Welcome to the eighth edition of our game room series where we take a look at some of our site members gaming spaces!  We've been away for a few month's, but now we're back with a vengeance! This month we are featuring longtime member, donor and lurking site member, Voodoo Monkey. 

Join us as we explore Voodoo Monkey's gaming space, learn more about how and what he collects, and how he makes his space work for his gaming needs.

**If you are a member and have a game room or gaming area that you would like to share, please send a PM to singlebanana and I will add you to our list.**




RF Generation handle:

Voodoo Monkey


Approximate dimensions of your game room (in feet, or meters if you prefer):

My dedicated collection space is roughly 13’ x 18’.  All of our modern consoles have overflowed into the family room which also houses an absurd amount of Duplo and Fisher Price.



Describe your game room in a Tweet (140 characters, include spaces).

Like Pee Wee’s Playhouse, it’s filled with weird, fun junk.  It may look like a mess, but everything has its place.


How many distinct systems do you own (including handheld)?  What are your favorites?

Right around 30 not including backup systems and plug n’ play consoles like the NES Classic.  The Sega Genesis will always be on top in my book.  It may not have the strongest library, but it certainly cemented my love for gaming growing up. (Streets of Rage Baby)!  The Dreamcast, Gamecube, and the original Xbox are right up there too.



How many systems do you have hooked up right now?  What are they?

I have 18 systems hooked up to 3 CRTs and 1 LCD: NES, NES AVS, SNES, N64, GameCube, WiiU, Genesis, Sega CD, Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox, 360, OneX, Atari 2600, PS2, PS3, PS4, and a Neo Geo AES. I try to have everything hooked up to era specific TVs. Playing something like the Atari 2600 on a wood paneled mid 80’s Sony CRT is the only way to really play, right?!



What are the top 5 biggest collections in your game room? Are any complete?

I’m the proud owner of all five DOA Xtreme Beach VolleyBall releases.  Does that count?!  I really just try and buy games that I think I might actually play.  If I was crazy enough to go for a complete set, it might be the original Xbox.  The seemingly low interest in the system and reasonable prices of most of its games make that collection seem almost doable.  It would be hard to give shelf space to all those sports titles though.

Top 5 collections are:
1. Xbox 360 (232)
2. PS2 (170)
3. Xbox (169)
4. NES (143)
5. Atari 2600 (120)



What is your favorite piece in your game room (game and/or non-game)?

Can this be a tie? 

Of course!

1. Mario Bros on Game & Watch. My Dad brought this AMAZING game back for me from a business trip to South Korea in the 80’s.  Countless hours were spent packing bottles in that soda factory.  If the house was burning down, that would be my top priority (after the wife, kids, and Grandma of course).

2. Voodoo Vince for the Xbox.  This was the first game I worked on in the industry.  It’s not the best platformer, but it is a lot of fun and it was the first and best game company I’ve worked for.



What is the rarest piece in your game room?

Probably Pocky and Rocky With Becky (CIB) for the GBA.  I picked this up new back in the day not really knowing what it was. It’s really a pretty mediocre game, so unless it had a tiny print run, it shouldn’t be worth what it’s selling for.

If anyone has any information about this game I’d love to know more about it.

 
Do you own any game cabinets/pinball machines?  If so, which one would you like to add next?  If not, which one would you like to be your first?

A friend and I dumped WAY too many quarters into a NARC cab back in the day.  Perfect game for a 12 year old.  I would love to own a few cabinets at some point and NARC has got to be at the top of the list.

WINNERS DON’T USE DRUGS!!!

Satan’s Hollow is a very close Second.  What a beautiful cabinet and an excellent game.



What, if anything, makes your game room or setup distinguishable?

I’ve tried to turn the room into a bit of a time capsule/ love letter to the late 80’s/ early 90’s.  A tiny museum that encourages touching. Besides video games, the room houses a VHS, Laserdisc, vinyl, comic, and toy collection.



Who or what was the inspiration for your game room?

This is the room I dreamed about having when I was 12 years old.  Things haven’t changed much since then.  It’s filled with all the junk my paper route couldn’t pay for in 1989.   



If your game room were an animal, which one would it be and why?

Oh it has to be an Altered Beast.  RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE 16 Bit Generation!


Did you have any plans for your game room that became too ambitious or expensive to implement?

Right next to my game room is an amazing amount of space being hogged by my two beautiful baby boys.  As soon as they grow out of Hot Wheels and Duplo, construction of the Tiki Barcade will begin.  As Elvis once sang… “If I can dream”...

 
What new section or set would you like to eventually add to your game room?

My Super Nintendo library is sad.  That’s probably the collection of games that needs the most attention.



If someone handed you $100 and you HAD to spend it on your game room (not on games or systems), what would you buy?

I would spend it all on those plastic box protectors.  I have a lot of GBA and Sega CD cardboard that desperately needs a layer of protection.  It’s hard to spend precious game dollars on something like that though right?  That $100 could buy me at least 100 copies of Silent Service if I’m doing the math right! 


For many collectors, storing controllers is always an issue due to their cords and sometimes awkward shapes. How do you manage these?

I keep one controller for each console I have plugged in on top of the corresponding system.  For extra controllers and other console accessories I use plastic bin technology in combination with a closet to keep everything out of sight.



What does your significant other, housemate(s), or friends think about your game room?

God bless her… When we moved into this house two years ago, my wife let me take over this room.  She’s a casual gamer these days which makes me kind of sad.  She’s really good at games.  No one can beat her at Dr. Mario.  NO ONE.  She used to brag about finding every “Gorgon Eye” in God of War.  She enjoys watching games these days but she has mostly lost interest in playing them.

My two boys are still a little too young to appreciate what’s happening in the game room but I’m hoping to convert them when the time is right.



What was the funniest/coolest thing someone has ever said when they saw your game room for the first time?

Two close friends were staying with us awhile back and I showed them the room.  One of them asked if I had Road Rash, which was a favorite of hers growing up.  I had it… I don’t remember what she said but she played that game FOREVER.  It made me so unbelievably happy to be able to bring back a good childhood memory for her.



Tell us about your game room seating.  Do you have a preferred spot?

Seating is a little tight.  Two chairs.  One comfortable one.  Plenty of floor space if Donkey Konga is on the agenda.

 
Do you allow drinks and/or snacks in your game room?  Explain.

I love all the stuff in the game room but it’s just stuff.  Beer, chips, etc. are all totally allowed.  This room is for having a good time.  I’ll take the risk of a spill here or there without question.



What advice would you give to someone getting ready to set up their own game room?

Fill your room with what makes you happy.  Give every item in your room a place.  Avoid clutter and piling up stuff (advice I should take myself).  If you don’t have space for something in your room, really think about if it really needs to be in your collection.


Question from previous participant douglie007:
Why do you collect? For the love of the games, as a nest egg, for nostalgia, or to preserve history? Explain.

Compulsive hoarding disorder? It’s certainly not for any potential profit down the road.  There are so many better places to invest your money than video games. I’ll leave history preservation to the pros like the Immortal John Hancock. Really, I just love playing old games. And I feel like firing up an old CRT and plugging my copy of Golden Axe into an actual Genesis is a big part of the fun.



What question would you like to ask the next participant?

How do you keep track of your collection besides the RF Gen database?  Are there any other online/ mobile collection tools you use alongside RF Gen to track your games, check prices, etc.?


One last thing… Big thank you to singlebanana for giving me the opportunity to show off my room of shame.

Shucks! It was nuttin'

Permalink | Comments [9] | Digg This Article | Tweet