Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
If there’s anything that gamers love more than video games, it’s collecting video game-related figures, art, and the like. Why just play games when you can adorn your living space with Master Chief posters or line your mantle with Amiibo? The Shacknews Staff has plundered through all their best scores to offer up their best video game collectibles this week.
I finally secured a Nintendo 64DD in 2018. I have dreamed of making my own F-Zero X levels, and now I can. If I ever open the box...
I'm the type of person who keeps a lot of junk around the home. And yes, some of that junk includes a lot of books that I'll never read. Keeping those books in line got to be a lot more fun after I picked up some kick-ass bookends from ThinkGeek. The Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat X bookends continue to hold my stuff in place, both with some cool visual flair. The MKX bookends, in particular, hold a special place in my heart, because there's nothing I want to do to my stack of bills more than just hurl a Scorpion spear straight through them.
It’s not every day that you meet someone who played a hefty role in creating your all-time favorite RPG, let alone get an autographed gift from them. But that’s exactly what happened to me when I had a chance to meet and interview Takashi Tokita, the man who designed Final Fantasy IV. When FFIV came out in the US it was rebranded as the 2nd entry in the series and it hit the shores at just the right time for me to be old enough to understand it and young enough to have the free time to play it. It was my gateway drug to a world of awesome JRPGs. It’s still to this day the RPG I hold nearest and dearest to my heart. Getting a chance to pick Tokita-San’s brain was a real treat, but all the tequila shots and merriment that we had together at the after-party later that night was beyond a dream come true.
I’ve got a few hardcover strategy guides from when I wrote for Prima Games that are near and dear to my heart. They include The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Skyrim, and even Battlefield 4. Most of them remain in their packaging.
Recently, I’ve started collecting consoles as well. I have the NES Classic Edition, SNES Classic Edition, and the PlayStation Classic, for some reason. I won’t open any of them. If I ever want to play them I’ll just grab another unit. They all take a backseat to something I picked up recently, though.
A few days ago I received a care package from Rockstar Games, thanking myself and the rest of the Shacknews team for our coverage of Red Dead Redemption 2. It included a calendar (you can see a picture of it above) and a note. That one means a lot to me. I have been playing Grand Theft Auto since I was in school, long before I knew I’d work in gaming. And, even though it arrived at my door, everyone on the Shacknews team worked for that one.
I don’t really own much video game memorabilia, but I could not resist grabbing a few of the NECA-produced Team Fortress 2 figures. They are dead ringers for their in-game counterparts and can really class-up the joint when placed with care. These things were kind of hard to find, even when released, so I was never able to get a full set of either color but enjoy them nonetheless.
This is a recent acquisition of mine, literally within the last week, but it’s one that I hold dear. Back when I was a kid, I was lucky enough to get an original Xbox a short while after they first came out. I got Fusion Frenzy as well as Halo, and from that day, Halo has been a focal point in my life.
Then Microsoft decided to start releasing special edition consoles in translucent colors (I think companies need to bring back translucent consoles, enough of these themed ones). One of these consoles was green, emblazoned with Halo, and packaged with a similarly-themed controller.
I obviously asked my mother if I could get one. Because she was an absolute legend, she considered it, if only for a moment. But she wound up saying no, as I already had an Xbox. Fair enough, mum.
Since I’ve known about it, I’ve always wanted one but never been in a position to get one for myself. I even have a friend who happens to have one who I told not to ever get rid of it before letting me make him an offer.
But I finally found one online, and for an absolute steal. So it looks like I won’t need to make that friend an offer. I finally have my translucent green, original Xbox, emblazoned with “Halo Special Edition” and a controller to match.
This is a really difficult question to answer because the entirety of my apartment is filled to the brim with my gaming collection. I need a damn house. I'd say either the Pioneer LaserActive or Um Jammer Lammy guitar perhaps, but in terms of little collectibles, I have an entire set of Bust A Groove 2 keychains I've painstakingly cobbled together over the years. Given that there's little to no merch from that series out to find anywhere, I'm pretty proud of getting a collection together. Man...I hate living in an apartment.
To be honest, there aren’t many collector’s items out there that I really want or have. I’ve never been much of one for the clutter, and while I can appreciate these things, to be honest… if there was one thing in the world I could get right now as far as gaming collectibles go… it would be my old N64, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, and a slew of other great games.
I grew up playing the N64, and it’s easily remained one of my favorite gaming consoles despite how much things have changed over the years. I don’t really know what has kept me from picking one up today--probably that whole, I don’t need it because of clutter thing--but it’s probably the only thing I can really think of that I’d absolutely want or covet.
What are some of your most-cherished gaming collectibles? Did you ever have something you wanted to pick up but you missed out? Let us know in the comments, and please, give us those sweet pics.