(Banner image is from Louis B. Mayer’s 1920 Version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Sheldon Lewis while feature icon from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – 1931 film)
Over the last year I’ve come to some conclusions about myself in regards to gaming – notably the kind of gamer that I am and how that influences my role as a collector and vice versa. Let’s be honest with ourselves: collecting and playing games are, for most of us, two separate goals that are driven by different needs.
(normally mild-mannered-gamer Bruce Banner turns into Collector-Hulk when there’s a used-game sale.)
I might, for example, have a huge NES collection (certainly a nifty collector goal) and yet only regularly play the same 15 titles out of it (so, satisfaction as a gamer). So why then, you might ask, would I need the collection at all then? Well I don’t.
None of us really need a huge collection of anything when it comes down to it. We’re all just working through the Hedonic Treadmill of human want – in this case for video games (or for an often-over-variety of entertainment). If it came down to it, we’d be just as happy playing 5 good, re-playable games as 50 or 500 (that’s certainly the way I gamed at 10-years-old).
(NES collection from a 2008 auction)
Like most gamer-collectors, I’m guilty of not playing a large percent of my collection. While going over the games in my collection I do play, it’s been made clearer to me why I like the games I do. I understand more of what really makes me happy as a gamer thanks to being exposed to a variety of genres and styles (and you could certainly experience this more easily with emulators). Different types of games simply fulfill different cravings I have as a gamer. And this is a different kind of fulfillment than game-hunting or collecting.
(if they haven’t been opened in the first 30+ years of their existence, these sealed games are probably not going to be now)
I’ve recently heard the term “shelf-collector” to describe someone that buys and shelves games instead of playing them. I would have to imagine the people that fit that description are rare. Most collectors I know play their games (or a subset of favorites). I would imagine even sealed collectors have their favorite games opened or played on flash carts as well.
Certainly gamer/collectors might end up buying the occasional embarrassing educational game for preschoolers that sits there collecting dust most of the time, but I bet they’ve tried it out to see what it’s about (and hey.. who doesn’t love Sesame Street games?).
(Are you ashamed that you own this?.. I’m not.. it’s freaking Ernie)
I’m not going to make excuses. Most collectors are guilty of owning bad, nigh-unplayable games that will rarely if ever be played. There are many proverbial roads to this collector hell. It might have been acquired while pursuing the hunt for obscure titles or simply being given the game for free. And there’s always picking up a game to be goofy or simply for completion’s sake (Mary Kate games anyone?). However it happened, that game is yours and, unless it’s a very rare title, good luck finding someone to take it off your hands (although Olsen twin games make good gag games for visitors).
(Are you ashamed that you own these?.. I am)
So back to the topic. There’s no right or wrong way to be a gamer, but we are all different. It’s important to to realize why you’re buying a game when you’re making purchasing choices. There are certainly games I would like to have but can’t justify to either my collector or gaming halves (like Wayne’s World for NES – a very lackluster, rare game for the system that’s available for far less on SNES and with better visuals – though still lacking in enjoyment).
(Did they even try on this game?.. of course they did.. NOT!)
While evaluating if a game fills a collection niche, it’s equally important that you consider the gaming enjoyment it brings. Why waste the limited time you’re given playing bad games when you could be having more fun playing the good ones? Sometimes the collector in you will win out and that’s fine. It just means you had other reasons that gave value to the item.
I’m going to really be focusing on the gamer side of things for the rest of this discussion. In my case, I’ve found there are three different gamer needs (or wants) that video games provide for me personally:
Nostalgia / Vision
Sometimes I play a game just for the vision that was put into it or because I played it as a kid and remember it fondly. For me, this mostly explains my love of crusty old PC games (which I actually play more than collect). When I show a younger friend DOOM for the first time they nod and say that they can see the appeal. There’s just something about the ambition of the game that shines through the aged graphics and midi sound. Sure, it’s by no means as well-polished as subsequent FPS games, but it’s still fun on its own merits.
(Everything is iconic about the Doom games. They got a lot right – music, gameplay, style.)
While DOOM is unquestionably a classic, when I show friends AD&D Curse of the Azure Bonds (another PC game), they sort of don’t get it. Why would you want to spend hours in one gaming session on something that looks this bad? And I’m not saying they’re wrong. Curse might be a classic, but it hasn’t aged well at all. The bad pics (well they were cool for back then), the cheesy music (or lack there-of), and the mediocre AI all leave much to be desired. But you know what?.. I really do love this game. I fondly remember playing this in high school. The visuals make me laugh when my mind isn’t re-imagining it (which is especially true since a lot of the game is looking up passages in the manual). That’s what the game provides – an experience of nostalgia.
(I’m sure there was some reason that 13-year-old me liked these games..)
This nostalgia-factor holds true for many console games (such as pre-NES consoles like Atari 2600). And like with the PC DOOM nostalgia is not always bad games being remembered as better than they are. There are also the games like Mega Man 2 or Legend of Zelda where the game is in fact it is great. These are games that can make me smile just by firing up the title screen (I can seriously just fire up Mario 3 and watch the title screen until it repeats for a smile).
Quick and Fun Games
I recently started collecting Atari 2600/7800 and consoles – really for the hardware more than the games. The system drew me in with the old-school tech, wood-graining, and classic form-factor. Something that actually surprised me while collecting games for older consoles was that have really fun games for quick sessions.
(There are variations of the Atari 2600 – and they’re all just beautiful. *weeps* )
The same thing is true for Game Boy and other systems with limited technical capability. While many would pass by these older systems and games, to someone such as myself they’re just as enjoyable today as ever. This is mostly because a lot of the time I don’t want to commit for long gaming sessions (and if I did, I’d be playing a game like Skyrim). Sometimes I just feel like playing a shooter for a few minutes between reading or working on other hobbies. So sitting down to play some Phoenix (Atari 2600) for a few minutes suits me just fine.
(Atlantis and Phoenix – two great Atari 2600 shoot-em-ups)
To me, shooter games in general are the quick and short experiences that I love. I’m not terribly proficient at them, so usually between the time I start playing and run out of lives (and/or continues), that’s the time I feel done for my session. R-Type for my Game Boy, Galaga on my Atari 7800, and Phoenix on my Atari 2600 are quick-session games of choice these days.
(R-Type on Game Boy and Galaga on Atari 7800)
In my case, the same is true for puzzle games like Puyo Puyo and Tetris, beat-em-ups like Final Fight and Double Dragon, and fighters like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. These are my 5-minute-jam games. I’m probably going to only play five minutes regardless of how I’m doing on them. And, as a collector, I’m far more willing to buy an awesome game (such as a M.U.S.H.A. or a Radiant Silverblade) in this department over the other two categories mentioned here because I know the value is there for how I will experience the games.
(Double Dragon on NES and Mortal Kombat II – grab the Genesis one for more ultra-violence)
Long-Term Satisfaction
Sometimes we want a feeling of accomplishment in our gaming. You might also just want to escape and hang out in a fantasy world for a while doing little quests. This is where games like Harvest Moon and Skyrim fit in for me. Sure I could push through and beat these sort of games, but they’re titles where the journey is the important part. I might spend time crafting in Skyrim and not even kill anything for an entire gaming session.
(Forge from Skyrim on PC and Farm from Harvest Moon on SNES)
This is also where JRPG (Japanese RPG) games – typically somewhat linear games with compelling story and art style – come into play and probably why many have evolved into visual novels to a certain degree over the years. One of my favorite games in this category is Chrono Trigger. I might only play a few RPGs a year, but I really took the time to cherish the games that I did. Often with these games, it’s not the difficulty or accomplishment that’s the key factor. It’s the whole experience – which may take longer depending on how fast I want to progress.
(One of my favorite games of all time – Chrono Trigger on SNES)
What does this mean for you?
When you discover a game that fills one of the roles above, see if the value is worth it and realize the reason you’re buying it. If the game doesn’t fill a particular need, and you’re buying a game really as a keepsake, that’s just fine. But you should at least be cognizant of why you’re making the purchase (especially with expensive titles). Also, if you’re deciding to sell off some games to bankroll other purchases, this may help you find titles that aren’t really worth it to you and let those go first.
Please let me know some of the needs and goals that games fulfill for you and what titles are your go-to games that meet them.