History
Gaming has always been a staple in the family household. Back in 1982 I started out with the archaic but classic Coleco Vision and Atari 2600 consoles (both still living a lonely life in the closet). Despite primitive graphics and repetitive gameplay, my fascination for games was unwavering.
A whole new level of excitement arrived Christmas of 1987 when the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) found its way under the tree. Like many other kids, I became enthralled with platform gaming and spent countless hours with the likes of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, Contra, and Mega Man over the years. The obsession only multiplied in 1992 with the 16-bit Super Nintendo (SNES), far and away my favorite console to date. I bought a used Game Boy not long after and began snapping up a number of portable titles. By 1995 the total count stood around 75 games, and that was the only the beginning.
My favorite series of Mega Man expanded to different consoles, and I blindly followed, picking up a Sega Genesis and Sony Playstation, opening the door to even more games for the collection (like scooping up all the Sonic games, because why not?). This video game collecting habit went full throttle until the late 2000s (right when life responsibilities began punching me in the face).
Even as play time diminished over later years, I was still buying games as a collector. The total count eventually crossed 250 games, covering over 20 different console systems. Funny enough, about half of those games are still factory sealed, which wouldn't make sense as a gamer (why buy games you're not going to play?), but as a long-term investment it became a wise choice seeing those games appreciate in value every year after going out of print. If I ever wanted to actually play the game, I'd buy a used copy, beat it, sell it, keep the sealed one intact. Boom. And I will always acquire the physical copy (if possible) rather than a digital download, because I'm one of those old-fashioned curmudgeons who want to hold a game in their hands.
Favorites
My preferred genre has always been side-scrolling linear platform games, with the good 'ol run, jump, and attack routine. While first-person 3-D style games have their place today and is all the rage for modern consoles, I'd rather play the kind of stuff I grew up with. Current video game publishers are re-releasing nostalgic old-school platform games for a reason. They're appealing to my generation!
Most of the 250+ games I own can be categorized into a handful of different series (Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc.) Anything stamped with some variation of those titles was a guaranteed purchase, regardless of whether they were good or not. For example, I've got almost 70 games in the Mega Man series alone (25% of my total collection).
Today
I no longer collect games like I used to (I've bought maybe 6 games in the last 5 years). I completely skipped over PS4, XBox1 and Wii U. At my age there's so many other things to think about besides gaming. I occasionally still play, usually motivated by new releases (the latest Zelda for Nintendo Switch being a prime example) but it's definitely not a pronounced hobby like it used to be.