The Wii, the Competition & the Wait!

Last week, my son convinced me to take him to Gamestop for the Super Smash Brothers Brawl Competition. This was held at 10:00pm as a prelude to the midnight release of the game. So we started out and much to my dismay, it was lightly sleeting and snowing. I took it slow, even though my sons eyes were glued to the digital clock in the car, ignoring his reminders we needed to get there at least 30 minutes before the competition started. We got there with plenty of time to spare.
He met his two close friends and they excitedly chatted about FINALLY getting their hands on a game that was delayed way too many times to count. We registered, which brings the importance of why I was there, anybody under 18 yrs old had to have a parent sign a consent from. Then the first disappointing news of the night hit our ears. He wouldn't be able to buy a copy of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl game because we hadn't pre-ordered it! What? I don't remember reading about that on the Gamestop website. It almost defeated the point of being there for the release. Well the kids enjoyed the competition, my son made it to the third round and lost to his friend who went on to win first place.
Okay so no game for us, but his friend, who did pre-order, was going home with his. This also meant that I would be driving home alone, as now my son would be going to his friends house to play the rest of the night away.
Next morning, pick up my son, who didn't sleep more than an hour or two, and we head to Walmart in hopes of snagging the elusive game. Thank goodness..we score one. Get home and what this? The game doesn't work. Faulty disc? NOT. Wouldn't you know, Nintendo has released a news statement admitting that the golden game of the year, will not work in some Wii's. A very small percent, they say. Well, yes, we fall into that slim group. Next step, printing out Fed Ex shipping labels and boxing the Wii and game back to Nintendo. What a hassle but thankfully this isn't going to cost me a dime.
Flash forward to today, a battered box, which makes me wince, arrives from UPS. Inside the newly "fixed" Wii and game. My son comes home from school, tears the box open, sets up the game and proceeds to reload all the information back into his system. I'm looking in the empty box for maybe a coupon or SOMETHING for this major disappointing delay, nothing. Fifteen minutes later, a hurrah from both my sons and they slip fresh new batteries in their wiimotes and load the game. I never remember putting my parents through this much. What we do as parents for our kids! And yes, I'm guilty, I was one of those parents that stood out in the freezing cold the first year the Wii came out, just to score my son a Wii for Christmas. Ah heck, he's a good kid. High honors in school. I can't complain...or can I?
Come on Nintendo, will ya give parents a break ?