Walmart.
Big, blue, and always bustling with activity. But in one quiet corner of the store, touched by no person, sits a discount bin filled with detritus and the unwanted mounds of overlooked games. If one looked deep enough, they’d find games from the early 2000s - yes, perhaps even a copy of Capitalism Plus… for Windows 98.
From this almost primordial goo of software, it is possible for classics to emerge. But more often than not, you find strange things. Take for instance, this gimped copy of Ski Jumping 2005.
Video: Ski Jumping 2005
The Walmart edition did not include the career mode(!!!) nor commentary. It was an absurdist masterpiece, a twisted parody of those free pack-in games that came in cereal boxes. There was no fun value to be had in this game. Not unless you took pleasure in collecting and curating the worst games.
Then there’s the sad case of City of Heroes. I picked it up for a mere 0.97 CAD. It just displays a login screen; the servers were shut down years ago. Such a shame.
My favorite Walmart discount bin purchase was Everquest. It came with a figurine. I used the disc as a coaster and the figurine as my Monopoly token.
Walmart, amiright?
EscapeRoom is written by Austin “tinoesroho” Williamson and may contain nuts.