It’s dangerous to go alone

Big corporations tend to take joy in excavating every crevasse, nook, darkened, unexplored square inch of your wallets and purses. Similar to an addiction, they do everything in their power to empty your hard-earned savings with high-priced objects, trying to squeeze every ounce of an item’s worth for maximized profit; at least it seems that way.

Trying to budget school, food, and rent is hard enough, let alone trying to afford a few games and hobbies to retain your sanity after looking at the month’s bills.

Do you want to replay those old computer games just sitting on the edge of your desktop screen or dust off your old Gameboy only to realize the double-A batteries have been dead since 1999?

Or, you could follow this handy guide to finding a cheap and affordable way of getting some new or used games here in Ottawa.

I like playing video games, but I’m also not 14 years old so I don’t spend all my time playing recycled crap like Call of Duty. Where can I go to get a real game?

If you’re looking for used games, Chumleigh’s on Bank Street has a collection of recent to old, to really old games at a more than reasonable price. They also have a few Blu-Ray’s along with a substantive collection of DVD’s and VHS tapes if you want to pick up some movies as well. It’s a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place but well worth checking out if you want to try and find that might-be rare game without resorting to paying someone an exorbitant price on EBay.

I find video games are like fine wine: the older, the better. Where can I get my fix of Nintendo, Sega and other classic games en masse?

If you’re a connoisseur of gaming’s history, avoid the bargain bins at EB Games. Instead try looking at the much wider collection Microplay on both Merivale Road and Bank Street have to offer. With literally hundreds of games dating back to the earliest days of video games, odds are they have at least one game that will have you reaching for a tissue to wipe away a single, manly (or womanly) tear of nostalgia. You can also trade in games here, so if Grandma got you a copy of John Deere: North American Farmer one year for Christmas, you can trade it in for credit towards a much less cringe-worthy game.

I like card games, board games and board games that have cards with them. Is there such a place that would have all of those?

Indeed there is. The Comic Book Shoppe also located on Merivale Road and Bank Street has all you need in spades. In addition to being lined with amazingly cool nerdy stuff you don’t want to admit to your friends you know about, they have dozens of different board and card games plus any expansions they might have all in store, and if not, you can always order a specific game you’ve wanted. Keep in mind, they can still be pretty expensive, especially if you plan on picking up said expansions for them, but they also host gaming nights where people can come in and try some games for free, with other like-minded people. If you don’t like it, you can always try something else. Check their local listings for events on their calendar to see what games or tournaments they may be showcasing on a given day.

I like the real old-school gaming scene, the one where we use pen and paper and multi-sided dice and we’re not afraid of a little math. Where to then?

You’ll want to go on over to Fandom II, situated in downtown Ottawa on Laurier Avenue. All rulebooks, boxes, modules, dice, expansions, adventures and sets you could ever ask for are there, just waiting to be released from their shrink-wrapped prisons for your entertainment. Most editions of D&D can be found there along with many other games with their own catalogue of books to choose from. Prices vary between the different sets but even with some small investment can last you dozens upon dozens of adventures with a group of friends. One small warning though: if you have any soda in your house it will be gone before the night is done.

I’d like to say I’m in one of the above groups but I’m really, really broke. I probably can’t afford much more than to spend a few bucks. Is there nothing left for me?

Oh, but there is. Try the Stittsville Flea Market on weekends or one of several Value Villages scattered across Ottawa. The catch here is finding anything really spectacular in one of these places is not that great. You’ll have to keep checking and trying other places, but eventually, you may just find something really neat that’s only a few dollars and you can brag about it to your friends.

Trust me, when you find something amazing that will last you days for less than the cost of a Big Mac, it will make the searching around well worth it.