What happens when you stop buying games for 5 months
Monday, September 13, 2021
It’s been a while since I last posted something on this blog. It must have been lonely over here. But truth to be told, there was so much happening around me the past months and I lost the motivation to blog— or write. Nothing great happened so it was a lot of coping and fixing on my end.
This blog, missmeowlodei was created to be a happy space— hence I didn’t see the need to update on this blog. But now that I’m in a clearer mind, I’ve planned for some changes and update!
Let’s get on with the post, shall we?
Wow, looking back at my calendar, I last bought a game was 5 months ago. Wasn’t it astonishing? Imagine controlling the urge to get newly released games or striking off something off your gaming wish list. It was hard. So difficult. But is it doable? Well I did it, why can’t you?
Over the 5 months of not purchasing games, I noticed a few things.
1. I stop giving in to fomo
When you give in to always purchasing a newly-released game or pre-ordering games that have yet to be released, you fear the fomo. You fear missing out on the game as soon as it releases. You fear not being able to be the first few to talk about it. But here’s the thing, it is okay to buy your games much later when everyone has completed theirs. It’s totally ok to buy your games a year after it releases. That’s because the game stays the same, but the prices of the game would have depreciated by a little. For those who think a full price is expensive, buying your games much later will help you save a couple bucks.
2. My spending habits changed drastically
I see myself spending more on meaningful items such as better groceries, organic snacks and putting more towards repaying my home loan. Without a doubt, I’m spending my money mindfully now that I have a few hundred to spare.
3. I’m more mindful of purchasing games
When it comes time to purchase games, I’m also mindful to select what I really want to experience. Instead of buying games just because of cute graphics or for the sake of the ‘gram, I made sure to do my research thoroughly to make sure I’d enjoy the game. If there’s a demo, I’d play it first then think about it if a purchase should be made.
4. I find more value in the current games I play
Truth to be told, sometimes when you have a new unopened game waiting for you, you tend to speed through the current game— or like me, put it aside and start the new game. You stop immersing yourself 100% into the current game as your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of playing the new game. Now that I don’t have new games waiting for me, I am able to engross myself in the wonderful games I currently play *coughs* Genshin Impact.
There’s a lot of discipline put into work the moment you decide to stop purchasing games for some time. It may be hard for the first few weeks, especially when you’re on the #gaming ‘gram community— you see beautiful photos and reviews of new games you never had.
But if you ever manage to control the urges, it actually doesn’t bother you that much anymore once the initial difficulty is over.
Edit: I’ve since bought a physical 2nd hand copy of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town on September 2021, breaking my 5-month streak.
This blog, missmeowlodei was created to be a happy space— hence I didn’t see the need to update on this blog. But now that I’m in a clearer mind, I’ve planned for some changes and update!
Let’s get on with the post, shall we?
4 things that happened when I stop buying games for 5 months
Wow, looking back at my calendar, I last bought a game was 5 months ago. Wasn’t it astonishing? Imagine controlling the urge to get newly released games or striking off something off your gaming wish list. It was hard. So difficult. But is it doable? Well I did it, why can’t you?
Over the 5 months of not purchasing games, I noticed a few things.
1. I stop giving in to fomo
When you give in to always purchasing a newly-released game or pre-ordering games that have yet to be released, you fear the fomo. You fear missing out on the game as soon as it releases. You fear not being able to be the first few to talk about it. But here’s the thing, it is okay to buy your games much later when everyone has completed theirs. It’s totally ok to buy your games a year after it releases. That’s because the game stays the same, but the prices of the game would have depreciated by a little. For those who think a full price is expensive, buying your games much later will help you save a couple bucks.
2. My spending habits changed drastically
I see myself spending more on meaningful items such as better groceries, organic snacks and putting more towards repaying my home loan. Without a doubt, I’m spending my money mindfully now that I have a few hundred to spare.
3. I’m more mindful of purchasing games
When it comes time to purchase games, I’m also mindful to select what I really want to experience. Instead of buying games just because of cute graphics or for the sake of the ‘gram, I made sure to do my research thoroughly to make sure I’d enjoy the game. If there’s a demo, I’d play it first then think about it if a purchase should be made.
4. I find more value in the current games I play
Truth to be told, sometimes when you have a new unopened game waiting for you, you tend to speed through the current game— or like me, put it aside and start the new game. You stop immersing yourself 100% into the current game as your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of playing the new game. Now that I don’t have new games waiting for me, I am able to engross myself in the wonderful games I currently play *coughs* Genshin Impact.
There’s a lot of discipline put into work the moment you decide to stop purchasing games for some time. It may be hard for the first few weeks, especially when you’re on the #gaming ‘gram community— you see beautiful photos and reviews of new games you never had.
But if you ever manage to control the urges, it actually doesn’t bother you that much anymore once the initial difficulty is over.
Edit: I’ve since bought a physical 2nd hand copy of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town on September 2021, breaking my 5-month streak.
Review: Power7042 Wireless JoyPad Controller for Switch (T13 Nintendo Switch Handgrip)
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Review: Power7042 Wireless JoyPad Controller for Switch (T13 Nintendo Switch Handgrip)
My first OEM handgrip! I never saw the purpose of getting a joycon handgrip for my Nintendo Switch— I mean, is there a need to purchase something extra when I already have a pro controller and the switch’s default joycons?
Joyskypower sent me these amazing OEM joycon handgrip and it literally changed my gaming experience. Now I can see why so many people got an extra set of joycon handgrip. Now, these handgrip only come in the default Switch colors, even if I prefer to choose colors more suitable to my aesthetics. But there is nothing cute stickers can’t fix!
Sometimes gaming is not all about the aesthetic, it’s also about the experience! My entire Nintendo Switch gaming experience is levelled up by adding these to my team. With an ergonomic design, it sits extremely comfortable on my hands. My fingers and palm are able to wrap around the grips nicely— I think it’s also mainly because of the size of my hands.
So when I first held the hand grips, “How are they so light? Is it a dummy?”. I wasn’t kidding when I said these were extremely lightweight. If you’re used to holding PS4 controllers, you’ll feel a little weirded out by the lightness.
I thought the buttons would be wonky or hard to press, but it is surprisingly easy to tap and press. It gives off a satisfying click when the buttons are pressed lightly too. The sensitivity is great. The joysticks are smooth but slightly thinner than the normal joycon’s joysticks.
The vibrations function is more powerful than the normal joycons. And with a 6-axis gyroscope, it is suitable for running, shooting and other games for a more realistic experience.
At first I was worried about the connectivity, you know how some OEM accessories have trouble connecting to your Switch, however, these connect so easily without much hassle! Just slide them in place of your joycons until you hear the satisfying click, it connects automatically and immediately without even 1 second of waiting time!
As for its Bluetooth connectivity, it works faster if you click it into place, then only remove them while they are connected to your Switch. It’s extremely seamless and hassle-free. Or you can pair it with the usual Bluetooth pairing method.
I think I found my favorite Nintendo Switch OEM accessory!
Pros
- Easy connectivity
- Comfortable grips
- Ergonomic design
- Up to 10 hours of play-time battery
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch/Lite
- Lightweight
- Affordable price
Cons
- Not much color choice
- 2 hours charging (per controller)
Once again, thank you Joyskypower for sending me this. You can find the product here.
Use code meowlodei10 for 10% off your cart!
Wishes,
Mellie
5 really good anime movies that are not from Studio Ghibli
Friday, May 7, 2021
When we talk about anime or Japanese animated movies, the first few that pop up in mind are Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and so on. But aside from them, there are a plethora of anime movies that are not from Studio Ghibli which are just as amazing.
Top 5 favorite anime movies that are not from Studio Ghibli:
*not in order1. Flavors of Youth
When I first watched Flavors of Youth, I thought it would be a lot about food— like the first part of the movie about a noodle shop. It was so mouthwatering to watch and oh- how I wish I could taste that. But as I watched even more, it wasn’t about the food. The context of flavor was about the feeling, emotions and experiences you go through during your youth. That’s to say, I was extremely misled by the trailer too. Overall, this movie wasn’t tear-jerking but it speaks so much to our past as a youth. As teenagers struggling to be adults.
2. Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel
*TW: This movie contains disturbing scenes, rap3 and ab*se
3. A Silent Voice
Oh boy, this movie turned on my waterworks. It speaks so much about the effects of bullying towards people who have special needs/conditions. It was heart-wrenching when you realise that it actually reflects real society. Humans are not always kind and even though the movie ended with a good note, can the same be said for reality?
4. Children Who Chased Lost Voices: Journey to Agatha
5. Hotarubi no Mori E
Albeit a short movie, spanning over 45mins only, this movie is a real tear-jerker. I wasn’t expecting myself to be sobbing into my pillow and lightly traumatized by the movie for being so extremely sad. It’s a calm story of developing friendships, romance, growing up and the passage of time. The beautiful soundtrack will put you within the story itself as you watch it unfurl. Honestly, this entire movie can be summed within 10 minutes, it felt too short.
I didn’t include the others like Your Name, Weathering with You, Pokemon movies etc. They are wonderful movies but as I’ll only pick 5, these are the ones I’ve chosen! I hope you’ll find them enjoyable as well and leave me your thoughts on what other anime movies should be on this list?
Wishes,
Melody
First Impression + Review: Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World is a spinoff in the Atelier franchise to celebrate their 20th anniversary of the Atelier series. Wow, 20 years! The Atelier series really came a long way, yeah? Nelke features many of the iconic characters from the previous games.
A sucker like me would really pick up this game despite it’s disappointing reviews right? Yep, I did. Besides, it was on sale for a really good price— retailing at RM99.00. It’s a very good bargain especially retail games are going for twice/thrice the price.
This game is filled to the brim with an absurd amount of past characters— you’ll not only be meeting characters from the Atelier series, but also Mana Khemia. You’ll definitely encounter characters from the older Atelier games like Marie, Rorona, and so on.
Now, before I continue, I must express my mild disappointment in this game. It’s a first-impression review— meaning I have not completed the game but these are the thoughts that pop up in my head as I play through the first 4 hours.
About the game
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World is different from all the Atelier series. This game is special in a way that it is actually a town management and town building sim, infused with RPG. Take it as a spin-off or fanservice game for the 20th Atelier anniversary.
You play as Nelke Von Lestamm, an aristocrat who tries to make the world a better place with her power and position as a noble. She travels with her bodyguard Misty, who aids in fighting any monsters. Unlike the previous games where you play as an alchemist, Nelke isn’t an alchemist therefore the game is mostly about town building. However, there are still alchemy involved where Nelke will commission alchemists to craft items needed with the story and town growth.
Storyline
The game is significantly focused on the finding of the Granzweit Tree. Nelke, a young noblewoman has always been fascinated by the legend of the Sage of Granzweit. As she grew up, she found her skills were not in alchemy therefore pushing her to study hard to become a government official. Then her life changes when she hears a rumor that the magical tree can be found within her father's lands of Westwald. To search for the tree, her father grants her permission under one condition— that she develops Westwald into a prosperous city.
Gameplay
Unlike the other Atelier series, Nelke and the other character’s lives are divided into two ways to play: holidays and weekdays. On holidays, you get the chance to visit other townmates and characters to bond, progress with your research and pursue the Granzweit Tree and explore out of town. While on your exploration, you can bring up to 3 additional party members to find materials and explore outside of town.
On weekdays, you’ll be focused on town-building. This part is pretty simple and straight-forward— when you have all the materials, you can plant a new shop and it will be ready. And because reorganizing is a hassle, I always make sure to plan the town layout in my mind before deciding which goes where.
*Important: Take very careful note of the time limit. Every task comes with a time limit (a fraction on the clock and turns) and failure to do so can instantly grant you a game over!
Now with this time limit, it really makes you churn your brains on prioritising the right things— if you use the Holiday to go out and explore when you have a pending task to solve a townsfolk’s problem, you’ll fail the task. Neglecting either one of it for too long and your town growth will decline. This game really plays with your ability to balance each task.
There’s a percentage gauge for each task to show you how much is completed and you should focus on those tasks in order for the story to proceed.
Art style & town design
Similar to many JRPG, the Atelier series focuses on building very anime-like characters with flatter features to fit a 2D definition of animation. Every Atelier series features gorgeous world design and character design to the little intricacies of every sparkle you find on the grass— and you’d think the same for Nelke, right?
BIG NO.
The town building was horrible. A straight patch of land is where you have to build shops and farmland, even a grove?! On the same patch of land?! How ridiculous. Imagine a grove just right next to a pharmacy. It’s just terrible, I feel like weeping when I had to build plots of farmland in front of the city council building. It’s a catastrophe.
I just hope that as the game progresses, we can have a dedicated space to build and group types of land to make things look more pleasing.
I just hope that as the game progresses, we can have a dedicated space to build and group types of land to make things look more pleasing.
Combat system
There are 3 combat systems: manual, semi-auto and auto. Basically if you’re feeling lazy and just want to breeze through the exploration and monster-fighting, you can select auto mode where the characters will battle with monsters without you stepping in to dictate their moves— although you’re still needed to trigger their burst attacks.
Similar to the other Atelier games, it is turn-based and each turn depends on a gauge. Sometimes you’ll miss a turn for your character. The auto mode is good if you’re busy eating, or you just don’t want to waste your energy on combat.
The alchemy
Every Atelier game focuses heavily on synthesizing items as an alchemist. However in this game, you’re not an alchemist hence you’ll only be writing requests to your town’s alchemist and providing them with raw materials. The synthesized item will be ready the next day.
I find this acceptable, I used to struggle with alchemy/synthesizing in the atelier games and if town management isn’t enough of a headache, adding synthesizing to it will double your pain.
Characters
In Nelke, you’ll be required to interact/visit characters on Holidays to interact with them. Here’s the thing, you don’t get to choose which character to visit, you can only visit them if/when they allow you. Also, there is a friendship level where you will have to increase/maintain by visiting or completing their requests. You can delegate tasks or jobs to the characters so beware of which character is good for certain tasks, and their wages. Most characters are recycled from the previous Atelier games. I still enjoy encountering past characters and interacting with them.
This game does not give you the option to directly control Nelke in a normal environment. No running around, No interacting with your surroundings. Let’s say if you want to visit the grocery shop, all you do is select the “grocery shop” from the list and you’re there! Even during explorations, your party members walk in a straight line, as if the entire forest is on only one path! You don’t even move them, they just walk and pick up things automatically. This is a huge face-palming disappointment for me.
Ratings: 2.5/5
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World is not your typical Atelier game. The game feels more like a mobile visual novel than an RPG. Nelke is at most, a mediocre game that is so automated, you don’t even need to move your character. You’re only needed when you’ve got to make decisions— what to do, where to visit, what to develop and strategize the entire town building sim. It’s boring but oddly, I still want to play it. Overall, it felt lazy and a disappointment— but a fresh look on one of the Atelier games.
Final thoughts, it would have been so much better if we could control the characters directly to interact in a normal environment. Give us the ability to control the movements of Nelke and allow exploration to be more RPG-like. Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of a New World would have been an instant favorite.
Wishes,
Mellie
Where to sell your pre-loved Nintendo games in Malaysia? I sold mine and earned RM1000
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Where to sell 2nd hand Nintendo games in Malaysia?
Today’s update is a rather weighty topic compared to my usual whimsical musings.
Do you really need that physical game card sitting on top of your game stash?
It hit me last night that I am spending unnecessarily on Switch games that costs me avg. RM200 per game and this brings me to a total of ~RM1500 in my current physical Switch game stash. As for my Nintendo 3DS, with an avg. of RM150 per game, it would bring me to ~RM1000 for my entire stash.
If I were to resell these games at a 2nd hand price (according to the market value), it would be ~RM150 per Switch game and ~RM70 per 3DS game. Now, to tally it off: I have RM1000+ sitting idly in my room, covered in dust and marveled at sometimes, just to make content for Instagram.
Repeating it to myself, I began to ponder— these are the things that I don’t use anymore. I do not replay my games, sometimes I even find it hard to complete a single game. Shouldn’t I sell it off to gain back some money? Perhaps carrying some cash is better than carrying a stack of my retail games?
How do I fund new games?
I’m not an impulsive buyer, I usually give myself a “cooling period” to think through but every human is wired to want things. If I can get it now, why wait? With that desire within us, we tend to horde/overspend on things that provide us instant gratification— and then, we feel guilty for spending but the cycle repeats itself every time we see something that catches our eyes.
Physical games, or digital games are expensive in my country. They could easily cost us 10x-15x of a Mcdonalds burger set. But then, when we slave ourselves to earn money, why do we have to refrain ourselves from these little pleasures?
Now, I don’t re-play any of my games when I’m done with it. Sure they appear on my Instagram; here and there, I have not one replayed a single game I’ve owned (aside from Pokemon). How am I able to recycle part of my cash to fund a new game then? If every month I am forking out ~RM200 to spend on games and they will just end up on the shelf after completion, why can’t I re-sell them and top-up the remaining to afford new games?
Where to resell your used game in Malaysia:
- Facebook groups (Nintendo Malaysia has an active community on Facebook)
- Gamehouz
- Kyo’s Game Mart
- Usedgame.com.my
- Shopee
- Carousell
- Impulse Gaming (they use to buy used games, but not sure if they’re still doing it now)
- Ask around if your friends would like to buy
It’s always best to just post on Facebook groups to ask if anyone is willing to buy/trade because you can control the selling price unlike, if you approach game shops where they’ll probably buy for a way lower price and not to mention the hassle!
How does it feel to part with your games?
Honestly, most times I sold my games out of desperation to make a few quick bucks. It definitely saddens me a little— saying goodbye to a good friend who held so much of my memories but then it also felt like I am doing the right thing by not hoarding them just to let them collect dust on my shelves. There will be other people who can appreciate these games, why not give them a chance to enjoy them too?
Now you know where to resell your physical/retail games, why not make some cash by trading in or reselling your older games which you have no more intention of playing again.
Wishes,
Melody
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*Update: I sold 12/15 of my preloved 3DS + Switch games at a way below market value for a total of ~RM1250
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