Things people do with/to classic games and systems that really bothers you

[wiggyx]

People who wrap the wires around controllers. Winds up usually screwing the wire up.

You can do this a "wrong" way and a "right" way. Loosely wrapping while not forcing the cord to twist when doing do won't cause any issues. It's the twisting not the wrapping that causes problems. Like many things in life, a little patience and a gentle hand will get the job done properly.

[BlastProcessing402]

Yeah, people throwing the stuff out really irks me. Then again, I'm a packrat, and it's really getting hard to move around here thanks to all this stuff.

Also hate when they write/draw on stuff. I went to buy a used Wii at GameStop, and the first one they brought out had a nunchuk that someone had used a magic marker to turn the stick red. I was like, "yeah, I don't think I want that". I actually wound up with another one where the protective film was still on the nunchuck, like brand new never used. Still should've looked more closely because the AV cord and doors to the GC ports had some idiot's name written there. Oh well, a little elbow grease and the eraser at the end of a pencil took care of that.

[Atarileaf]

Also, stickers on consoles.

*shudder*

I'd say half of the NES Toasters I've ever come across had this abomination done to them. Stupid kids.

[Atarileaf]

I hate when I get a package of games from craigslist and they hide 2 gay guys in the box with the carts... so frustrating

Yea I wouldn't want a gay guys package.

[BetaWolf47]

People who wrap the wires around controllers. Winds up usually screwing the wire up.

I do that, but I put my finger through the loop so that the wire goes around loosely. That said, I've only had one item fail on me before I started doing this: a PS2 multitap.

Also, can we not discuss these things? Every other post I read here makes me die a bit on the inside.

[Flam]

I also hate it when people write their names on the cartridge. Why would you do that? As long as you put the game back on the shelf or in its case when you finish playing, you're not gonna lose it, and it's annoying to buy a game with "BOB JOHNSON" written across the label.

I have a few NES games with my name (and some with my friends names) on them, but this is a bi-product of my mom writing my name on my games when I was young, just in case I took them over to a friends house we'd know who owned what. I don't see any reason for a grown person to do this. Maybe these names you see are from similar situations like mine.

[Collector_Gaming]

I have a few NES games with my name (and some with my friends names) on them, but this is a bi-product of my mom writing my name on my games when I was young, just in case I took them over to a friends house we'd know who owned what. I don't see any reason for a grown person to do this. Maybe these names you see are from similar situations like mine.

i actually have a tetris gameboy game i got back in high school off a kid that has a name written on the back of it... should really try to see about trying to get that removed since its on the back and all...

[Space-Ace-13]

I have a few NES games with my name (and some with my friends names) on them, but this is a bi-product of my mom writing my name on my games when I was young, just in case I took them over to a friends house we'd know who owned what. I don't see any reason for a grown person to do this. Maybe these names you see are from similar situations like mine.

Yeah, I would bet that just about every time you see a name on a game cart is was a kid's parents for the same reason. Rubbing alcohol usually takes that off thankfully

[NoDanaOnlyZool]

It bothers me when people don't play them. That is the main reason I don't collection CIB, that and it is more expensive lol. I play all of the games I buy.

[FrankSerpico]

Stupid hipsters who have consoles in display cases like they're a rare sculpture or something. I've seen this done with both a Dreamcast and some NES's. Either play the thing or sell it

[obesolete]

I will agree on that one..not just consoles..but stickers in general, especially on the labels ...grrr...also coffee or pop stains...I mean come on people, did you play these or use them as coasters?

Ugh! I'm still cleaning what I believe is coke out of my Dreamcast. Some "friend" was over and neglected to tell me that they spilled a drink all over it. I only noticed some time later when I went to play a game and was horrified that the interior was all sticky and brown.

I still don't know who did it.

[wiggyx]

I can't tell you how many times I've cleaned Coke/Pepsi/Dr. P/Sewer Water out of cartridges and systems. I love the sticky noise it makes when trying to pry a cart apart that has been glued together with soda pop :/

[WispFollower]

I remember even before I had any interest in collecting games, I was at a Funcoland and witnessed something which made me feel absolutely horrible. A guy who seemed much older than me was asking the clerk for any kind of strange item. The clerk showed him a power glove, and his reaction was along the lines of, "Oh this is perfect!!!" He then explained how he was going to cut off the wires and use it for a Halloween costume... I still get mad thinking about this, especially since I now own a power glove and really enjoy using it. I even beat some scores I had set with a regular controller. I suppose that leads me to my next point. I see a lot of people bashing old games or peripherals, because they can't seem to play it well or correctly. It isn't the controller/game's fault you lack the skills to succeed!

[kedawa]

I actually find it amusing that people write their names on stuff. I wonder if anybody has ever tried to collect games based purely on their original owner, like 'hey, I want to buy all of Joe Blow's old SNES games'. Maybe if it were someone famous...

[jammajup]

I can't tell you how many times I've cleaned Coke/Pepsi/Dr. P/Sewer Water out of cartridges and systems. I love the sticky noise it makes when trying to pry a cart apart that has been glued together with soda pop :/

Yeah i am familiar with coke and coffee in systems as i used to repair Atari St`s,Amiga`s and older consoles and computers for Tandy (Radio Shack),most of the time it just leads to a little corrosion which can be cleaned up and the affected joints can be re-soldered but i have seen keyboard membranes effected by cola and it is not nice.I have also seen coffee and nicotine stained Amiga`s which make you want to puke,seriously on one occasion one unit was so badly stained and smelly from misuse my team leader looked at it as i opened the box and said it was unacceptable to receive this unit for repair and the box was re-sealed and returned to the store / customer.

[wiggyx]

Yeah i am familiar with coke and coffee in systems as i used to repair Atari St`s,Amiga`s and older consoles and computers for Tandy (Radio Shack),most of the time it just leads to a little corrosion which can be cleaned up and the affected joints can be re-soldered but i have seen keyboard membranes effected by cola and it is not nice.I have also seen coffee and nicotine stained Amiga`s which make you want to puke,seriously on one occasion one unit was so badly stained and smelly from misuse my team leader looked at it as i opened the box and said it was unacceptable to receive this unit for repair and the box was re-sealed and returned to the store / customer.

Ewwwwwwww!


I hear ya though. I didn't have much experience with those sorts of contaminants, but I did work use game retail for about 7 years in the mid-90s to early 00s. I saw a lot of cockroach ridden consoles and systems that looked like they had been buried in someone's back yard for a few years. Not pleasant.

The Genesis 1 is the worst for infestations. The ports on the back aren't at all closed off. Just take a look at a Genesis 1's back side. You can damn near stick a finger in the holes where the AV/AC ports are, which means it's about as difficult for a cockroach to enter as you or I would have walking under the Eiffel Tower. I can remember one clear green N64 that had a small nest (like 4-5) LIVING inside when this woman brought it in. When I explained that we couldn't buy it for that reason, she acted like I was crazy. I'm pretty sure she was selling it for drug money. We had a lot of that in the neighborhood of this particular location. Still, it made for fun stories 10+ years later

[treismac]

In addition to many of the things above, another one that drives me nuts is seeing people who swear by blowing into cartridges to get them to work. Yes while a good temporary fix, the moisture from your breath can actually do more damage in the long run and it won't get it anywhere as clean and good working as if taking the minute to clean it with a q-tip and alcohol (or whatever your preferred cleaning method is).

[wiggyx]

Yeah, but it does. Not that it's at all advisable.

[Schiggidyd]

I've found some nasty Nintendo stuff..

I just repaired a console which had cat hair INSIDE IT, it looked like a cat went inside the console to die. How does it get in there?

I found dead bugs inside an NES cart recently.. 2 different species.

Not to mention a drop of blood on the chip of another NES game, that one sorta creeped me out.

People just don't take good care of their stuff. I still have my childhood collection in my basement, and I never felt the need to claw at the labels or draw all over them!
Kids these days!

[sloan]

Stupid hipsters who have consoles in display cases like they're a rare sculpture or something. I've seen this done with both a Dreamcast and some NES's. Either play the thing or sell it

You shouldn't come to my house.