17 Feb 2011 02:43:49
Katsucon is only a couple of days away. However, when it comes to "anime stuff", I've been getting ready for the Dealers' Room (sans any "anti-bag" rule) these past two days. Yes, this does include getting some anime on Blu-Ray (Summer Wars) and a couple of video games (Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dragon Quest VI). However, at the same time, I've also picked up a couple of plushies and a figure as well. The following is what I've picked up in the past few days, in the form of "phases" in preparation for the Katsucon Dealers' Room.
Phase One: The Pac-Man
Being a regular buyer of video games, I'm a registered user of Gamestop's PowerUpRewards, which is a program that Gamestop runs in which you get points for buying video games (as well as discounts on used games and a magazine subscription if you upgrade to the premium level), which you can use to pick up various goodies from the PowerUpRewards web site. Recently, the site had its regular update of new items available to be picked up with the points, and among them was a small plushie of Pac-Man. Given how my video game roots trace all the way back to the days of arcades and the Atari 2600, the Pac-Man plushie did interest me (and why not, since I did buy a plushie of one of the ghosts from the game at Otakon 2005). Hence, I ordered one, and it arrived at my house on Monday.
Phase Two: The Slime
Another phase that involves my regular purchase of video games. This time, it involves reserving games. When it comes to reserving video games, I'd do it if one of two things happen:
1. The game includes a limited edition version that will be very hard to find if I don't pre-order it;
2. The store offers something interesting if you pre-order the game (be it an extra for the game or some physical object).
In the case of Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS, the reason for reserving the game had a lot to do with the second reason: the free item. In the case of this game, the free item is a plushie of a recurring character in the Dragon Quest franchise, the slime. The slime can be picked up when you pick up the game at its release, with me doing so on Tuesday (along with Marvel vs. Capcom 3).
Phase Three: The Samurai
The best is saved for last.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I attended Magfest last month. During that convention, I picked up a number of import games at the convention, with one of the games being the LE version of the Manaka de Ikuno! fan disc by Leaf. As a result, I've really gotten into Final Dungeon Chronicle, the dungeon-exploring RPG featuring the cast of To Heart 2 (although I'm taking some time off from the game for now due to it affecting my nightly sleep and the fact that I'm stuck on the 4th floor and don't know what to do next). With me enjoying the game, I've become interested in figures based on the game (be it ones that are out, ones that are coming out, or characters who yet to have a figure made yet). So, it was no surprise that I became tempted in buying the figure of Tamaki in her samurai outfit.
The biggest thing standing between me and purchasing this figure was the money issue. Basically, I'm trying to save up for Katsucon. However, between mid-December and January, I've either missed work or left the office early as a result of either winter weather, early holiday leave times, illness, or the office not having any running water as the result of a major water main break. Hence, I really was watching the bank book here, with extra purchases outside of what I have budgetted being questionable at the moment.
However, since I didn't want to miss out on buying the figure online before it sold out (and in case it wasn't available at Katsucon), I made a little deal with myself. Basically, each year, my family enters a couple of Super Bowl pools in which people win money based on the score at the end of each quarter (with the person in the box with the end-of-quarter score winning at least $500, and the people in the eight "touching" boxes winning $50). Since I usually get some of the winnings for spending money at Katsucon, I decided that if my family was able to win something in the poll this year, then I'd order the figure. Sure enough, one of the boxes with my family's name in it was "touching" the winning box of the final quarter. So, after the Super Bowl ended, I went to Amiami and ordered Samurai Tamaki, with me picking her up from the post office on Tuesday (as I missed the delivery attempt on Monday due to work).
With the first three "phases" done, all that's left is "Phase 4", which doesn't involve ants (or stinkbugs), but rather Katsucon this coming weekend. As usual, I'll post blog entries on both my Dealers' Room purchases and cosplay pictures sometime the week after the con.
Phase One: The Pac-Man
Being a regular buyer of video games, I'm a registered user of Gamestop's PowerUpRewards, which is a program that Gamestop runs in which you get points for buying video games (as well as discounts on used games and a magazine subscription if you upgrade to the premium level), which you can use to pick up various goodies from the PowerUpRewards web site. Recently, the site had its regular update of new items available to be picked up with the points, and among them was a small plushie of Pac-Man. Given how my video game roots trace all the way back to the days of arcades and the Atari 2600, the Pac-Man plushie did interest me (and why not, since I did buy a plushie of one of the ghosts from the game at Otakon 2005). Hence, I ordered one, and it arrived at my house on Monday.
Phase Two: The Slime
Another phase that involves my regular purchase of video games. This time, it involves reserving games. When it comes to reserving video games, I'd do it if one of two things happen:
1. The game includes a limited edition version that will be very hard to find if I don't pre-order it;
2. The store offers something interesting if you pre-order the game (be it an extra for the game or some physical object).
In the case of Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS, the reason for reserving the game had a lot to do with the second reason: the free item. In the case of this game, the free item is a plushie of a recurring character in the Dragon Quest franchise, the slime. The slime can be picked up when you pick up the game at its release, with me doing so on Tuesday (along with Marvel vs. Capcom 3).
Phase Three: The Samurai
The best is saved for last.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I attended Magfest last month. During that convention, I picked up a number of import games at the convention, with one of the games being the LE version of the Manaka de Ikuno! fan disc by Leaf. As a result, I've really gotten into Final Dungeon Chronicle, the dungeon-exploring RPG featuring the cast of To Heart 2 (although I'm taking some time off from the game for now due to it affecting my nightly sleep and the fact that I'm stuck on the 4th floor and don't know what to do next). With me enjoying the game, I've become interested in figures based on the game (be it ones that are out, ones that are coming out, or characters who yet to have a figure made yet). So, it was no surprise that I became tempted in buying the figure of Tamaki in her samurai outfit.
The biggest thing standing between me and purchasing this figure was the money issue. Basically, I'm trying to save up for Katsucon. However, between mid-December and January, I've either missed work or left the office early as a result of either winter weather, early holiday leave times, illness, or the office not having any running water as the result of a major water main break. Hence, I really was watching the bank book here, with extra purchases outside of what I have budgetted being questionable at the moment.
However, since I didn't want to miss out on buying the figure online before it sold out (and in case it wasn't available at Katsucon), I made a little deal with myself. Basically, each year, my family enters a couple of Super Bowl pools in which people win money based on the score at the end of each quarter (with the person in the box with the end-of-quarter score winning at least $500, and the people in the eight "touching" boxes winning $50). Since I usually get some of the winnings for spending money at Katsucon, I decided that if my family was able to win something in the poll this year, then I'd order the figure. Sure enough, one of the boxes with my family's name in it was "touching" the winning box of the final quarter. So, after the Super Bowl ended, I went to Amiami and ordered Samurai Tamaki, with me picking her up from the post office on Tuesday (as I missed the delivery attempt on Monday due to work).
With the first three "phases" done, all that's left is "Phase 4", which doesn't involve ants (or stinkbugs), but rather Katsucon this coming weekend. As usual, I'll post blog entries on both my Dealers' Room purchases and cosplay pictures sometime the week after the con.
