Temporary Treasures: Game Rent Nostalgia

Before the days of digital subscription services, instead of sitting back and picking something from Game Pass or Netflix, it was quite common to embark on a journey to the local video rental shop.

My grandpa was a loyal client of many of these stores, and every Friday, he'd go to all the shops in the neighbourhood, looking for movies to watch. It was a habit, and he was known by every video rental store owner.

Every time I went into those shops with him, staff would call him by name and make conversation. Sometimes, they'd even suggest a movie or two, based on what he usually rented; organic recommendations before the algorithms took over.

Thanks to my grandpa's weekly hauls, I was introduced to martial arts and giant monster films from a young age, giving me an early education in flying kicks and city-crushing kaijuu.

Some of grandpa's favourites: Enter the Dragon, Jaws, Once Upon a Time in China and Octopus.

Although he would also rent other films, it was no secret that those two subgenres were his favourites.

I often went to my grandparents' place, and it was not uncommon for us to spend entire weekends binging the tall pile of movies my grandpa had rented. It was kind of a challenge, since he had to return them sometime during the week.

Video rental shops were a staple of my childhood. Throughout the VHS and DVD eras, most of the films I'd watch were rented, along with the occasional moviegoing.

And my experience with video games was also deeply shaped by these shops.

You see, I used to have a Super Nintendo (SNES) during the early 2000s; it was a cheap enough console, as it had been released quite some years before: this also meant there were many game titles to choose from. However, money was a limited resource.

Buying all of the games I wanted to play was not a realistic option, so I did the next best thing instead: rented them from the video rental shops. A sensible choice.

I could then play the titles for a few days, see if the game got me excited enough to play it all the way to the end, and then make an informed choice of whether to buy it. If I was lucky and efficient enough, it was even possible to beat the entire game in one rental period.

While this obviously also cost money, it was cheaper than buying every cartridge I wanted to test, and it gave me the opportunity to play way more games than I normally would've been able to.

Many of the SNES titles I played and grew to love were rented from local shops, thanks to my dad and my grandpa, who'd frequently take me to browse games. Those places are forever etched in my memory, and the games I rented feel almost dreamlike to me.

Some of the games I rented: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems (1996), and Sailor Moon (1993).

Wandering between aisles with sticky linoleum floors, the strangely sweet scent, the plastic cases, fluorescent lights humming overhead. There was magic in flipping through those bulky cartridges and scuffed VHS boxes.

Those lazy weekends meant no deadlines, no obligations. My habitat was complete with a couch, a console, and a game I might never see again after Sunday. I still miss my childhood days with that fleeting, borrowed entertainment. Memories of hours spent on temporary treasures.

— The spirit who haunts abandoned video rental shops,
almoghost.exe (or André Almo if you're feeling serious) 👻