I've been thinking about this for a few weeks, albeit not very heavily. I've got a lot of stuff to attend to these days (hard to believe, eh?). But one question came up after all of my thoughts and hopes of the Wii: Where can I get one with the least effort and without a heavy reserve charge? I initially thought that I could get one directly from the NOA Online Store, but they only sell extra parts, but no full console. Craptastic. I'll have to go to EBGames, GameStop, Circuit City, BestBuy, or Wal-Mart. I'm not sure about Manifest (read below).

My next question was "Where can I get Metroid Prime 3: Corruption?" Surely Wal-Mart is not a good idea, nor any of the other aforementioned stores. I also checked the Nintendo Online Store, and the only game I saw that they sell directly was Electroplankton. God dammit!. So now, I'm theorizing on the best outlet to purchase Metroid Prime 3. If I go to a store like Manifest, a Charlotte store that sells DVDs, CDs, and some games, I run a mild chance that I'll be able to get Metroid Prime 3. This is not a great alternate. In Manifest, I would still have to pay for a reserve charge, and it's a fair haul to get over there. I might be able to get my dad to get it, but again, no guarantee. I also have football to contend with, and I don't know how the Wii's release will screw my schedule up. We'll see; I'm not sure how I'll handle a midnight release vs. picking one up around 1800EDT on the actual release day vs. (this is the worst possible alt) wait until the weekend and hope I can find a Wii, a copy of MP3:C, and a place that actually has each of these items still in stock.
Inherent problems:

·        With a midnight release, it will take several hours out of my life, at midnight, and I will need to sleep it off. I can't afford that during football.

·        Getting it at a large retailer like Wal-Mart runs another non-guarantee, and they frequently lose a reserve, so I can't come back later and pick it up. I'd have to wait another 2 weeks for the next shipment. I don’t want to resort to that option.

·        Getting the stuff on the weekend after is a crap idea. NOBODY in the USA will have the Wii or MP3:C. I'd have to wait another week. That would suck ass.

·        Reserving the stuff at a Gaming Store (EBGames, GameStop) runs a fair guarantee that I will get the stuff. Although, they always have a midnight release at launch, so a 0000EDT wait would be stupid. I'd have to wait until my dad goes by the store, and picks it up. Then, all I'd have to do is pay the reserve and wait.

·        Reserving at a place like Manifest has a limited guarantee. I think they only sell used games and systems, so a brand new Wii and MP3:C are unlikely to be there.

·        Can't buy direct from NOA. That sucks.

·        Buying online from a large retailer may take a long time. It's also way more expensive. For orders over a certain price, I may get a break in shipping. However, since the demand is so high for the Wii, it's unlikely that they'll send one. Express shipping is expensive, and it's unlikely that they will give me a price break for anything faster than standard shipping. Again, about 2 weeks.

So what is my best alt? I suppose that reserving at a local large retailer or gaming store is the best way, but checkout is gonna be a pain in the ass. Even at around 1800EDT, it will be crowded and irritating to get the stuff and go. The only question is, which will be the least painful? A local Wal-Mart is frequently crowded around here, but I like the idea of using the Self Checkout. Most people don't use it, so they'll either buy at the electronics section or at the main checkout. Still, gaming stores hold a reserve historically better than a big retailer. The problem is, people flock to these stores, and given their minuscule size, it will be crowded.

What should I do here? What are you going to do?