I’ve been away from Rodent for some time. It’s not been through choice you understand. It’s been more due to some ‘other’ issues cropping up in the real world that have conspired to interfere with my enjoyment of the cornucopia of delights on offer from Rodent Towers.

Of these other interfering factors the biggest and most overbearing has been money. As very few people are ever financially unworried throughout life I’m sure there is a degree of empathy from people. The most painful aspect of this has been the protracted sale of almost every piece of gaming paraphernalia that I owned around January.

Doo do do doo do dooooo.

First the recent dross and prequels went. Max Payne 2 was a disappointment and Burnout 2 was sitting redundant on the shelf. Then a few of the luxury games went – I rarely played them in all honesty – Rez from the DreamCast and the House of the Dead 2 box. As the year progressed it became clear that the dust gathering Megadrive had to go – along with the beautiful Gunstar Heroes and Micro Machines. I gave them a blast for old times sake but they just had to go. The DreamCast stuff went next. Then someone made me a decent offer for the hulking Atari Jaguar – it occasionally came out for the odd crack on Tempest 2000 but all-in-all, it was an unused relic.

Over the course of the year as my focus shifted to planning for a new start with Mrs Solid games became more of a respite from the pressure of working. SolidBro donated his X-Box to the cause and I managed to borrow my way through the back catalogue. All through this my PS2 stood firm like the steadfast obsidian bedrock of the collection. The situation didn’t improve however. I hacked and drifted my way through Fable and OutRun 2 in the midnight hours but the PS2 collection was being e-bayed away steadily.

About two months ago the circumstances demanded that the unthinkable had to happen. The PS2 had to go. Quickly. The final pieces of the collection had to go along with it. I had underestimated how difficult the actual sale would be. The friendly Gamestation employee noted how well I’d kept the machine dust free and how despite its old serial number it loaded nigh instantaneously. She commented on the quality of the games I was selling (“a cardboard Ico with all the postcards? I think I’ll keep this for myself!”) and upon learning of my reason for selling, offered her sympathies. I tried to laugh it off but my throat had gone a bit dry, this was my last console – the Gameboy, DreamCast, and X-Box had all gone shortly after the Jag and the MegaDrive.

He was one step up on the food chain from me the fucker!

Over 5 years the machine had served me well and now it was gone.

“Maybe it’s for the best.” Said a part of my brain that was clearly very heavily influenced by Mrs Solid.

“BOLLOCKS” Retorted the rest of the brain.

“You should’ve let your anal virginity go before the PS2!” came the cry from the id.

“Nonsense!” I cried in the middle of Sheffield high street to some surprised looking strangers – I was being hysterical. Can a man really love a console to the extent that selling it would be wrong? Actually morally wrong? A good question but morals go out the window when you can’t afford food.

Chris love you solid long time!

Two sad long months have passed and I’ve since come into possession of a replacement PS2. My brother had left one with the parents due to a supposedly broken lens. One lens cleaner later and I have a working console and he’s none the wiser. The year is coming to a close, I’m just in time for silly season to kick in as far as game releases go and this Christmas it will see the release of a new spangly home console. Months ago it seemed like this time would never come but there’s light now.

Things are looking up in the Solid household. Money ain’t so tight, I’m hosting semi-regular horror movie all-nighters and I’m thinking of upgrading the domiciliary brew from Yorkshire to Yorkshire Gold. Alongside this I get to look at the games industry in something of a fresh light and I find I’m excited - not by the explosion in hardware (what the funk is a Gizmondo – I mean honestly?) – but by the games. I’m looking forward to playing things like God of War and Fahrenheit. There’s a new Pro Evo round the corner and even an update to Virtua Tennis on that sexy little palmtop PS2. I reckon Brian Lara might even get a bash (not in the BNP fashion). Happy Days are here again.

December 2005

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