A life of gaming and collecting | GamesYouLoved
I’ve been a gamer since the late 70s. I recall a family friend getting an Atari 2600 and playing Empire Strikes Back and being hooked.
Guest article by GDHCAMERO
Years later in 2016 I walked into a second hand exchange store in Southend and saw Asteroids for the Atari 2600.
It was boxed and complete and I snapped it up. It got me thinking about old games and systems I used to own and I decided to track down all the games I loved over the years.
Two years later I have a large and varied collection dating back to the pong clones of the 70s, through tow Xbox and PlayStation games. When I first started collecting I would buy any and everything, not focusing on any one particular system. I go charity shops CEX and boot sales buying anything retro.
Soon space became a problem and now I focus on Sega, Atari, Original Xbox, Spectrum and Commordore games and systems.
About a year ago a local retro gaming store opened up The Retro Hunter in Leigh on sea Essex. Suddenly there was a dedicated store I could go to and get not only good quality games but good advice from the owner Ally Hog.
Since then I’ve got some classic games I missed. I’m a big fan of light gun games House of the Dead and Virtua Cop. I got a couple of CRT TV’s so I can play these the way your meant to. I’ve also been a big Outrun fan.
Playing it on the Arcades in the 80s and on the Spectrum and C64. Recently I managed to find a C64 copy in a local Cash Convertors for £3. Seeing the game load up and hearing the music again was awesome. Also got a rare copy of Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast for the Original Xbox. A system I love. A
s my collection has grown I found that retro game collecting isn’t all about buying games it’s also about the hunt. Tracking down these games and systems has been fun too. Walking into a dusty second hand store not knowing what you will find is fun. Nine times out of 10 you may not find anything you want but that one time you do is great. I have found some great games and systems.
One time I found 50 C64 games in a big box. £20 for the lot I could not get my money out quick enough. Sharing photos on Instagram and Twitter has Also been a big part of the collecting experinse.
There is a big retro community on social media and it’s been fun to see other peoples collections and advise. I love the box art of games and consoles. The packaging is key to stirring nostalgia for me. It doesn’t have to be perfect I’m happy if it has the odd crease or tair.
I’m not a collector that wants perfection. A bit of wear and tear shows it’s been used and loved for me. My Atari games look cool with the signs of aging.
My favourite game is one of my cheapest ISSpro Evolution Soccer 2 on the Playstation 1. It’s my go-to-game when I want a quick blast and chill out.
The series of international Soccer games that later become Pro Evo are my favourite gaming experience.
Article by https://twitter.com/GDHCAMERO
