Slackur's Obscure Gaming Theatre

Posted on Jun 17th 2018 at 12:00:00 PM by (slackur)
Posted under collecting, nostalgia, retro gaming, physical media, Pengo, what I would give for the 8 player Pengo Arcade cab


This is in its own way a companion piece to the reflections in Zophar53's recent article, What is Nostalgia in 2018?  I wanted to respond and take the conversation in a personal direction but I realized I needed the room to let my thoughts breath, so here we are.

Many of our collections, video games and otherwise, are initially based off some form of nostalgia.  Mine is no exception.  As I've referred to in past write-ups, it started with a simple childhood dream to own every video game so that anyone at our home could play any video game whenever they wanted (myself included!)  Many years and a family of my own later, that has transformed into the desire to use the medium of video games integrated in our lives as ways to connect socially, unwind mentally, and develop conversations culturally.  I am very pleased to say it has been generally successful.  That said, of course there are games and systems I have a special fondness for due to my earlier time spent with them.  Over time my greater connection has come from games I played with friends that I now keep in memory after their passing, and I imagine that to continue.  I also have no doubt our children are building their own nostalgia from specific titles our family enjoys together.


Continue reading Why Do We Collect Video Games In 2018?



Posted on Nov 20th 2017 at 01:00:00 PM by (slackur)
Posted under physical media, PS5, XBox Snugglebunny


pic from vg247.  I'd dive in there like Scrooge McDuck.

I remember when eBay was a new thing.  In the wake of a fresh and burgeoning public internet, with dial-up squeals and stilted page updates, the world suddenly felt connected in a new and unprecedented way.  It didn't take long for me to use this powerful collection of advanced tools to finally achieve a feat that had eluded me for what felt like forever:

I tracked down the import Final Fantasy IV soundtrack CD.

Spent way too much, in hind sight.  Didn't we all, the first time we realized we could bid on objects that had tantalized our imaginations?  Or replace that lost childhood toy?  Or prove that yes, Song of the South really exists but only on withered VHS tapes?  Before it became a store, in its infancy eBay felt like an untapped treasure trove, that fabled yard sale where everybody found something they were looking for.

But this isn't about eBay.  It is about what that described moment represents; connecting with a lost treasure, or finding a new one.  Few gamers over thirty wouldn't stop and look at a pristine collection of rare games from a few decades ago, if just to reminisce or wonder about what was never played.  Games back then represented a thing to buy and savor, from mining every secret and technique to staying up with a buddy to beat each other's high scores.  Before they were services, video games were products to own.


Continue reading Are We Past The Golden Era Of Physical Media?


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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