Playstation 3, Take 3

Before we begin the festivities, I just wanted to show you my work on that Game Boy Advance SP...

A guy on the AtariAge forum named IceManXP300 was kind enough to make a handful of vinyl stencils out of this design, then explained in detail how to use spraypaint to make it a permanent part of the system. I've got to say I'm pretty happy with the results, and most everyone I've shown it to has been equally impressed.

With that out of the way, let's talk about the Playstation 3. As you may already know, my last one petered out on me after two weeks and had to go back to the seller. He refunded my money plus shipping, so I've got no complaints there. Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure its replacement was not only cheap, but built to last. Let me tell you, it's no fun spending eight hours installing your entire PSN collection, only to have to delete it all and start from scratch.

This time, I picked up a PS3 Slim from a pawn shop in the Tucson area for a reasonable $75. The shop has a good reputation and the system has a six month warranty, so unless I'm profoundly unlucky, I should have nothing to worry about. (I hope.) This system's also got a larger hard drive than the last one, which is a relief as the PS3 seems to burn through storage more quickly than the Xbox 360.

Unfortunately, it might be a couple of days before I can do any serious gaming with this system. I'm lacking a Playstation A/V cable, which means I can't hear any of my games until the one I purchased from eBay finally arrives or I stop being a cheap bastard and buy a real television instead of the computer monitor I'm currently using. These cables aren't exactly rare, you know. I've got tons of 'em in Michigan... why can't I find any HERE?

Anyway. I'm currently running the Capcom vs. SNK 2 attract mode as a makeshift burn-in test, hoping the system can stay cool after prolonged use. Hopefully that cable will get here soon so I don't have to spend the next couple of days licking my lips hungrily as the game plays itself.