I'll take it any way I can get it.

[ianoid]

How do you take games new to your collection? O en espanol:
?A que tomar sus juegos que son nuevos de su colecion?

Do they have to be mint, complete, new?
Or are you like me, and you'll take it any way you can, until you can get an upgrade, as long as it's cheap enough?

[dmhawkmoon]

Though I do sometimes go for less than perfect games, I tend to highly prefer complete, so I picked 2.

I like my game room to look appealing and if I am going to spend any money I like to get as much out of it as I can. I also like to look at what was packed in with games at different time periods. It's fun to look at the manuals and such. If I was ever strapped for cash I could generally resell the stuff for a good value if it's complete anyway.

[Quintracker]

I'll take it any way i can get it, but im always looking to upgrade to complete.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I've been known to pick up "naked carts" and relabel them myself. I don't use that stuff for trade bait, generally, but just for my own collection. I'd take a naked Q*Bert's Qubes for the 2600 if I could get my hands on one - I'm not looking to sell it, but to PLAY it. I like boxes and manuals if I can get 'em, but I'm not precious about it.

[GamecubeFreek]

I would prefer that all of my games were complete, but I can never seem to find any complete games older than five years! so most of the games I have been getting recently have been cartridges only. It might not be the prettiest way to collect, but my collection has grown significantly since I started settling.

[AB Positive]

I tend to go for the complete, at least with certian systems. Super Famicom, TG-16, Genesis, and NGPC I try to keep as complete as possible. MVS doesn't count too much since they're arcade carts and often beat up.

-AG

[bargora]

I follow the dual paths.

Disc games mint and complete;
Carts, loose
(with readable label)

[tynstar]

Depends on the system. Pre NES stuff I will take any I can get it. Genesis stuff I want complete for most games. A very few I will take box or cart only.
Any disc game I will only get complete.

[Chunky]

2600, 7800, xe, coleco, nes, snes, ng mvs -Loose.

Genny, gc, ps2 -game and box at least.

psx, dc, tg-16, intv, sega cd, saturn ng aes - complete

[Videogamerdaryll]

I'll take it any way I can get it....

It also depends on what I'm looking for at the moment..

[josekortez]

NES, Super NES - Loose clean carts, would prefer the box and manual, but it really doesn't matter.

Genesis - Have a few loose, but most have the case and/or manual.

Game Gear - All loose except one, never played.

PS1, Dreamcast - Complete, except for my NFL 2K1 demo.

N64, Game Boy Color - Have a few loose, but most have the box and/or manual.

Ps2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox - Prefer the case or box and/or manual, but review copies come in all configurations. Also, I still have a copy of GC ZooCube without a manual from EB that sticks out like a sore thumb. I need to e-mail Acclaim, but I'm lazy.

[Oobgarm]

I follow the dual paths.

Disc games mint and complete;
Carts, loose
(with readable label)

I like Bargora's answer.

[Kid Fenris]

I follow the dual paths.

Disc games mint and complete;
Carts, loose
(with readable label)

I like Bargora's answer.

So do I, though I usually prefer cases with my Genesis games.

And while I don't collect Master System titles anymore, I tried to get those with cases as well, since the carts didn't have any label illustrations. That, and the box art was frequently hilarious.

[calthaer]

I don't know how to answer this...my standards are different for console vs. PC collecting. For PC I just want the disk - it doesn't bother me that I don't have all the box and all.

For console I usually like to get it in really good shape - especially the CDs. Console games won't show up on www.the-underdogs.com after another 5-10 years, so...

[MarioAllStar2600]

Inwould take a loose quadrun for a good deal but I preffer boxed. Some things need a box to me and otehrs don't. I started getting really picky about having boxes lately. I pretty much only by boxed now.

[ventrra]

Personally, I don't care in the slightest about whether or not a game has any packaging or a proper label: If it works, it's a good game to me.

[Duncan]

NES, SNES -- Cart only, so long as it's got a label in halfway decent shape. The little protector sleeves are nice, though.

SMS, Genesis -- I prefer to have at least the box; only a very few of the games I own for these systems are unboxed. The manual is less important, but it makes me feel better if it's there. :)

N64 -- All the stuff I have right now is boxed and complete (given to me by a perfectionist brother), but I'll probably have to settle for loose copies in the future if I start collecting heavily for it.

PS1, GC, DC -- Gotta be complete. With PS1 and Dreamcast stuff, I don't mind swapping out cruddy jewel cases for fresh ones, but it's pretty much a requirement to have the manual and sleeve intact. And with GameCube games, as new as they all are, there's really no excuse for anything else in my mind.

But since I collect mainly the cart-based systems at the moment, I chose the second-to-last option. I'm not all that picky, so long as I've got the game.

[Dr. Morbis]

pre-NES: any way I can get it.

NES-to-present: has to be complete an near mint.

[dreamcaster]

It depends on the console. Here is my rationale for each software library.

Atari 2600: Any condition
Atari Lynx: Must be boxed with manual and in good condition

NES: Any condition
Game Boy: Must be boxed with manual
SNES: Any condition
N64: Must be boxed with manual, with cardboard insert, and in good condition.
Game Boy Color: Must be boxed with manual
Game Boy Advance: Must be perfect (currently, I only buy brand new games for this)
GameCube: same as GBA

Master System: Any condition
Mega Drive: Any condition
Game Gear: Any condition
Mega CD: Must have original case. Preferbly with manual too.
Saturn: Must have case. Manual isn't necessary.
Dreamcast: Must be in original case, with manual and case must be intact.

PlayStation: Must have original case, manual, and disc musn't be too scratched up.
PlayStation 2: Must be perfect. Only buy second hand stuff if it's in as-new condition.

Xbox: Must be perfect (currently, I only buy brand new games for this)

Also, any cartridge based game MUST have it's label(s), and cannot be in too scrappy condition.

[digitalpress]

I work on a continual "upgrade system". If I can get a game boxed complete vs. boxed missing a manual, I go for the complete. If I can get a loose cart with manual vs. loose, I go with manual. Ultimately I'd like all of my loose carts to find their manuals and boxes again (hence my "orphanage" philosophy) but I rarely pass up a game that I NEED, regardless of its packaging status, if I can get it at a good price or via trade.

[ianoid]

Nice to see so many scroungers out there who'll take what they can.

It's all a matter of price and rarity, as PDF pointed out.

I wish I was a loose only collector, as boxes take up too much space, especially proprietary ones like SegaCD/Saturn.

You shrinkwrap snobs must have small collections (yes, that's a jab!)

ian

[Ed Oscuro]

I voted complete, as I've found out that finding many import games in unopened condition isn't very easily done :P

I'll honestly take domestic games or very famous titles (i.e. the original Konami Famicom lineup, or *very* rare titles like the special competition versions of Gunhed) in any state of completeness, 'long as the cartridge isn't messed up, that is. For common import stuff, I pretty much don't go for anything without a perfect condition box and hopefully all the papers.

I also like finding the original reciepts and price stickers, too :) I leave those on/keep them.

[sisko]

I follow the dual paths.

Disc games mint and complete;
Carts, loose
(with readable label)

Pretty much the same for me. Unless the game is very hard to come by, and cheap, I'll pick up a disc only copy. Otherwise, it'd have to be complete.

Carts are typically loose (with great condition label). I try to get the manual for N64 games, but if I can't its no big deal.

[maxlords]

I prefer complete unless I flat out can't find a complete game. Even MVS I prefer complete if I can get it! But I'll settle for carts if I have to, because ultimately, I want the game to play. For CD based media, I will NOT buy loose unless it's a super rare game that I can resell or can't otherwise afford. For PC CDs, I buy whatever's cheapest...that's the only system that's more gaming than collection....I look at PC games and I don't see collectibles like I do with my console game collection!

[anagrama]

I'll take loose carts for the 2600, NES and SNES, but everything else has to be boxed at least.
Luckily, Master System & Megadrive stuff is pretty easy to find boxed, but Gamegear games are a lot harder to find complete. I've recently stopped buying Master System games without the manual aswell, unless it's a genuine rarity.

[Balloon Fight]

I usually go for most cart games loose, and ALL cd games complete. Lately though, i have been buying many NES boxes and manuals, and trying to upgrade them.