Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 8, 2013 19:30:38 GMT
I'm going to jump straight into the interview, but for those who don't know you have around 40 consoles and over 2,500 games. When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
Around the end of 11th grade I had a "video game party" which was basically the first Friday and Saturday of February vacation... and all 20 of the people who showed were amazed at my little over 500 games... before that it never felt like much... they began calling me "video game god" so I started buying more and more games and less and less of other things... as collectors go, I never traded anything in nor did I throw out or maim my boxes - a few manuals and boxes have gone missing over the years but I've done fairly well.
The reason I had so many games without realizing I was "collecting" was because I rented so much during the SNES/Gen era and bought very little. in my mind I just thought the games would be there forever... but after they all phased out I bought 90% of them... and started binge buying taking the realization if I don't buy them, I'll never see them again...
What are your goals as a game collector?
Well, I have only one... and it's impossible. That goal in which I speak is to own... every... single... game... and console... ever.
On to your collection, and I have to say it was a problem just printing out our collection for review, do you remember what it was like when you had, let's say 300 games and what your collection was like back then?
I have trouble getting about 10% of my games to even show up and the page itself - I haven't been able to actually load it in over a year. You should try viewing my wish-list, I doubt NASAs computers could do it.
As for my old school collection, yes, I remember but back then they were all stowed in drawers and storage containers and I wasn't officially collecting I was buying other useless crap and collecting other things.
How did you get most of your games? I know you used to work at GameStop and had always assumed that is where you got a lot of this stuff...
Well, seeing how I only worked for the devil for a little over a year and a half off, you can only contribute post N64 stuff to them I filled a lot of my GBA/Ngage and PS2/XB/GCN collection there but stuff before and after that is just... well... not.
I mostly got things from the old school shops like Funcoland, Software Ect and Ebay. A large chunk however was given to me by people who didn't want their stuff or had thrown it away and an even larger chunk came from my local Blockbuster. I would also have to credit the flea market I used to go to back in the day - I got a lot of primo stuff there.
We all know that you have strong negative feelings about GameStop for their corporate strategies and treatment of the consumer. But what happened to you directly that ultimately lead to you being banned from the franchise? Was it just a boss who had it in for you?
Well, yes. The company is horrible and evil. The reason I was banned was nothing but petty selfish panicking. I wasn't the only one who was banned. My entire staff was fired and banned. The District Manager was doing something very bad. Some of us knew... and it lead to us all being fired and banned to keep his secret.
You must have had some good experiences there with customers though, given your depth and passion for games. Any good memories?
I hated having to screw them all the time. There were a few good people we had as regulars but for the most part, the customers were not great, some were even nasty. Anyone who's worked retail can tell you, people suck.
I'm going to mention a few games from your collection. Give me a few words on each of them, either where you got it or why you got it or if you played or liked it:
Cardinal Syn, Playstation
It is a quirky 8 player game. I vaguely remember playing it one time, back when I had friends - I remember fun, but my memory isn't great.
Faxanadu, NES
Up there on "must own" if you have an NES. It's an amazing RPG. I like it tons more then Zelda.
Garfield: Caught in the Act, Genesis
Impulse buy - it had a manual and was 50 cents. It's a fairly good platformer, resembles Ghouls and Ghosts.
Gotcha Force, Gamecube
A highly over-looked title. Also incredibly hard to find. I spent a year looking for my own copy and another 2 looking for one for a former friend of mine. It's got great multi-player and for a quick few rounds of robot killing, it's fun. The story isn't half-bad either, but it's no Custom Robo.
The Gransteam Saga, PlayStation
I've yet to actually play this RPG, but it has been looking at me funny recently. I may end up playing it if I can't get a hold of some more Suikoden soon.
Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude! (Poochie? Anyone?)
Best $0.01 I ever spent. The game is a giant joke. Yet still mindless enough to be fun.
Last Bronx, Saturn
I loved it, one of the earliest Anime based games in US existence. Really not a bad 3D fighter despite its age.
Record of Lodoss War, Dreamcast
If you like the anime, this game is a must have. It's a really well done game with a solid story.
Pokemon Box: Ruby and Saphire, Gamecube
When I saw this listed on Pokemon Center (Nintendo World Store) I knew it would be a rarity. I bought 5, gave one to two of my former friends and saved the other two. I later sold them on ebay for 3 times what I paid. It's nothing more then a storage device/gameboy player for Pokemon.
Short Order / Eggsplode, NES -- Burgertime ripoff?
No sir, these games are for power pad use only. Amazed? Intrigued? Dumbfounded? They are fun.
To The Earth, NES
Zapper game... one of the better ones...
You have some Apple ][ games listed. Do you still have the capability to play those?
I do still have the capability to play them, sadly; a lot are unplayable thanks to the Y2K bug. The only thing it actually effected are older PCs. Most games ran off their own and didn't care about the system memory, but many games are now unable to operate at 100% and a few won't run at all. For example, my favorite Apple II game, Ghostbusters, runs at 500x its original speed... makes playing it hard... thank jeebus the SMS game is essentially a better and stronger version of that - unlike the 2600 and NES versions which were INCREDIBLY watered down.
Remember "turbo buttons" on 386/486 era computers that would allow you to slow down the proc to make it possible to play DOS games?
Actually... I don't... this is the first I'm hearing of it.
What do you dislike about the whole video game scene (if anything)?
How it is full of fanbabies and trends and is getting over-run by control-hungry and money-hungry corporations and... the fact that certain series and franchises get more attention then they deserve.
Have you ever been compelled to buy a game just because you have so many other games in the franchise?
Tekken, Suikoden, Twisted Metal, Jet Moto, Ghostbusters, Xmen, Wing Commander, Ace Combat, Lemmings, wrestling titles, .hack... hell, let's just leave it at yes.
You have some duplicate games over multiple systems, like some Digimon and ECW games. Did you double up on those intentionally, or to compare them on the different consoles?
Digimon and ECW games are not very common... now they sell for more then twice what they cost new... I'm still trying to get one of the GCN Digimon games... but am not willing to pay $80 for a game that released at $30... I actually like having an N64 and PS1 version of the ECW games because my memory limitations... N64 cards are so small... I also think some of them are still sealed... (both the Digimon and ECW games) got any other examples? Like my 8 versions of Burgertime or something?
Well you have many several duplicates over multiple systems for the earlier consoles, but that is fairly common for a large collection. The more interesting ones are the ones where the name has been recycled, like Area 51 on four systems ranging from the Apple ][ to the XBOX. However, you do have 5 games that I could find that include penguins. Do you think that is a low count?
I love penguins... are you sure there aren't more then 5? I know I want more... especially the Disgea games... penguins saying "d00d" is like a dream come true...
Well there could be more, I'm sure any game with an "ice level" also had penguins. Sorry d00d.
Ya, that's somewhat true; the PS1 "Pong" had a good ice level featuring penguins. I don't remember penguins in any Mario game... but Mega Man chilled with a penguin he he.
Talk about your love of 2D fighters and Wrestlers. Do you have any favorites?
Well, they were things I grew up on so, I love them via nostalgia I guess. Wrestling games now a days are so customizable they have endless replay value, though THQ is really getting bad at making them. 2D fighters are all but dead now, that saddens me, 3D doesn't age well and 2D is the best way to fight.
Well, Street Fighter HD looks awesome and Street Fighter 4 promises to be 2D as well. What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
I'm not sure I even have one... none really come to mind even after thought... the only thing I can even think that might count is the creation of the Un-bias Game Collectors UCB which later became the Candid Collectors' Union.
As I can figure it out you started the Candid Collectors' Union before GameSpot even had unions. What motivated you to do that and what was it like back then?
Well, you speak the truth. I was talking with 8-bit master about "Gladius" and then we got to thinking we should try to help each other collect...we had decided to start a trade system to fill his NES collection... (last I checked he was only missing 15 US releases) and that got me noticing that very few people on GS have tons of games... so I was paying at the time (before CNET took over and ruined all the cool browsing features in all the gamespaces and profile pages and added all those fun glitches everywhere) and had an unused UCB (which stood for "user-created board") so I made it into the Un-bias Game Collectors UCB and invited all my friends list at the time... I think it was only 6 people who ended up there... me, 8-bit, gmsnpr, twnasian, dirtysanches... and a few others I can't remember... but even back then Jeff refused to acknowledge me... I got a nasty PM from him to not talk to him about checking out boards.
It was not a very active place... but we were a happy lot and loved games muchly.
Why do you think some collectors just fade away. We've seen some big ones come and go from the union, not so much recently, but people like Propyro, 8-bit... I've often thought that they left because they could not fight the compulsion to continually buy.
Well, I have talked with both past their leaving... neither giving any kind of real answer... 8-bit actually had his mom send me an email telling me he's moved in with his girlfriend... and propyro was hella addicted to WoW... I'm actually a little worried about him now... I don't think it had much to do with our union, GS or even games or collecting... my best guess is that most collectors on GS stop collecting because they either grew out of it, got bored with it or otherwise moved on in their lives... just look at KF69, he was an awesome collector and great officer. But his life became more important then games.
KieblerFan69, yeah.. Well our off-topic thread continues in his honor. WoW is an unstoppable force, we've lost others to that she-beast as well. Back to your collection, what do you think was your best deal while game buying?
Hmmm... maybe my using my "50% off pre-orders" and "free 5-day shipping" codes at the same time on Steel Battalion lol otherwise... I'd have to say... my FREE SEALED copy of Suikoden II.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
Maybe my Gamecube Q... I'm not really sure though...
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
The few times I lost something or had something stolen... sad times indeed. I won't say which games but in my possession are a few stolen games. I know what you're thinking, "that's horrible" and "why" but the reasons are complicated and justified. I admit I hate stealing as much as anyone else but the games I stole were in retaliation to larger sums stolen from me... needless to say, I feel ashamed of it but I haven't replaced most of what was stolen from me... like my Jaguar for example...
What's your favorite part of your collection?
Aw c'mon man, I don't pick faves.
Then what is your most enjoyed category of games would it be wrestling games? Strategy games?
Strangely enough, I think I do enjoy strategy and simulation games most... that dates back to old schoolers like Hot Dog Stand and Oregon Trail...
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
Everything and anything I paid MSRP for. And my personal Rez and DBGT:FB... I found many copies of both cheap for others but when it came time for my own... I failed.
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
Geez... I dunno, you tell me.
Weirdest... Probably your two copies of The Guy Game (for both the XB and PS2). Oh and the relative shortage of RPG's in your collection.
Well, I figured I should buy them before they get pulled for the 17 year old thing... those games aren't even fun while drunk.
I rarely get RPGs because they demand high prices 90% of the time... as a frugal buyer, I don't like paying the price.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have? I was surprised not to see Valkyrie Profile or Chrono Trigger (or any R-Type's other than the SMS version.
VP was already hard to find when I started collecting... I do have Chrono Cross... but you can chalk my not having them up to my dislike for FF7... I bunched Squaresofts RPGs in my head... as for R-Type... well, over-sight comes to mind but at one time I had the Gameboy one (mint and complete) and the NES one... but they are among the stolen. Sometimes I wonder where they are now and if they are happy...
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
I suppose if I die... I wouldn't have much choice... but I already have no money to live on and I still buy games... I'm idiotic in that respect... choosing games over food... and bills...
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
Well, my copy of Godzilla for the NES was thrown from someones car in the middle of speeding traffic. I'm just the type of people to know to pick it up. I used to play that game for hours in the NES's prime. Finding it the way I did in the year 2000 was just hilarious and lucky.
Over the years I've been given 36 NES systems for free. I don't know if the one I have left is my original one.
Final Fantasy. You seem to be going out of your way to be selective. You have Final Fantasy for the NES, that's a given, got to have the first one. You have Final Fantasy Adventure, which is considered a good GameBoy game, but is not of the main lineage, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for the SNES, which is widely considered to be the "crap American" introduction to 16 bit RPG's, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA, which is a must-own for Strategy RPGers, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, the loathed Gamecube apology from Square to Nintendo and finally... X-2? After carefully picking through Final Fantasy for years you buy X-2? One of the best selling and most popular Final Fantasy games in the series. Explain yourself.
Well, the GB FF game is actually a Secret of Mana game. so there's that answer. MQ was a gift from gmsnpr from our x-mas x-change, it's mint and complete. CC was free. And if I could find 3 people to play it with, I do believe it would be fun. Tactics is an obvious one... I LOVE tactical RPGs. I only wish I could find Ogre... X-2 was also free. Free is free and owning ALL games EVER involves having some personally undesirable titles...
So what is it about the main Final Fantasy series that you dislike so much? Is it the popularity of the franchise?
Not so much the popularity of the series, but the OVER-popularity of 7. weather it be for Cloud or Sephiroth, that game has the most ridiculous and rabid fanbabies attached to it. I could tell you some stories about such people, but you probably aren't interested so we'll just leave it there.
But on the other hand, you can't get enough Pokemon.
If it wasn't for Pokemon, I may not have been here talking to you now... Pokemon rekindled my fire for gaming which was slowly dying because of my strong dislike for 3D games and gaming.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Hmmm, not sure, not more then 30% but it's probably not low either. Though recently I have in fact opened a few like Suikoden II, Yu Yu Hakusho: TT, Rebelstar, ect. Just to play em.
What percentage of your games do you think you bought new?
I can honestly say... not many. Almost every game I bought new had intense reasoning behind it, either to get it before it was rare or because it was dirt-cheap.
Thanks for taking the time to do this spotlight John.
It's no problem at all Shane...
Around the end of 11th grade I had a "video game party" which was basically the first Friday and Saturday of February vacation... and all 20 of the people who showed were amazed at my little over 500 games... before that it never felt like much... they began calling me "video game god" so I started buying more and more games and less and less of other things... as collectors go, I never traded anything in nor did I throw out or maim my boxes - a few manuals and boxes have gone missing over the years but I've done fairly well.
The reason I had so many games without realizing I was "collecting" was because I rented so much during the SNES/Gen era and bought very little. in my mind I just thought the games would be there forever... but after they all phased out I bought 90% of them... and started binge buying taking the realization if I don't buy them, I'll never see them again...
What are your goals as a game collector?
Well, I have only one... and it's impossible. That goal in which I speak is to own... every... single... game... and console... ever.
On to your collection, and I have to say it was a problem just printing out our collection for review, do you remember what it was like when you had, let's say 300 games and what your collection was like back then?
I have trouble getting about 10% of my games to even show up and the page itself - I haven't been able to actually load it in over a year. You should try viewing my wish-list, I doubt NASAs computers could do it.
As for my old school collection, yes, I remember but back then they were all stowed in drawers and storage containers and I wasn't officially collecting I was buying other useless crap and collecting other things.
How did you get most of your games? I know you used to work at GameStop and had always assumed that is where you got a lot of this stuff...
Well, seeing how I only worked for the devil for a little over a year and a half off, you can only contribute post N64 stuff to them I filled a lot of my GBA/Ngage and PS2/XB/GCN collection there but stuff before and after that is just... well... not.
I mostly got things from the old school shops like Funcoland, Software Ect and Ebay. A large chunk however was given to me by people who didn't want their stuff or had thrown it away and an even larger chunk came from my local Blockbuster. I would also have to credit the flea market I used to go to back in the day - I got a lot of primo stuff there.
We all know that you have strong negative feelings about GameStop for their corporate strategies and treatment of the consumer. But what happened to you directly that ultimately lead to you being banned from the franchise? Was it just a boss who had it in for you?
Well, yes. The company is horrible and evil. The reason I was banned was nothing but petty selfish panicking. I wasn't the only one who was banned. My entire staff was fired and banned. The District Manager was doing something very bad. Some of us knew... and it lead to us all being fired and banned to keep his secret.
You must have had some good experiences there with customers though, given your depth and passion for games. Any good memories?
I hated having to screw them all the time. There were a few good people we had as regulars but for the most part, the customers were not great, some were even nasty. Anyone who's worked retail can tell you, people suck.
I'm going to mention a few games from your collection. Give me a few words on each of them, either where you got it or why you got it or if you played or liked it:
Cardinal Syn, Playstation
It is a quirky 8 player game. I vaguely remember playing it one time, back when I had friends - I remember fun, but my memory isn't great.
Faxanadu, NES
Up there on "must own" if you have an NES. It's an amazing RPG. I like it tons more then Zelda.
Garfield: Caught in the Act, Genesis
Impulse buy - it had a manual and was 50 cents. It's a fairly good platformer, resembles Ghouls and Ghosts.
Gotcha Force, Gamecube
A highly over-looked title. Also incredibly hard to find. I spent a year looking for my own copy and another 2 looking for one for a former friend of mine. It's got great multi-player and for a quick few rounds of robot killing, it's fun. The story isn't half-bad either, but it's no Custom Robo.
The Gransteam Saga, PlayStation
I've yet to actually play this RPG, but it has been looking at me funny recently. I may end up playing it if I can't get a hold of some more Suikoden soon.
Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude! (Poochie? Anyone?)
Best $0.01 I ever spent. The game is a giant joke. Yet still mindless enough to be fun.
Last Bronx, Saturn
I loved it, one of the earliest Anime based games in US existence. Really not a bad 3D fighter despite its age.
Record of Lodoss War, Dreamcast
If you like the anime, this game is a must have. It's a really well done game with a solid story.
Pokemon Box: Ruby and Saphire, Gamecube
When I saw this listed on Pokemon Center (Nintendo World Store) I knew it would be a rarity. I bought 5, gave one to two of my former friends and saved the other two. I later sold them on ebay for 3 times what I paid. It's nothing more then a storage device/gameboy player for Pokemon.
Short Order / Eggsplode, NES -- Burgertime ripoff?
No sir, these games are for power pad use only. Amazed? Intrigued? Dumbfounded? They are fun.
To The Earth, NES
Zapper game... one of the better ones...
You have some Apple ][ games listed. Do you still have the capability to play those?
I do still have the capability to play them, sadly; a lot are unplayable thanks to the Y2K bug. The only thing it actually effected are older PCs. Most games ran off their own and didn't care about the system memory, but many games are now unable to operate at 100% and a few won't run at all. For example, my favorite Apple II game, Ghostbusters, runs at 500x its original speed... makes playing it hard... thank jeebus the SMS game is essentially a better and stronger version of that - unlike the 2600 and NES versions which were INCREDIBLY watered down.
Remember "turbo buttons" on 386/486 era computers that would allow you to slow down the proc to make it possible to play DOS games?
Actually... I don't... this is the first I'm hearing of it.
What do you dislike about the whole video game scene (if anything)?
How it is full of fanbabies and trends and is getting over-run by control-hungry and money-hungry corporations and... the fact that certain series and franchises get more attention then they deserve.
Have you ever been compelled to buy a game just because you have so many other games in the franchise?
Tekken, Suikoden, Twisted Metal, Jet Moto, Ghostbusters, Xmen, Wing Commander, Ace Combat, Lemmings, wrestling titles, .hack... hell, let's just leave it at yes.
You have some duplicate games over multiple systems, like some Digimon and ECW games. Did you double up on those intentionally, or to compare them on the different consoles?
Digimon and ECW games are not very common... now they sell for more then twice what they cost new... I'm still trying to get one of the GCN Digimon games... but am not willing to pay $80 for a game that released at $30... I actually like having an N64 and PS1 version of the ECW games because my memory limitations... N64 cards are so small... I also think some of them are still sealed... (both the Digimon and ECW games) got any other examples? Like my 8 versions of Burgertime or something?
Well you have many several duplicates over multiple systems for the earlier consoles, but that is fairly common for a large collection. The more interesting ones are the ones where the name has been recycled, like Area 51 on four systems ranging from the Apple ][ to the XBOX. However, you do have 5 games that I could find that include penguins. Do you think that is a low count?
I love penguins... are you sure there aren't more then 5? I know I want more... especially the Disgea games... penguins saying "d00d" is like a dream come true...
Well there could be more, I'm sure any game with an "ice level" also had penguins. Sorry d00d.
Ya, that's somewhat true; the PS1 "Pong" had a good ice level featuring penguins. I don't remember penguins in any Mario game... but Mega Man chilled with a penguin he he.
Talk about your love of 2D fighters and Wrestlers. Do you have any favorites?
Well, they were things I grew up on so, I love them via nostalgia I guess. Wrestling games now a days are so customizable they have endless replay value, though THQ is really getting bad at making them. 2D fighters are all but dead now, that saddens me, 3D doesn't age well and 2D is the best way to fight.
Well, Street Fighter HD looks awesome and Street Fighter 4 promises to be 2D as well. What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
I'm not sure I even have one... none really come to mind even after thought... the only thing I can even think that might count is the creation of the Un-bias Game Collectors UCB which later became the Candid Collectors' Union.
As I can figure it out you started the Candid Collectors' Union before GameSpot even had unions. What motivated you to do that and what was it like back then?
Well, you speak the truth. I was talking with 8-bit master about "Gladius" and then we got to thinking we should try to help each other collect...we had decided to start a trade system to fill his NES collection... (last I checked he was only missing 15 US releases) and that got me noticing that very few people on GS have tons of games... so I was paying at the time (before CNET took over and ruined all the cool browsing features in all the gamespaces and profile pages and added all those fun glitches everywhere) and had an unused UCB (which stood for "user-created board") so I made it into the Un-bias Game Collectors UCB and invited all my friends list at the time... I think it was only 6 people who ended up there... me, 8-bit, gmsnpr, twnasian, dirtysanches... and a few others I can't remember... but even back then Jeff refused to acknowledge me... I got a nasty PM from him to not talk to him about checking out boards.
It was not a very active place... but we were a happy lot and loved games muchly.
Why do you think some collectors just fade away. We've seen some big ones come and go from the union, not so much recently, but people like Propyro, 8-bit... I've often thought that they left because they could not fight the compulsion to continually buy.
Well, I have talked with both past their leaving... neither giving any kind of real answer... 8-bit actually had his mom send me an email telling me he's moved in with his girlfriend... and propyro was hella addicted to WoW... I'm actually a little worried about him now... I don't think it had much to do with our union, GS or even games or collecting... my best guess is that most collectors on GS stop collecting because they either grew out of it, got bored with it or otherwise moved on in their lives... just look at KF69, he was an awesome collector and great officer. But his life became more important then games.
KieblerFan69, yeah.. Well our off-topic thread continues in his honor. WoW is an unstoppable force, we've lost others to that she-beast as well. Back to your collection, what do you think was your best deal while game buying?
Hmmm... maybe my using my "50% off pre-orders" and "free 5-day shipping" codes at the same time on Steel Battalion lol otherwise... I'd have to say... my FREE SEALED copy of Suikoden II.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
Maybe my Gamecube Q... I'm not really sure though...
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
The few times I lost something or had something stolen... sad times indeed. I won't say which games but in my possession are a few stolen games. I know what you're thinking, "that's horrible" and "why" but the reasons are complicated and justified. I admit I hate stealing as much as anyone else but the games I stole were in retaliation to larger sums stolen from me... needless to say, I feel ashamed of it but I haven't replaced most of what was stolen from me... like my Jaguar for example...
What's your favorite part of your collection?
Aw c'mon man, I don't pick faves.
Then what is your most enjoyed category of games would it be wrestling games? Strategy games?
Strangely enough, I think I do enjoy strategy and simulation games most... that dates back to old schoolers like Hot Dog Stand and Oregon Trail...
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
Everything and anything I paid MSRP for. And my personal Rez and DBGT:FB... I found many copies of both cheap for others but when it came time for my own... I failed.
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
Geez... I dunno, you tell me.
Weirdest... Probably your two copies of The Guy Game (for both the XB and PS2). Oh and the relative shortage of RPG's in your collection.
Well, I figured I should buy them before they get pulled for the 17 year old thing... those games aren't even fun while drunk.
I rarely get RPGs because they demand high prices 90% of the time... as a frugal buyer, I don't like paying the price.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have? I was surprised not to see Valkyrie Profile or Chrono Trigger (or any R-Type's other than the SMS version.
VP was already hard to find when I started collecting... I do have Chrono Cross... but you can chalk my not having them up to my dislike for FF7... I bunched Squaresofts RPGs in my head... as for R-Type... well, over-sight comes to mind but at one time I had the Gameboy one (mint and complete) and the NES one... but they are among the stolen. Sometimes I wonder where they are now and if they are happy...
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
I suppose if I die... I wouldn't have much choice... but I already have no money to live on and I still buy games... I'm idiotic in that respect... choosing games over food... and bills...
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
Well, my copy of Godzilla for the NES was thrown from someones car in the middle of speeding traffic. I'm just the type of people to know to pick it up. I used to play that game for hours in the NES's prime. Finding it the way I did in the year 2000 was just hilarious and lucky.
Over the years I've been given 36 NES systems for free. I don't know if the one I have left is my original one.
Final Fantasy. You seem to be going out of your way to be selective. You have Final Fantasy for the NES, that's a given, got to have the first one. You have Final Fantasy Adventure, which is considered a good GameBoy game, but is not of the main lineage, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for the SNES, which is widely considered to be the "crap American" introduction to 16 bit RPG's, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA, which is a must-own for Strategy RPGers, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, the loathed Gamecube apology from Square to Nintendo and finally... X-2? After carefully picking through Final Fantasy for years you buy X-2? One of the best selling and most popular Final Fantasy games in the series. Explain yourself.
Well, the GB FF game is actually a Secret of Mana game. so there's that answer. MQ was a gift from gmsnpr from our x-mas x-change, it's mint and complete. CC was free. And if I could find 3 people to play it with, I do believe it would be fun. Tactics is an obvious one... I LOVE tactical RPGs. I only wish I could find Ogre... X-2 was also free. Free is free and owning ALL games EVER involves having some personally undesirable titles...
So what is it about the main Final Fantasy series that you dislike so much? Is it the popularity of the franchise?
Not so much the popularity of the series, but the OVER-popularity of 7. weather it be for Cloud or Sephiroth, that game has the most ridiculous and rabid fanbabies attached to it. I could tell you some stories about such people, but you probably aren't interested so we'll just leave it there.
But on the other hand, you can't get enough Pokemon.
If it wasn't for Pokemon, I may not have been here talking to you now... Pokemon rekindled my fire for gaming which was slowly dying because of my strong dislike for 3D games and gaming.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Hmmm, not sure, not more then 30% but it's probably not low either. Though recently I have in fact opened a few like Suikoden II, Yu Yu Hakusho: TT, Rebelstar, ect. Just to play em.
What percentage of your games do you think you bought new?
I can honestly say... not many. Almost every game I bought new had intense reasoning behind it, either to get it before it was rare or because it was dirt-cheap.
Thanks for taking the time to do this spotlight John.
It's no problem at all Shane...