Half Priced Books: A lot more than just books, records and magazines

It's amazing that people still don't seem to realize that Half Priced Books carries more than just books. Granted, their actual logo only mentions "Books, Records, Magazines", but it's still hard to believe that anyone could miss their HUGE selection of software. Today we're going to attempt to remove the blinders and expose hungry retro gamers to yet another great place to shop for old school gems.

To set the record straight, HPB carries games from virtually every game console as well as the PC. It's not uncommon to walk over to the software section and find a decent selection of games from the Genesis, NES, N64 and Playstation(to name a few). The stuff you can come across is just crazy and, to make things even better, it’s all dirt cheap! HPB, though they buy the stuff in, doesn't really want it...and they price it to get it out the door immediately. Here's a great example: I'm sifting through the clearance section, run across a stack of boxed puzzles, notice that one of them has a familiar red pin striping on it. Puzzled(ha!), I pick it up to find that it's Lethal Enforcers, complete with the Justifier light gun! Here's the best part: It was four dollars. FOUR DOLLARS. COMPLETE IN BOX, MINT CONDITION. $4. You can imagine just how fast I ran to the register with it. That wasn’t the first time I’d come across a deal like that either...

Sadly, retro console games are sort of hit and miss; some stores have a lot of them, some just have a few. On the bright side, every HPB location has an entire section, not to mention a few endcaps and islands, devoted just to PC games. Like with the console titles, the things you will run across will absolutely blow your mind. From unbelievably rare stuff like The Neverhood to sleepers like Claw, it's enough to make you want to hit every location in the area on a regular basis. Topping it off is the fact that a lot of the PC games on the shelf are complete, that is they have the original box, manual and any other goodies that may have originally come with the game. Though it may seem frivolous to most, veterans of the PC gaming scene know there’s nothing like having a complete copy of something like Ultima VI, with its cloth map, Moon Stone and compendium(mind you, this is what came with EVERY copy of the game. Puts today’s “Special Editions” to shame).

Another hip thing about HPB's retro PC software is that they constantly receive overstock from various places, so walking in and seeing a wall of titles like Unreal: Gold isn't unusual. Like a lot of Pawn Shops and Thrift Stores, HPB isn’t really on the up and up when it comes to the values of a lot of the software out there...allowing you to grab some excellent titles are rock bottom prices. Most overstock is priced at $7 or less, all PC software that's contained in a single jewel case is $2.99 and clearance titles are usually $2 or less(I just recently picked up the classic Point and Click title "Loom" for $0.50). Granted, the pricing scheme varies from location to location but, for the most part, that's what to expect.

Finally, and this is just for the hardcore hunters out there, the “thrill of the hunt” is alive and well at HPB. From the scattered sections of clearance to the stacks and stacks and stacks of jewel case-only games, there is more than enough to go through(and be found) by the thorough retro shopper. Don’t be afraid to look to the tops of the bookshelves either, there may just a Sega Saturn system, an unopened “Real World Golf” game/peripheral set and more, sitting right there...waiting just for you.

All in all, Half Priced Books is a place every gamer needs to stop by at least once in their travels...more(a lot more) if you’re into old school PC games. I won’t even get in to the hundreds of titles I’ve purchased from them over the years...except to say I sure didn’t spend hundreds of dollars to get them.