10/28/05
01. Nintendo Power Pad
Man, can you imagine how many stinky little kid feet have been all over this thing? Yes, friends, it's one of the NES' least popular peripherals: the POWER PAD! Designed to be an NES controller that you ran in place on, it was released in 1987(?) in a special NES set along with a cartridge containing Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt and World Class Track Meet - a game made specifically for use with the Power Pad. I have a feeling the Pad came about in response to various parental groups complaining that Nintendo was making their children into obese slobs. Well, check this out, parents! Now your child can get their exercise and their video game fix at the same time!
The only problem was that kids figured out it was much easier to just pound on the Pad with their fists than run in place on it. Then they figured out that the games made for use with the Power Pad weren't that fun or plentiful - and they were the only games you could use with the Pad. Eventually, the Pad died a slow, barely-noticed death along with the U-Force and Power Glove peripherals.
Still, the Power Pad set was the one I received when I got my first NES as a birthday present (thanks, Mom!) back in the day, so it holds special meaning for me. Plus, it looks great hanging on my bedroom wall; it's my kind of tapestry. The Pad was $1.88 at ATS in Baton Rouge.
02. Go-Bots "Coptur" action figure
He's missing his rotor blades, but he's die-cast metal and shiny silver decals all the way, and that's enough for me. 10 cents at ATS. Shamelessly stolen from this site, here's his profile:
Coptur is the Renegade enforcer. When CyKill's plans call for someone tough, he is often chosen for this duty. Though not as swift as some of the other Renegades, Coptur makes up for it with sheer brute force. Using his rotors like a katana, he can cut through most any material. In helicopter mode, these blades generate enough lift to allow him to hover upside down. Coptur's most serious weakness is sheer clumsiness in critical situations. Although he has been at least partially responsible for more than a few failures, his unquestionable loyalty has been invaluable to CyKill and the Renegade cause.
By the way, I'm back at my apartment in New Orleans to stay (after the Katrina debacle,) so expect a return to the Red White & Blue, Bridgehouse, and Jefferson Highway Flea Market trips of old and less America's Thrift Store trips. ATS has been very good to me, though - enough so to warrant a weekly trip on the weekends.
© 2005 seawall
