Bullseye.

There are a lot of websites that lead you to good deals on video games: Gamer Deals, Amazon's Outlet Area, and, of course, this place. And if those don't have what you're looking for, there's always eBay.

But I don't want to wait for a game to be sent to me. Sometimes, the thrill of the hunt is as exciting as finding a bargain. That's why I always stop at Target when I go to a new town.

Last week, Target, Southern Minnesota: LocoRoco 2: $4.98, Left 4 Dead: $12.48.

Another Target, Central Minnesota: MK Vs. DC Universe: $14.98, Prince of Persia (the new cel-shaded one): was $59.99, now $14.98.

These games will never be this cheap again brand new. Left 4 Dead in particular is currently going for $45 USED at GameStop.com. Target doesn't care. They have to make shelf space in their one 360 case (Wii and DS each have 2 cases) for L4D: Game of the Year Edition. I don't mind. I save all the money.

Sure, and unscrupulous type would buy these and bring them to another Target (or Wal-mart, or ShopKo, or wherever) with the "I got these for my birthday" excuse to rake in a cool $60 in store credit. Nothing like cheating the system. I wouldn't do that though... I just wanna play!

Every Target has a clearance games section. Sometimes, it's by the pharmacy. Sometimes, it's by the book section. But there's always one somewhere. I found PGR3 for $2 at one in North Dakota just as PGR4 was coming out. Sure, the games are a few months old, but you can't find these in questionable condition at pawn shops for these prices. And honestly, who doesn't like scavenger hunts?

Zombie Rediscovery

So I recently rediscovered Left 4 Dead. I bought it a while back on sale at Target, and only played it for a few hours before it was relegated to the massive game collection lining my wall. But I liked it. And I felt like blowing away a few zombies again recently, and there is no better place to do that than in Left 4 Dead. It showcases Valve's commitment to excellence and feels just like one would imagine the zombie apocalypse to be like. They're everywhere! Yet there are still some problems.

First, there are only four "levels," and they're all "get from point A to point B" types. No deathmatch levels, no capture the flag, just survival. "But that's what the game is all about!" you say, and "Most people on Counterstrike only play three or four maps anyway, too!" Whatever. Four is a very small number, especially if you have no friends to play with online.

My least favorite part is the time commitment. Now, I have no problem with sinking dozens of hours into a game, but I don't want to set aside an hour-and-a-half chunk just to play a L4D campaign. There are checkpoints, but no saves. Even while playing a one-player game, you can't stop playing after hitting a checkpoint and come back to play later. You are in it the whole way, and there's no getting out alive! It's like a zombie apocalypse being spawned from your Xbox to suck away your free time, not with little casual gaming bites, but with movie-sized blocks that would feel better spent on something productive.

The problem is, I would probably play a whole campaign to completion most of the time anyway. But by forcing me to every single time, it removes any of the "quick gaming fix" potential. Left 4 Dead is a great game, and a lot of fun... if you have the time. Clear your schedule, and grab your shotgun.

Right on Target, but not always in Target

Target sells video games. No way! That's where I used to buy my games before I found out that Wal-Mart is open 24 hours. Now, I buy my games at Best Buy because I get Reward Zone points, but that's not my point. Target is no longer a viable avenue for purchasing games! And that's sad, because we need all the options we can get (like 7-Eleven). Target's always out of stock of the good games, and there are 3 times as many Wii games as there are anything and everything else. Not good Wii games. Target is triple-stocked on Wii Music and the latest Animal Crossing remake, and the "$20 Wii Crap" section is bigger than the entire PSP area. I don't think this is because there's more Wii Crap than PSP games (even though there is). I think this is because people are dumb and will buy anything on Wii that has a colorful box, and Target's top men know this. "$20 for a next-gen game? No way! I'll take three!" PSP is a good system, but it's its own system, and it's not being utilized to its potential. Wii is also a good system, and its gimmicky potential is being fully realized. As a gimmick. There are interesting ways to utilize the Wii controls, or don't! Make a good game that just happens to be on the Wii, even if it doesn't fully utilize the motion controls (Geometry Wars: Galaxies, Guitar Hero/Rock Band). The best DS game of last year, Chrono Trigger, barely used the touch screen, but it's a classic. A pure pedigree shows even if the controls are "traditional." Traditional means functional. And what are the first three letters of functional?