But all this does beg the question: are we in an EarthBound bubble?  Do you see any reason in the near future why the price of these carts might crash?  Maybe a secret cabal of video game resellers snatching up every copy and hoping to ride the market to an early retirement?  Or is this a real rise in the value, perhaps from word of mouth finally making this game more than just a cult classic?

Alright, guys.  Here's a project that's perhaps one of the best things I've contributed to since starting the website.  The Video Game Years is an exclusive RetrowareTV show that examines the history, culture, and the oddities of video game history.  Much in the style of "I Love the ..." shows on VH1.  Hopefully we'll have you learning, laughing, and scratching your head as we examine all that transpired in our favorite hobby's past.

This is just part 1 of the pilot episode - 1977.  You can watch part 2 right now at retrowaretv.com, which I encourage you all to do.

Do it. Are you doing it? Do it now!

That handsome man in the above video would never lie to you.  We do indeed have several prizes ready to give out to people willing to donate to the Ameircan Cancer Society and also help spread word about our charity marathon taking place right here from noon, December 9th, though midnight on December 11th of 2011.

Here's a quick rundown of the prizes and how you can get each:

Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii - Donate the most money to the ACS while the guys are playing through Dragon's Lair 1 & 2, as well as Space Ace

Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack for Wii - Donate the most money to the ACS while the guys are playing through Mad Dog McCree 1 & 2

Banpresto Mother 2/EarthBound figure (Paula) - Random drawing from those who tweet about the marathon on Twitter between Oct. 12th and Dec. 12th using the hashtag "#CDiMarathon", mentioning "@cotgw", and including a link to http://www.clanofthegraywolf.com/3rd-annual-cotgw-charity-marathon

Banpresto Mother 2/EarthBound figure (Poo) - Random drawing from those who "Like" the marathon on Facebook between Oct. 12th and Dec. 12th by clicking on the "Like" button at the bottom of http://www.clanofthegraywolf.com/3rd-annual-cotgw-charity-marathon

Banpresto Mother 2/EarthBound large figure (Ness) - Random drawing from everyone who donates to the ACS through the widget in the upper right corner of the page (minimum donation of $10)

Random Bag of Crap/Stuff/Poopie - Auctions will be held at random for bags throughout the marathon - watch the stream, our Twitter, or Facebook for alerts!

Official Clan of the Gray Wolf 128 MB Flash Drive - Everyone who donates at least $50 to the ACS through the widget in the upper right corner of the page will recieve one (supplies are limited)

I always love seeing videos that can entertain and inform at the same time, and I'm really happy to share this amazing retrospective by Mark Carr (host of Indie Games Searchlight).  It's on the granddaddy of the modern independent video game - Cave Story.  If you enjoyed it, I urge you to check out his other work.

I was a Lieutenant is the US Army on September 11th, 2001.  I was a combat engineer, living in Baumholder, Germany. I was in the 1st Armored Division. 

To say that my experience of Spetember 11th was different from most of the world is an understatement. For one, Germany is 6 hours ahead of the US.  It was late in the afternoon on a long, hot day before I heard.  My unit was at the range. That means we were practicing our marksmanship and testing our weapons.  I was responsible for a taking a small team to the top of a nearby hill to set up a retrans site, so the units at the range could relay radio signals back to the headquarters. All-in-all, it makes for a boring day, sitting in the sun, working on paperwork and reading a book. I had gotten Game Boy Advance for my birthday, and I was determined to find some time to play with it too.

Well I was going to post on my chess game in the forums... you should check it out and make a move if you haven't, but some thing came up...

Today is the 45th anniversary of Star Trek. Those who frequent some of my favorite haunts may have seen some commentary on Geek Mom. Or you might have spotted some blog-necromancy on Underwire. God forbid you were caught on Trek Web...

There's even a great tribute video on YouTube.

But of course we all know by now... it's not really a big deal unless I post on it, right?