Hey guys! Thanks for checking out this episode of My Retro Life. I've been wanting to do this one for a very long time. The footage that Dad captured of these retail stores from back in the day is truly special to me and immediately takes me back. How about you? What was your favorite video game store to shop at? Thanks for watching!
Honestly in those times I rented more games than I could afford to buy so imma have to say blockbuster and this mom and pop shop that was on willow st called video 7 both of those stores have been closed
But I do remember when Dreamcast came out we got it during Christmas and we had went to alot of stores and they were sold out and we had went to funco land and they had it thier so funco land made it happen this was the only time I went to funco land
His dad was also a hero for giving tyler so many great memories. I wish at least one of my relatives from back then that were already adults liked games and played with us.
Strange isn't it? In the moment, it all seemed rather ordinary. Why is it that only when we look back do we see how unique and fascinating the era was? I'd wager 20+ years from now we will look back on today with a similar warmth.
I miss that time period so much. Had a n64 and dreamcast and felt it to my core when sega announced they were stepping out if hardware. It was like a bad breakup 💔
The later 2000s and 2010s will never be nostalgic, it's all forgettable, cause it's when corporations started making everything soul less. If there is no soul in a product, people do not care.. stuff with no soul gets quickly forgotten about like in months.
What a time. Surreal to see Gamestop and Funco Land with cardboard displays of Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy 9, Crazy Taxi, etc. This footage is a gem.
I kinda needed this right at this moment. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I have had this sudden surge of nostalgia running through my veins that just cannot be satisfied. As someone born, and grew up in the mid 90's, I was just on the tail end of this 80's and 90's aesthetic that I miss so dearly. I remember the days when nearly everything had these purple carpets with shapes and lines on them, and everything just felt vibrant and in your face. These are the days I look back on and just really wish would come back. Everything feels... Sterile? I don't think thats the right word for it but it's what I'm going to use to describe how everything feels in the modern age. If you read this thank you, I just kinda needed to get this off my chest.
Everything feels like the spirit left it. And when I look at the simplistic GameCube covers I think that was the start of it in many ways but it was something that got progressively worse over time and you can see this in how customizable and full of spirit the 3ds home screen was and the 3ds eshop and how the switch homescreen has nothing on it, no theames, no tunes , nothing.
For some reason i have that same urge for late 80s and 90s stuff idk why cant really put it into words. been watching some history of Gi joe videos lately too lol that really brings me back! i remember thinking as a kid i cant wait to grow up boy was i wrong lol. you guys both got it right its like the spirit is gone nothing has that feel anymore and its a shame. we changed so much, our society and culture is just different, some for the good, but alot for the worse i think...
Facts upon facts!! I miss the 90s like it was yesterday. The essence of life and everything in it. Video Games back then had way more of a charm to it. Timeless classics that are still valuable til day
This is awesome to read. I was born in late '84 and so was getting to the age where I had solid memories starting around 1989/1990. It was a fantastic time. 1990 felt like the pinnacle of everything that had come before in terms of style, fashion, music, movies, and the general feeling in the air. You had shows like Arsenio Hall, which was a fun take on talk shows that had exciting and electric guests with a host (no offense to Carson) that was able to relate a little better in terms of youth. You had moments in sports, like the whole Bo Jackson craze, the Chicago Bulls, the Bills (4 time 2nd best team in the NFL), Cowboys, personal electronics were making huge strides what felt like monthly. There was an excitement about the future and a lot of optimism. SNL had some of its best years in the 90s, the movies, the music, video games. All of it was awesome. Even looking back on it now, the 2000s for the most part held onto that same spirit of optimism (in my opinion) and aesthetic until the 2008 real estate implosion. Malls were still popular, the Internet was just starting to take root and by the second half of the 90s was exploding, people didn't have such personalized choices for entertainment so there was still quite a bit of unity around what people liked unless a person was determined to go far out of their way to find movies/music/art that was niche and appealed to them. MTV was still a powerful force in music and music video premieres were still a big deal (as silly as that might seem now). Its crazy to me looking back to think we started 1990 with the NES (and for those that could afford it, the Mega Drive) and ended with the Dreamcast - such a leap in computing power and graphics quality! CDs were $25 for new releases sometimes, and that was in late 90s money! Most people can't even fathom paying for music now. DVDs were such a massive leap in quality over VHS and to think you couldn't wear the movie out! You could play it as many times as you wanted with no loss in quality. Thanks for your post, you put a smile on my face as I remembered all the fun.
This video brought tears to my eyes for a different reason than most. I’ve never seen pictures or videos of GameStop in that time period and it’s exactly what I remember my first job in a GameStop looked like. I handed out those Lunar puppets to people preordering the game on one of my very first days of work at 16 years old. I was also a Dreamcast fan who resented the PS2 at the time as well and was trying to preach the good word of Ecco and Quake 3 on the dreamcast to people saying “nah I’ll wait for the PS2”
Funcoland was so amazing, they’d let you play any games you wanted right there in the store. I remember they always had super cheap NES games and I’d walk out of there with a stack of them! Good times
I remember being so sad when the local Funcoland near my house became a GameStop. They used to have these big bins of used games and I loved looking through them when I was a kid.
Same here 🖐🏽. I started working at electronics boutique right after graduating high school. My first day was Dreamcast launch night September 8th 1999. I was put in charge of the line because our store was having a midnight launch. Good times!
Your dad is the 🐐 for filming everything. So many kids will never get the chance to experience the days of going in a shop or old school arcades, or playing games at target,Walmart,Ebgames. Crazy I’m 34 now and remember stuff like yesterday.
Seeing your dad film funcoland and the Dreamcast really hit home. I worked at funcoland and launched it on 9.9.99. To see all the games there and playing all the other systems to try out games before you buy was something special. Would love to see those prices again on games lol.
It's crazy to remember a time when game stores sold mainly games and gaming accessories... How the times have changed. This was such a good look back into the past
@@southsidesaiyan8641 the only "big name" game store I've been to recently is GameStop, and for the most part, the store was pretty much filled with just pop-culture stuff; Pickle Rick T-Shirts, large Dragonball figures, Five Nights at Freddie's keychains, plastic Minecraft tools, fidget spinners, etc. It felt like that kind of stuff made up 2/3 of the store, and only 1/3 of the things being sold were actual games, and even then, they were only games released for this past generation of consoles. I'm sure there are smaller businesses that sell mainly games for all sorts of systems, but those kinds of stores aren't all that easy to come across
You grew up at the best possible time man. You had an incredible dad. Makes me wish i grew up in the 90s instead of the late 2000’s. What a blessing that must have been. Thank you for the glimpse into the past. Gives me an appreciation for the era i never got to experience
That's the exact same window that I worked for them. I still have my old polo, name tag, the training manuals, pins... even a few of the old price newspapers. It was a good time up until the Barnes & Noble buyout.
@@bananonymouslastname5693 oh so that’s what happened. I didn’t know why they weren’t around anymore. Thanks for the knowledge, I have good memories of funcoland
That Funcoland was surprisingly quiet. You'd figure they'd be pumping game tunes or have those TV monitors of footage but it was just a humble, respectful store. Very interesting to see. Thank you for this.
John riggs. Hi John riggs. Hi Tyler. But anyways you're right John Riggs the store was interesting to see. Because there's not one ever been standing anywhere near me within a driving distance that is farther than it would be within a day or less drive as far as I know cuz I'm not even ever seen a funcoland.. Like when we we're driving around. So yes it was very interesting and very entertaining to see somebody do like a small short walkthrough straight to the game section he is that's the part of the store almost interested in anyway but what was it like at walmart. Did they have like everything like Wally world dead or I mean actually wally world still does. And Sam's club.
That location always was pretty mild when it came to foot traffic because it constantly fought with the Mall GameStop located a few blocks away. When this FuncoLand eventually became a GameStop it only further complicated matters. Thanks for watching man
My local funcoland in california was about three times the size of this one, and for all the times I'd been there, I don't think I ever noticed music playing. There were tvs set up for each console and people were constantly on them playtesting the used games before buying, so I think it would have been drowned out by that noise if they did. I miss that store. In 2000-1 the mall down the street from it got a gamestop and pretty soon after, our funco turned into one. It's still around today, last I checked, but it kinda hurts seeing it and knowing what it once meant to me.
@@MyRetroLife my mall had Babbages which was the og game store. Also had eb games and funcoland before all were replaced with gamestop. Two arcade and a huge one called pocket change park. The 80s through 2000 were a amazing time to be at the mall
Wow, I used to work in that exact FuncoLand store in First Colony! I was there from either 96-98 or 97-99, so I'd say it's very likely that I assisted you and your Dad a few times in the past! Thanks for the memories, seeing my old store exactly as I remember it gave me quite the feels! I'm pretty sure that's the same preorder binder that I created when I was there, too!
gaming peak, I.T peak, tv for kids was worlds better, and people were more nice and considerate of each other like the guy above said ^. There was real gaming comradery in that time instead of now we just have game collectors and resellers trying to skyrocket game prices to the thousands. And all the consoles that were out, still say sega was best.
@@uhhh_adam the late 80's were peak for R-rated anime like Akira and M.D. Geist, Demon City. Some great titles were made in the 90s like Perfect Blue, Bio-Hunter, and the og Ghost in the Shell movie.
Every time my parents & I went to our local mall, we went into Electronics Boutique. Nostalgia just hit me hard. Thanks for a walk down memory lane. Keep up the great work!👍🏻
Same here, when going with family or friends we hit Electronics Boutique, K-Bee toys, sometimes sears and always stopped by the arcade! Malls were the best from the 80's all the way up until around this time or a bit later. I haven't even been to our local mall in ages, no idea what it looks like in there. Oh and Spencers, always had to see what crazy stuff they had for sale at Spencers lol.
I miss playing Jet Set Radio and MVC2, and then riding my bike to my bestie's house to play Nights, Virtua Fighter and Resident Evil and then ordering Pizza Hut
Oh man - FuncoLand. EB Games. Software ETC. Those old game stores were heaven for a kid - especially the ones in malls. Felt like they were packed from ground to ceiling with the goods. Video game guides, big box PC games, the promo binders. Thanks for sharing these memories, awesome footage!
Loved my Dreamcast. I received my Dreamcast for my 13th birthday in September of 99, the week it came out. NFL2k was my first game and man, was it great! Absolutely loved World Series Baseball 2k1 and 2k2 and the NBA 2k’s were great too! So much potential with the Dreamcast that was never fully realized!
I love my Dreamcast, I remember the year 2000 so clear. The funny thing is I never heard of Gamestop because Funcoland and Electronic Boutique were the game stores in our areas of Philadelphia around this time. My father and I always thought Funcoland was a generic video game store, we only went there if we didn't have time to hit the expressway to go to Electronic Boutique. Just looking at the Quake 3 Arena case is taking me back in time. I remember when I over my friends house after school to introduce them to the game and we played for 6 hours straight, fun times.
Yep I was definitely born too late. I was born in 1996 but now I wish I was born in the 80s so I could enjoy the gaming of the late 80s, 90s,and early 2000s. I got to experience the early 2000s gaming but it felt short lived when next gen consoles came out. Thanks Tyler for showing this video brought so much nostalgia back.
I'm so glad this exists, and you immortalized it by putting it on the internet. Idk what it is about watching stuff from the 90s and early 00s but things just seem peaceful and quiet and carefree. Wish I could go back. Love seeing all those retro games just causally sitting on a shelf unknowing that they would one day be overpriced as hell in 20 years lol.
Our local Funco Land had two tv’s set up with multiple systems. They would allow you to try a game out for 10 minutes before you bought it. I miss those days..now we just watch a gameplay footage on YT and make our decision from there. The strategy guides were expensive back then but now many are worth a pretty penny for collectors who want to grab all merch from a single game franchise.
I saw this video pop up across my timeline and I instantly clicked it! Man it made me feel like I did back in the 90s when my mom would surprise me with the Funcoland visit!! I am loving this content!!! You have truly inspired me to keep going!!! Never stop gaming and please never stop making these great videos!
Everyone else: "Whoa! Game stores from the year 2000!" Me: "Whoa! Evolution: The World of Sacred Device music!" Although seeing the games stores was pretty darn cool as well! Awesome video. :D
Lost my dad when I was a kid; video games are part of my fondest memories with him. This video was a real treat for me to watch. Would definitely watch more. Great work! You and your dad!
I never owned a Dreamcast but my brother had one, while I had a PS1… I remember playing ready to rumble and being blown away by the graphics. By the time it was my turn to get a new console the Dreamcast didn’t exist anymore, but I asked for a GameCube after feeling I missed out on many things by not having a N64
Funcoland That place was a DREAM!! They had all the game prices and trade in prices on those HUGE papers they gave out. I miss that place so much. It was so cool seeing the value of my games as kid. I would 100% go back today if it was a thing. reopen for all retro games GO GO! lol
Man, I love your videos. The fact that your dad captured all of this stuff is amazing and personally never having been able to visit a physical Funcoland store, I'm really thankful to see it. He really seemed to put a lot of care into what he did with capturing all of these memories.
The Dreamcast was probably my favorite system I ever had. We had original Atari, NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, GameGear, Dreamcast, & Original Xbox. I remember lots of fun with all the systems I had, but the Dreamcast was one of my top 2 (N64 playing Golden Eye & Mario Kart with friends is #1). I was always a PC gamer too, only played consoles with friends really. After highschool I never got another console. Played a little bit single player stuff on Dreamcast though, like Resident Evil Code Veronica. Good times.
Tyler, I love the video editing! Listen, yes the Dreamcast was only supported for 2 years by Sega, but the Dreamcast is still loved by many. There are still games being made for it by indie devs who are passionate about the system. It’s my favorite console ever.
I'm not sure you realise how incredibly lucky you are to have a father that captures all of this. Just everyday stuff from your entire childhood. Most of us would kill for something like this to relive our youth and hear our lost family again
This was a fun time to be a gamer and back when you had more than one corporate game store to choose from. Gamestop, Electronics Boutique, Funcoland, Babbage's, Software Etc. I would love to have that promotional PS2 binder now. Interesting how SSX was called by it's full name at the time. Tekken Tag was by far one of the best launch titles for the system and still holds up. I would have been embarrassed being recorded talking on the phone but it's minor things like that moment that take you back to the past. When you had to pick up the landline home phone and call your friends and actually talk to them. Another great video as always.
What great times those were in the early 2000s when the Dreamcast seemed to be going strong. What happened? We all had one and were buying games like crazy. Good lord, I practically lived in Phantasy Star Online. 😢 Amazing content as always!
I felt the PS2 sting as well. I was one of the kids that bought the DC day one and fell in love with it. Playing everything from the 2k sports titles to Resident Evil Code Veronica. I didn't crossover to the PS2 until Christmas of 2002. Thanks for sharing the nostalgia.
@@kuriouskidd5128 nba 2k was great back then. I'd say it's peak was 2k7-2k13 on ps3 and 360 though. Probably 2k11-13, but the others were a lot of fun too.
@@baumer2504 Thanks for the explanation! I’m 17 so I mainly grew up with the Wii, 3DS, 360, PS3 to the next gen consoles now. I’m always intrigued when I here how good things were in the past and it kind of makes me wish I was born in the 80s or 90s lol. I’ve played from 2k13 to now but just recently quit because the game is just built on micro transactions and feels the same way every year since NBA Live doesn’t make basketball games anymore
Your father had a tremendous gift of foresight. He helped you create a time vault. That is mind boggling to me. Its always strange for me to see when people have these kinds of special relationships with their fathers.
There's truly no other channel like this dude. I can't get enough of it and your videos on the Dreamcast awoke this love I had for the console that I didn't know was there. Thank you man!
man the only thing i have left from funcoland is a silver cd case holder with the company name. dont even have the PS1 anymore...good times good times.
Never got tired of those newspaper buy guides. Loved growing up in 90s-early 2ks. That Saturn rack is unbelievable, if only we got them for those prices. Glad I’m 38, I feel bad for kids who are teens now lol.
The death of Sega in the hardware business is expressed with much sombre here, couple that with the great footage of the good old days, and this video becomes a great watch!
Man, I had forgotten how much they really pushed the Dreamcast. The fact that they got pushed that hard in the States and still discounted production within 2 years… there was no hope for Sega.
@@Jim26D It was sort of an "in between gen" a little better than the 5th gen systems, but worse than the upcoming 6th gen systems. When the PS2 got launched (which had superior graphics), then the X-Box, that pretty much spelt the end for it.
@@jeffjackson9679 Maybe it’s just me but when I go back, PS2 games look awful to me. I think Xbox, GC, and even the Dreamcast hold up. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it was the art directions of the games on those systems or the horse power of the Xbox but PS2 is the only system from that generation that I avoid playing. And this coming from someone who was totally into the PS2 when it was out. That and the GC were my go to systems back then. But that’s just me.
Oh wow 2:42 unlocked a core memory i hadn’t thought of in years. I totally forgot how loud receipt printers used to be. That sound almost gave me chills haha.
My wife and I were just in a GameStop the other day and I tried telling her just how much better funcoland was to shop at as a gamer. Sure as a nerd and funko pop collector GameStop is great to go to, it just isn't as great for games anymore.
A not so funny story, that I’m reminded of every time I hear “funco land”. The funco land in my town was famous because when the PS2 came out, the store was robbed for the first shipment of themover night and all the employees were shot and killed. Crazy, I still remember it so clearly.
I remember one day our Funcoland turned into a gamestop and my dad was mad af lmao it was around the time the psp came out I think and he was complaining about the prices. Funcoland had the deals man
the PS2 was and still is the most over-hyped and over-rated console *ever*. Dreamcast graphics were more vibrant,more stunning, and games were more creative and always easy to pick up and play and immensely fun, and it was such a innovative console with it's built in Modem and ease of use to connect to the internet and relatively simple to set up for multiplayer online games like PSO, Quake Arena and others, and the awesome multi-function VMU all of those factor made Dreamcast an amazing console. It really should of had vastly more support and continued support and new first party games up to 2006 at the very least SEGA called it "quits" WAY TOO soon because the board of directors at the company were friends with SAMMY corporation whom they knew were going to buy out Sega Enterprises in 2003/2004, Sega of Japan and Sega US mishandled the marketing and advertising for the console and didn't support or further encourage more localization of great Japanese Dreamcast games for US and EU release...
That's just salt speaking. PS2 is the greatest console ever made, it also had some of the best early online titles such as EverQuest Online Adventures, Socom, Stat wars Battlefront games, Resident Evil Outbreak games, Champions of Norrath, etc... etc...
Dreamcast couldn't play DVDs, that was its biggest problem. That was the very point in time that DVD was replacing VHS as the standard for watching movies at home and for a time the PS2 was the cheapest DVD player on the market. Combine that with the fact that it was the least powerful console of that generation and you have a one two punch for failure.
I was 15 going on 16 in 2000. I never thought that anything new at the time would ever be considered "retro" one day. The thought never entered my head.
I grew up right down the road from First Colony Mall. That GameStop was my GameStop. It was like walking back into my childhood for a moment. Thank you!
This is the first video I've ever watched on this channel, what a fun trip exploring some childhood memories... I was 9 in 2000. I still remember that my older brother, for some unknown reason, sold our copy of Diddy Kong Racing to Funcoland for ... 25 cents! Later, he bought it again but ended up selling it back to them for 25 cents a second time. I'll never let him live that down.
Brought back memories from my time as a "Game Advisor" when I worked for Funcoland during '99 - 2000 It was a fun gig while I was there, cause I worked at the local mall. Would see people I know in and outside the store. A coworker and I would always do our best impersonation of the security guard @3:46 from the commercial that would be played as part of a video tape loop. I also recall a elderly gentleman who would come in after his day at work with a big gulp and play a game at the stations all evening until 30mins before we would close. Worked the day of 9/9/99 for the launch of the Sega Dreamcast, felt I was a part of history lol After I left a few months later I remember stopping by and hearing the store manager complaining about the company purchase from Gamestop lol
Anyone else remember playing the Dreamcast a month or more before it's release? I'll never forget walking into my local toys r us in that summer to see those playable displays. You'd never get to play a console that far ahead of it's release now.
You talking about the summer of '99, right? Yeah I definitely remember that as a kid. Like you said, in these days, No way in hell would Sony have the PS5 sitting out there to demo months before its release.
@@miahthorpatrick1013 it worked too! I constantly thought about the Dreamcast from them on until it released and I was able to rent one (remember renting consoles)
Shenmue music playing while the shadow of the PlayStation 2 looms over the Dreamcast like a behemoth. That’s exactly how I felt about it as well, I tried to tell all my friends how great the Dreamcast was but every time I got the same old response “PS2’s got a DVD player.” When Sega said they were pulling out of the console business I was gutted. It’s crazy to look back now and think I got a Dreamcast on Christmas Day 1999 and by early 2001 it was dead, I looked forward to that console more than any other and it felt like I spent a whole generation with it because it had so many triple A games. I waited for Code Veronica and GTA 2 kept getting delayed in the UK, i thought i waited years for those! Shenmue was our Jewel in the crown and I ran to get it from Game (UK GameStop) on my birthday in 2000. That game made me feel things like no other and I knew we were witnessing history, my mates just wanted to play Smackdown and Gran Turismo. Eventually I capitulated and admitted defeat, i probably traded everything for around £150, I went with Sony because I love Metal Gear Solid. To this day I’ve never owned an Xbox, I didn’t hold a grudge against Microsoft but they’ve never appealed to me, maybe to go full circle I might buy an Xbox to finally check it out. R.I.P Dreamcast, the world hardly knew thee and that’s the biggest tragedy.
in canada *atleast where I live* we've only had electronic boutique, (later EB games) toys R us *it was like a 45 minute drive away from my house we rarely went there* and some mom and pop shops scattered about. I wish we had Funcoland. all of the EB games have been quietly transforming into gamestop which is kinda sad to see. one of the malls that's been around since the early seventies had one and it closed its doors somewhat recently. the main reason I went there, and they didn't even bother to take the sign down after like 3 years. its like looking at a rotting corpse whenever you pass by. Sad to see it go.
It’s funny you posted this cause at that time I also went to GameStop/Eb games and Funcoland too for Dreamcast games since the big box retailers mostly carried 1st party for Dreamcast and the layouts were very similar. Always cracked up how funcoland put that plexi glass shade on the TVs. It was the place to collect retro at the time. Had the same feeling for the Dreamcast, it seem like Sega was back and they were on all cylinders. I’ll never forget the day they announced they were exiting the console biz it felt like a big blow, an end of an era. Had friends who would brag about the ps2 and how it was gonna be way better then DC but I always defended the system. Even though it had a short lifespan never felt cheated. Still remember getting it on my bday in 99 and a couple of days later getting Sonic Adventure and Marvel Vs Capcom on Christmas and just playing both non stop. TBH I don’t think the ps2 had a must buy game until Onimusha.
3:19 Evolution the World Sacred Device music 👌A hidden gem on the Sega Dreamcast. This brought me many memories. Funco Land was the reason how i was introduced to Super Mario Rpg..bought it for only $14.99..how times changed..
This is the best. Thank you so much, Tyler (and your amazing father, may he rest in peace). To answer the question, my favorite video game stores were Babbages (as it seemed more "sophisticated" somehow to me due to the displays, the PC section, etc.), ans Toys R Us, due to the aisles of cover shots and the tags that you had to grab! Thanks again for the memories buddy!
I remember driving to Sugarland from the Woodlands in 1999 to buy a pair of shoes at First Colony Mall. I really don't go down there very often, so when I went to pick my Mom up after surgery I couldn't believe how much it had grown. Great video too. I really miss big boxes PC games used to come in. Reading the contents on the way home was always enjoyable.
![The Shenmue Dreamcast Surprise of Christmas 2000 - My Retro Life [Extended Cut]](/img/n.gif)
Hey guys! Thanks for checking out this episode of My Retro Life. I've been wanting to do this one for a very long time. The footage that Dad captured of these retail stores from back in the day is truly special to me and immediately takes me back. How about you? What was your favorite video game store to shop at? Thanks for watching!
Looks great Tyler.👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️
Honestly in those times I rented more games than I could afford to buy so imma have to say blockbuster and this mom and pop shop that was on willow st called video 7 both of those stores have been closed
But I do remember when Dreamcast came out we got it during Christmas and we had went to alot of stores and they were sold out and we had went to funco land and they had it thier so funco land made it happen this was the only time I went to funco land
Funcoland and Gamestop back in the day!
Back then couldn't really afford gamestop but mom would let me rent a game or two at blockbuster, shout out to mom!
Your dad was a hero for this. Filming history before everyone started doing it. Amazing stuff.
My Retro Life is like a trump card to the whole of youtube
Seriously. All the footage is great
He loves you a lot!
With Big Dinosaur Cameras On The Shoulder etc unlike our Modern Technology which can Fit in our pockets that anyone can Record today.
His dad was also a hero for giving tyler so many great memories. I wish at least one of my relatives from back then that were already adults liked games and played with us.
Your dad did the whole world a favor by always filming these rare moments. I have been watching for a while now, truly awesome content!
we are getting into that age were the early 2000s are just as nostalgic as the 80s or 90s.
Isn’t that bizarre!?
Strange isn't it? In the moment, it all seemed rather ordinary. Why is it that only when we look back do we see how unique and fascinating the era was? I'd wager 20+ years from now we will look back on today with a similar warmth.
@@ogre706 I recall it being pretty freaking awesome at the time at least in terms of video games.
I miss that time period so much. Had a n64 and dreamcast and felt it to my core when sega announced they were stepping out if hardware. It was like a bad breakup 💔
The later 2000s and 2010s will never be nostalgic, it's all forgettable, cause it's when corporations started making everything soul less. If there is no soul in a product, people do not care.. stuff with no soul gets quickly forgotten about like in months.
Man, that brought me back. What I would give to go back to the year 2000.
What a time. Surreal to see Gamestop and Funco Land with cardboard displays of Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy 9, Crazy Taxi, etc.
This footage is a gem.
And Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
Legend of Dragoon 👌
Lunar Puppet is worth so much now!
I kinda needed this right at this moment. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I have had this sudden surge of nostalgia running through my veins that just cannot be satisfied. As someone born, and grew up in the mid 90's, I was just on the tail end of this 80's and 90's aesthetic that I miss so dearly. I remember the days when nearly everything had these purple carpets with shapes and lines on them, and everything just felt vibrant and in your face. These are the days I look back on and just really wish would come back. Everything feels... Sterile? I don't think thats the right word for it but it's what I'm going to use to describe how everything feels in the modern age.
If you read this thank you, I just kinda needed to get this off my chest.
Everything feels like the spirit left it. And when I look at the simplistic GameCube covers I think that was the start of it in many ways but it was something that got progressively worse over time and you can see this in how customizable and full of spirit the 3ds home screen was and the 3ds eshop and how the switch homescreen has nothing on it, no theames, no tunes , nothing.
For some reason i have that same urge for late 80s and 90s stuff idk why cant really put it into words. been watching some history of Gi joe videos lately too lol that really brings me back! i remember thinking as a kid i cant wait to grow up boy was i wrong lol. you guys both got it right its like the spirit is gone nothing has that feel anymore and its a shame. we changed so much, our society and culture is just different, some for the good, but alot for the worse i think...
Facts upon facts!! I miss the 90s like it was yesterday. The essence of life and everything in it. Video Games back then had way more of a charm to it. Timeless classics that are still valuable til day
I'm right there with you. I was born in 91 and the world needs to be how it used to be, simple and full of life and inspired
This is awesome to read. I was born in late '84 and so was getting to the age where I had solid memories starting around 1989/1990. It was a fantastic time. 1990 felt like the pinnacle of everything that had come before in terms of style, fashion, music, movies, and the general feeling in the air. You had shows like Arsenio Hall, which was a fun take on talk shows that had exciting and electric guests with a host (no offense to Carson) that was able to relate a little better in terms of youth. You had moments in sports, like the whole Bo Jackson craze, the Chicago Bulls, the Bills (4 time 2nd best team in the NFL), Cowboys, personal electronics were making huge strides what felt like monthly.
There was an excitement about the future and a lot of optimism. SNL had some of its best years in the 90s, the movies, the music, video games. All of it was awesome. Even looking back on it now, the 2000s for the most part held onto that same spirit of optimism (in my opinion) and aesthetic until the 2008 real estate implosion.
Malls were still popular, the Internet was just starting to take root and by the second half of the 90s was exploding, people didn't have such personalized choices for entertainment so there was still quite a bit of unity around what people liked unless a person was determined to go far out of their way to find movies/music/art that was niche and appealed to them. MTV was still a powerful force in music and music video premieres were still a big deal (as silly as that might seem now).
Its crazy to me looking back to think we started 1990 with the NES (and for those that could afford it, the Mega Drive) and ended with the Dreamcast - such a leap in computing power and graphics quality! CDs were $25 for new releases sometimes, and that was in late 90s money! Most people can't even fathom paying for music now. DVDs were such a massive leap in quality over VHS and to think you couldn't wear the movie out! You could play it as many times as you wanted with no loss in quality. Thanks for your post, you put a smile on my face as I remembered all the fun.
I just find it fascinating how your dad filmed so many moments like this, he really was ahead of his time and such a special guy.
This video brought tears to my eyes for a different reason than most. I’ve never seen pictures or videos of GameStop in that time period and it’s exactly what I remember my first job in a GameStop looked like. I handed out those Lunar puppets to people preordering the game on one of my very first days of work at 16 years old. I was also a Dreamcast fan who resented the PS2 at the time as well and was trying to preach the good word of Ecco and Quake 3 on the dreamcast to people saying “nah I’ll wait for the PS2”
Dreamcast was the shit man
PS2 better
Funcoland was so amazing, they’d let you play any games you wanted right there in the store. I remember they always had super cheap NES games and I’d walk out of there with a stack of them! Good times
GameStop ruined it
I remember being so sad when the local Funcoland near my house became a GameStop. They used to have these big bins of used games and I loved looking through them when I was a kid.
[Coury] As someone who worked at Electronics Boutique at exactly this time, this hit me hard.
Glad you enjoyed it Coury! Thanks for watching
Same here 🖐🏽. I started working at electronics boutique right after graduating high school. My first day was Dreamcast launch night September 8th 1999. I was put in charge of the line because our store was having a midnight launch. Good times!
Your dad is the 🐐 for filming everything. So many kids will never get the chance to experience the days of going in a shop or old school arcades, or playing games at target,Walmart,Ebgames. Crazy I’m 34 now and remember stuff like yesterday.
This show never gets old! Never!
😁
Ironic, innit?
Yeah
Seeing your dad film funcoland and the Dreamcast really hit home. I worked at funcoland and launched it on 9.9.99. To see all the games there and playing all the other systems to try out games before you buy was something special. Would love to see those prices again on games lol.
It's crazy to remember a time when game stores sold mainly games and gaming accessories... How the times have changed. This was such a good look back into the past
Glad you enjoyed it!
What do they sell now?
@@southsidesaiyan8641 the only "big name" game store I've been to recently is GameStop, and for the most part, the store was pretty much filled with just pop-culture stuff; Pickle Rick T-Shirts, large Dragonball figures, Five Nights at Freddie's keychains, plastic Minecraft tools, fidget spinners, etc. It felt like that kind of stuff made up 2/3 of the store, and only 1/3 of the things being sold were actual games, and even then, they were only games released for this past generation of consoles. I'm sure there are smaller businesses that sell mainly games for all sorts of systems, but those kinds of stores aren't all that easy to come across
Now all GameStop sells is consoles, controllers headsets and funcopop
You grew up at the best possible time man. You had an incredible dad. Makes me wish i grew up in the 90s instead of the late 2000’s. What a blessing that must have been. Thank you for the glimpse into the past. Gives me an appreciation for the era i never got to experience
Amazing, I worked at a Funcoland from 99-2001. Those were good times. We were allowed and encouraged to play the games for the customers to see.
That's the exact same window that I worked for them. I still have my old polo, name tag, the training manuals, pins... even a few of the old price newspapers. It was a good time up until the Barnes & Noble buyout.
@@bananonymouslastname5693 I also still have my old shirts and name tag. 👍
Best trade in prices
always interesting to see an original UA-cam channel! youve been on here for a while!
@@bananonymouslastname5693 oh so that’s what happened. I didn’t know why they weren’t around anymore. Thanks for the knowledge, I have good memories of funcoland
That Funcoland was surprisingly quiet. You'd figure they'd be pumping game tunes or have those TV monitors of footage but it was just a humble, respectful store. Very interesting to see. Thank you for this.
John riggs. Hi John riggs. Hi Tyler.
But anyways you're right John Riggs the store was interesting to see. Because there's not one ever been standing anywhere near me within a driving distance that is farther than it would be within a day or less drive as far as I know cuz I'm not even ever seen a funcoland.. Like when we we're driving around. So yes it was very interesting and very entertaining to see somebody do like a small short walkthrough straight to the game section he is that's the part of the store almost interested in anyway but what was it like at walmart. Did they have like everything like Wally world dead or I mean actually wally world still does. And Sam's club.
That location always was pretty mild when it came to foot traffic because it constantly fought with the Mall GameStop located a few blocks away. When this FuncoLand eventually became a GameStop it only further complicated matters. Thanks for watching man
My local funcoland in california was about three times the size of this one, and for all the times I'd been there, I don't think I ever noticed music playing. There were tvs set up for each console and people were constantly on them playtesting the used games before buying, so I think it would have been drowned out by that noise if they did. I miss that store. In 2000-1 the mall down the street from it got a gamestop and pretty soon after, our funco turned into one. It's still around today, last I checked, but it kinda hurts seeing it and knowing what it once meant to me.
@@ClaerisGames funcoland actually gave you good trade in value on some games
@@MyRetroLife my mall had Babbages which was the og game store. Also had eb games and funcoland before all were replaced with gamestop. Two arcade and a huge one called pocket change park. The 80s through 2000 were a amazing time to be at the mall
Wow, I used to work in that exact FuncoLand store in First Colony! I was there from either 96-98 or 97-99, so I'd say it's very likely that I assisted you and your Dad a few times in the past! Thanks for the memories, seeing my old store exactly as I remember it gave me quite the feels! I'm pretty sure that's the same preorder binder that I created when I was there, too!
Man I miss the late 90s/ early 2000s. I have such nostalgia for that time period
It's because it was better times, man. Way more peaceful and friendly, being cool with others was.. well cool! lol
gaming peak, I.T peak, tv for kids was worlds better, and people were more nice and considerate of each other like the guy above said ^. There was real gaming comradery in that time instead of now we just have game collectors and resellers trying to skyrocket game prices to the thousands. And all the consoles that were out, still say sega was best.
Cartoons, animated movies and 3D GAMING!!
@@uhhh_adam the late 80's were peak for R-rated anime like Akira and M.D. Geist, Demon City. Some great titles were made in the 90s like Perfect Blue, Bio-Hunter, and the og Ghost in the Shell movie.
Every time my parents & I went to our local mall, we went into Electronics Boutique. Nostalgia just hit me hard. Thanks for a walk down memory lane. Keep up the great work!👍🏻
Same here, when going with family or friends we hit Electronics Boutique, K-Bee toys, sometimes sears and always stopped by the arcade! Malls were the best from the 80's all the way up until around this time or a bit later.
I haven't even been to our local mall in ages, no idea what it looks like in there. Oh and Spencers, always had to see what crazy stuff they had for sale at Spencers lol.
Greatest UA-cam Channel ever made.
Pure nostalgia at its finest!
Hey I appreciate that!!
My favorite channel since... Game Chasers.
I miss playing Jet Set Radio and MVC2, and then riding my bike to my bestie's house to play Nights, Virtua Fighter and Resident Evil and then ordering Pizza Hut
Oh man - FuncoLand. EB Games. Software ETC. Those old game stores were heaven for a kid - especially the ones in malls. Felt like they were packed from ground to ceiling with the goods. Video game guides, big box PC games, the promo binders. Thanks for sharing these memories, awesome footage!
Every family trip the the mall, kids straight to Software Etc., adults went and did whatever adults do in a mall. We had to be dragged out lol
Loved my Dreamcast. I received my Dreamcast for my 13th birthday in September of 99, the week it came out. NFL2k was my first game and man, was it great! Absolutely loved World Series Baseball 2k1 and 2k2 and the NBA 2k’s were great too! So much potential with the Dreamcast that was never fully realized!
I love my Dreamcast, I remember the year 2000 so clear. The funny thing is I never heard of Gamestop because Funcoland and Electronic Boutique were the game stores in our areas of Philadelphia around this time. My father and I always thought Funcoland was a generic video game store, we only went there if we didn't have time to hit the expressway to go to Electronic Boutique. Just looking at the Quake 3 Arena case is taking me back in time. I remember when I over my friends house after school to introduce them to the game and we played for 6 hours straight, fun times.
I still play mine. My favorite ever console
E.B. Games and Rhino were huge here.
Gamestop was called Babbages in most cities in the 90s. Very few stores were called Gamestop before 1999
Yeah our Babbages became Electronics Boutique and then eB Games, now Gamestop
Pure gold!!
I was just thinking there's all the games Jonny talks about haha
Yep I was definitely born too late. I was born in 1996 but now I wish I was born in the 80s so I could enjoy the gaming of the late 80s, 90s,and early 2000s. I got to experience the early 2000s gaming but it felt short lived when next gen consoles came out. Thanks Tyler for showing this video brought so much nostalgia back.
I was born in 92 so I was lucky enough to remember being a kid In the late 90s and early 2000s
I love when he zoomed In on the rock for the wwf Smackdown game that ruled! As a wrestling fan
I'm so glad this exists, and you immortalized it by putting it on the internet. Idk what it is about watching stuff from the 90s and early 00s but things just seem peaceful and quiet and carefree. Wish I could go back. Love seeing all those retro games just causally sitting on a shelf unknowing that they would one day be overpriced as hell in 20 years lol.
Our local Funco Land had two tv’s set up with multiple systems. They would allow you to try a game out for 10 minutes before you bought it. I miss those days..now we just watch a gameplay footage on YT and make our decision from there. The strategy guides were expensive back then but now many are worth a pretty penny for collectors who want to grab all merch from a single game franchise.
I saw this video pop up across my timeline and I instantly clicked it! Man it made me feel like I did back in the 90s when my mom would surprise me with the Funcoland visit!! I am loving this content!!! You have truly inspired me to keep going!!! Never stop gaming and please never stop making these great videos!
one thing that caught my attention was the WWF NO Mercy book.. what a time... Wrestling was red hot around this time
Seriously, your dad is a hero for capturing these moments. Thank you!
Everyone else: "Whoa! Game stores from the year 2000!"
Me: "Whoa! Evolution: The World of Sacred Device music!"
Although seeing the games stores was pretty darn cool as well! Awesome video. :D
Lost my dad when I was a kid; video games are part of my fondest memories with him. This video was a real treat for me to watch. Would definitely watch more.
Great work! You and your dad!
Oh my god… my heart dropped when I seen the Diablo poster on the wall of the GameStop. I yearn for a time machine…
The FuncoLand footage really takes me back. I miss that store so much.
Me too! So many great memories at Funcoland
That PS2 scene with your buddies: our tv had the same exact green volume and bars on the screen, ha. Maybe ours was a similar model to yours.
I never owned a Dreamcast but my brother had one, while I had a PS1… I remember playing ready to rumble and being blown away by the graphics.
By the time it was my turn to get a new console the Dreamcast didn’t exist anymore, but I asked for a GameCube after feeling I missed out on many things by not having a N64
Funcoland That place was a DREAM!!
They had all the game prices and trade in prices on those HUGE papers they gave out. I miss that place so much. It was so cool seeing the value of my games as kid.
I would 100% go back today if it was a thing. reopen for all retro games GO GO! lol
Man, I love your videos. The fact that your dad captured all of this stuff is amazing and personally never having been able to visit a physical Funcoland store, I'm really thankful to see it. He really seemed to put a lot of care into what he did with capturing all of these memories.
The Dreamcast was probably my favorite system I ever had. We had original Atari, NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, GameGear, Dreamcast, & Original Xbox. I remember lots of fun with all the systems I had, but the Dreamcast was one of my top 2 (N64 playing Golden Eye & Mario Kart with friends is #1). I was always a PC gamer too, only played consoles with friends really. After highschool I never got another console. Played a little bit single player stuff on Dreamcast though, like Resident Evil Code Veronica. Good times.
Tyler, I love the video editing! Listen, yes the Dreamcast was only supported for 2 years by Sega, but the Dreamcast is still loved by many. There are still games being made for it by indie devs who are passionate about the system. It’s my favorite console ever.
I'm not sure you realise how incredibly lucky you are to have a father that captures all of this. Just everyday stuff from your entire childhood. Most of us would kill for something like this to relive our youth and hear our lost family again
This was a fun time to be a gamer and back when you had more than one corporate game store to choose from. Gamestop, Electronics Boutique, Funcoland, Babbage's, Software Etc. I would love to have that promotional PS2 binder now. Interesting how SSX was called by it's full name at the time. Tekken Tag was by far one of the best launch titles for the system and still holds up.
I would have been embarrassed being recorded talking on the phone but it's minor things like that moment that take you back to the past. When you had to pick up the landline home phone and call your friends and actually talk to them. Another great video as always.
i can fit all those games into a flash drive, crazy.
This video got me in the feels. When you all were walking into the store I felt the same kind of childhood excitement of walking into Funcoland.
What great times those were in the early 2000s when the Dreamcast seemed to be going strong. What happened? We all had one and were buying games like crazy. Good lord, I practically lived in Phantasy Star Online. 😢
Amazing content as always!
You have the best dad ever for recording these kinds of historic events and memories
I felt the PS2 sting as well. I was one of the kids that bought the DC day one and fell in love with it. Playing everything from the 2k sports titles to Resident Evil Code Veronica. I didn't crossover to the PS2 until Christmas of 2002. Thanks for sharing the nostalgia.
How was NBA2K back then cuz now it’s just horrendously bad in my opinion
@@kuriouskidd5128 nba 2k was great back then. I'd say it's peak was 2k7-2k13 on ps3 and 360 though. Probably 2k11-13, but the others were a lot of fun too.
@@baumer2504 Thanks for the explanation! I’m 17 so I mainly grew up with the Wii, 3DS, 360, PS3 to the next gen consoles now. I’m always intrigued when I here how good things were in the past and it kind of makes me wish I was born in the 80s or 90s lol. I’ve played from 2k13 to now but just recently quit because the game is just built on micro transactions and feels the same way every year since NBA Live doesn’t make basketball games anymore
Your father had a tremendous gift of foresight. He helped you create a time vault. That is mind boggling to me. Its always strange for me to see when people have these kinds of special relationships with their fathers.
Funcoland! Dreamcast! Good days in gaming.
Your dad is legendary for recording this, and you’re legendary for putting on UA-cam
you dont know what youve got until its gone, that hits hard
Man I'm always happy like a kid when you upload something, thank you Tyler👍
The footage of Funcoland makes me think of the printed catalogs they used to have that listed games and prices on newsprint. Miss those.
There's truly no other channel like this dude. I can't get enough of it and your videos on the Dreamcast awoke this love I had for the console that I didn't know was there. Thank you man!
I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much man. More to come!
man the only thing i have left from funcoland is a silver cd case holder with the company name. dont even have the PS1 anymore...good times good times.
This channel is absolutely wonderful.
Never got tired of those newspaper buy guides. Loved growing up in 90s-early 2ks. That Saturn rack is unbelievable, if only we got them for those prices. Glad I’m 38, I feel bad for kids who are teens now lol.
The death of Sega in the hardware business is expressed with much sombre here, couple that with the great footage of the good old days, and this video becomes a great watch!
I worked at Gamestop a couple years after this and a couple years before this I worked at Babbage's, which was later bought out by Gamestop.
Man, I had forgotten how much they really pushed the Dreamcast. The fact that they got pushed that hard in the States and still discounted production within 2 years… there was no hope for Sega.
Such a mistake. They really were ahead of their time with it. As soon as I bought mine they announced it was being canceled.
@@Jim26D It was sort of an "in between gen" a little better than the 5th gen systems, but worse than the upcoming 6th gen systems. When the PS2 got launched (which had superior graphics), then the X-Box, that pretty much spelt the end for it.
The first time I had seen the high resolution grass texture on Sonic Adventure I was sold.
@@jeffjackson9679 I still think it could have stood with the ps² ,cube and Xbox. It had unique games as well
@@jeffjackson9679 Maybe it’s just me but when I go back, PS2 games look awful to me. I think Xbox, GC, and even the Dreamcast hold up. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it was the art directions of the games on those systems or the horse power of the Xbox but PS2 is the only system from that generation that I avoid playing. And this coming from someone who was totally into the PS2 when it was out. That and the GC were my go to systems back then.
But that’s just me.
Oh wow 2:42 unlocked a core memory i hadn’t thought of in years. I totally forgot how loud receipt printers used to be. That sound almost gave me chills haha.
My wife and I were just in a GameStop the other day and I tried telling her just how much better funcoland was to shop at as a gamer. Sure as a nerd and funko pop collector GameStop is great to go to, it just isn't as great for games anymore.
This stuff is true gaming history, your family is awesome and working on a game store while capturing footage is truly a treasure to behold.
A not so funny story, that I’m reminded of every time I hear “funco land”. The funco land in my town was famous because when the PS2 came out, the store was robbed for the first shipment of themover night and all the employees were shot and killed. Crazy, I still remember it so clearly.
Not so funny as in absolutely horrible
WTF! Where did this happen?
@@leopolddevandersnatch5788 succasunna NJ
I remember one day our Funcoland turned into a gamestop and my dad was mad af lmao it was around the time the psp came out I think and he was complaining about the prices. Funcoland had the deals man
the PS2 was and still is the most over-hyped and over-rated console *ever*.
Dreamcast graphics were more vibrant,more stunning, and games were more creative and always easy to pick up and play and immensely fun, and it was such a innovative console with it's built in Modem and ease of use to connect to the internet and relatively simple to set up for multiplayer online games like PSO, Quake Arena and others, and the awesome multi-function VMU all of those factor made Dreamcast an amazing console. It really should of had vastly more support and continued support and new first party games up to 2006 at the very least
SEGA called it "quits" WAY TOO soon because the board of directors at the company were friends with SAMMY corporation whom they knew were going to buy out Sega Enterprises in 2003/2004,
Sega of Japan and Sega US mishandled the marketing and advertising for the console and didn't support or further encourage more localization of great Japanese Dreamcast games for US and EU release...
Dreamcast left a profound impact on so many of us didn’t it?
That's just salt speaking. PS2 is the greatest console ever made, it also had some of the best early online titles such as EverQuest Online Adventures, Socom, Stat wars Battlefront games, Resident Evil Outbreak games, Champions of Norrath, etc... etc...
Dreamcast couldn't play DVDs, that was its biggest problem. That was the very point in time that DVD was replacing VHS as the standard for watching movies at home and for a time the PS2 was the cheapest DVD player on the market. Combine that with the fact that it was the least powerful console of that generation and you have a one two punch for failure.
@@58jharris ps2 was not more powerful than an Xbox.
@@southsidesaiyan8641 I didn't say it was.
I was 15 going on 16 in 2000. I never thought that anything new at the time would ever be considered "retro" one day. The thought never entered my head.
*The Dreamcast was better than PS2* it had better textures and some of the best games, Just because PS2 played DVDs it won 🎮
Funcoland was my first job I remember we had Street Fighter tournaments after the store closed 😂
Back when the world made sense to me... 😢
I get so emotional with that intro showing your dad! I would like to have a dad like that !
I grew up right down the road from First Colony Mall. That GameStop was my GameStop. It was like walking back into my childhood for a moment. Thank you!
The nostalgia slap this gave me was brutal.
I miss my FuncoLand.
Right?! Thanks for watching
The smell of FuncoLand, Electronics Boutique and Gamestop will never be forgotten.
Smell me. Never forget me.
Smell me. Never forget me.
This is the first video I've ever watched on this channel, what a fun trip exploring some childhood memories... I was 9 in 2000. I still remember that my older brother, for some unknown reason, sold our copy of Diddy Kong Racing to Funcoland for ... 25 cents! Later, he bought it again but ended up selling it back to them for 25 cents a second time. I'll never let him live that down.
I can hear the chrono cross in the background of the store!
Brought back memories from my time as a "Game Advisor" when I worked for Funcoland during '99 - 2000 It was a fun gig while I was there, cause I worked at the local mall. Would see people I know in and outside the store. A coworker and I would always do our best impersonation of the security guard @3:46 from the commercial that would be played as part of a video tape loop. I also recall a elderly gentleman who would come in after his day at work with a big gulp and play a game at the stations all evening until 30mins before we would close. Worked the day of 9/9/99 for the launch of the Sega Dreamcast, felt I was a part of history lol After I left a few months later I remember stopping by and hearing the store manager complaining about the company purchase from Gamestop lol
Dude..... this is awsome nostalgia
Anyone else remember playing the Dreamcast a month or more before it's release? I'll never forget walking into my local toys r us in that summer to see those playable displays. You'd never get to play a console that far ahead of it's release now.
You talking about the summer of '99, right? Yeah I definitely remember that as a kid. Like you said, in these days, No way in hell would Sony have the PS5 sitting out there to demo months before its release.
@@miahthorpatrick1013 it worked too! I constantly thought about the Dreamcast from them on until it released and I was able to rent one (remember renting consoles)
Shenmue music playing while the shadow of the PlayStation 2 looms over the Dreamcast like a behemoth. That’s exactly how I felt about it as well, I tried to tell all my friends how great the Dreamcast was but every time I got the same old response “PS2’s got a DVD player.” When Sega said they were pulling out of the console business I was gutted.
It’s crazy to look back now and think I got a Dreamcast on Christmas Day 1999 and by early 2001 it was dead, I looked forward to that console more than any other and it felt like I spent a whole generation with it because it had so many triple A games. I waited for Code Veronica and GTA 2 kept getting delayed in the UK, i thought i waited years for those! Shenmue was our Jewel in the crown and I ran to get it from Game (UK GameStop) on my birthday in 2000. That game made me feel things like no other and I knew we were witnessing history, my mates just wanted to play Smackdown and Gran Turismo.
Eventually I capitulated and admitted defeat, i probably traded everything for around £150, I went with Sony because I love Metal Gear Solid. To this day I’ve never owned an Xbox, I didn’t hold a grudge against Microsoft but they’ve never appealed to me, maybe to go full circle I might buy an Xbox to finally check it out.
R.I.P Dreamcast, the world hardly knew thee and that’s the biggest tragedy.
So dope that he recorded this much footage 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
What people did not realize at the time was that Dragon Power was actually a Dragon Ball game and it was the first one released outside of Japan.
That chrono cross music when he first walked in, all the memories rushing back.
in canada *atleast where I live* we've only had electronic boutique, (later EB games) toys R us *it was like a 45 minute drive away from my house we rarely went there* and some mom and pop shops scattered about. I wish we had Funcoland. all of the EB games have been quietly transforming into gamestop which is kinda sad to see. one of the malls that's been around since the early seventies had one and it closed its doors somewhat recently. the main reason I went there, and they didn't even bother to take the sign down after like 3 years. its like looking at a rotting corpse whenever you pass by. Sad to see it go.
It’s funny you posted this cause at that time I also went to GameStop/Eb games and Funcoland too for Dreamcast games since the big box retailers mostly carried 1st party for Dreamcast and the layouts were very similar. Always cracked up how funcoland put that plexi glass shade on the TVs. It was the place to collect retro at the time. Had the same feeling for the Dreamcast, it seem like Sega was back and they were on all cylinders. I’ll never forget the day they announced they were exiting the console biz it felt like a big blow, an end of an era. Had friends who would brag about the ps2 and how it was gonna be way better then DC but I always defended the system. Even though it had a short lifespan never felt cheated. Still remember getting it on my bday in 99 and a couple of days later getting Sonic Adventure and Marvel Vs Capcom on Christmas and just playing both non stop. TBH I don’t think the ps2 had a must buy game until Onimusha.
This footage is priceless. Your dad is awesome.
I went to that Gamestop in First Colony for years. Me and my friends would hang out at that mall every weekend. Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Very cool. I'm 31 and clearly remember going to FuncoLand as a kid
Video games will never be as good as they were in the 90s and early 2000s. Your channel is legendary. Your pops is legendary.
I miss seeing the jewel cases for ps1/Dreamcast and the big cardboard boxes for n64
I was lucky enough to grow up in the 2000s my first game console was the ps2. I remember unwrapping it on Christmas morning. Those were the days.
Oh, how I miss those days. It's heartbreaking that everything is basically online now.
This footage should be in the Library of Congress
3:19 Evolution the World Sacred Device music 👌A hidden gem on the Sega Dreamcast. This brought me many memories. Funco Land was the reason how i was introduced to Super Mario Rpg..bought it for only $14.99..how times changed..
This is the best. Thank you so much, Tyler (and your amazing father, may he rest in peace).
To answer the question, my favorite video game stores were Babbages (as it seemed more "sophisticated" somehow to me due to the displays, the PC section, etc.), ans Toys R Us, due to the aisles of cover shots and the tags that you had to grab!
Thanks again for the memories buddy!
I remember driving to Sugarland from the Woodlands in 1999 to buy a pair of shoes at First Colony Mall. I really don't go down there very often, so when I went to pick my Mom up after surgery I couldn't believe how much it had grown. Great video too. I really miss big boxes PC games used to come in. Reading the contents on the way home was always enjoyable.