If you collect all games, what are the oldest that you actually play?

[Mason P.]

I was thinking on starting to collect some of the "really old systems/pong machines" and I started to think i don't really like to play anything pre-NES. I would just have the old stuff sitting on a shelf. Now i wonder how old are the games you play compared to how old are the games you collect? Do you collect all the "old stuff" but find you really don't play it?

[Bojay1997]

I was thinking on starting to collect some of the "really old systems/pong machines" and I started to think i don't really like to play anything pre-NES. I would just have the old stuff sitting on a shelf. Now i wonder how old are the games you play compared to how old are the games you collect? Do you collect all the "old stuff" but find you really don't play it?

In recent years, the amount of time I have spent playing older games has been reduced significantly. I first started collecting in 1987 and at that time, systems like the 2600, Intellivision and Colecovision were old enough that they were already looking very dated, but not quite so old that the games were unplayable. By the late 90s and early 2000s, my classic game playing became something that I rarely did and in fact I looked forward to classic gaming meets or CGE since I would actually have the opportunity to play classic games without having to drag my systems and games out. Like a lot of people, I also bought classic game compilations for various newer systems and would inevitably play them a few times and then pack them away. Nowadays, I would say I rarely play older games and anything older than the PS2 or Xbox doesn't get played at all. Having said that, I definitely collect more of the older stuff and I would say that a lot of the stuff you can buy on PSN or Xbox Live plays like classic games and so I get my fix that way. If you have space and the interest in collecting older stuff, I say go for it, but ultimately, the amount of time you will spend playing it if you also own and play newer games might not be worth it.

[Ed Oscuro]

I don't actively collect anything I'm not interested in playing. I bought an Atari 2600 and a handful of games off a forumer some time ago, but I've yet to plug it in. I will sometime, though.

[thom_m]

The oldest system I have is an Atari 2600 and, although it doesn't get the same play time as the others, I do plug it in very often to play Enduro, Keystone Capers, and lots of Freeway against the wife (she's really good). I'm also planning to give River Raid some serious attention sometime. I love the game, but suck at it.

That, and it's the only console allowed to sit beside the television on the TV Rack of Mild Destruction - the other ones rest is the space right below the set. My wife says it looks "vintage", way cooler then the others, and therefore deserves to be a part of the living room decoration...

[ToddofDoom]

I have the most difficulty finding an opportunity to play older handhelds like the Game Gear. (Despite the fact that they are created to be played anywhere at any time)

I rotate console systems every couple weeks. About the only system I don't play very often is my Saturn and that's because I've had a hard time finding games for it. (For some reason Saturn games are very hard to find here)

[Gunface]

Excluding emulators, the oldest console I find myself playing regularly is PS2. I know, I'm shameful.

But eventually I'll be getting to some of the Saturn games that are waiting on the shelf.

It's not that I don't play the older consoles, I just don't play them very often.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

With the occasional bout of Missle Command on the Jr., it's mostly NES and above. The two systems I currently play the most of are the PS3 and the NES.

[MrSparkle]

Oldest system i both own and play would have to be intellivision. I dont spend alot of time playing it but i break it out more than my other pre nes systems. I just bought an RCA Studio 2 which im thinking wont get much use after the initial session, it is renowned for being awful lol. Oh and it doesnt have the switchbox and uses a power system similar to the 5200 where the power comes from the switch box luckily i did find a schematic for the box so i can just take a stab at building my own. I do actually break out and play some older handhelds though i personally love my coleco electronic quarter back handheld.

[hellfire]

The oldest I play is nes

[Pantechnicon]

I collect most actively for the Atari 2600 and yes, I play it quite regularly.

If there's a disparity in my play/collect ratio, it's pretty much in any system from the 90's that I happen to own. I'm all over the 1980's and everything from PS2 up, but something buried in my subconscious keeps me from giving 90's consoles the kind of love which I see (and wholly respect) a lot of other people here affording them.

[Aussie2B]

I'll never understand the point of collecting older games and yet playing almost nothing but new stuff, which actually seems pretty common around here. I feel bad for anyone that can't appreciate the joy of playing classic games every bit as much as modern stuff. Heck, if anything, I'm the other way around. I keep buying modern games, yet after a brief try, they usually sit on my shelves unplayed so many years that they become "retro" by the time I play them too. :P I still have loads of N64 and PS1 games that I bought new and haven't played more than a few minutes.

I don't have any limit on how old my gaming is either. I'll happily give anything a go, but if I look at what I play most frequently over the years, it would probably be SNES and PlayStation. I generally don't put too much time into pre-NES games as they don't tend to have an end goal and I'm not obsessive about improving scores, but they're great for short bursts of fun now and then. If you have trouble getting into pre-NES games, you should give Colecovision a try. In terms of hardware capabilities, it's not such a shock to go from NES to that as to, say, Atari 2600. And since you can play 2600 carts on Colecovision with the proper module, it can be a great entry point to pre-crash gaming. It also has some good conversions of Japanese-developed arcade games from Nintendo, Sega, Konami, etc., so if you're used to the Japanese school of design on NES, that too makes it an easier transition.

[sebastiankirchoff]

My oldest console is my Atari 2600, and I play it every once in a while just for some Missile Command or Pac Man. I mostly play my NES, SNES and PlayStation, though I also play my PS2 and XB 360 a lot also. The console I play the least is probably the Genesis and the Saturn, just because I am not a big fan of the controllers.

[Bojay1997]

I'll never understand the point of collecting older games and yet playing almost nothing but new stuff, which actually seems pretty common around here. I feel bad for anyone that can't appreciate the joy of playing classic games every bit as much as modern stuff. Heck, if anything, I'm the other way around. I keep buying modern games, yet after a brief try, they usually sit on my shelves unplayed so many years that they become "retro" by the time I play them too. :P I still have loads of N64 and PS1 games that I bought new and haven't played more than a few minutes.

I don't have any limit on how old my gaming is either. I'll happily give anything a go, but if I look at what I play most frequently over the years, it would probably be SNES and PlayStation. I generally don't put too much time into pre-NES games as they don't tend to have an end goal and I'm not obsessive about improving scores, but they're great for short bursts of fun now and then. If you have trouble getting into pre-NES games, you should give Colecovision a try. In terms of hardware capabilities, it's not such a shock to go from NES to that as to, say, Atari 2600. And since you can play 2600 carts on Colecovision with the proper module, it can be a great entry point to pre-crash gaming. It also has some good conversions of Japanese-developed arcade games from Nintendo, Sega, Konami, etc., so if you're used to the Japanese school of design on NES, that too makes it an easier transition.

The point is the same as collecting almost anything. It reminds you of the past or a different or happier time or you just like to show it off to other people.

It's not necessarily that those of us who play classic games less don't appreciate them, it's that there is so much other stuff to play and frankly do nowadays, that taking ten minutes to set up a system you are only going to play for ten minutes seems like a waste of time. You even admit that you don't spend very long playing classic games when you do play them, so I don't think you should be pointing the finger at those of us who admit to not playing them very much.

The thing about it is that many of the best modern games employ the same kind of playability and even play mechanics as classic games, so it's not like by playing modern games anyone is turning their back on the classics or denying that they are fun also. Having said that, if someone is unsure about collecting classic games, it's probably better not to. There are plenty of other ways to play classic games without spending the time and money on the actual article nowadays.

[LifeGame]

I dont really play anything pre-nes since i grew up with the NES.

[apogee_vgc]

I play a few of the older game machines but usually on a direct to tv system anymore, its a lot easier than hooking up the real thing. As for actual old consoles I spend most of my game time playing the sega genesis or the super nintendo.

[Cobra Commander]

I have a few old Pong TV games, but they're mostly just here for looks. I have several Atari's and I have 1 hooked up to play, but the NES is usually as classic as I get.
I do often get nostalgic and pull out Frogs and Flies or Word Zapper. Those are 2 games I could play forever on a deserted island if I had to.

[scooterb23]

This exact question is what I asked myself a while ago. When I discovered what the answer was...I decided that it was time to piece out the stuff I didn't play.

I either play my Commodore 64, or Odyssey 2 the most often. With 2600 and Genesis close behind.

I find that the only stuff I really play is Genesis and before, and not even all of that. That Saturn - Dreamcast - XBox era...I hold almost no interest in anymore.

[Gunface]

I'll never understand the point of collecting older games and yet playing almost nothing but new stuff, which actually seems pretty common around here. I feel bad for anyone that can't appreciate the joy of playing classic games every bit as much as modern stuff.

I'll definitely play all the old games I buy, but unfortunately I don't have time to play nearly the amount I want to. The 360 and the PS2 are the only systems I have set up at the moment, so when I have time, I play them. One of these days I'll get to all my other systems.

There is an indescribable joy to just having awesome old games too though. I love collecting just as much as I love playing.

[Steve W]

I've been in the mood for collecting Atari, Colecovision, and Intellivision games in the past couple of years. Out of those three, it's probably the Colecovision that I play the least, just because of it's uncomfortable controller. That, and I rarely find anything new to play on it. Atari games can be found fairly easily as of late, and Intellivision games to some extent. Nearly all commons, of course. But Coleco games are really hard to source around here, and the few places that have them only have dirt common stuff.

[swlovinist]

Oldest that I play occasionally is Pong and Pong variants, followed by Atari 2600.