Those who grew up with the NES will doubtlessly remember sinking an uncountable amount of hours into the same one or two titles. Games were expensive back in the day; at fifty dollars a pop, most parents weren’t interested in regularly shelling out that kind of money on what was often considered to be a mere child’s toy. The only recourse was to rent games from a video store, and most could only stare in glassy-eyed wonder at the incredible volume of games on the shelf and wish desperately that they could take them all home.
As those kids grew into adults, some aspired to do that very thing, and, in 2018, we have dozens and dozens of collectors brandishing their extensive video game libraries on YouTube. Though the hobby started long before the concept of the viral sensation, collecting, trading, and talking about games has become a major internet pastime.
There’s no definitive catalog of game releases, nor a definite count of how many titles exist to be collected in the first place. That said, some of these guys and girls have to be getting pretty close. While some have only started collecting and have placed an emphasis on a particular console, others have been at it for more than three decades and own collections larger than could possibly be stored in any one room.
From the new-school Nintendo Switch fans to the retro 8-bit aficionados and everything in between, here are 25 video game super fan collections that are too awesome for words.
25 Switch Is Love, Switch Is Life
The Nintendo Switch has been out for nearly two years at this point, and it’s safe to say that the Japanese gaming titan has bounced back from its sordid Wii U days. Fans all over the world are infatuated with the hybrid handheld console conversion, but YouTube user Destiny Fomo has taken that love to a new level. With over 250 games in her collection, she owns just about every title to ever physically release for the system. 250 might not sound all that impressive, but, considering just how new the Switch is, she’s clearly an avid fan who pre-orders just about everything as soon as it’s announced.
24 Get The Power, Nintendo Power
Though beloved by many a child of the 90’s, the Nintendo 64 wasn’t exactly the most financially or critically successful game in the company’s long history. In fact, while it boasts some of the greatest games of all time (i.e. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), some have labeled it a bit of a flop. That didn’t stop YouTuber Nintendrew from collecting a full set of the consoles' 294 North American releases, though. That may sound like a relatively small amount compared to the thousands of games available for more widely-acclaimed consoles, but it’s a solid show of dedication. Also, with a name like Nintendrew, a full N64 collection should more or less come with the territory.
23 For The Love Of PlayStation
German YouTuber PS Commander runs a channel entirely dedicated to Sony’s four beloved video game consoles, if that weren’t obvious enough from the name. Boasting a library of over 850 games, he likely has one of the largest collection of physical PS4 game releases in the world. What’s most impressive is his extensive library of limited run games which are often very rare and difficult to get a hold of. While it isn’t all that tough to purchase most of these games from the PlayStation Store, most collectors will attest that digital-only downloads don’t quite incite the same feeling as having a group of obscure commodities up on the shelf for everyone to fawn over.
22 All Of The Box
Though Microsoft’s original Xbox tends to be a relatively well-respected system, there aren’t all that many collectors out there for it. Teetering on the brink of being labelled retro, it’s just a little too recent to catch the interests of many hardcore gaming historians. That said, YouTuber and gaming store owner Kelsey Lewin managed to buy a complete set of 884 games from some dedicated fan back in 2016. Her wall of green Xbox cases is certainly an impressive sight, but the drawback of owning all of these games is that a large portion of them are outrageously outdated sports titles. That shouldn’t deter anyone from collecting for the console, though, as there are definitely more than a few under-loved gems on the original Xbox.
21 Wii Would Like to Play
As every child of the 2000's knows, the Nintendo’s Wii was a crazy successful console which brought motion-controlled gaming into the mainstream. Positioned as the family-friendly alternative to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, many young gamers found themselves settling for the ugly Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare so their parents could use the same system to play Just Dance. YouTuber Kacy da Game Nerd is obviously a huge fan of the system as he has amassed a complete collection of 1,260 games. There’s certainly a ton of fun to be had with Nintendo's seventh-gen games machine, as some of their greatest first-party releases landed on the console.
20 Xbox (Number) One
As physical game releases fall steadily out of favor in an increasingly digital world, game collectors often find themselves stuck at an odd crossroads: should they embrace the change, or should they continue to support physical releases? Some have wholeheartedly embraced this new method of game storage, and YouTuber Rand al Thor 19 seems to have more games downloaded onto his Xbox One’s hard drive than anyone would think possible. With 1380 games available on his account, he would probably need more than a few external HDDs if he wanted to have every game downloaded and accessible at the same time. While that’s a slight downside for digital collectors, it certainly saves a ton of shelf space!
19 PC Gaming Nostalgia
Long before Steam would come along and revolutionize the way PC gamers bought their games, mouse and keyboard warriors had to head into an actual store like the rest of us. At the time, gaming on personal computers was a wild thing as titles could vary greatly in quality and genre. It would often have been hard to determine a game’s subject matter were it not for their vibrant and eye-catching box art. Those who grew up during that time no doubt have fond memories of these boxes, and YouTuber LGR (formerly Lazy Game Reviews) has compiled an extensive collection of over 1,600 unique complete-in-box retro PC games. Given how rare some of these can be, that’s definitely not something every collector can claim.
18 Radical Reggie's Radical Roster
Though it’s not always the case, collectors often seem to prioritize consoles—particularly retro ones—when building their game libraries. While he’s got plenty of games across 42 systems, Seattle-based YouTuber Radical Reggie claims one of his favorite systems of all time to the Sony’s PlayStation Portable. According to him, it’s relatively easy to collect for and was the console that first brought him into the hobby. Though he’s got an extensive list of games for that system, he has a total of over 2,000 titles, and he doesn’t seem to be eager to stop collecting any time soon. This game room tour was done back in 2016, and he’s likely expanded his backlog quite a bit since then.
17 Gamer Girl
Housed in a room drenched with neon light and the glow of several flickering tube TV screens, Australian collector Retro Gamer Girl harbors and displays an incredibly diverse and rare set of over 2,000 games. Spread across 100 systems, she must be one of the most versatile collectors to ever show off her library to YouTube. Dedicated to capturing the nostalgic feeling of walking into a video rental store, visitors will probably be asked to pick their jaw up from the floor after stepping foot into what might as well be the gaming version of Mecca. Though there are definitely larger collections out there, this is certainly one of the most stylish and well-kept.
16 Spanning All Generations
In 2018, the YouTube channel The Game Hunters uploaded a room tour featuring a collection of over 2,000 video games spanning just about every console generation ever cataloged. What’s so impressive about this assortment of games is the incredible breadth of it; an extensive compilation of Wii U titles sits next to a case full of old NES games, besides which sits a large display of retro Atari 2600 cartridges. Across from that sits a modern gaming PC displaying a well-developed steam account. There aren’t that many collectors out there who are willing to focus so broadly on so many different consoles and generations, and it’s nice to see The Game Hunters’ dedication to all things gaming rather than a specific niche.
15 Biggest Little Collection
Lost of collectors do what they do partially because they love to show off their games and adorn their basements and side rooms with the artifacts of their hobby. Though it would be nice to display such large assortments of games, for some, that simply isn’t possible. In fact, collector Renebean certainly hasn’t let a lack of space hold him back, and he proves that massive amounts of spare room isn't a prerequisite for collecting. With over 2,300 games stashed in a room the size of the average half-bath, the trove does come across as just a little bit cramped. That said, it’s impressive nonetheless, and it’s really neat to see so many games all stacked into such a conservative space.
14 The Nerd Room
In 2004, filmmaker James Rolfe first donned a geeky pocket protector-adorned shirt and proclaimed his absolute hatred for the NES title Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Though he couldn’t have known it at the time, his ranting, crazed character would go on to spur what would become one of the most successful YouTube shows of all time. Though he’s expressed his disgust with over 150 games at this point, he isn’t even close to running out, as, back in 2007, he stated on his website that he had exactly 2,651 games in his collection. A murky, wood-grain-covered dungeon somewhere in southern New Jersey, there are few gamers who wouldn’t jump at the chance to explore Rolfe’s amazing retro game room.
13 In The Money
In 2016, a listing for a massive collection of exactly 3,133 video games went up for sale on eBay with a starting price of a cool 150 grand. Among the collection was a total of 20 different consoles, some of which were complete-in-box. What’s more, this collection featured a complete set of NES, N64, and Virtual Boy games. While the seller offered up some more obscure video game treasures like a working Panasonic 3DO and Turbogrfx16, he curiously omitted the Xbox 360, though he did have some of the console’s games up for sale. The auction has long since ended, and it’s hard to know if it sold or if the seller ever got what they were asking for.
12 Overflowing With Games
The opening frame of YouTuber siccooper’s 2017 gaming room tour displays more sealed Amiibos than should exist in the entire country, and he may be single-handedly responsible for the notorious Amiibo shortage of that time. Sporting a wicked beard and an awesome heavy metal shirt, siccooper takes his viewers through shelf upon shelf of gaming goodies. With more than 3,600 games on 80 systems, he boasts a library which couldn’t easily be bested. He also claims to have amassed a similar collection prior to 2015, but he sold it off so he could start fresh. He’s also got a few game console kiosks in his room, which is something most people can’t claim to have.
11 Goro's Lair
Region locked and region-specific games must be a pain for collector Tadpole1313. An American now living in Japan, he’s got an extensive collection of around 5,000 games split across various locales and languages. In North America, Japanese imports are often fairly rare and reserved for either dedicated multinational collectors or obsessive fans of a certain series. Obviously, this YouTuber doesn’t have to worry about importing Japanese-only titles. In this video, he shows off two separate rooms dedicated entirely to North American releases. Most of these games are sealed, too, which is neat from a preservation standpoint, but the fact that he can’t play some of these titles may get under some viewers’ skin.
10 PlayStation 2 Dedication
This PlayStation-obsessed collector took to YouTube back in October of 2018 to show off his incredibly-extensive compilation of Sony-related games. While he does own a considerable collection outside of the PlayStation brand, his main focus appears to be all things PlayStation. He boasts over 5,000 titles in his collection and claims to have the largest collection of PAL PS2 games ever amassed. That’s a bold claim, but his towering bookshelves full of games certainly help to back up his assertions. With an expensive-looking steering wheel rig hooked up to his computer and a mountainous backlog, this guy has his work cut out for him when it comes to gaming.
9 In-Home Arcade
With a set of MAME arcade cabinets, a suite of game-filled bookshelves, and a drum set laid out in his room, YouTube uploader SeeJayAre’s basement feels a bit more like an arcade or retro game store than a regular room. Claiming to have amassed his insane collection of more than 5,500 games for free by buying everything for cheap at garage sales and flea markets and then selling duplicate items, this guy has filled the bottom floor of his home to the brim with video games. Though some are dubious of his claim that he never bought anything for a loss, it’s clear that he is at least dedicated to his hobby.
8 Up In Steam
While five thousand-some physical games would take up most of the space in a small apartment, that isn’t a problem for all-digital collectors. Digital releases may seem like a waste of time and money to some, but Steam users like PalmDesert would almost certainly disagree. With a total of 5,756 games in his account, he’s the owner of what has to be one of the largest steam backlogs in the world. The PC gaming platform is famous for its frequent sales and deep discounts, but all of these titles must still amount to a pretty steep total. Though his wallet may have felt it, he won’t be desperate for something to play ever again.
7 Rock On
This well-known YouTuber is one of the most important collectors in the online space right now. He’s featured tons of collections owned by his friends or other nearby hobbyists interested in the preservation of video games. With over 7,000 games in his collection, it’s amazing to think of how many hours he would need to get through everything—several lifetimes worth, most likely. With a passion for gaming and a background in metal music, he’s put together quite the dream gaming room in his basement. Yet, with all that at his disposal, what’s his favorite game? Well, even though he plays everything from Game & Watch to the PlayStation 4, his all-time favorite game is H.E.R.O. for the Atari 2600.
6 The Immortal
Though he was around to sign the American Declaration of Independence, John Hancock is still around and has amassed what might be one of the largest physical video game collections in North America. Alright, he’s not actually that John Hancock (probably), but, in the gaming community, he’s equally famous. With well over 8,000 games in his collection, he would have to be immortal to get through them all. It’s all starting to make sense… maybe he is that same John Hancock, and he’s dedicated his life to something that would require an indefinite lifespan. Maybe… but most likely not.