I have not been “collecting” games for too long, I would say its been about 3 years since I officially was going out of my way to obtain games for my collection. In this time I have obtained many games through various means, but I have always had the intention of having either my Fiance' or I play them. I hate sealed games, and can't stand to have any on my shelf, games are meant to be played. Sure there are some games I have that I have not put in a console yet, or have not given the proper attention to, but I always know that I will at some point, and if I don't feel that I will, I trade or sell it to someone who will enjoy it.
I was thrust into the world of Neo-Geo a couple months ago when a once in a lifetime deal came across Craigslist for an AES system in box. I didn't know much about Neo-Geo at the time, just that it was a very expensive system to collect games for, and has a huge cult following. I made the deal and was the proud owner of a boxed Neo-Geo AES Gold system with a single game, League Bowling. The novelty quickly wore off when I realized that any games worth owning for the system were out of my budget. AES games can be anywhere from $50 to hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the really rare titles. I then decided that, while having the console would be a great conversation piece, it would never properly get the play it deserved in my house. I then sold it online, finding a buyer rather quickly and the console was gone.
I was not sad to let the most expensive and rare console I could hope to own slip away, but I still wondered what I was missing out on. A few months later I come across an ad online with someone selling a Neo-Geo CD console for a very reasonable price. I had read into the Neo-Geo CD before, and while it homed most of the same games as its AES/MVS counterparts, people warned of the loading times being unbearable. I thought that the savings on owning this console surly were justified by some load times here and there. I went ahead and made a deal for this console, knowing that not only were retail games much cheaper than their AES brethren, but I could burn images of the games to try out, and be able to play some of more rare or expensive titles on actual hardware (even though most games are cheaper, there are still some that hit the $80-$100 range).
After I got the Neo-Geo CD, I started to play all sorts of games that I had either only touched for a minute in the arcade, or never played at all. I was hooked once I got into the more popular titles of the system. I could see why Neo-Geo games have such a huge following, SNK really knew their games. With the acquisition of this console, I decided to register on the main Neo-Geo forums to gain some knowledge and meet some people that share the passion. I had an idea that the members on this forum would be from all walks of life, seeing that there are so many ways to enjoy this fine piece of hardware, ranging from the inexpensive Neo-Geo CD, to the out of this world AES.
I found a discussion asking the same question that I have posed in this article, what kind of collector are you? I thought this would be very interesting to see, since it would be input from all Neo-Geo collectors. There was one member who commented on how he takes care of his collection that inspired me to write this article. He started by stating how he always looks for a better condition copy of games he has, be it less creases on the manual to having a label that is more centered than the other. He then went on to talk about how he handles the games, his house has all of its windows tinted to protect from UV rays, he places the games on fresh bubble wrap and wears cotton gloves when touching the carts. He shared some more information about using certain versions of his consoles to prevent wear from placing the games into them (worried about the plastic contact causing marks). There was more, but you can get the picture about how much he cares for this collection. He treats his games as if they are museum pieces, and not the video games that they really are. I'm not saying that I go out and drag my games through dirt or anything, I make sure I have the best condition possible and handle them with care, but at the end of the day they are games. I understand that they are an investment as much as they are a hobby, but to seal them away in boxes, never to be played saddens me. One of the rarest games I have owned (so far) was “The Misadventures of Tron Bonne” for the original Playstation. This game normally sells for $100+ and my copy was in as new condition as it could be without taking the shrink wrap off yourself, but I'll be damned if I didn't play that game and enjoy it.
There are many people in this hobby that I have seen that enjoy the collecting aspect more than actually playing the games. I was almost in that boat for a while, obtaining games and reading about them, watching videos, but rarely actually playing them. I felt that I was spending more time online talking about games then I was holding a controller. I recognized this and was not happy with myself for taking this path in my collecting. I can honestly say that the Neo-Geo games have pulled me in the other way, I catch mention of a good game and I look into it, but instead of just wanting to read more about it, I want to play it! That is a good feeling that I have been missing in recent times. I find it ironic, that the games I am enjoying most at the moment, are the ones that are most collectible and will get played the least so they can look perfect on someone's shelf.
I am glad that I realized the direction I was heading with my favorite hobby, and have caught sight of what really matters, playing and enjoying the games. If you have sealed games or games you are collecting with no intention of playing, you are doing a disservice to the developers, and the time and effort they put into the game. I like seeing my shelf nice and full of great titles from all generations as much as the next guy, but if they never get opened or played then they might as well be empty boxes. Enjoy your collection, and the thrill of finding that hidden gem or ultra rare title, but don't loose sight of why we all do this in the first place, the love of playing the games.
