For several weeks, I've been preparing to hand off my aging GameBoy Advance SP to my soon-to-be 5-year-old, Xander. It took me some time to find all of the components (case, charging station, etc) and some age-appropriate games (he's not getting my Pinball of the Dead, Final Fantasy Tactics or Doom II!). I had finally tracked down used copies of Pokemon Pinball, Yoshi's Island, Namco Museum and Sega Arcade Gallery (plus my old Super Mario 3) when something unexpected happened.
He fell in love with the Leapster. At a friend's birthday party, Xan played the Ratatouille game for the Leapster, ignoring the guy making balloon animals and swords and stuff in the living room and staying totally focused for longer than I can ever remember.
The Leapster is actually a lot like an oversized gaming portable, but with educational software from Leapfrog. Xan loves Ratatouille, often pretending to be Remy the rat, and has been frustrated by the incredibly difficult and not-young-kid-friendly game for the Xbox 360 (though he refuses to try anything else). He seemed so much more at home with the Leapster, and I wondered why I had never noticed this gizmo before. He's already a big fan of the Leapfrog videos, which teach helpful rules for learning to spell complex words and understand concepts like silent e.
I scanned the Black Friday ads and found a Leapster L-MAX for $70 at Kohl's. I could get a near equivalent deal online, but have heard reports that the devices sometimes fail in their first few days and wanted the flexibility of an in-store return. Plus, they promised a $10 coupon towards another purchase, which will bring down the price of another game cartridge.
So I set the alarm for 3:30 a.m. Friday. Personally, I've never participated in Black Friday. When I was a teenager, I had a part-time job in a retail department store back East and worked holidays for the double pay. I recall the store opening around 7 a.m. and seeing a small trickle of people that grew as the day progressed. They might squabble over the occassional fad like Cabbage Patch dolls, but otherwise it was peaceful and busy - but not insane.
Things have changed. I first guessed I might be in trouble when I saw traffic backing up about half a mile in the left turn lane. The place was packed. I parked several lots away and hustled into the store. UTTER MAYHEM. There was a line wrapping around the store to go upstairs on the escalator, which is where I determined the toy section was. The aisles were jammed with people. I located the Leapster and asked someone to pass me one, and then ran for the checkout line - which was equally long.
About an hour later, I briefly contemplated a stop at another department store, which had a 20% off coupon for all videogames that might have saved me almost $35 on Rock Band. But I figured if they even had any copies, they would go to people who got in line before I even woke up.
I did glean a few tips for those who want to brave the crowds in future years:
- Check the ads at a site like bfads.net first to see if it's even worth your while.
- Get as much sleep as you can after Thanksgiving dinner.
- Camp out only if you're hunting for a very popular item and/or a really good deal. Otherwise, showing up 5-60 minutes early will probably work out.
- Bring a buddy/spouse with a cell phone so you can coordinate. One person can camp in line while the other shops.
- Allow up to 2 hours to check out. Don't assume you'll be able to run from one store opening to the next.
The good news is that I was successful and learned from my trip. Next year, I doubt I'll go out into the Black Friday night - but if I do, I'll be ready.
-=Gamewatcher
For gamers who want to make a difference this holiday, 
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