Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 8, 2013 21:59:16 GMT
Subject: Usagi704, member of the CCU since August 2004.
Some basics first:
Number of Systems: 9 (unique); 13 (counting all systems I collect for regardless of what I play them on and multiple regions of the same system)
Number of Games: 384 (includes my only duplicate which is FFVII [U/C] and [J] and a game I can't add to GS, Crisis Core [J])
When did you start collecting? August 2005
What was your first system? Coleco Gemini (an Atari 2600 clone)
What was your first game? Skiing or Ice Hockey for Atari 2600
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
That would have to be when I joined this fine union back in August of 2005. What can I say? All of you crazy people with your crazy habits rubbed off on me!
A lot of people who join and stay active in the union do tend to see sizable jumps in their collection size, myself included. Why do you think that is?
I think it has a lot to do with members in the union revealing games to others that may not have heard of certain titles before. It creates awareness and interest in games that may not be well known. For example, I would have likely not ever picked up the Super Robot Taisen GBA games, Ghosthunter, the Psyvariar PS2 games, The Red Star, or Pocket MuuMuu among others had it not been for the members of this union.
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
I'm pretty nonchalant about having goals as a game collector, but I'd say my main goal, if you can call it that, is to simply collect what I like to play. If you put me to it, I'd say one of my goals would be to have an impressive collection of fighting games and shoot-'em-ups. These are two of my most favorite genres and I feel my fighting game goal is coming along quite nicely, but I only recently made the shoot-'em-up goal and I have a good amount to go before I will be satisfied with how that is coming.
What is it about those two genres that you enjoy so much?
That is a tough one because I never really think about why I like these genres as much as I do. I find fighting games so throughly enjoyable because I really like figuring out how to use each fighting game's system to my advantage and finding each character's strengths and weaknesses to see who is the best one. Playing against other good players is always fun because the mind games you can play is pretty crazy, especially when you know how to exploit the fighting system and are familiar with each character. I really like getting into each character and learning their strategies which is why I have a hatred for fighting game "strategy" guides because over 90% of them are glorified move lists with no actual strategy in them. The only one I have come across that is a legitimate strategy guide is the one for Street Fighter Anniversary Collection by BradyGames.
The shoot-'em-ups I like the most are the manic "bullet hell" types like DoDonPachi, Castle Shikigami 2, and Ibara. I enjoy the different ways to play them in order to get the best scores like the "buzz" system in Psyvariar and the different weapons like the "laser web" in Soukyugurentai and the Radiant sword in Radiant Silvergun. Achieving a high score in these types of games is very rewarding because the challenge to do so can be very difficult. I have found that never continuing will make you a better player rather than "bombing" your way through the harder stages and bosses. I found this article on insomnia.ac that made me realize this and it has helped me become better at shoot-'em-ups by taking this rule to heart.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
I don't think there is a limit to how many are enough. I just collect for a system until I feel I have everything I want for it, but even after that point I'm still open to any game I may not have been aware of if I come across it.
What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
My proudest moment so far is the acquisition of my copy of Radiant Silvergun for the Saturn. It is near mint and was had for a pretty good price too!
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
I hate to admit this, but it was when I was new to collecting and I bought a used copy of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for PlayStation from Gamestop without realizing how much that particular game was missing. It was missing everything except what was in the CD case and I paid $40 for it! When I tried to return it after I realized the mistake I made, the only option they would give me was to trade it back in for $7 (!) of store credit! I learned my lesson quickly that I always need to do research before hand if I'm not certain of what makes a particular title complete. I still have that copy of Lunar today and every time I look at it I remember that moment. Ugh.
Amongst your non-gaming friends are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I am proud of my collection, but I also don't bring attention to it very often because I doubt they would want to hear me constantly talk about it. Same reason I wouldn't want anyone else to constantly bring the same thing up frequently in conversations as it would be annoying. Having said that, if you are all about such things, then yeah, I could go on and on.
What's your favorite part of your collection?
My imports are easily my favorite part of my collection. Especially the import games that are unique to that region and didn't get released elsewhere. There is just something about imports that I find alluring. Maybe it is all of the "foreignness," you know, what makes them unique from other regions' games. My first import ever was Naruto: Narutimate Hero 3 for PlayStation 2 and now imports infest all of my systems except for N64, Game Boy, and TurboGrafx-16. That'll definitely change for the Game Boy and TG-16 in the future though.
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I would like to improve my Saturn and Game Boy Advance sections because I don't feel they are robust and large enough. My GBA collection will be the hardest because I would like to keep it entirely to games that are complete and in box which is now more difficult with the system's exit from being active.
The introduction of the hard-case with the DS was long-overdue. What would you like to get rid of in your game collection within the next year?
The one original model Saturn controller I have that I received from the auction I got my white Japanese Saturn from as I am not fond of that design and I don't have any need to hang on to it. If anyone is interested in it, feel free to contact me.
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
I'm going to go with the recent acquisition of NBA Street Homecourt for PlayStation 3 for $9 new. Not a game I was totally looking forward to getting, but it was a great deal so I couldn't pass it up.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
My most valuable item is easily Radiant Silvergun for the Saturn. It still fetches $200+ on eBay and I got mine for $170 and is near mint! ^_^ As far as most rare item goes, it is hard for me to say since I honestly don't know as I am not very good at determining rarity.
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
Well, instead of once again bringing up Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, I'll say Naruto: Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu 4 for DS. It was the first and only import I have ever seen at a local store (Best Buy) in my area, so I had to have it! It was $40, which is definitely way too much for that game!
That's still no great shame. What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
My complete, boxed copy of Hey You, Pikachu! I haven't even tested it yet to see if it works because I the potential for a seriously awkward moment that could happen if I'm caught trying to play that game!
That would be a great YouTube moment -- being caught playing Hey You Pikachu! What item do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
Nobody I know has ever expressed surprise at something I don't have, but I would guess that my lack of any Grand Theft Auto game would be something a lot of people would be surprised of.
Where/how do you store it all?
I currently store a large portion of my games in a large plastic container, in a single cabinet, and a small amount on a single shelf. Once I move to a new place within the next two years, I'm going to be sure to make it all displayable on shelves.
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
Definitely not. This has been the one hobby I have had virtually since I was born and it will continue on for as long as possible.
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I can't say I have a funny story about my collection, but one time I entered into the Gamespot contest to win a prerelease copy of Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots and I actually won even though I have never been able to play it since I have never picked up the original game.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
Not since I have acquired enough games for it to potentially become a pain. Next time, it'll likely be a story worth telling.
If you're significant other told you no more games, what would you do?
I would get a new significant other. My video game hobby is a part of who I am and if they can't accept that, then we're incompatible as far as I am concerned.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Instead of a percentage, I'll give you a number: Two. I don't typically collect with the intention of keeping games sealed. One is Mega Man 64 and the other is the Crisis Core PSP system version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which has a shiny alternate art cover from the rest of the versions.
What percentage of your games have you actually played? Completed?
I have played about 80+% of my games and completed about 70% of them. I need to take some time to get those totals higher!
Thanks for the interview Usagi!
Some basics first:
Number of Systems: 9 (unique); 13 (counting all systems I collect for regardless of what I play them on and multiple regions of the same system)
Number of Games: 384 (includes my only duplicate which is FFVII [U/C] and [J] and a game I can't add to GS, Crisis Core [J])
When did you start collecting? August 2005
What was your first system? Coleco Gemini (an Atari 2600 clone)
What was your first game? Skiing or Ice Hockey for Atari 2600
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
That would have to be when I joined this fine union back in August of 2005. What can I say? All of you crazy people with your crazy habits rubbed off on me!
A lot of people who join and stay active in the union do tend to see sizable jumps in their collection size, myself included. Why do you think that is?
I think it has a lot to do with members in the union revealing games to others that may not have heard of certain titles before. It creates awareness and interest in games that may not be well known. For example, I would have likely not ever picked up the Super Robot Taisen GBA games, Ghosthunter, the Psyvariar PS2 games, The Red Star, or Pocket MuuMuu among others had it not been for the members of this union.
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
I'm pretty nonchalant about having goals as a game collector, but I'd say my main goal, if you can call it that, is to simply collect what I like to play. If you put me to it, I'd say one of my goals would be to have an impressive collection of fighting games and shoot-'em-ups. These are two of my most favorite genres and I feel my fighting game goal is coming along quite nicely, but I only recently made the shoot-'em-up goal and I have a good amount to go before I will be satisfied with how that is coming.
What is it about those two genres that you enjoy so much?
That is a tough one because I never really think about why I like these genres as much as I do. I find fighting games so throughly enjoyable because I really like figuring out how to use each fighting game's system to my advantage and finding each character's strengths and weaknesses to see who is the best one. Playing against other good players is always fun because the mind games you can play is pretty crazy, especially when you know how to exploit the fighting system and are familiar with each character. I really like getting into each character and learning their strategies which is why I have a hatred for fighting game "strategy" guides because over 90% of them are glorified move lists with no actual strategy in them. The only one I have come across that is a legitimate strategy guide is the one for Street Fighter Anniversary Collection by BradyGames.
The shoot-'em-ups I like the most are the manic "bullet hell" types like DoDonPachi, Castle Shikigami 2, and Ibara. I enjoy the different ways to play them in order to get the best scores like the "buzz" system in Psyvariar and the different weapons like the "laser web" in Soukyugurentai and the Radiant sword in Radiant Silvergun. Achieving a high score in these types of games is very rewarding because the challenge to do so can be very difficult. I have found that never continuing will make you a better player rather than "bombing" your way through the harder stages and bosses. I found this article on insomnia.ac that made me realize this and it has helped me become better at shoot-'em-ups by taking this rule to heart.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
I don't think there is a limit to how many are enough. I just collect for a system until I feel I have everything I want for it, but even after that point I'm still open to any game I may not have been aware of if I come across it.
What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
My proudest moment so far is the acquisition of my copy of Radiant Silvergun for the Saturn. It is near mint and was had for a pretty good price too!
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
I hate to admit this, but it was when I was new to collecting and I bought a used copy of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for PlayStation from Gamestop without realizing how much that particular game was missing. It was missing everything except what was in the CD case and I paid $40 for it! When I tried to return it after I realized the mistake I made, the only option they would give me was to trade it back in for $7 (!) of store credit! I learned my lesson quickly that I always need to do research before hand if I'm not certain of what makes a particular title complete. I still have that copy of Lunar today and every time I look at it I remember that moment. Ugh.
Amongst your non-gaming friends are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I am proud of my collection, but I also don't bring attention to it very often because I doubt they would want to hear me constantly talk about it. Same reason I wouldn't want anyone else to constantly bring the same thing up frequently in conversations as it would be annoying. Having said that, if you are all about such things, then yeah, I could go on and on.
What's your favorite part of your collection?
My imports are easily my favorite part of my collection. Especially the import games that are unique to that region and didn't get released elsewhere. There is just something about imports that I find alluring. Maybe it is all of the "foreignness," you know, what makes them unique from other regions' games. My first import ever was Naruto: Narutimate Hero 3 for PlayStation 2 and now imports infest all of my systems except for N64, Game Boy, and TurboGrafx-16. That'll definitely change for the Game Boy and TG-16 in the future though.
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I would like to improve my Saturn and Game Boy Advance sections because I don't feel they are robust and large enough. My GBA collection will be the hardest because I would like to keep it entirely to games that are complete and in box which is now more difficult with the system's exit from being active.
The introduction of the hard-case with the DS was long-overdue. What would you like to get rid of in your game collection within the next year?
The one original model Saturn controller I have that I received from the auction I got my white Japanese Saturn from as I am not fond of that design and I don't have any need to hang on to it. If anyone is interested in it, feel free to contact me.
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
I'm going to go with the recent acquisition of NBA Street Homecourt for PlayStation 3 for $9 new. Not a game I was totally looking forward to getting, but it was a great deal so I couldn't pass it up.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
My most valuable item is easily Radiant Silvergun for the Saturn. It still fetches $200+ on eBay and I got mine for $170 and is near mint! ^_^ As far as most rare item goes, it is hard for me to say since I honestly don't know as I am not very good at determining rarity.
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
Well, instead of once again bringing up Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, I'll say Naruto: Saikyou Ninja Daikesshu 4 for DS. It was the first and only import I have ever seen at a local store (Best Buy) in my area, so I had to have it! It was $40, which is definitely way too much for that game!
That's still no great shame. What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
My complete, boxed copy of Hey You, Pikachu! I haven't even tested it yet to see if it works because I the potential for a seriously awkward moment that could happen if I'm caught trying to play that game!
That would be a great YouTube moment -- being caught playing Hey You Pikachu! What item do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
Nobody I know has ever expressed surprise at something I don't have, but I would guess that my lack of any Grand Theft Auto game would be something a lot of people would be surprised of.
Where/how do you store it all?
I currently store a large portion of my games in a large plastic container, in a single cabinet, and a small amount on a single shelf. Once I move to a new place within the next two years, I'm going to be sure to make it all displayable on shelves.
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
Definitely not. This has been the one hobby I have had virtually since I was born and it will continue on for as long as possible.
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I can't say I have a funny story about my collection, but one time I entered into the Gamespot contest to win a prerelease copy of Rise of Nations: Thrones & Patriots and I actually won even though I have never been able to play it since I have never picked up the original game.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
Not since I have acquired enough games for it to potentially become a pain. Next time, it'll likely be a story worth telling.
If you're significant other told you no more games, what would you do?
I would get a new significant other. My video game hobby is a part of who I am and if they can't accept that, then we're incompatible as far as I am concerned.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Instead of a percentage, I'll give you a number: Two. I don't typically collect with the intention of keeping games sealed. One is Mega Man 64 and the other is the Crisis Core PSP system version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which has a shiny alternate art cover from the rest of the versions.
What percentage of your games have you actually played? Completed?
I have played about 80+% of my games and completed about 70% of them. I need to take some time to get those totals higher!
Thanks for the interview Usagi!