T-Pac

I'm not a set collector, but I've always felt drawn toward accumulating a full Sega Master System set. It's relatively small (if you're only after the North American releases), and I'd love to get more exposure to Sega's 8-bit library. I'm also interested in publisher-sets for the Atari 2600 (since a full-set is practically impossible). -CasualCart

I feel that the SNES had a tendency to over-complicate things that worked perfectly well on the NES. It just fueled the departure from pick-up-an-play, arcade style gaming. That's not always a bad thing; it's just what makes the 16-bit era different from what came before it. But in spite of that, I agree that Gradius III is better than Gradius because of all the customization options. I'm also partial to Super Mario World over SMB3 - there's a case where the SNES iteration of a classic NES series really kept its stride without making the game convoluted. -CasualCart

These are really neat - I've never seen them before. Does the border color indicate the platform for each game? (From the looks of it, purple borders for Gameboy games and red borders for NES?) -CasualCart

I have to jump on the Super Mario World train ... tentatively. I might lean towards Yoshi's Island as my #1 SNES game, but considering I've only played the GBA port, I'll reserve judgement until I play the original version. -CasualCart

I've always wondered just how impossible it would be to see every confirmed Atari 2600 game in the same place at the same time... -CasualCart

I've got plenty of cartridges that are physically trashed, but it might be worth mentioning the item in my collection that's in the worst functional condition: my poor, sad Neo Geo X didn't last very long before it stopped working entirely. That console made so many great promises, but the software was such a mess. It still pains me to think of how great the system could have been. -CasualCart

Sick - I've only ever played the NES port of Karnov, but I really love it in spite of the clunky controls and everything. How does the arcade original compare? -CasualCart

This is a tough distinction - I've been playing mostly NES this year, but many of the great later-release titles in the library are from the early 90s. I hadn't considered how long the system's lifespan was, with great games from start to finish. -CasualCart

I personally take an ethical stance against reproduction/bootleg games, even contemporary bootlegs from the same time period as the originals. I agree that they can be a neat piece of history, but I'd never condone or collect them. -CasualCart

I'll start off with my take on it: Origin Era - everything from the first 'video games' through early arcade classics, Atari, and the crash of 1983. It was the wild west of game development, and the formative years of gaming as we know it today. 8-Bit Era - encompasses the age of 8-bit consoles and computers. Game genres started to take shape and video games established themselves beyond the scope of a 'trend/fad'. 16-Bit Era - defined by the console wars of 16 bit machines. Games were more refined and more mainstream, with a push towards better processing and graphics. This era would also include early-90s arcade games and later console and computer games that technically evolved beyond '16 bit', but retained the same aesthetic characteristics. Early 3D Era - all the games and consoles that served as the starting-point for 3D. Graphics were chunky and proper 3D control schemes were in their formative stages, but the foundation was quickly established for a new wave of video games. Online Era - signaled by the push toward cooperative online gameplay in the mid-2000s. 3D gaming was well-established, and many consoles began to incorporate motion-controls. This era also served as the origin for indie games, which often brought gaming back to basics but fit nicely in the 'online' age given their primarily-digital distribution. Digital Era (modern) - the modern era of gaming cannot be properly categorized without a retrospective of its defining assets, but the trend towards digital-only gaming seems to be the next big step in the industry. -CasualCart

I recently listened to an older Collector's Quest podcast about distinguishing between modern and retro gaming, and I'm curious to hear everyone's take on this: How would you personally categorize video games into different eras? There's obviously no right answer, but it's a fun mental-exercise in organizing the relatively brief history of gaming and game collecting. -CasualCart

@DefaultGen

Awesome - Mappy is so great! Are you well-versed in the arcade version at all? I'm interested to know how the famicom port compares. -CasualCart

Bubble Bobble is completed! I played through the default 100 stages (I think the completion chart needs to be altered - it says there are only 60 levels @Splain), assuming the unlockable hard loop isn't required. Also, I know there are good and bad endings on the NES version, but that doesn't seem to be the case for the GB port - can anyone confirm? -CasualCart

That's awesome! 1000! I used to check in on your Famicom collecting thread from NA, and it's been so cool seeing the progress - almost like collecting vicariously haha. Make sure to keep us updated on new acquisitions! -CasualCart

Thanks for hyping up the new artwork @Gloves - and I love the captions you wrote! -CasualCart

It would be great if King's Knight (NES) was a better game. A multi-character medieval shoot-em-up is such a neat idea, but Square over-complicated it. The graphics and cover art are so enticing, so it's a shame that the gameplay just doesn't deliver. -CasualCart

I wanted to mention the one-handed Ascii Stick Super L5 controller, but being exclusive to Japan, I guess it isn't technically for the SNES. Also - shout-out to the Fighter Stick SN. I just got one of those this year and it's awesome. I recommend it to anyone who likes the NES Advantage because of it's nearly-identical controls and build. -CasualCart

I'm hoping the "Analogue 8" is a more affordable version of their NES system in plastic housing. That might actually get me on board with FPGA consoles. To be honest, I'm not too keen on the look of the NT mini or the AVS, but the Analogue SNES and Genesis clones are really sleek - it would be great if the NES got that same treatment. -CasualCart

This is an amazing collection! The Gradius art is especially cool. I'm curious - what is an 'Employee Art Test Sample'? -CasualCart

That mini-kisok is sick! Is that newly manufactured or were they around when the FDS was on the market? -CasualCart

I came here to say Classic Gaming Quarterly as well - or more specifically his secondary channel CGQ+. The retrospective 'Flashback' series on CGQ+ is really cool for people like me who are too young to have experienced the the golden years of classic gaming culture in the late 80s and early 90s. -CasualCart

I've always been partial to Asmik's silly pink dinosaur. -CasualCart

I can never get enough of the Force Pod from Super R-Type. An indestructible battering ram that you can fire at your enemies is overpowered in the best possible way. And the strategy of how to use it adds great depth to the game. -CasualCart

I'm curious about this one - what did you upgrade to (and from)? Different model, clone system, modded console? -CasualCart