What memories do you guys have about renting video games at places like blockbuster or hollywood video

[Lg42inchtv]

This question is probably going to make me sound young af (I'm 19) but I thought it would be decent idea to ask this question

 

[What's His Face]

I was in line to rent some movie, when this kid comes up to his grandmother behind me in line and asks if he can rent this game he was holding. The grandmother just absolutely, frothingly, freaks out, shouting at the poor kid about how much she hates video games and all the violence and shooting and just lays into him for even wanting to touch a video game for a full five minutes, the kid crying after just one. Everyone's watching, just waiting for her to start smacking the kid.

I got fed-up with the bitch and asked her if she was done traumatizing her grandson yet. She lays into me, and I cross my arms and roll my eyes at her, then ask her why she hates SOCCER GAMES.

The kid was holding a freaking SOCCER game. Bitch told me to fuck-off and stormed out of the store, dragging the kid by his elbow behind her. I felt bad for that kid.

 

[Lg42inchtv]

I was in line to rent some movie, when this kid comes up to his grandmother behind me in line and asks if he can rent this game he was holding. The grandmother just absolutely, frothingly, freaks out, shouting at the poor kid about how much she hates video games and all the violence and shooting and just lays into him for even wanting to touch a video game for a full five minutes, the kid crying after just one. Everyone's watching, just waiting for her to start smacking the kid.

I got fed-up with the bitch and asked her if she was done traumatizing her grandson yet. She lays into me, and I cross my arms and roll my eyes at her, then ask her why she hates SOCCER GAMES.

The kid was holding a freaking SOCCER game. Bitch told me to fuck-off and stormed out of the store, dragging the kid by his elbow behind her. I felt bad for that kid.

Heh that reminds me of my own grandmother who used to think all of the video games I played were satanic

 

[Dyne]

My mom or dad would often bring us kids to the video store on Friday to rent a game or movie (we almost always chose a game) for the weekend.

I once rented this game called Chrono Trigger based on the cool looking cover art (a lot of the time thats all we had to go on. Couldnt google)
I couldnt believe how good it was! It was a Final Fantasy - type game game, and I loved those! I got pretty far in it but I had to return it in a couple days. None of my friends had heard of that game. They didnt really like Final Fantasy anyway.

Next Friday I looked for it and I rented it again. But my save file was gone. So I played again and tried to get farther than last time. I did this 3 or 4 times, only once or twice was my save file still there. Eventually I moved on to something else.

A few years later when I learned that I could play games on the computer using something called an emulator, Chrono Trigger was one of the first games I played.

 

[JPchicre]

We never had those franchises in Brazil but er had movie rental stores, I loved Them, i got to watch some old Hollywood classic movies there, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and such... One time i asked to rent the fifth Pink Panther movie from the 70s "The Pink Panther Strikes Again " wich in Brazil was launched with the title "A Nova Transa da Pantera Cor de Rosa" Wich translates to The Pink Panther New Sexual Affair or The Pink Panther New Fuck. I have no Idea they went with this title, but everyone in the store got really wakward when a teenager with his mother asked for that movie. Including my mother and the store clerk. She did ask me before hand if I was asking her to rent a porno, I was not. I just wanted to see a 70s crime comedy.

 

[Lg42inchtv]

We never had those franchises in Brazil but er had movie rental stores, I loved Them, i got to watch some old Hollywood classic movies there, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and such... One time i asked to rent the fifth Pink Panther movie from the 70s "The Pink Panther Strikes Again " wich in Brazil was launched with the title "A Nova Transa da Pantera Cor de Rosa" Wich translates to The Pink Panther New Sexual Affair or The Pink Panther New Fuck. I have no Idea they went with this title, but everyone in the store got really wakward when a teenager with his mother asked for that movie. Including my mother and the store clerk. She did ask me before hand if I was asking her to rent a porno, I was not. I just wanted to see a 70s crime comedy.

I'll add that there is actually a family owned video rental store near me that is still open to this day and they don't have any video games there

 

[MegaDrive1987]

I remember in 1995 I was in Blockbuster looking for some Mega Drive games to rent for the weekend and my Mum suggested Ristar as "it looks like Sonic" (her words). She didn't know it was made by Sonic Team. If only we both knew back then how much that game would be worth nowadays...

 

[redux007]

This question is probably going to make me sound young af (I'm 19) but I thought it would be decent idea to ask this question

There really wasn't anything to it. If you want to "relive" the glory days go to your local library and "rent" a movie or video game from them. Same thing. Except imagine highly exploitative leasing arrangements and outrageous behavior on the point of the leaser. And, your liable for the loss media instead of the other way around (as is typical for a disc renter/shipping service nowadays). IE your out new (fifty bucks!, nowadays 80 dollars) in expenses if you can't find it. Also, if you're late they could issue arrest warrants and other chicken shit behavior in some counties/states. It honestly wasn't a great arrangement. And, people that nostalgia trip over it are really REACHING in this case. It's one of the few things I'm glad died off. Also, not to violate any rules here, but coughhandrubbingcough, if you catch my drift in the mentality behind that industry.

 

[Gavin_McShooter]

10 year old me being confused with my feelings each time i'd walk past that same, untouched copy of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude.

 

[Lg42inchtv]

There really wasn't anything to it. If you want to "relive" the glory days go to your local library and "rent" a movie or video game from them. Same thing. Except imagine highly exploitative leasing arrangements and outrageous behavior on the point of of the leaser. And, your liable for the loss media instead of the other way around. IE your out new (fifty bucks!, nowadays 80 dollars) in expenses if you can't find it. Also, if you're late they could issue arrest warrants and other chicken shit behavior in some counties/states. It honestly wasn't a great arrangement. And, people that nostalgia trip over it are really REACHING in this case. It's one of the few things I'm glad died off. Also, not to violate any rules here, but coughhandrubbingcough, if you catch my drift in the mentality behind that industry.

They really could issue arrest warrants for people that didn't return their rentals?

 

[redux007]

They really could issue arrest warrants for people that didn't return their rentals?

Yes, guy was infamously busted for failing to return a movie for a placed that ceased to exist a decade prior. The warrant had set unserved for years.

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/north-carolina-man-arrested-for-not-returning-2002-vhs-rental/531-e42289c6-d9cc-4c69-9505-ed34c29fc7e1

 

[Badseed Badseed]

There was nothing better than getting paid, driving to Blockbuster and renting (Hopefully if
they are not all out) your favorite game and movie on VHS. Yes kids VHS
You could also get all the junk you Wanted to eat or drink. I usually got some kind of twizzlers
and a Jolt cola.

I miss you Jolt Cola

VHS

and here's something for the rest of you that are as old as me,
remember this?

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

I used to rent PS2 games like every other week from Blockbuster. I'm still trying to remember and track down some of those games to this day.

There really wasn't anything to it. If you want to "relive" the glory days go to your local library and "rent" a movie or video game from them. Same thing. Except imagine highly exploitative leasing arrangements and outrageous behavior on the point of the leaser. And, your liable for the loss media instead of the other way around (as is typical for a disc renter/shipping service nowadays). IE your out new (fifty bucks!, nowadays 80 dollars) in expenses if you can't find it. Also, if you're late they could issue arrest warrants and other chicken shit behavior in some counties/states. It honestly wasn't a great arrangement. And, people that nostalgia trip over it are really REACHING in this case. It's one of the few things I'm glad died off. Also, not to violate any rules here, but coughhandrubbingcough, if you catch my drift in the mentality behind that industry.

I've know MANY people who had multiple things rented out that where way over due, sometimes over a year. That shit absolutely did not happen here. Even I would sometimes keep things a few weeks over, the consequences where like a couple dollars in late fees at most, sometimes they wouldn't even bother doing that. Canadian blockbuster didn't seem to give a single shit.

 

[Frickinfrik]

I remember renting several Wii games from a Blockbuster at a strip mall near where I used to live. I remember renting Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Party 8, Super Paper Mario, Mario and Sonic 2010, and Mario Super Sluggers. Thought I never got past 1-3 in SPM because of the horribly cryptic puzzle in that level and the copy of Mario and Sonic 2010 they had was scratched.

 

[redux007]

I used to rent PS2 games like every other week from Blockbuster. I'm still trying to remember and track down some of those games to this day.



I've know MANY people who had multiple things rented out that where way over due, sometimes over a year. That shit absolutely did not happen here. Even I would sometimes keep things a few weeks over, the consequences where like a couple dollars in late fees at most, sometimes they wouldn't even bother doing that. Canadian blockbuster didn't seem to give a single shit.

It thankfully didn't happen much of anywhere. Only the worse of the worse franchises would cause problems for people, but it did happen.

 

[χKai]

My dad worked at a rental store for awhile, and when they went out of business he got to have one of the first picks among all the video games and movies they were getting rid of.

 

[MajesticSiN]

I have all the memories.
Was an amazing time.

 

[bjork]

We always went to mom and pops, going way back like 82 or 83. Was a weekend ritual for years, though the store we went to would change if we moved. One movie for everyone, one that was for after my bedtime, and then one for me and I could basically pick anything, though one time I tried to pick Debbie Does Dallas and was told no. I was like 8, I thought it was about football due to logo on the cover.

I didn't start renting games until the Genesis, so I rented a lot of that wave that came out like Greendog and Kid Chameleon and was like, "wow this is not great" every time. Outrun wound up being the best thing I rented, that Genesis port is ok. Anyway, I started renting wrestling tapes and would be in there pretty often. I think the very last thing I rented was the talkie CD version of Leisure Suit Larry 6, so that would've been sometime in 95. I think that place is still open, but I have no idea how.

 

[Badseed Badseed]

My dad worked at a rental store for awhile, and when they went out of business he got to have one of the first picks among all the video games and movies they were getting rid of.

YAY!!!! Multiple copies of Quest 64 and Playboy: The Mansion for EVERYONE!!!
(I've NEVER seen anyone rent these games)

 

[Rocket2049]

a lot of games i'd never have played if not for rentals
some gems, like kirby superstar (the best kirby game, i'll fight over it) mario RPG SNES,
and a game i hold dear, Phantom crash (xbox, i bet most of you never heard of it and will google it lol)
prior to the days of mass emulation and digital stores and other means of "downloading" games

 

[Retro Doomer]

I am a German

...so I have no experiences with any of those places I think I was to little to remember.
I however did rent some Video games back in the good old day ah yes those where the times
I rent primarily Ps1 games from there and often the same one like a fucking Idiot instead of changing it up sigh.
Anyhow the place is gone did not know the name it was a private renter I assume such a missed opportunity to try out some good games from the Ps2 Era without the need to sell my kidney.

 

[Zerohour2k12]

There's this place called Video City in our town where we used to rent movies from. Wasn't really sure if they also had games there though.

 

[Badseed Badseed]

@Retro Doomer You made me think of the scene in European Vacation
(sorry I dislike Tic Toc, but its the only file I could find that would fit size limit)

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7159971523841903915

 

[Retro Doomer]

@Retro Doomer You made me think of the scene in European Vacation
(sorry I dislike Tic Toc, but its the only file I could find that would fit size limit)

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7159971523841903915

I hate Tic Toc CCP pop to

I also have to think more about zhis Video its funny

 

[TinRattler]

Never rented a game as the nearest video store was 80kms away and they never rented out games though after school every Friday my sisters and I rent movies before getting the 2 hours bus trip home ( Don't miss the 160km round trip to school)