help it... I was trying to take a break from the iron for a few days after a lot of work I've been doing lately, but wanted to see this in action so... I did this last night. I will provide more thoughts on it in a blog but here is some pics and a quick video:
Front and Back of the completed kit:

 

 
There is only a little bit of soldering involved, but it requires lots of flux and patience as it requires soldering to very fine pitch pins off the GBA CPU directly. My first attempt the controls weren't working. Found out I had soldered the ribbon cable 1 pin off on the left side of the CPU and had to undo and remove it, re-align it, and solder it back down.

 
And of course a quick 1min video when I was testing it all put together on one of my test TVs in the lab area:
 

I don't own this one from Kristoff, but I do own Vector Pilot and Vector Patrol and they are amazing games on the Vectrex! 
 

6 months? Nah... I should be able to get back to offering normal services again not long after PRGE.
 

6 months? Nah... I should be able to get back to offering normal services again not long after PRGE.
 

Couldn't help it... I was trying to take a break from the iron for a few days after a lot of work I've been doing lately, but wanted to see this in action so... I did this last night. I will provide more thoughts on it in a blog but here is some pics and a quick video:
Front and Back of the completed kit:

 

 
There is only a little bit of soldering involved, but it requires lots of flux and patience as it requires soldering to very fine pitch pins off the GBA CPU directly. My first attempt the controls weren't working. Found out I had soldered the ribbon cable 1 pin off on the left side of the CPU and had to undo and remove it, re-align it, and solder it back down.

 
And of course a quick 1min video when I was testing it all put together on one of my test TVs in the lab area:
 

Couldn't help it... I was trying to take a break from the iron for a few days after a lot of work I've been doing lately, but wanted to see this in action so... I did this last night. I will provide more thoughts on it in a blog but here is some pics and a quick video:
Front and Back of the completed kit:

 

 
There is only a little bit of soldering involved, but it requires lots of flux and patience as it requires soldering to very fine pitch pins off the GBA CPU directly. My first attempt the controls weren't working. Found out I had soldered the ribbon cable 1 pin off on the left side of the CPU and had to undo and remove it, re-align it, and solder it back down.

 
And of course a quick 1min video when I was testing it all put together on one of my test TVs in the lab area:
 

Here are few recent pickups for me....
First is that I've had the game for at least a month now but hadn't posted any pics of it. However, the CD with the alternate soundtrack on it I just got late last week in the mail. If you didn't know, the game supports the ability to play back music from music CDs if you have a SegaCD attached and working. So having this awesome alternate soundtrack from Anders Jensen is really the best version of the game you can play currently. At least, until the even more awesome Pokey enabled 7800 version is released at PRGE!

 
I mentioned this in another thread here not too long ago but finally received it in the mail today. I don't know when I will have time to put this together, but I will be sure to give my thoughts on it when I do!

 
Last for now is that I have to state just how impressed I am with this release! I ordered this back in Nov of last year from Castlemania games but it did arrive late last week and it is crazy impressive! This is the game Gaiares which, was re-issued as a special set of which several places were selling it. Compared to most releases like this, it was a bargain at just under $70 shipped. The game comes with a t-shirt like from the original ad back in the day that you specify the size you want, it comes with a reversible insert on the clamshell with either the original US release artwork or much better Japanese artwork etc. Here are individual pics of this great re-issue.

The cartridge is actually a transparent smoke colored shell with a foil label featuring the JPN artwork once again and is overall very high quality. Pics can't do the foil justice.


The clamshell features a slip cover that is actually very detailed again with the JPN artwork on it but also with raised relief on it?! Again, the picture doesn't capture this.

The back of the slip cover features several screenshots from the in game cutscenes and they are printed in very high detail on the back. They are also raised relief on these individual shots?! This pic kinda shows that with how you can see the slight shadowing off the edges of the pictures etc.

So yeah overall just a very impressive re-issue for this great shooter on the Genesis. I own the original as a loose cart only so getting it in this official reissue as a new complete package is awesome!
 

One recent pickup that isn't gaming related recently is this:

 
I've not put it together as again, I have no where for it to go. But there wasn't anyway I was going to let this set get past me. Here are few more pics of the box as aside from that 90 years of play bit in the corner, they pretty much nailed the classic space box look from the late 70s early 80s. 

 

One recent pickup that isn't gaming related recently is this:

 
I've not put it together as again, I have no where for it to go. But there wasn't anyway I was going to let this set get past me. Here are few more pics of the box as aside from that 90 years of play bit in the corner, they pretty much nailed the classic space box look from the late 70s early 80s. 

 

Here are few recent pickups for me....
First is that I've had the game for at least a month now but hadn't posted any pics of it. However, the CD with the alternate soundtrack on it I just got late last week in the mail. If you didn't know, the game supports the ability to play back music from music CDs if you have a SegaCD attached and working. So having this awesome alternate soundtrack from Anders Jensen is really the best version of the game you can play currently. At least, until the even more awesome Pokey enabled 7800 version is released at PRGE!

 
I mentioned this in another thread here not too long ago but finally received it in the mail today. I don't know when I will have time to put this together, but I will be sure to give my thoughts on it when I do!

 
Last for now is that I have to state just how impressed I am with this release! I ordered this back in Nov of last year from Castlemania games but it did arrive late last week and it is crazy impressive! This is the game Gaiares which, was re-issued as a special set of which several places were selling it. Compared to most releases like this, it was a bargain at just under $70 shipped. The game comes with a t-shirt like from the original ad back in the day that you specify the size you want, it comes with a reversible insert on the clamshell with either the original US release artwork or much better Japanese artwork etc. Here are individual pics of this great re-issue.

The cartridge is actually a transparent smoke colored shell with a foil label featuring the JPN artwork once again and is overall very high quality. Pics can't do the foil justice.


The clamshell features a slip cover that is actually very detailed again with the JPN artwork on it but also with raised relief on it?! Again, the picture doesn't capture this.

The back of the slip cover features several screenshots from the in game cutscenes and they are printed in very high detail on the back. They are also raised relief on these individual shots?! This pic kinda shows that with how you can see the slight shadowing off the edges of the pictures etc.

So yeah overall just a very impressive re-issue for this great shooter on the Genesis. I own the original as a loose cart only so getting it in this official reissue as a new complete package is awesome!
 

Curious how many of the pieces have actual printing on them vs stickers? I was shocked when I found out that the new Galaxy Explorer is all printed pieces with not a single sticker in use. But this set I'm guessing will have a lot of stickers as I just can't see them printing all of the designs seen onto the bricks. That would make them crazy unique to this set and LEGO don't typically do that.
I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money, especially when I really don't have anywhere for it to go.
 

One recent pickup that isn't gaming related recently is this:

 
I've not put it together as again, I have no where for it to go. But there wasn't anyway I was going to let this set get past me. Here are few more pics of the box as aside from that 90 years of play bit in the corner, they pretty much nailed the classic space box look from the late 70s early 80s. 

 

Here is the official website for Printerboy's console covers currently. Looks like 5200 covers are there again. 
I think I only purchased his PS3, PS4 Pro, SNESjr, and Zelda Wii-U console covers.
https://printerboy.net/category/dustcover/atari/
 

My 5200 has been promoted to living room status.  Since I removed some obsolete components that I never use on my AV center anymore, I figured.. what to do with the extra space?  Why, slip my 5200 into one of the spots or course!  It blends right in, even with the slipcover on.
 

 

I posted this over on a similar thread at AA yesterday, but thought I would share it here too. This is where the bulk of my LEGO sets I do have put together are located. This is actually along the top of a long executive credenza made back in the 80s that I use as my computer desk center. Some Hotwheels and Transformers in these pics but yeah... no room for something as large as this 2600 LEGO set I'm afraid. I also have the large R2-D2 set that sits on a shelf that wasn't shown in the pic but yeah... no room!!!

 

 

Yet more Game Boy stuff.
X has been on my wishlist, and I ran across a cheap CIB copy on ebay. I now have three CIB JP Game Boy games (Mario Picross games being the other two).
I recently ordered the Everdrive for the Game Boy. They are very difficult to come by lately, and I signed up for a stock notification at a couple of stores (Everdrivestore and stoneagegamer). I wasn't quick enough the first couple of times, but on my third notice, I was able to secure one. I splurged for the high end model.
Lastly, with my growing Game Boy games, I bought some 3D printed trays on Etsy for easier storage. The trays are certainly more convenient, nicer to look at, and shelf friendlier than a shoe box. The gray one is for the original GB games. The black tray is for GBC games, multicarts, and hacks/homebrews. The yellow is the GBA tray. I only have a half dozen GBA games and that includes one multicart. I got an Everdrive for the GBA very early so I've managed to keep the GBA cartridge count to a minimum.
 

I own flash devices for most of the consoles I play on, and it too has made me slow down and not purchase something just because I don't have it yet. I actually find that I still prefer to pop in the actual games in most cases but I tend to use my flash drives as a 'Try before I buy' setup. Especially for heavy hitters that require considerably more coin than common stuff does. 

As an example, I have a RHEA installed in my model 1 Saturn. Using it, made me go ahead and get actual copies of Policenauts, Grandia, Bulk Slash, and a few other Saturn games that while not crazy cheap (Even if most of them are JPN releases only), I was still willing to seek them out and purchase them. This way I own those games physically because I wanted them for the collection, but at the same time, I'm able to actually more easily play the games with fan translations on my RHEA using disc images for those games.
 

I'm not a prime member, but Amazon has one of their very large distro warehouses just a hour or so from where I live. There is also another large distro facility in a suburb town right next to my city.
Point is, I just placed an order for some things middle of last week, and they all arrived Saturday just 3 days later. Because of similar experiences like this in the past, I've not really seen the need to become a prime member LOL! 
 

To be fair..the other sets I have still in the box is the Saturn V, The ISS, and my most recent pickup.. the Tallneck set from the game Horizon Zero Dawn.
 

I don't know... I actually really want this. But then I've also got like 3 other sets still in the box unopened because I just haven't any room to set them up and show them off. But I really feel like I'm going to kick myself in the butt if I don't try and get one of these.
 

To be fair..the other sets I have still in the box is the Saturn V, The ISS, and my most recent pickup.. the Tallneck set from the game Horizon Zero Dawn.
 

I don't know... I actually really want this. But then I've also got like 3 other sets still in the box unopened because I just haven't any room to set them up and show them off. But I really feel like I'm going to kick myself in the butt if I don't try and get one of these.
 

I own flash devices for most of the consoles I play on, and it too has made me slow down and not purchase something just because I don't have it yet. I actually find that I still prefer to pop in the actual games in most cases but I tend to use my flash drives as a 'Try before I buy' setup. Especially for heavy hitters that require considerably more coin than common stuff does. 

As an example, I have a RHEA installed in my model 1 Saturn. Using it, made me go ahead and get actual copies of Policenauts, Grandia, Bulk Slash, and a few other Saturn games that while not crazy cheap (Even if most of them are JPN releases only), I was still willing to seek them out and purchase them. This way I own those games physically because I wanted them for the collection, but at the same time, I'm able to actually more easily play the games with fan translations on my RHEA using disc images for those games.