People who are NOT set collectors: which console are you tempted to collect the whole set for?

[OptOut | 8,871]

Who me?! I'm not a set collector, not I, no sir!

It's not my fault that every single N64 game is so awesome they ALL made it onto my must-buy list!

It's a simple coincidence, I swear! 

[LutherDestroysTheGond | 690]

I'm casually working on the Dreamcast and Gameboy libraries.  I would like to do the Saturn and Turbografx-16/CD libraries but the high-end games are too pricey.  Vita and WiiU are other ones I would like to do. Basically consoles without too much shovelware filling up the library.  

[Inzoreno | 102]

SNES would be the one I would consider because it's my favorite retro console and has so many amazing classic that still hold up today. 

[ThePhleo | 2,184]

TG-16 and Master System greatly interest me. But I still have so much to do for NES, SNES and Game Boy before I venture out into the wild 

[DoctorEncore | 3,690]

41 minutes ago, ThePhleo said:

TG-16 and Master System greatly interest me. But I still have so much to do for NES, SNES and Game Boy before I venture out into the wild 

This right here. I feel ya.

[AstralSoul | 502]

Easily N64 because it's my favorite console, has a relatively easy and small library to get, very few big ticket items, and I'd play the majority of the games.

[NZCollector | 107]

If I was able to (i.e. no financial or spatial limits) I'd do either PS2 or GBA. PS2 because it's my favourite system of all time and I grew up with it, and GBA because it was something I always wanted but I was very very young when it came out so kinda missed it. By the time I started playing games the DS was out so it made sense to get that. More than made up for the lack of GBA in my childhood these past seven years, and play it just as much if not more than DS. Either of those two. 

Or if we're being realistic WiiU. I really enjoy it and got games like Devils Third a while ago just in case, but with everything I'd like either already being ported onto Switch or sure to be eventually ported over I never bothered. 

[Jmbarnes101 | 56]

If money wasn’t an object it would definitely be the Nintendo GameCube. For whatever reason that system really resonates with me and I grew up with a Coleco, NES, and SNES. I had almost all of the really great and expensive games a couple years ago before selling them to get something else. I just recently started rebuying games but I’d have a long, long way to go.

In reality if I was going to do a full set it would be for the Wii U. I already have over half of the NA physical set, not counting variants, and other then Devil’s Third everything is very inexpensive. Most of what I don’t have is mostly stuff I would never play though so unless I get an itch to have a complete set I’ll just buy the few remaining games I want and call it a day. 

 

[Cepp | 34]

In the early 2000s I was tempted to go for a complete UK Neo Geo Pocket Color set. These days there isn't anything I'd be tempted by. I'd consider it a waste of time, money and space tbh.

[Strikezone1 | 154]

For me it would be NES. It’s my favorite system, and I already have a third of the library, which includes a good majority of the heavy hitters. However I can’t justify buying games I have no interest in ever playing (RPGs, most sports titles, and pure crap titles), or buying Stadium Events.

[Foochie776 | 1,051]

I’m definitely a full set collector but the one I want to do but doubt I ever would is SNES. So so much crap. Lol

[Esquire | 30]

I’ve thought about going for a complete North American Sega Saturn set. Really enjoy the console and I’ve already got the expensive ($100+) titles, so it’s at least feasible. But I’ve got other priorities. Maybe if prices deflate a bit in coming years, I’ll take a stab at it.

[Deadeye | 1,595]

I can't imagine going for a full set for some of the reasons people already said.  Why buy all the terrible games. 

That said, the one system I would consider it for would be NES.  I have the most interest and passion for it.  If PS1 didn't have so many games, that too, but I don't have as much of a drive to own optical disc games.

[BortLicensePlate | 652]

The only one I would even begin to consider is probably NES, I feel like I would enjoy owning all of the titles. I wouldn't enjoy the process of acquiring all of them, so it's not going to happen. But if I was thinking what console would be cool to have all the games for, it would be NES. I enjoy shorter and simpler games 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

I'll go out on a limb and say the Atari 2600. I never had one as a kid and even with a bunch of less than stellar games, it was still fun playing them for the first time when I got one later in life.

[Sir Centroid | 79]

Gameboy Color, because even the supposed "garbage games" aren't garbage to me in the sense that they make me want to pull my hair out due to how unplayable they are. It's more like the "garbage games" on GBC just make me go, "Oh, I think that I'm slightly above the targeted age demographic for these games..". That said, after having to selling off all my GBC/DS stuff in order to support two moves and a family crisis, I decided to give up on the full set game. Now I've become what many collectors hate most, the bane of their existence, an evil reseller.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

Sega's stand-up urinal games that are/were found in Joypolis. If you look at my avatar you will see one example. Heck, you would see my favorite! But in all cases while they are not tied to a console, they are tied to a console-like system. Ones made for guys to enjoy while they clear out their bladders. 

And for the record... I am doing a character-focus collection for the time being. Because my plans and goals bar me from doing anything bigger these days.

[RH | 4,881]

As someone moving on to my next full set that I'm working on (hopefully), I think you need to have a full set if, generally, you have two main motivations.  You love the console and you love to collect.  I know that's about as "no, duhhhh..." as you can get but you either get collecting or you don't.  You love the shelf candy items, you like the hunt, you like networking with like-minded people and sharing new info you find out about the games themselves (and not so much the gameplay.).

But enjoying playing the games is important too.  I love my Game Boy and the set I have! Yes, I must admit that I'll never play most of these games but since I have a strong appeal to play original games on original hardware, their's not a single North American Game Boy game out there I can't play.  It's not about bragging, either.  It's just that if I want to have an original experience, I can have a pee-green Game Boy and actual cart.

These two desires kind of have to work together for full set collecting to be worth it.  If you just want to play through a library, or hope to some day, then just download a phat ROM zip of all the games and get an everdrive.  Spare the hassle of old games that might not work.  If you like collecting far more than playing, then seek out the gems that mean something to you.  But, if you're all of the above (and you have the finances to pull it off) then go for a full set.

Edited June 22, 2020 by RH

[noiseredux | 232]

I've considered a full Wii U set a couple of times. But too many Just Dance games, eh.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

46 minutes ago, ChickenTendas4PokeyEater said:

My God. Good luck...

 

I doubt I'd ever find one for sale even if I did want to pay $10k for it. I think there are only two known copies.

[NZCollector | 107]

On 6/22/2020 at 12:23 AM, ChickenTendas said:

Huh. I was the opposite. I had a GBA when everyone else had DS'. A friend of my parents had a kid who didn't want her Gameboy games because she had the newest and greatest (a DS), so instead of trading them in they gave them to my parents. After that, I sunk hours into her Gameboy games, like the Pokemons, some Mario Advance titles, and random stuff like Barbie games. My Dad also had some original Gameboy games, which I played with him, like Link's Awakening and Klax. If I ever went for a fullset, it would be the GBA or the 3ds, which I also played a lot of in mid to late Elementary school up until now. I also consider the 3ds to be the greatest handheld ever made, with native capabilities for every portable Nintendo game ever to be played on a single device. Sadly both the GBA and 3ds both have insanely huge libraries with a ton of shovelware.

Couldn't agree more with the 3DS. I got mine in early 2012 and have enjoyed it a lot since. That would be a close third. 

[ThePhleo | 2,184]

On 6/22/2020 at 4:51 PM, Bearcat-Doug said:

I doubt I'd ever find one for sale even if I did want to pay $10k for it. I think there are only two known copies.

I treat Atari like I treat unlicensed NES games.

Publishers are each their own separate libraries, shared on a single platform.

You have your first and second party libraries from Atari & Sears.

Then you’ve got your big name publishers like Activision, Coleco, Parker Brothers, and Imagic.

Then you’ve got the midrange publishers...and finally the rare publishers like Xante, Commavid.

If I ever got serious about Atari, I’d only go for Atari, Sears, Activision, Imagic, and Coleco.

[Oobgarm | 6]

3 hours ago, ThePhleo said:

I treat Atari like I treat unlicensed NES games.

Publishers are each their own separate libraries, shared on a single platform.

You have your first and second party libraries from Atari & Sears.

Then you’ve got your big name publishers like Activision, Coleco, Parker Brothers, and Imagic.

Then you’ve got the midrange publishers...and finally the rare publishers like Xante, Commavid.

If I ever got serious about Atari, I’d only go for Atari, Sears, Activision, Imagic, and Coleco.

That's the same philosophy I use on my 2600 collection. At least with the large publishers this defined set is obtainable. Label variants in the Sears and Atari libraries definitely make it fun to do. Nothing obscenely expensive and mostly available while hunting in the wild, yet just enough challenge with a handful of titles to keep it interesting.

If I have to go after a "complete set" as defined by "every retail release for a system in a given territory", I'd still go after a US NES licensed set, sans Stadium Events. I got close once many years ago and moved on from it. But seeing now that I'm close to having half the library again through casual purchases over the years, I'd like to think it would motivate me to keep going.

[G-type | 2,472]

On 6/22/2020 at 4:51 PM, Bearcat-Doug said:

I doubt I'd ever find one for sale even if I did want to pay $10k for it. I think there are only two known copies.

some of the super rares are just impossible to find.

[DeuceGamer | 35]

I’m not really a full set collector but I’ve been debating about setting a long term goal of going for the N64 set CIB and also the 3DS. I own over 130 N64 with a lot of the mid to high end titles. On 3DS I own over 180 games again with most of the mid to high end titles already bought. 

Its not something I will do in a short period of time but I think may be one of my long term goals as I continue to add titles from each system. At some point I figure I may as well go for the full set and I think I’m getting to that point for those 2 systems.

Edited July 14, 2020 by DeuceGamer