March 27, $250.

A little high, but I'm all over this one.

People were originally calling for $300, but I didn't care. I'd still find a way to get it. The end of march is still a ways off, so affording it won't be a big deal at all. Dropping $50 a week into a kitchen drawer so when the time hits, I can pull into gamestop and have no problems getting one and whatever else (ssf4, kid icarus) I want.

.... assuming I get off my ass and reserve one, of course. GS is supposed to be taking reserves starting at $50.

the only way I would get one of those if it was for my son. he's almost 2 now so hopefully in a year or so the price will drop a bit.

I've experimented a bit with my kid playing video games. He's almost 4 and understands the d-pad and the buttons a bit. The hard thing is finding a 2d game he can freely explore without having to worry about pits and baddies. It would be a rather lame game though

2d side scroller would be ideal. Isn't there some super mario world level editor out there? I remember seeing something about it. I bet we could make a series of pre-school/toddler age appropriate levels that at first, contain no traps and teach basic movement and jumping in place to collect things. Then it progresses to jumping up on a ledge as my kid is trying to master the jumping while holding a direction button. After that, it can do small pits and perhaps some avoidable enemies.

I played with the program once a year or so ago for other reasons. Anyone remember it? (i`ll google later)

Okay. The program is Lunar Magic. You take a copy of the Super Mario World rom for SNES and load it up. I took the first level and removed all the baddies. Then added a little vine with some clouds and some extra coins in the first part of the level. I`ll see how he does with it tomorrow. If I could only find how to disable the level clock/timer.

yeah true. still gotta find the place to do it.

Very nice! I didn't read new posts until today. I will have to mess around with this program tonight. I think it would be awesome to create something that the next generation of FITES can play and learn from.

But everything any generation needs to learn from already exists.

Super Mario Brothers, Battletoads, Double Dragon and Contra.

Did you not read the posts?

I bet we could make a series of pre-school/toddler age appropriate levels that at first, contain no traps and teach basic movement and jumping in place to collect things. Then it progresses to jumping up on a ledge as my kid is trying to master the jumping while holding a direction button. After that, it can do small pits and perhaps some avoidable enemies.

Yes those games are great but I can't explain things to my kid and teach him techniques while he has to avoid goomabs and Abobo's while learning how to jump.  Thing of this as a series of training programs from The Matix