8 Bit: A Nintendo Collector’s Odyssey

By: Jackalneo
Jackalneo 8 Bit: A Nintendo Collector’s Odyssey

The year was 1990. I was a fine young child of four. When I was not playing, eating, sleeping, or going to pre-school, the Nintendo Entertainment System was my life. How I loved the beepy noises and clacky buttons that the video games made. I loved the gratifying “click” that the unit made when turned on. I loved the feeling of getting a game to play after blowing the cartridge out. Life was good.

Time went on, and I grew larger. My mind went outside the boundary of 8-bit blocky graphics. The Nintendo was buried in my closet. For ten years it sat untouched and alone. Until one triumphant day…

My mother forced me six months ago to clean out my closet. The task was not easy, and I was regretting not doing it sooner. I opened the wooden door and was stormed with a massive heap of cheap toys and old magazines. Many hours later, I discovered a brown box labelled “Nintendo & 11 games”. A flood of nostalgia hit me head on. I forgot the task at hand and opened the dilapidated box. It was like greeting a long lost friend after numerous years of darkness.

It was at that moment I realised I wanted them all: Every game, every controller, every accessory ever built for the gray box. The job would not be easy. Numerous hours of research later, I learned there was over 800 games produced for Nintendo’s first attempt. I battled with myself to recognize this mission would be impossible. My brain was too stubborn to listen. The first step was finding a supplier. I searched pawn shops, thrift shops, and any other kind of shop thrown at me. My search seemed fruitless, and my tiny collection stood still. One month later I gave it another try and was rewarded for my efforts. I received four games with titles ranging from Bionic Commando to XEXYZ. ( I have yet to pronounce this correctly). My gallant attempt was now in full swing. Friends were questioned, stores were looted, and not a box was left unturned. Soon after, a new median of collecting was discovered: The Internet. I was not alone! There were thousands of other people just like me wanting to swap games on-line. My collection exceeded the once thought large box that my NES was stored in. I then converted my closet into a total entertainment centre.

Now I have over 110 games stored in my closet. I still have a long way to reach my goal but with persistence I will complete my mission.