How To Narrow Down The Number Of Systems You Collect For?

[Schizophretard]

Stowing things away to see if you miss it would be wise.

My wife and I presently live with my in-laws which means that most of my collection is filling up our walk-in closet to the ceiling and therefore is inacessable until we get our own place. I think that means it passes the test because I definitely miss it and it is the primary reason I want to get us our own home in the first place. However, I wouldn't miss my doubles of doubles of doubles... but I plan on eventually selling them anyway.

 

Also like any physical possession, regardless of what your belief system, you can't take them with you when you leave this world... |

My believe system includes the option of keeping my physical possessions the entire time I exist and therefore doesn't include a leaving this world empty handed type scenario. So, my believe system would be an exception to your statement.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Well, my first experience with a flash cart was an utterly dismal failure. The R4 cart I bought for my DS Lite (which was a real authentic one from a GBATemp sponsor) is so buggy I don't even know where to begin. Half the time any file I try to transfer to the micro SD card seems to be corrupted when I try to play it on the R4 cart, none of the emulators for older systems that I wanted to run on it (Game Boy/Color, NES, Sega Genesis, and Atari 2600) work consistently, and after tinkering with it for a couple days I'm ready to throw the whole thing in the trash and call it a loss.

 

I'll still try out an Everdrive of some kind soon, but I sure hope my experiences with it turn out better than my experiences with the R4 have been. This has been nothing but a waste of $20 and an exercise in frustration, and after this if I have any problems at all with an Everdrive then I am completely scrapping my flash cart plan and sticking to collecting original cartridges and reproductions.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Jin

[Schizophretard]

Well, my first experience with a flash cart was an utterly dismal failure. The R4 cart I bought for my DS Lite (which was a real authentic one from a GBATemp sponsor) is so buggy I don't even know where to begin. Half the time any file I try to transfer to the micro SD card seems to be corrupted when I try to play it on the R4 cart, none of the emulators for older systems that I wanted to run on it (Game Boy/Color, NES, Sega Genesis, and Atari 2600) work consistently, and after tinkering with it for a couple days I'm ready to throw the whole thing in the trash and call it a loss.

 

I'll still try out an Everdrive of some kind soon, but I sure hope my experiences with it turn out better than my experiences with the R4 have been. This has been nothing but a waste of $20 and an exercise in frustration, and after this if I have any problems at all with an Everdrive then I am completely scrapping my flash cart plan and sticking to collecting original cartridges and reproductions.

Sorry that it turned out like that for you. I can't speak for other flash carts because so far I only own the Harmony Cart but it worked flawlessly for me the first time. I just updated the firmware, downloaded ROM Hunter's collection, inserted the cart, and BAM! My Atari cart collection became instantly obsolete for game play which means I can keep them in little baggies until I need to smell them before masturbation. Also, if there were any tinkering or issues then they must have been really small because I can't remember them and I wouldn't have been able to get it to work because I'm computer illiterate, retarded, and I don't think this acid trip that started in the 90's is ever going to end. Anyway, I assume the Everdrives are very similar to set up as the Harmony Cart.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Well, my first experience with a flash cart was an utterly dismal failure. The R4 cart I bought for my DS Lite (which was a real authentic one from a GBATemp sponsor) is so buggy I don't even know where to begin. Half the time any file I try to transfer to the micro SD card seems to be corrupted when I try to play it on the R4 cart, none of the emulators for older systems that I wanted to run on it (Game Boy/Color, NES, Sega Genesis, and Atari 2600) work consistently, and after tinkering with it for a couple days I'm ready to throw the whole thing in the trash and call it a loss.

 

I'll still try out an Everdrive of some kind soon, but I sure hope my experiences with it turn out better than my experiences with the R4 have been. This has been nothing but a waste of $20 and an exercise in frustration, and after this if I have any problems at all with an Everdrive then I am completely scrapping my flash cart plan and sticking to collecting original cartridges and reproductions.

Just an FYI, with flash carts, you get what you pay for. The R4s are Chinese junk. Krikzz makes a quality product with his Everdrive series and all are worthy of the investment.

 

Be advised there are fakes of the Everdrives out there, and you should only buy Everdrives from a known authorized reseller. I've bought all mine from Stone Age Gamer. For US customers, buy them either from StoneAgeGamer or direct from Retrogate. Krikzz gets far more warranty requests on Krikzz Forums from people who unknowingly bought fake Everdrives than those who buy the real deal. I would not trust places like AliExpress or eBay because you're liable to get a fake. If it ships from China/HK, don't trust it!

 

There is a GBA flash cart available from the R4 pirates, but it has a stupid looking menu interface, and you have to run a conversion utility on GBA ROMs to run them off the cart. Krikzz was rumored to be working on a GBA Everdrive so I'm waiting it out.

 

 

I also own the RetroUSB NES Powerpak and 2600 Harmony. PowerPak is good but you must create SAV files manually and hold Reset for several seconds to save. There are a couple mappers available on PowerPak and not Everdrive N8 (and visa-versa), most notably NWC runs on the PowerPak, and you can play NSF sound rips. Otherwise I recommend Everdrive N8 for autosaves. A PowerPak 2 is in the works after Bunnyboy finishes launching the AVS.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Thanks for the reassurance guys! And not to worry, I know Everdrive clones are rampant out there so I will be buying mine direct from Krikzz at http://krikzz.com/store/. I'll be placing an order for one next weekend, though I still haven't decided whether to get the Everdrive N8, MD, or GB first. I think I'm most excited to expand my already sizable Game Boy/ Color library (which is at around 100 good games currently) and finally get to play ZAS, Magical Chase, and Shantae; but I know the misses wants an Everdrive N8 since she's a big NES fan and our NES library is currently sitting at less than 20 games. Decisions decisions.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Jin

[Andromeda Stardust]

Thanks for the reassurance guys! And not to worry, I know Everdrive clones are rampant out there so I will be buying mine direct from Krikzz at http://krikzz.com/store/. I'll be placing an order for one next weekend, though I still haven't decided whether to get the Everdrive N8, MD, or GB first. I think I'm most excited to expand my already sizable Game Boy/ Color library (which is at around 100 good games currently) and finally get to play ZAS, Magical Chase, and Shantae; but I know the misses wants an Everdrive N8 since she's a big NES fan and our NES library is currently sitting at less than 20 games. Decisions decisions.

Can't go wrong with any of those. You might start with NES since Genesis and Game Boy games are still relatively affordable. Then again the Everdrive MD also plays SMS ROMs as well which opens up a whole new library of games. I looked at the Mega Everdrive versus the ED MD and the price hike for save states and fast loading and a couple perks like slightly bigger ROMs wasn't really justifiable. Neither is the SD2SNES in my book. Untill they get FX and SA-1 up and running on the SD2SNES, it won't be. Then again, I splurged on a ED64v3 just so I don't have to hit reset to save. The ED64v3 can load a 64Mbyte ROM like Conker's off a class 10 SD card in 3 seconds; it's unreal how fast it is...

 

Fun fact, the firmware on the ED64 has an NES emulator that runs NES ROMs natively off the SD card!

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Can't go wrong with any of those. You might start with NES since Genesis and Game Boy games are still relatively affordable. Then again the Everdrive MD also plays SMS ROMs as well which opens up a whole new library of games. I looked at the Mega Everdrive versus the ED MD and the price hike for save states and fast loading and a couple perks like slightly bigger ROMs wasn't really justifiable. Neither is the SD2SNES in my book. Untill they get FX and SA-1 up and running on the SD2SNES, it won't be. Then again, I splurged on a ED64v3 just so I don't have to hit reset to save. The ED64v3 can load a 64Mbyte ROM like Conker's off a class 10 SD card in 3 seconds; it's unreal how fast it is...

 

Fun fact, the firmware on the ED64 has an NES emulator that runs NES ROMs natively off the SD card!

Vey cool! I had the same thought about the Everdrive ED vs Mega Everdrive as well. I have no interest in using save states, and being able to play big hacks like Ultimate Mortal Kombat Trilogy wasn't enough to justify the price hike to me. You make a good point about the Master System too! I've already got the ROMs for all the Genesis (as well as Atari 2600, NES, Game Boy/Color, and Game Boy Advance) games that I've ever wanted to play or own aside from a small handful of homebrews that never had their ROMs released, but I've yet to really research the Master System and see what good games there on it that I'd want to play.

 

Sure, I could always find a complete ROM collection for the Master System, but when it comes to games, whether physical and digital, I like to make sure that every game I keep in my library is a game that I like and will enjoy playing when I sit down to play them. In that way I kind of think of myself more as a game curator than a game collector. I only collect the good ones, and the occasional bad game that has some special personal significance to me.

 

An Everdrive MD or N8 would definitely open up a lot more gaming options for me than a GB one would, but if I'm being honest with myself I'm way more excited to get to play the handful of expensive chase games that I've never had the opportunity to play on the Game Boy/Color than I am the entire libraries of the NES, Genesis, and Master System combined. ZAS, Trip World, Magical Chase, Shantae, the prototype for Resident Evil on the GBC, and the recently released ROM of Gunman Clive for the original Game Boy. Those games are the biggest reason I'm willing to give flash carts a try, and they'd definitely keep me busy while I save up for my next Everdrive.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Jin

[Keatah]

Also like any physical possession, regardless of what your belief system, you can't take them with you when you leave this world... |

 

I have a plan.

 

[Keatah]

Sure, I could always find a complete ROM collection for the Master System, but when it comes to gameswhether physical and digitalI like to make sure that every game I keep in my library is a game that I like and will enjoy playing when I sit down to play them. In that way I kind of think of myself more as a game curator than a game collector. I only collect the good ones, and the occasional bad game that has some special personal significance to me.

 

Problem with that approach is that in the future you or someone else may want that obscure game. A game you want nothing to with right now and absolutely dislike.

 

With a digital collection, you just make a different folder, a catch-all junk folder, and pile it on! All the while keeping your favorites folder trim, prim, and proper!

[ApolloBoy]

Cool! It would be nice to see what others' plans are for the 2016 year regarding selling and collecting...

I'm starting to think about reducing my collection, probably by selling off games and hardware I either don't play or care for anymore. Plus I'm starting to get back into music again and there's a $3K synth I have my eye on...

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I have a plan.

 

Don't tell me you'd like to be buried with your emulation / ROM collection! We'll give you an Egyptian Pharaoh's burial inside a pyramid constructed out of cement blocks encrusted with the remains of 1000 crushed Apple IIs...

[madhatter667]

PC IS the master race...so emulation is an option for when it comes to pure playing. This is something I have done for space in the house (I have a lot of stuff in storage, but still like playing, and can't dig it all out every time I want a fix). Configure a game pad, and rock out.

 

One one hand, I can understand being reluctant towards flashcarts, but I can see them being a real space saver. I don't own any yet, but I have one on order for the 8 bits, and am seriously considering other carts for other systems. Financially it makes the most sense... pay a bit up front, and have a one stop library, or the closest thing to it.

 

I'm gonna be someone who says "Don't drop the PSX." It has a lot of great games. If money were a big problem, you could emulate and run a full ROM set, or you could modchip your machine. I know that is something that might be frowned on, but at this point in time, it isn't digging into anyone's profits. It would also cut your overhead on the library. If the PSX is one that you care about playing more than collecting for, it's something to think about.

 

The NES can be fun to collect for. However, a lot of the really rare games are stinkers. Lol. When I went through my library to downsize it, I had to look at it critically. "Which titles do am I going to keep because I actually play them?" vs "Which titles are in here because they are rare?" If I had it just because it was rare, but I didn't really play it, it got culled. If it was rare, and I played it, it stayed. If I played it, it stayed. I get collecting, I do. For all the stuff I have sold over the years, I've kept just as much. It's difficult to focus when you enjoy the hobby, and enjoy different eras and aspects of it. However, for me, older video games are still about the gameplay experience first.

 

Genesis? I'd be saving to get an Everdrive. This is something I wish I had done. I had an OK library. I do not even know if I still have any Genesis hardware in my boxes (been in storage for years), if I do, you bet that's the route I'm going. I don't have the time, or energy to go back, and rebuild the Genesis, SMS, and 32X collection I had (I sold off a LOT of stuff). I'd Everdrive it on the model that supports all 3, and just enjoy.

Edited March 27, 2016 by madhatter667

[Keatah]

Don't tell me you'd like to be buried with your emulation / ROM collection! We'll give you an Egyptian Pharaoh's burial inside a pyramid constructed out of cement blocks encrusted with the remains of 1000 crushed Apple IIs...

 

Due to the nature of a digital emulation collection. It is "more ready" than anything else to go with me than anything else.

[Schizophretard]

PC IS the master race

But master race isn't PC.

[madhatter667]

Lol very true.

[Lost Dragon]

Moving house/down sizing into a smaller property at same time you wonder how secure your job is worked for myself :-).

Once i started clearing out box after box of stuff i'd not touched for years, i realised my 'hobby' had taken on a life of it's own.

Having a clean break from all of it.

Keeping the hardware and a select few games per system, rest going to friends/charity shops.

If i've not touched it in the past 6 months or more, i clearly don't need it, was the mindset i went in with a feel better now so much clutter has gone or at i least i know soon will be.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Moving house/down sizing into a smaller property at same time you wonder how secure your job is worked for myself :-).

 

Once i started clearing out box after box of stuff i'd not touched for years, i realised my 'hobby' had taken on a life of it's own.

 

Having a clean break from all of it.

 

Keeping the hardware and a select few games per system, rest going to friends/charity shops.

 

If i've not touched it in the past 6 months or more, i clearly don't need it, was the mindset i went in with a feel better now so much clutter has gone or at i least i know soon will be.

Right on! It sounds like you had a really solid plan and followed through with it. If I sold every game that I haven't played in the last 6 months... well, there wouldn't be a whole lot left.

 

Fortunately the systems I do actively collect for don't take up much space. My entire Game Boy/Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS libraries could all fit into two shoeboxes; so space isn't too much of a concern. I think the hardest part is really just making the time and having the interest to play every game I buy all the way through. I can safely say that I've played through all 100'ish games in my Game Boy/Color libraries, but I haven't made the time to play through all of the games I've bought for the GBA and DS yet; since many of them are lengthy adventures that I haven't wanted to sink the time into so far.

 

There are a pretty hefty number of games on my "I'll play that at some point" list right now, which makes me question whether or not I should even be saving up for flash carts right now when I already have a good one to two dozen games that I haven't taken the time to play. I'm definitely one of those people who doesn't collect just for the sake of collecting. If I'm going to spend money to acquire a game and the hardware to play it then I try to make sure I actually play and enjoy the game.

 

Anyway, I think I might be rambling again so I'll just wrap this up by saying congratulations on your successful downsizing! I'm glad that you were able to find a way to lift some of that proverbial weight from your shoulders.

[Keatah]

From time to time I think about downsizing my Apple II material into 2 categories. The stuff I had as a kid and did all my learning and science experiments and explorations on. And then the crap filler material I bought on ebay starting in the dot-com era.

 

The first category is really sentimental and still very comprehensive. That's the life-keepers. The second batch I wouldn't mind selling on fleabay at the going rate and typical high prices. There are cards in my collection that move at $500 and up. Some millennial sucker always comes along and I stand to make a pretty penny. Most of this shit has little or no meaning to me. Zero sentiments. Zero nostalgia.

[Lost Dragon]

@Jin:

Yep, i basically had to stick with the plan, no matter what.

When i started opening up boxes, it just hit home just how bloody stupid i'd been, simply picking up titles..because...

Why on earth did i need a copy of Family Guy on Xbox and PS2? (ditto Predator:Concrete Jungle)..the stealth sections killed any interest i had in the game, never touched it since.

2 copies of The Getaway on PS2, ohh 1st has the BT Vans with the logo on the side, the 2nd copy was the later release..so what, the game is awful.

So many DC games still sealed i bought as at 1 point i was going after the full collection.

PC, SNES, N64 games..i now longer own these formats.

Just bloody daft and i dread to think how much money was wasted on items and P+P, just for the sake of adding to the unplayed or barely touched pile of shame.

[Keatah]

It's just the cost of entry. Especially with low-cost consumer items like videogames. Rarely does anyone build focus in a collection until it gets out of hand. Happens to everyone.

[Andromeda Stardust]

PC, SNES, N64 games..i now longer own these formats.

Now now. There are some truly great games on SNES. Everything great about NES looked and sounded better in 16-bit. Though NES is still my pride and joy.

 

N64 too if you can stomach early low poly 3D and stick to Nintendoand RARE published titles. M64 practically defined the 3D platformer genre.

[Keatah]

Dr. Sigmund Freud, everyone's favorite Psychiatrist, once said:

"The habits of collecting, gathering, and hoarding, come about because of unresolved toilet training issues."

 

I don't know but that guy sure knows more about me than me!

[CatPix]

Dr. Sigmund Freud, everyone's favorite Psychiatrist, once said:

"The habits of collecting, gathering, and hoarding, come about because of unresolved toilet training issues."

 

I don't know but that guy sure knows more about me than me!

 

 

Joke aside, Freud's biggest legacy is to have created, made famous and respectable a new field of research and medecine, but most specialists agree today that his works are no longer of use in today's world because of his misintereptations and because he made them on a tiny, wealthy part of a population a century ago.

[Lost Dragon]

Just filled 3 donation bags with PC/360/PS2/XBOX/PS1 and PS3 games.

 

2 going to Cancer Research UK the other to the British Heart Foundation.

 

My GB, GBA, Neo Geo Pocket Colour and misc games for these, along with an issue of Game Zone magazine, all ready for posting out via Air Mail to USA and Germany for good homes within the Atari Community.

 

More UK Magazines like Edge,Crash, Arcade, Atari Ent. , Retrofusion,OXM,etc been bagged up and put out for recycling today.

 

So, a very time consuming process but sticking to the plan 100%.

 

Will be giving my Xbox 360 away to a good home later this evening as well.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

 

Joke aside, Freud's biggest legacy is to have created, made famous and respectable a new field of research and medecine, but most specialists agree today that his works are no longer of use in today's world because of his misintereptations and because he made them on a tiny, wealthy part of a population a century ago.

According to Frued, all that motivates humans to accomplish anything somehow relates back to sexual desires or bathroom parts.