Category Archives: Featured

Featured

Silent Hill Game Prices in 2025: Are They Still Rising? | Retronomics

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The Silent Hill franchise — the series that dares to ask, “What if your deepest trauma also had fog and a siren?”

🔥 Silent Hill: A Frighteningly Funny Breakdown

Silent Hill is like if your therapist had a budget for special effects and decided to stage an escape room inside your unresolved guilt. It’s horror, sure — but also a crash course in regretting every life choice you’ve ever made. Welcome to Therapy: The Game.

🧠 The Premise

You wander into a town so foggy it makes San Francisco look like the Sahara. Why are you there? Probably looking for your missing daughter, dead wife, or sense of inner peace. Spoiler: You’ll find none of those — but you will find twitchy nurses, haunted wheelchairs, and a guy with a giant pyramid for a head who has the worst timing imaginable.

🏚️ The Town Itself

Silent Hill is basically Zillow’s worst nightmare: fog-covered, monster-infested, and occasionally on fire. The town changes based on your psyche, which is the franchise’s subtle way of saying: “This is all your fault.”

🔨 Pyramid Head

The franchise’s mascot and part-time BDSM allegory. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t run. He just shows up to ruin your day and swing a sword the size of a canoe at you because, apparently, you haven’t punished yourself enough.

🎮 The Games Themselves

  1. Silent Hill 1: You play a confused dad who reads maps upside down and picks up health drinks like he’s training for a Gatorade commercial.

  2. Silent Hill 2: Widely regarded as one of the greatest psychological horror games ever — and also as a long, uncomfortable breakup letter to your dead wife.

  3. Silent Hill 3: Your dad’s trauma is now your trauma. Bonus: Demon pregnancy!

  4. Silent Hill 4: The Room: What if your apartment was a murder museum and the only way out was through your bathroom?

  5. Silent Hill: Homecoming: Combat got better. Everything else got… a bit awkward.

  6. Silent Hill: Downpour: The game that dares to ask, “What if rain made ghosts more stabby?”

  7. P.T.: Technically a playable teaser, but it traumatized more people in 15 minutes than most games do in 15 hours.

💀 The Legacy

The franchise went from psychological masterpiece to “a horror game that may or may not work depending on your console, region, and blood sacrifice status.” Konami put it on ice, which somehow made it even scarier. Still, the fans never left. They just got weirder, more devoted, and more convinced they could hear that radio static in real life.

🎉 In Summary

Silent Hill is that horrifying fever dream where guilt, monsters, and bad fog-machine decisions all come together for an unforgettable trip you didn’t ask for. It’s terrifying, meaningful, broken in places, and still beloved — kind of like a haunted Ikea chair.

Featured

The Business of Making Physical Video Games In 2025

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Publishing physical video games today comes with several challenges, especially in a digital-first era. Here are some of the most pressing issues:

🏭 Manufacturing and Supply Chain Issues

  • High Upfront Costs: Producing physical media (discs, cartridges, cases, manuals) requires bulk orders and hefty upfront investments.

  • Component Shortages: Limited availability of materials (e.g., chips for cartridges, plastic for cases) can delay production.

  • Manufacturing Delays: Nintendo Switch cartridges and PlayStation/Xbox discs often have long lead times and limited manufacturing slots.

📦 Distribution and Logistics

  • Shipping Costs: Global shipping rates are high, and fragile packaging means risk of damage or returns.

  • Warehousing: Storing unsold inventory is expensive, especially if a game underperforms.

  • Retail Shelf Space: Big-box retailers give priority to AAA publishers, making it tough for indie titles to gain visibility.

💸 Economic Viability

  • Lower Profit Margins: Physical editions come with production, shipping, and retail cut costs, reducing net revenue.

  • Sales Risk: Overestimating demand leads to unsold stock, while underestimating it can mean missing revenue.

📉 Consumer Trends

  • Digital Dominance: Many players prefer the convenience of digital downloads, especially with fast internet and pre-load options.

  • Decline in Used Game Sales: Services like Game Pass and PS Plus reduce demand for physical resale value.

🛡️ Anti-Piracy and Security Concerns

  • Copy Protection: Disc-based games are more vulnerable to piracy and require complex DRM solutions.

  • Preloading and Patching: Many physical games require large day-one patches, making them less “complete” than they used to be.

🌍 Environmental Impact

  • Eco Concerns: Plastic packaging, printing, and shipping create a larger carbon footprint than digital distribution.

🧑‍🎨 Design and Packaging Limitations

  • Less Room for Creativity: Limited physical space for manuals, inserts, or collector’s extras compared to digital extras like soundtracks, concept art, etc.

  • Localization Complexity: Different packaging and ratings (ESRB, PEGI, etc.) require multiple regional versions.

👥 Smaller Market for Indies

  • Barrier to Entry: Independent developers may struggle to meet minimum unit requirements or afford distribution deals.

  • Reliance on Specialty Publishers: Companies like Limited Run Games help, but they have long waitlists and niche audiences.

Featured

Why I Drive an Off Road Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato

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The Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato is what happens when a supercar gets tired of red carpets and wants to go camping—but like, glamorous, 600-horsepower, carbon-fiber camping. It’s basically Lamborghini’s way of saying, “Yes, we can off-road. We just prefer to do it at 150 mph while looking like Mad Max’s favorite influencer.”

Imagine taking a Huracán, lifting it up like it just joined a monster truck crew, slapping on all-terrain tires, and giving it dirt-kicking rally fenders. It’s as if the car got tired of valet parking and said, “Screw it, I’m taking the fire road to Coachella.” It’s loud, fast, impractical, and completely unnecessary—which is exactly why it’s brilliant.

Featured, Recent Pickups

** SWITCH 2 ** GAME PICKUPS: 28 GAMES! (Switch, PS5, Xbox, PS1)

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GAMES SHOWN:
Modded PS2
Bitmap Bureau Collection
Popslinger
Vinyl Records
Switch 2
Split Faction
Fast Fusion
Rival Megagun
Ad Infinitum
Spelunker HD Deluxe
Power Rangers Rita’s Rewind
Blazing Rangers
Postal Brain Damaged
Kingdom Hearts PSP
PSP Street E1000
Everreach Project Eden
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Fatal Fury City of Wolves
Sanabi
Eightman
Afterdream
Lunar Remastered Collection
Black Bird
Nightmare Busters
Metalgun Slinger
Retro Gaming Library: Amiga Edition
Racing Lagoon
Nippon Marathon
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos
All Hell Unleashed
Scar-Lead Salvation
Brok: The InvestiGATOR

REMINDER: Download the Whatnot app and MJR fans get $20 off your first purchase (can be used anywhere on the app). Go get those games, vinyl records, action figures, shoes & more! https://whatnot.com/invite/metaljesusrocks #whatnotpartner

Featured

Top 10 Donkey Kong Games Ranked

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Here are the Top 10 Donkey Kong Games RANKED just in time for the new game coming on Switch 2 soon!

1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch/Wii U, 2014/2018)

  • Why #1: It’s a 2D platforming masterpiece. Tight controls, gorgeous HD visuals, inventive level design, and David Wise’s god-tier soundtrack.

  • Bonus: Funky Mode makes it welcoming, but even on normal mode, this game doesn’t pull punches.

2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (SNES, 1995)

  • Why it’s classic: Many still consider it the peak of the DKC trilogy. Atmospheric worlds, deep platforming, and Dixie’s helicopter hair made this unforgettable.

  • Arguably the best SNES soundtrack of all time.

3. Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994)

  • Why it changed the game: This game sold the SNES. Its pre-rendered graphics were revolutionary, and the gameplay still holds up.

  • Collecting bananas has never felt so urgent.

4. Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981)

  • The origin story: The game that introduced Mario (then Jumpman), Pauline, and DK himself. It’s still brutally hard and iconic in every way.

  • OG arcade cred: It’s one of the most important video games ever made.

5. Donkey Kong ’94 (Game Boy, 1994)

  • Why it’s genius: Starts like the arcade game, then explodes into a full-on puzzle-platformer. Way deeper than it looks.

  • Mario flipping and backflipping like a gymnast? Yep, it started here.

6. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii, 2010)

  • Retro reboot magic: Brought DKC roaring back after a long hiatus. It’s tough, creative, and full of energy.

  • Controls were divisive (waggle to roll?!), but level design? Top tier.

7. Diddy Kong Racing (N64, 1997)

  • Surprise, it’s racing: Not strictly a DK game, but Diddy headlines, and it’s better than it has any right to be. Story mode + planes + hovercrafts? Yes, please.

  • A rainbow-colored fever dream with a killer soundtrack.

8. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GameCube, 2005)

  • Yes, this is the bongo game: You control DK by slapping bongos and clapping. It shouldn’t work—but it does. It’s bizarre and beautiful.

  • Later re-released with normal controls, but that’s not the true experience.

9. Donkey Kong 64 (N64, 1999)

  • The collectathon of collectathons: So many golden bananas. So many colored items. So many Kongs.

  • Infamous for the DK Rap. Endearing for its scope, if overwhelming and janky by today’s standards.

10. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA, 2004)

  • Puzzle time: Revived the Donkey Kong ’94 gameplay with mini-Marios and loads of clever puzzles.

  • More brainy than brawny, but still very much in the DK family tree.

🍌 Honorable Mentions:

  • Donkey Kong Land trilogy (GB) – Great, if sometimes awkward, handheld versions of the DKC formula.

  • Donkey Konga (GCN) – A rhythm game with licensed music and bongos. Wild times.

  • Donkey Kong Jr. (Arcade/NES) – The sequel where you play as DK’s son to save your dad. Role reversal at its finest.

Featured, Travel

Galactix – Inside Astoria’s FANTASTIC Arcade Taphouse Game Paradise!

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Galactix Arcade in Astoria, Oregon, is like stepping into a parallel universe where the 80s never ended, and everything still smells vaguely of popcorn and Mountain Dew. It’s a neon-lit wonderland where pinball machines blink seductively, arcade cabinets hum with pixelated nostalgia, and Skeeball is taken as seriously as the stock market.

You don’t visit Galactix—you respawn there. The staff are basically space wizards in disguise, and there’s a decent chance the guy playing DDR in the corner has been doing it since 1997 without stopping. It’s the kind of place where quarters go to fulfill their destiny, and grown adults scream “I beat Galaga!” like they just won Olympic gold

https://thegalactix.com

Address: 254 9th St (Subterranean Level), Astoria, Oregon, 97103

Featured

Switch 2?! Playstation says “Hold my beer.” 🍺

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You gotta admire the cojones on Sony… just when the Nintendo Switch 2 is launching, and the entire gaming world is buzzing with the latest console… Sony decides “Hey let’s crash this party with a brand new State of Play”. And it does not disappoint. 

Games Shown:
007 First Light
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Lumines Arise
Pragmata
Romeo is a Dead Man
Silent Hill F
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Everybody’s Golf Hot shot
Cairn
Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection
Metal Gear Solid Delta
THIEF VR Legacy of Shadow
Astrobot
Sword of the Sea
PlayStation Plus

Featured

Top 20 Best Selling Original XBOX Games

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Here are the Top 20 best-selling original Xbox games—back when consoles were chunky, multiplayer meant sitting on the same couch, and blowing on discs didn’t actually help (but we did it anyway). Sales figures are approximate worldwide totals.

🥇 1. Halo: Combat Evolved (Sales: ~6.43 million)

Why it sold: It single-handedly justified buying the Xbox and made “sticky grenades” a part of our vocabulary. Master Chief carried Microsoft harder than Clippy ever did

🥈 2. Halo 2 (Sales: ~8.49 million)

Why it sold: Because Halo 1 was great—and now you could teabag strangers online! Xbox Live was born, and suddenly, kids were yelling “NOOB” into $19.99 headsets.

🥉 3. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (Sales: ~6 million)

Why it sold: Gamers love sneaking around in the dark—Sam Fisher crouched more than most of us do at the gym. It was like Solid Snake with night vision and a grudge.

4. Fable (Sales: ~3 million)

Why it sold: You could fart in public and grow devil horns—what more could a gamer want? Also, Peter Molyneux’s promises were worth at least 2 million sales.

5. Project Gotham Racing 2 (Sales: ~2.5 million)

Why it sold: Because it was racing, but classy. Style mattered more than speed. Finally, a game for people who like parallel parking with flair.

6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) (Sales: ~2.3 million)

Why it sold: Star Wars, but with moral choices and the ability to ruin your relationships by turning Sith. Darth Revan > any movie twist since.

7. Dead or Alive 3 (Sales: ~2 million)

Why it sold: Let’s be honest—people came for the “jiggle physics” and stayed for the surprisingly decent fighting mechanics. A staple of awkward dorm rooms everywhere.

8. Forza Motorsport (Sales: ~1.5 million)

Why it sold: Microsoft’s answer to Gran Turismo, but more forgiving. Also, you could put tribal flames on a Toyota Corolla and race it like a champ.

9. Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack (GTA III + Vice City) (Sales: ~1.5 million)

Why it sold: Two games, one disk, endless mayhem. Who needs a storyline when you can drive a tank through Miami while listening to 80s synth pop?

10. Counter-Strike (Sales: ~1.5 million)

Why it sold: Console CS! Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists—and someone yelling “go B!” while holding the bomb. PC fans scoffed, Xbox fans sprayed and prayed.

 

11. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Sales: ~1.4 million)

Why it sold: You could become the chosen one… after spending 2 hours trying to figure out how to leave the starting town. Combat felt like swinging a pool noodle, but we loved it.

12. Need for Speed: Underground 2 (Sales: ~1.4 million)

Why it sold: Because street racing + neon lights + a Bangin’ soundtrack = pure gold. Also, car customization made us all feel like Vin Diesel’s unpaid interns.

13. Madden NFL 06 (Sales: ~1.3 million)

Why it sold: It’s Madden. It sells no matter what. You could swap the year and no one would notice—except maybe the new haircut on the cover athlete.

14. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Sales: ~1.2 million)

Why it sold: Because sometimes you want to be tactical, not run-and-gun. Also because Tom Clancy had a 10-game-a-year quota.

15. Ninja Gaiden (Sales: ~1.2 million)

Why it sold: Pain. Pure, glorious pain. This game handed you your butt on a katana and asked you to thank it.

16. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 (Sales: ~1.2 million)

Why it sold: You couldn’t skate IRL, but here you could grind a roller coaster. The soundtrack also doubled as your personality in high school.

17. The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Sales: ~1.2 million)

Why it sold: Like GTA, but with donuts. And yelling. And way fewer lawsuits. This game gave us chaos with a side of D’oh!

18. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Sales: ~1.1 million)

Why it sold: Air combat + pulp fiction vibes = criminally underrated. Plus, nothing says “cool” like shooting planes with a joystick that clicks.

19. SoulCalibur II (Sales: ~1 million)

Why it sold: Fighting with swords, a guest appearance by Spawn, and enough flair to make a Renaissance fair blush.

20. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Sales: ~1 million)

Why it sold: Cops, speed, BMWs, and that Blacklist. Running from the law never felt so cinematic—or so full of slow-motion crashes.