Retro Gaming collections - 'The Retro Game Corner' Interview

Every once in a while we stumble across a retro gaming collection which literally leaves us picking our jaw off the floor.

Two months back, in March 2012 whilst checking out our rather fast-paced Twitter timeline, we noticed one particular posting from a chap by the unassuming name of @Shinbojack getting a lot of love from many of our treasured Tweetlings.

This post was a humble, low key gesture from one Twit to another, yet attracted many, many comments from all over, including ourselves.

I decided rather than just speculate as to what was in this fine collection, I'd approach '@Shinbojack' (His actual name Aldo and he is a thoroughly lovely chap!) to find out all about it!

Jamie - TGS: So, Aldo, your collection.....

Aldo: While the project is a collective group effort amongst friends, I wouldn’t be bold enough to say that it is mine. Instead, the Retro Game Corner is for everyone!

J: Okay, sorry! We will start with an easy question; How many systems do you own, console & handheld?

A: Hmm….that’s a tough one. While the Retro Game Corner has its own share of retro consoles, I suppose I should just add the collective list of consoles available, even if they may not be considered “retro” per se.

Consoles:

·         Intellivision (Mattel)

·         Nintendo Entertainment System

·         Super Nintendo Entertainment System

·         SEGA Master System

·         SEGA Genesis (Models 1 and 2)

·         SEGA CD (Model 2)

·         SEGA Saturn (Model 1) **I own a Model 2 in my own home**

·         SEGA Dreamcast

·         Nintendo 64

·         Nintendo GameCube

·         Nintendo Wii

·         Sony PlayStation

·         Sony PlayStation 2

·         Microsoft Xbox

·         Microsoft Xbox 360

Handhelds:

·         Nintendo Game Boy (Original model)

·         Nintendo Game Boy Color (Purple)

·         Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Limited Edition Platinum)

·         Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP Platinum

·         Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP Classic NES Edition (Complete in Box)

·         Nintendo Virtual Boy

·         Nintendo DS (Original model, Silver)

·         Nintendo DS Lite (Onyx Black)

·         Nintendo DSi (Matte Black)

·         Nintendo 3DS (Cosmo Black)

·         SEGA Game Gear

·         SEGA Nomad

After looking and listing them all here, that is quite an exhaustive list, no? I’m exhausted after checking what is available!

 

J: How many games do you own (at a guess)? 

A: I’d be lying if I said I knew how many games total there are available for play at the Retro Game Corner – just for the NES alone we have over 100 games. If I were to guesstimate, I’d say we’re at around 350 games or so total. However, with the collection of games always expanding, that’s one number that is always on the rise!

J: How many years have you been collecting? 

A: The Retro Game Corner, as a project, has only come along in the past 4 months or so, though the games available in the collection are both the product of donations amongst friends, as well as purchases made at stores or online.

Personally, I’ve been buying games since I was a little one, and have kept my games in my possession since then, outside of a few exceptions. One exception is with my NES game collection (which was used by both myself and my older brother), which unfortunately was taken by my parents, along with the console itself, to be sent away to relatives in another country back in the early 90s. 

Needless to say, I was devastated, and still feel the sting of that act to this day – the kicker for me is that all of the NES games I owned were complete in box, which are rather valuable these days =(

The other exception is with my PS1 games. You see, at the time, my family didn’t really have the funds to buy that many games, and I was too young to purchase that many myself (didn’t have a job, being in middle school and all), so the majority of the games I played on the PS1 were rentals through outlets such as Blockbuster Video. What few games I did have were mostly WWF wrestling games and Capcom fighting games (such as the Street Fighter Alpha games and their Marvel “Versus” games), as I have been a lifelong fighting game fan. I ended up keeping my console, but donating my games to a cousin of mines, as I had a SEGA Dreamcast by that time, and that console had arcade-perfect versions of those games, as opposed to the shoddy ports released on the PlayStation. At the time I felt that I wouldn’t miss owning those PS1 games, though in retrospect, I do regret parting with them, due to their historical value in regards to retro gaming. Just chalk that one up to being young and naïve.

J: Geographical location? 

A: The Retro Game Corner is over in Southwestern Connecticut, USA (Westport, to be exact), with all the friends who helped make the project a reality living in the neighboring towns/cities.

J: Interesting fact about you / your collection?

A: Does the fact that the Retro Game Corner, with all of those consoles connected in one place, constitute as a potential fire hazard count as an interesting tidbit? I’m sure our state fire marshal would be none too pleased with all the watts (with everything all together, it could even be 1.21 Gigawatts!!) running at any given time.

On the other hand, outside of game collecting/playing, I also dabble a bit in the video game journalism world. I am currently the Editor over at Empire State Gamer, and have been writing articles there since 2009. We’re a small, independent New York City-based gaming site that covers the news, as well as local gaming events around the NYC area.

Here’s a fun fact: while I write for an NYC-based gaming site, I actually live in CT =P

J: How did 'The Retro Game Corner' all come about?

A: Long story short, the Retro Game Corner had its genesis at a gathering amongst friends. It was early 2012, and the theme of the night was a retro gaming party - we played through various NES, Genesis, and PS1 games. Between all the games, food and booze, we all mentioned how great it would be to have a dedicated space to house all these retro games in. Being that we were all rather inebriated, we didn’t really think much of this after the night – or so we thought.

Flash-forward to around a week later, and while going to my friend’s house for our usual weekend hangout, I was shocked to see the new addition to his room. In essence, it was the Retro Game Corner 1.0 – sure, the consoles on display were rather cluttered, and on a cheap table no less, but the idea of having so many consoles together in one place completely overrode that.

Since that initial showing, the Retro Game Corner has been through various refinements, and is now a beautiful little piece of retro gaming goodness!

J: What is your earliest gaming memory?

A: While I suppose the default answer for most out there is playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES, my first gaming memory was actually with the NES port of Contra back in 1988 (I was three years old at the time). It goes without saying that the H.R. Giger-inspired later stages of the game scared the piss out of me, but I still played the hell out of the game regardless.

I’ve been gaming ever since, and I don’t feel like that will be stopping or slowing down anytime soon =)

J: How have you built this collection and do you have any tips to would-be collectors on how to pursue this as a hobby themselves?

A: In essence, the bulk of the Retro Game Corner game collection is a direct result of contributions from my immediate group of friends, which came from their own personal game collections. As such, I suppose you could say the overall quantity of games here span the lives of my group of friends. 

Personally, as I mentioned before in a previous question, my gaming collection has remained mostly intact outside of two exceptions. Any additional purchases that I have made for myself or for the Retro Game Corner are purchases made through outlets such as eBay, Amazon, Craigslist. 

Most recently though, there has been a retro gaming-themed store that has opened up in a nearby town, and I have given most of my retro-based business there (always support small business!).

That kind of goes hand-in-hand with any tips I can give any aspiring collectors – always do your research in regards to price comparisons, as well as quality of the items that you are purchasing. It would be a big letdown if a blind gaming purchase you made ends up turning out to be a dud. If at all possible, support the smaller “mom and pop” stores over the giant retail games, as they most always have a better level of customer service, and cater directly to your needs, which is something that the larger retail chains out there lack. 

Lastly, don’t expect to amass an insane collection overnight: this kind of thing takes its time. In the case of the Retro Game Corner, we were all lucky to have multiple donations amongst tight circle of friends, so that was a major factor in amassing the quantity of games available to play at the moment. With enough persistence, luck, and a keen eye for good deals, you’ll have a vast and varied collection that will be the envy of all of your peers!

J: Your house is on fire, you have time to run into the games corner and grab as much as you can physically carry in both arms (No bags allowed!); what do you grab?

A: Tearing at my heartstrings, eh? While I would ideally love to be able to salvage everything, that would be the easy answer. If push came to shove, I don’t think that I would be able to survive knowing that my beloved SEGA Dreamcast burned away. So I would take that as well as my games – it’d be a juggling act, but I believe it can be done!

J: Again, your house is on fire (How unlucky are you?!) – you don’t have time to retrieve any retro gaming related goods. What other treasured possessions do you grab?

A: At this point, I come to the realization that I am probably cursed, and should seek a witch doctor immediately. As far as non-gaming items are concerned, I would of course make sure any relatives get out safely, and also try and salvage my cell phone and gaming PC.

I know – thinking of family on one side, and then going completely materialistic on the other =P

J: What is your most treasured retro gaming item and why?

A: For the Retro Game Corner, I’d have to say the complete-in-box mint copy of Sonic CD for the SEGA CD, for sure. It’s not something you see every day, especially in a “you just took it out of the shrink-wrap” kind of condition.

On a personal level, and for what I have in my own home, I’d have to say my most treasured items are tied:

·         Capcom vs. SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 for the SEGA Dreamcast - This game never came out in the U.S., so I had to import it from Japan. Luckily, I was able to pre-order it before the game was released in 2001, and also scored the bonus Capcom Taisen Fan Disc, which was limited to around 20,000 copies. I’ve been a lifelong fighting fan, and I had been anticipating this game immensely. Ever since receiving my copy back in September of 2001, I have taken the utmost care for the game, even still keeping it in the bubble wrap that it was contained in. It’s my baby for sure!

·         Panzer Dragoon Saga for the SEGA Saturn – This one is more technical, as it is not actually mines. I’ve been holding this copy, which is my cousin’s, for a bit and I think I’ve grown far too attached to it. I think it goes without saying that PDS is one of the most sought-after games out there for collectors, and knowing that a copy of the game sits in my gaming shelf almost brings a tear to my eye. Yes, I’ve played the hell out of the game, and it’s definitely in my top 10 games of all-time list (and this is coming from someone who is not exactly an RPG player). Technically speaking though, I can’t really count this as my game, as I never purchased it, though I sure do lament not getting it when it was originally released…

J: Is there anything you wish you had in your extensive collection which you do not have?

A: As mentioned above, Panzer Dragoon Saga would definitely be on that list. Additionally, there are a slew of gaming consoles that are missing from the Retro game Corner, and everyone who has contributed to the project would love to have as many consoles as possible, so that is certainly something to aim for.

On a personal level, the arcade geek in me would absolutely die to have any Capcom CPS-2 arcade cabinet, such as X-Men vs. Street Fighter or Street Fighter Alpha 3. While those two would be my ideal possessions, the beautiful thing about the CPS- hardware is fact that the games are housed in cartridges, making them easy to swap in and out of machines – considering most of the games use the Capcom standard 6-button layout, there wouldn’t be much altering needed for changing games on the fly. An arcade fan’s dream, which I hope to realize one day…

J: What would you say was the best bargain you have ever picked up?

A: I’d say the best bargain for retro gaming came across rather recently, and though Craigslist no less. There was a listing for an Intellivision console with a lot of around 40 games (all complete-in-box), for the rather insane price of $70.00USD. With much trepidation, I went with a friend of mines (who has the Retro Game Corner in his house) to pick up the lot, fully expecting to get ripped off. Alas, and fortunately for us, we received everything as promised, and from a nice fellow to boot! It just goes to show that there are some genuine sellers out there who would be happy to have their old gaming possessions go to a new home.

In retrospect, I’m glad we jumped at the chance to pick this system lot up, as we got a damn good deal out of it, and it was the first 70s addition to the Retro Game Corner – one that we hope expands soon!

J: It’s funny, some of the biggest gaming / console flops have turned into some of the most collectable and loved machines, take for example the Atari Jaguar, The Nintendo Virtual Boy etc What is your favourite gaming flop?

A: I’d have to say the Nintendo Virtual Boy, for sure. Yes, it’s a strain on the eyes and gives headaches if you play it long enough, but you have to give Nintendo credit for thinking completely outside the box with this effort. Also, while most of the games for the console were throwaways, I always found Virtual Boy Wario Land to be an excellent title that made impressive use of the Virtual Boy’s 3D/depth effects. It’s a shame that the game isn’t too well-known solely due to it being on a doomed system.

Also, regardless of what you may think of the Virtual Boy, it becomes a nice conversation piece when people see it! One of the main reasons why it is available at the Retro Game Corner – most may not bother to play it, but they sure will TALK about it ;-)

10 quick fire questions:

1) Favourite System: 

Hands-down the SEGA Dreamcast. Being a lifelong arcade fanboy, SEGA’s little white box that could was pretty much catered specifically for me, with amazing ports of games such as The House of the Dead 2, Power Stone, Soul Calibur, and various Capcom/SNK fighting games. Of course, the non-arcade titles were of amazing quality as well, which all amounted to a nigh-flawless console. 

Of all the years I’ve been gaming, I’ve never had as much continuous fun as I have with the Dreamcast. For that, the system will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I will always choose it over the rest.

2) Favourite Sports Game: 

I’m not a sports fan in the slightest, outside of Wrestling and MMA. That being said, I’ve always found SEGA’s sports entries to be spectacular, especially NFL ‘95 for the SEGA Genesis and the amazing NFL 2K5 for the Xbox/PS2.

3) Favourite Multi-Player Game: 

Nothing topped a good old Quake III Arena LAN party back in the day =)

4) Favourite Beat ‘em up:

There are so many great ones out there, but Streets of Rage 2 for the SEGA Genesis was always special for me. It’s the pinnacle of the beat ‘em up genre, in my opinion. GRAND UPPER!

5) Mario or Sonic: 

SEGA fanboy here, so Sonic for me. As the saying went, “Genesis does, what Nintendon’t”.

6) Favourite Hand Held: 

Tough one. I initially owned a Game Boy, so I suppose that edges out over the Game Gear, though both are amazing little portables on their own merits. The sound chips for both are some amazing pieces of hardware, and have produced some of the best sounds out there!

7) The worst game in your collection: 

The Retro Game Corner is no stranger to shitty LJN NES games, so that could collectively all fit here. For my own personal collection, I’d have to say Mindjack for the Xbox 360; I unfortunately had to review that piece of trash – ughn. I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy.

8) Favourite arcade game: 

I can’t even begin to tell you how many quarters I had wasted on Konami’s X-Men. And that 6-player cabinet? A thing of true beauty to behold.

9) Game spent most time on: 

If you were to total the hours I have spent playing Streets of Rage 2, that would probably amount to around 5 years of my life down the drain right there.

10) Finally – and probably the hardest – Favourite EVER game: 

Can anyone really answer this? I could go for years trying to narrow the list down. For the sake of this interview though, I’ll go ahead and say Contra. Infinite replay value, amazing soundtrack, legendary co-op play, and tight overall gameplay make it stand out in a class of its own. While some may say the game’s too difficult, I’ve played it enough times where I’ve essentially memorized the game to avoid the cheap deaths. The difficulty spike experienced when you enter the Snow Field is still rather jarring to this day though =P

J: Thanks Aldo!  

If you would like to contact Aldo about the Retro Game Corner collection drop him a tweet @shinbojack

Do you have a bigger, better collection you fancy being featured on these very pages? Let us know by sending an e-mail to jamie@thegamesshed.co.uk