0:06 Only true collectors can relate. Enter collection room, stare at room for 15 minutes, exit collection room. Update #2: I have officially become a developer cartridge/disc collector. I am officially becoming the go-to guy for 007 review cartridges. 007 Bloodstone, 007 the duel (genesis) and others Plus: Congrats on 5k! (Your not there yet but you will be by next week I bet)
One really important point that wasn't brought up here: No matter how rare they are, no matter how good the deal is, NEVER KEEP MOLDY GAME STUFF. Outside of being a health risk, the mold WILL spore off and worsen the condition of other games next to them in your collection. I've had to toss mold-filled cases for Superman and Fireshark on genesis to save the carts/manuals because the paper inserts and cases were practically stained black, and return an entire lot of rare SEGA Master System games, because the mold was so bad even the GAMES weren't salvageable.
As a kid I put my NES games in the freezer to get them to work. I lost my copy of Ghostbusters for years and it was found at the bottom of the freezer. Still works fine.
Lol. I can actually see freezing the contacts potentially as an anti-aging solution. The major risk is not drying the cartridge properly after unfreezing OR power outages where it gets below freezing and then the cartridge is destroyed. Overall just not practical or worth the risk.
I remember when I was a wee child that a few of my Nintendo NES gaming colleagues and I discovered that simply holding the cartridge over a heat source we could reliably get them to work. Now as I've grown, and come to understand the intricacies of Thermodynamics, I often ponder if the heat from our breath was sufficient enough temperature difference to expand the copper pins just enough to make that connection.
Blowing in carts introduces humidity, which helps to corrode them over time. The moisture also helps conductivity for a short while, so it may help get a game kick started today but fail worse tomorrow.
I am really fussy when it comes to looking after my collection. The games I own from new, look new, and handled properly. I always wash my hands before handling my games. I also keep them in a dark room at all times, a smoke-free home, and locked away from children. I also installed a dehumidifier a few years back and keep it at 45% it remains rather dry in the winter but in the summer the machine collects 1-2 liters a day! dehumidifiers are also great it you collect books and prints to keep the dreaded ripples and mold at bay! All second-hand purchases are stripped down and cleaned. What winds me up as a collector and gamer are seeing loose cartridges and CDs photographed on the floor on for sale sites!
When i first saw this channel i thought it had like a million subs cause the vids are so good quality but i was surprised the subs were so low, but this channel is super underrated
Yeah, I've talked about soldering a bunch of times in some other videos. Still, I suppose I could've mentioned it again. I think it's important and not too difficult.
I didn't take the best care of my childhood games, but I recently decided my carts have collected dust for long enough. I've started buying cases from StoneAgeGamer and CustomGameCases and I highly recommend them.
I love Dust Covers! Here's a question for ya! If GB Advance was so advanced why they come without a protective cover? My Game Boy games laugh at you not so advance GBA!! Here's a tip that you should know by now: Ebay has GBA Covers you can buy in bulk to protect all your GBA Games! On all Retro Games I clean them 1st before I put them into play! For they might be new to me but they sure are not new games by a long shot! I give it a night to dry up & boy let me tell u it makes for some restless nights dreaming about playing that game the next day!
5:22 Actually the moisture in your breath provides the metals with better conductivity and it gets rid of small amounts of new dust; it's not good for them because of corrosion over the years, but it does work.
Your channel is growing quick. I've binged nearly all your videos and watched the subs rise from 4.5k to over 5k in a few days. I'm glad to see it and hope to see you in the 100k club soon.
I trained my kids to respect the game collection. Every games is alphabetized according to system. When a game is being played the box gets laid down the long way so it sticks out, that way everyone knows where it belongs. Next for the collection is going to be the protector cases
I know this was more about games, but it's important to keep up with systems too, some parts need to be replaced every once in awhile to keep from leaking or damaging other parts, old game cartridges may have batteries that if unused for long amounts of time will leak. I had a Wii remote which I went to pick up and, realized the cheap batteries inside had gave out and leaked all over the back of it, luckily those controllers were designed with those accidents in mind and I was able to easily restore it to clean working condition, just got to be careful to switch out those batteries.
THANK YOU for mentioning to wash your hands! I’ve been using the same white Gamecube controller for over 6 years with 700+ hours of Smash and it’s still pristine because dirty hands never touch it. I’m always really careful with my stuff and NEVER touch the cartridge label with my fingers. Also, I’m a pretty big fan of box protectors. Though I’m not a CIB collector, but when I do have a game with a box it gets a protector.
I like buying the plastic protectors from retroprotection for my snes stuff. They especially make me feel better when I'm moving and all the carts are in a box together.
Whenever I buy a cartridge-based game, the first thing I do when I get home is take it apart and use a copper cleaner on all the pin connectors to remove any tarnish and damage due to moisture and whatever else. Sometimes I use a dry eraser followed by alcohol for the final wipe down. Then I place the cartridge in the dust case and on the shelf. If you keep up with it as you’re buying them, it will never be a daunting task and you won’t usually have to clean them as you play them. It’s like with anything else, it’s just about keeping on top of things. I remember spending one summer several years ago taking apart every single game I owned and cleaning them all individually. It literally took all summer. But I was glad I did what I did because they still work to this very day with no issues. Or if you are really in a hurry, you can just dunk them in the toilet
Well the NEO-GEO AES controller with 4 buttons really works for me real well. Oh I just ordered a Pollymega Turbograpfx-16, 6 button controller. Can't wait to play Street Fighter 2 PC Engine on it
For longbox disc games, a great way to prevent manuals bending is to take a piece of thin cardboard, and cut it to size and place behind manual in the clips. It keeps them nice and straight.
The only issue I’ve had with case replacement is Dreamcast games. A lot of people don’t notice is that Dreamcast games DON’T have the “Compact Disc” logo in the trays. Makes sense, since they weren’t CD’s. I’ve bought some CD’s outer cases and trays in bulk in the past, and finding trays WITHOUT the logo is the hardest thing ever! Luckily, I’ve pilfered my Music CD collection in an effort to make some of those “not so nice” looking games look better. They just don’t make CD cases like they used to either. Today’s cases feel so light in comparison!
Good advice that seems like common sense but still stuff people tend to forget about it. I'd recommend getting a decent soldering iron and some game bits and learning how to replace batteries as well. I always clean the carts and contacts when I first get them (don't want dirt in the system) and put in a new battery. If it's a game you've had for years, you can always look into a cart reader to backup your save before replacing a battery. Rocket knight update: It's waiting for customers clearance!!
I had a Gameboy SP and played some Oracle of Ages. My fingers rubbed right across the label while playing. Bought another copy. I clean my games with Simple Green - used to work at a Game Store and that's what we used, non-corrosive, pleasant smelling and would get all the nerd grime off of used games and make them look brand new. One thing that I made a mistake early on was assuming that my collection was out of direct sunlight. Some games have been faded a bit but I can't stress too much about it or else I'll cry.
Thank you very much for this video. Most your recent video's have been on point with my ideas for videos you should do. I keep my collection in the cool temperature living-room. I have around 200 nes games all in dust sleeves and snes games over 200 in dust covers plastic protectors and cib. N64 games I have about 150 or so and game cube games over 150 then x box one.. Anyhow I keep most on display on my book shelf but the rest in roller blade boxes and shoe boxes under my bed. The roller blade boxes are from gifts I bought for my kids and cousins kids. I thought why not buy they some skates and blades and I keep the big box they come in to keep my games cool calm clean and safe. They come with those little bags that make the box smell new so guess what..? My games smell new too. Especially my game cube games. I can fit 40 game cube games cib in one roller blade box. Cause shelf use will not do them justice without plastic dvd case protestors. Thanks for the tips
Another great video. Thanks for this info on disc rot. That stuff scares me. Now I at least have some hope. I heard keeping large bags of bread clips in your home may also help. Possibly.
i Can say that even do disc rot is real it has only happened for me with 90s dvds. all my games are fine. And i have cd based games back from around windows 3.1 era
Reminds me of how sometimes your sibling would get mad enough to just kick or hit a game. Also in my youth I learned first hand to keep discs in cases. I got done playing Tekken 3 and put it in my pocket. I knocked something over and bent down and broke it.
Use case protectors. I have around 40 SNES and PS1 games all in protectors. The UK/PAL PS1 cases are prone to cracking so easily so I took extra precautions.
Another little thing is with a disc based console is if you are taking it somewhere or moving, pop the disc out first. Sounds obvious but it does help.
Disk Rot! I am no scientist but from experience I believe sunlight (direct or refracted) will potentially contribute to disk rot. Best to keep them out of sunlight all together. 🎮👍
To protect my boxed NES, SNES and N64 games I use plastic cases. I think this is becoming necessary, and they also look much much better on the shelves. Another important aspect is to learn how to replace batteries in those cartridges games that use them to save data.
I pretty much do what you do, I like my games to not only work great, but look great. I hate damaged labels and cases, and I bought end labels for all my N64 games to make them look even more appealing (not to mention more ease of access) I'm a huge game collector (and got a gigantic backlog) so I want my stuff to look and work good for as long as possible.
When it comes to food I recommend smaller, bite size snacks you can put into a cup and drink from. For example I favor trail mix and goldfish for my gaming food
For all my cartridge games I put them in those plastic protectors, at least the ones that are expensive and ones that mean something to me personally. Other than that same thing, I keep them away from sunlight as much as possible and away from dust as much as I can.
Yeah. I lost my Chernobyl DVD by not putting it away properly. My husband enforced the putting the disc away in the right box rule and I've kept it up after his death. I also bought a job lot of empty DVD cases for any discs I got that no longer had cases. One sharpie later and we have titles :).
I love your videos, especially your humor. I collect since about 1995 nearly every console and thank god i finished my collections a long time ago. Dont own a Neogeo and a Turbograx16 but thats about it. Anyway, keep up the good work. Hopefully you get more subscribers and keep it ad-free.
I still own my games and systems from the NES, SNES, and N64 from growing up. This means I am grandfathered into collection owning and care requirements don't apply to me. Hand washing? Cart dust protectors? Replacing carts with scratched labels? These things are unheard of.
Really liking your channel since I found it a few weeks ago.. Almost impulse bought Lightening Force based on your Geneisis top 10 video, but I wasnt paying over 20 bucks.. Lol.
Somehow the retro bird never reviews games but im totally hooked..i download roms yet im still watching how to preserve carts...what madness is this? 🍌
One trick I use for my games in standard CD cases is to store them front-down, fold-in. This way gravity is always trying to do the flattening work for you instead of sagging the manual towards the disc. Especially in stands where the cases are angled, this puts the weight of the manual on the folded/stapled end instead of on the thinner pages, while also providing a full-length piece of plastic to rest on instead of two smaller 'dots' or lines. Not to mention that the titles for Dreamcast/PS1 games are all legible from that position so I feel like if it's not the standard way to store it, then it should be.
Ironically, blowing into the seams around the L button on my old GBA SP is the only way I can get it to work, short of replacing the damn thing. 🤷🏻♂️ Also I buy those clear plastic cases for all my loose carts. Even print out the box art and slide it in between the cart and the case.
The entire video, I kept thinking about this one time my brother threatened to throw my copy of Pokemon White 2 in the toilet. I hid the cartridge in a 3ds case, and forgot it was there for 3 years. As for taking care of your collection, if your younger sibling asks you to play a game with them, always comply. (He only ever did this once)
I have 3 brothers, one of them is my twin (who I share my collection with). We never sold any of our games while growing up, but I always got nervous whenever he just haphazardly put 1 game disc into another game disc. Good thing by highschool we began taking better care of our collection. As for my other 2 brothers I would let them play only if they were using their controller's. 1 of them plays games like fortnite nowadays, but the other one (who is in kindergarten), loves the original Mario Bros. games. Where was I going with this... I don't know let your little brothers play your games so they can appreciate the classics. If you are worried about your collection, make sure you are nearby when they're playing.
Would have been cool to hear a mention about cardboard boxes for cartridge games. I use plastic retro protectors for most of my cib stuff. But the really expensive games (worth 4 digits), I buy acrylic cases for them.
Great video again mate and some brilliant tips in here too. In the UK, we don’t have end labels on our SNES carts which has always annoyed me! 😂 I’ve heard Mega CD games are susceptible to disc rot, but have yet to experience it myself. Keep up the great work, your editing is awesome 👏
I've been taking great care of my retro games for the past 20 years. They're all in rubbermaid bins along with all of my other childhood stuff. I never open them.
Bloodrayne on the original Xbox -I’ve gone through five different discs all from different parts of the country none of them work in either Xbox I have that plays all my other games perfectly. Disc rot is real and it has to do with manufacturing it has Little to do with keeping your games in good condition. You can’t control it.
Since I stick to O.D.Es and the like - all I can offer is to only use gel/ cream-based hydrogen peroxide/ "vol. 40" for de-yellowing if you absolutely need it - that stuff can leave horrible results and isn't nearly as simple to use as liquid-based solutions anyway.
When he made the door conparison when talking about the eject button, i thought he was gonna say "thats like trying to open a door without using the doorknob"
"Spilling a drink seems like it would never happen...until it does." Yup. It's not video gaming, but back when my Magic playing group was still together, we had this one time where we were all hanging out together and playing and usually we wouldn't have food or drink around our cards or anything, but one day my friend does have some drink near him while we're playing and...it just so happens to slip in his hand or something and it spills. It mostly affected his own deck, and it damaged his Modern deck with some rather valuable stuff in it. So from then on, the lesson was learned. NO drinks around when we're playing. Well _they_ learned this lesson the hard way anyways. I never did it myself. We then enforced that with other friends (especially the less bright ones), and told them "no", because why open up that risk if there's no reason to? We even explained that it did actually happen, and a drink spilled, so it became a hard rule now.
Good stuff man, you would think this is straight forward stuff. I keep my collection in a nice cool room and try to keep the sun down, even using light blocking curtains. My biggest issue was training my kids in how to handle their 3DS cards properly and to keep their hands off of the collection w/o asking, but it honestly wasn't that difficult and so far only two cards ended up getting washed and dried but they still work 😅. As far as tips go, for disc based games, I try not to leave them in the console after I'm done...right back into the case they go.
I like to collect all physical copies of the games I like in Japanese or English (I speak both) then i normally play on emulator to preserve everything. I got a hello kitty dreamcast the other week and couldn't help but plug in sonic adventure! Thankfully the optical drive is doing well on the system 😁
Go for the highest percentage alcohol you can get. Alcohol evaporates quickly but the water content makes it harder to do so so higher percentage is better. I have cartridge baggies so I can protect those games entirely, not just their contacts. All Sega disc-based games are prone to disc rot. Don't store them in hot and humid areas as the humidity can destroy the discs. Lots of the Sega games with disc rot usually spent time in garages and attics or storage.
Hot take: blowing on carts is bad. It definitely does get them to work sometimes. What gets them to load is the moisture. Tldr use a q tip and be careful.
Best thing for the NES you can do is disable the lock out chip. That pretty much fixes the flashing white screen that caused so many kids to blow into their NES carts.
I replace old batteries if the game has them so they dont leak over time. Initial cleaning involves disassembling the cart first. Scrub pcb contacts with q tips and Brasso polish, followed by Isopropyl alcohol. Any follow up cleaning once reassembled is alcohol only. The polish gets gunked up inside the cart too easy.
If i ever have kids playing my Nintendo 64 or super Nintendo they get to use the everdrive, it saves the consoles pins they can just hit the reset button and start a new game, once they get older they can use my actual carts and try to beat my high scores on wave race 64!
I’m very prepared. I have all the necessary screwdrivers, a soldering iron, 91% isopropyl alcohol, Qtips, spare capacitors and JFJ Easy Pro disc repair machine. I alway gotta laugh a little when GameStop asks if I want the extra coverage on my games. I think no, I got this boys
I've been ordering alot of games lately , I don't have any large shelves so whenever I bought my games online or in store , I keep them in the envelope or grocery bag I got them with in store or in the mailbox . Then put them in bigger cardboard boxes and bags and put them in a deep area with no windows like the basement or closets etc . It may be risky cause of stuff getting dented or cracked ( Especially for the older games like PS1 )but it's alright . I heard of the sun damage thing but also it's easier so there's no moisture happening or especially dust making them dirty . As much as I would love to have a large shelf to easily organize and look at my games altogether but I have hundreds of games lol PS1 to PS5 ( huge PlayStation gamer) would have to spend hundreds of dollars just for shelves even then I don't got the space for it lol . It makes brand new games that I opened like 3 years ago feel like they just got opened 3 days ago. That and the fact I use latex gloves to touch my games too . Treat em like I'm a doctor lol . That and the fact I have been having dry hands lately and my hands sweat alot during intense matches , it may be uncomfortable but I play with the gloves on too . It helps . Hopefully I won't have to see my games rot.
My niece's birthday party was at my house what do you know all the kids are in my room wanting to play my collection. I saw one of them already taking the disc out the case of but luckily she held it the right way not touching the data side. I never thought I would have to lock up my own collection Lol
IMO the consoles (particularly portables) require more maintenance. For older portables with rechargeable batteries (esp PSP) make sure you charge them occasionally. If not, the battery could die. In the case of PSP, it's hard to miss, since the battery will literally bulge until it pushes the cover off. Replacement batteries are rarely as good as the original (at least for PSP). DS and 3DS seem to be a lot better, but I still charge them just in case. Even something like the Wii U you need to be mindful of. Also, watch for leaking capacitors and batteries. This is more the case with late 80s and early 90s consoles.
I keep my disk based games in their original cases closed in a cupboard without any glass doors. They've worked so far and still work. I suggest that if you have younger siblings you should lock the cupboard with a key and keep the key either close to you or hide it. My family respects my hobby and never touched my games. So I don't lock my games because of that.
This video hurt! I regret selling a lot of my stuff 15 years ago, I didnt think that game collecting would be THIS popular. I thought I had time to get it all back on ebay or something. I have about 20 systems left, but the games! omg why did I sell the games!!
Yeah I feel your pain. Last summer prices were stupid high, and this summer they’re insane. Hopefully, in two years they’ve cooled off and go back to somewhat affordable.
you can claim blowing the cart did nothing all you like, but I learned to do it after reseating the cart ten times in a row with no change, but then my dad blew on it and the game immediately loaded up when I put the game back in. Cleaning the contacts with rubbing alcohol would have done the same thing better. Basically the forced air removed loose dust, and the moisture combined with the friction of putting the game in the system slightly cleaned off the pins and improved the connection just enough to play.
Looking into it further (after this video) I came to the conclusion that it is the heat from your breath that makes the pins more conductive. Still not a good long term solution as the moisture from breath isn't good... but that's why it helped a bit.
I know people dont recommend blowing on the cartridges but I bought an n64 game on ebay and I thought it didnt work, alcohol q tipped it 2 times real good and still didnt work, so a week later I tried just aggressively blowing on it and then it worked...
Is the mini super nintendo worth is money over all. That's good video to make. Giving the games over all controls, or just keeping it classic with games like donkey dong being 30 $ and 70 $ more can buy you the 100$ mini system but originally not the collection of original snes games over all.
As far as my collection, I clean each new game I get with alcohol and q tips(Goo Gone if absolutely needed), and I put them in clear plastic sleeves.. I tried the whole coverartproject cases, but I simply dont have the room..
Here is a trick. With nes games if you put the cart in and let it stick out slightly and push it in so it pops over the edge into the loader it'll work every time.
I spend a small fortune on controllers and handhelds i can't bring myself to use due to my irrational fear of greasing them up with my perfectly clean freshly washed hands. It is hard going trying to reconcile the part of me that feels games and hardware should be used and enjoyed and the part of me that loves to have nice things to look at.
I think if your hands are freshly washed then you're good. I've had controllers that I bought brand new, but practiced a strict handwashing policy and the controllers still felt brand new over a year later.
@@RetroBirdGaming your definitely right i think for me its a completely illogical thing. As an example i have six 3DS system but only actually use two of them with the other four sitting on display and permanently pristine, justified by telling myself they are back ups for the future should one of my others fail. I sure bet my wife wishes i had this much care and attention for the fancy kitchen stuff and or the truck!!
I was so stupid as a kid and teenager, never cared for my games, would leave discs laying around my bedroom, step on and break discs and covers without a care. Now the adult collector in me wants to cry for my many lost and broken games. Also caring for games should include lending out a game that somehow never gets returned...I'm still waiting for my copy of Silent Hill 2 on PS2.
I personally don't like having the cartrigdes loose. For me that's the same as having the discs loose. That's why I use protective game cases for them.
Disc rot is a problem because of the manufacturer using organic compounds for the disc data layer. It will happen but it's a matter of time. That said, you can do your best by doing all the things said in this video of the do list. One great way to maintain your games is to just back them up. There are methods for disc and cartridge based games alike. Then when you wish to play them there are multi carts and SD card options for disc based consoles. If you go that route then remember to store your originals away from light oxygen and damage. Take caring serious as if you were a museum curator charged with keeping them in good condition and cleaned and maintained. Act as if you didn't the game preservation police will come and get you. Other than that have fun and play on.
I'm starting to run low on space for games. A lot of my Cartridge games I keep on a shelf or in a drawer. I normally pay more for better label conditions but if the game is significantly cheaper with a missing label, Why not.
Regardless if it's cartridge or a disc based game, I don't recommend storing your games tightly. Especially cd based games with long boxes. This just makes it easier to pull out the game & less likely to break the case.
I had an n64 that stopped working, so I had to buy a new one and I did but couldn't bring myself to throw away my first one so I kept it, about a year later I took it to a local game store to get it fixed and it turned out the port for the game was just dirty, took me 5 bucks to fix it.
Would be cool if you made a video showing your personal collection.
I wouldn’t say it’s much. Besides the display stand full of games, it’s just 300 copies of rocket knight adventures. It’s a true illusion
I'd probably be more likely to make a video with commentary about game room collection videos. I suppose I could show all my games in it though.
@@StaticTV80 your right. His game shelf actually doesn’t have any PS2 games, it’s only 301 complete copies of rocket knight
@@RetroBirdGaming In due time. But what these viewers need to do: get more people to subscribe to your channel.
Then they'll witness the results.
Rocket knight adventures is genuinely such an amazing game, I have 3 copies myself, 1 for me, 1 for me, and another for me, I’m autistic.
0:06 Only true collectors can relate. Enter collection room, stare at room for 15 minutes, exit collection room.
Update #2: I have officially become a developer cartridge/disc collector. I am officially becoming the go-to guy for 007 review cartridges. 007 Bloodstone, 007 the duel (genesis) and others
Plus: Congrats on 5k! (Your not there yet but you will be by next week I bet)
I wasn't kidding when I said staring at your collection. I know it happens. Also, thanks for the congrats. It's getting close.
Sometimes I stare at it too long too and have to snap myself out of it. That's funny
@@Draftcard lol 😂 same
I like to say 10 nice words to my collection every day to make sure even the stuff that isn't being used knows that it is loved.
hahah
One really important point that wasn't brought up here: No matter how rare they are, no matter how good the deal is, NEVER KEEP MOLDY GAME STUFF. Outside of being a health risk, the mold WILL spore off and worsen the condition of other games next to them in your collection. I've had to toss mold-filled cases for Superman and Fireshark on genesis to save the carts/manuals because the paper inserts and cases were practically stained black, and return an entire lot of rare SEGA Master System games, because the mold was so bad even the GAMES weren't salvageable.
Oh my goodness! I've never seen mold on games before. That sounds like a horror show.
Sounds like something that would occur with sealed games.
Dude, I love this channel so much! Remember us when you get over 500K subs.
Thank you! I appreciate that. And every single viewer will always be important to me!
I couldn’t agree more. I only discovered this channel last week & it is already one of faves.
Another great video! Love how you get straight into the video without an annoying intro.
Thanks! I like to dive right in :)
As a kid I put my NES games in the freezer to get them to work. I lost my copy of Ghostbusters for years and it was found at the bottom of the freezer. Still works fine.
Hahah right underneath a pack of frozen peas!
Lol. I can actually see freezing the contacts potentially as an anti-aging solution. The major risk is not drying the cartridge properly after unfreezing OR power outages where it gets below freezing and then the cartridge is destroyed. Overall just not practical or worth the risk.
I had never heard of disc rot.. and now I can’t sleep
I remember when I was a wee child that a few of my Nintendo NES gaming colleagues and I discovered that simply holding the cartridge over a heat source we could reliably get them to work. Now as I've grown, and come to understand the intricacies of Thermodynamics, I often ponder if the heat from our breath was sufficient enough temperature difference to expand the copper pins just enough to make that connection.
Blowing in carts introduces humidity, which helps to corrode them over time. The moisture also helps conductivity for a short while, so it may help get a game kick started today but fail worse tomorrow.
Rocket Knight was the first Genesis I bought myself with saved up Christmas and Birthday money. No regrets. Still have it and play it. :)
I am really fussy when it comes to looking after my collection. The games I own from new, look new, and handled properly. I always wash my hands before handling my games. I also keep them in a dark room at all times, a smoke-free home, and locked away from children. I also installed a dehumidifier a few years back and keep it at 45% it remains rather dry in the winter but in the summer the machine collects 1-2 liters a day! dehumidifiers are also great it you collect books and prints to keep the dreaded ripples and mold at bay! All second-hand purchases are stripped down and cleaned. What winds me up as a collector and gamer are seeing loose cartridges and CDs photographed on the floor on for sale sites!
When i first saw this channel i thought it had like a million subs cause the vids are so good quality but i was surprised the subs were so low, but this channel is super underrated
I actually hear that quite a bit. Subs are picking up though. May just take a while.
Learning basic soldering to replace the 30 year old cartridge save batteries is getting important for owners.
Yeah, I've talked about soldering a bunch of times in some other videos. Still, I suppose I could've mentioned it again. I think it's important and not too difficult.
I didn't take the best care of my childhood games, but I recently decided my carts have collected dust for long enough. I've started buying cases from StoneAgeGamer and CustomGameCases and I highly recommend them.
I love Dust Covers! Here's a question for ya! If GB Advance was so advanced why they come without a protective cover? My Game Boy games laugh at you not so advance GBA!! Here's a tip that you should know by now: Ebay has GBA Covers you can buy in bulk to protect all your GBA Games! On all Retro Games I clean them 1st before I put them into play! For they might be new to me but they sure are not new games by a long shot! I give it a night to dry up & boy let me tell u it makes for some restless nights dreaming about playing that game the next day!
5:22 Actually the moisture in your breath provides the metals with better conductivity and it gets rid of small amounts of new dust; it's not good for them because of corrosion over the years, but it does work.
Interesting. I'll have to look into that more. I know people stick them in the freezer or fridge to make them more conductive as well.
@@RetroBirdGaming That's just dumb. Lol. Then they risk moisture shorting out the chips on the board.
Your channel is growing quick. I've binged nearly all your videos and watched the subs rise from 4.5k to over 5k in a few days. I'm glad to see it and hope to see you in the 100k club soon.
Thank you! I appreciate that and am glad you're enjoying the videos :)
I’m just going to collect the games I grew up with and that’s it.
Gave them away as hand me downs but I had zero say in it.
I trained my kids to respect the game collection. Every games is alphabetized according to system. When a game is being played the box gets laid down the long way so it sticks out, that way everyone knows where it belongs.
Next for the collection is going to be the protector cases
I know this was more about games, but it's important to keep up with systems too, some parts need to be replaced every once in awhile to keep from leaking or damaging other parts, old game cartridges may have batteries that if unused for long amounts of time will leak.
I had a Wii remote which I went to pick up and, realized the cheap batteries inside had gave out and leaked all over the back of it, luckily those controllers were designed with those accidents in mind and I was able to easily restore it to clean working condition, just got to be careful to switch out those batteries.
The face you made with the door slamming back guaranteed my sub and thumbs up!
THANK YOU for mentioning to wash your hands! I’ve been using the same white Gamecube controller for over 6 years with 700+ hours of Smash and it’s still pristine because dirty hands never touch it. I’m always really careful with my stuff and NEVER touch the cartridge label with my fingers. Also, I’m a pretty big fan of box protectors. Though I’m not a CIB collector, but when I do have a game with a box it gets a protector.
Yeah, controller stay really nice if you just wash your hands before using them.
i love your humor! this little videos with your faceexpression, i just love them 👌🤣
Thank you!
For all my cardboard boxed games (Nes, Snes, N64, GB, GBC and GBA) I use box protectors as well as my consoles and handhelds in cardboard boxes.
another retro bird gem
Thanks!
I like buying the plastic protectors from retroprotection for my snes stuff. They especially make me feel better when I'm moving and all the carts are in a box together.
Whenever I buy a cartridge-based game, the first thing I do when I get home is take it apart and use a copper cleaner on all the pin connectors to remove any tarnish and damage due to moisture and whatever else. Sometimes I use a dry eraser followed by alcohol for the final wipe down. Then I place the cartridge in the dust case and on the shelf. If you keep up with it as you’re buying them, it will never be a daunting task and you won’t usually have to clean them as you play them. It’s like with anything else, it’s just about keeping on top of things. I remember spending one summer several years ago taking apart every single game I owned and cleaning them all individually. It literally took all summer. But I was glad I did what I did because they still work to this very day with no issues. Or if you are really in a hurry, you can just dunk them in the toilet
A good dusting of the game shelves and individually checking each game does wonders.
I should probably dust more than I do. Having all my stuff constantly being filmed helps remind me :)
@@RetroBirdGaming It also helps my collections still pretty small. I wonder if it'll get more difficult the more the collection expands.
Well the NEO-GEO AES controller with 4 buttons really works for me real well.
Oh I just ordered a Pollymega Turbograpfx-16, 6 button controller.
Can't wait to play Street Fighter 2
PC Engine on it
For longbox disc games, a great way to prevent manuals bending is to take a piece of thin cardboard, and cut it to size and place behind manual in the clips. It keeps them nice and straight.
Good idea! That would probably fix one that is already bent if left that way for long enough.
The only issue I’ve had with case replacement is Dreamcast games. A lot of people don’t notice is that Dreamcast games DON’T have the “Compact Disc” logo in the trays. Makes sense, since they weren’t CD’s. I’ve bought some CD’s outer cases and trays in bulk in the past, and finding trays WITHOUT the logo is the hardest thing ever! Luckily, I’ve pilfered my Music CD collection in an effort to make some of those “not so nice” looking games look better. They just don’t make CD cases like they used to either. Today’s cases feel so light in comparison!
Good advice that seems like common sense but still stuff people tend to forget about it. I'd recommend getting a decent soldering iron and some game bits and learning how to replace batteries as well. I always clean the carts and contacts when I first get them (don't want dirt in the system) and put in a new battery. If it's a game you've had for years, you can always look into a cart reader to backup your save before replacing a battery.
Rocket knight update: It's waiting for customers clearance!!
Haha I hope you end up liking Rocket Knight. I'd feel bad if somebody got it on my behalf and didn't like it.
I had a Gameboy SP and played some Oracle of Ages. My fingers rubbed right across the label while playing. Bought another copy. I clean my games with Simple Green - used to work at a Game Store and that's what we used, non-corrosive, pleasant smelling and would get all the nerd grime off of used games and make them look brand new. One thing that I made a mistake early on was assuming that my collection was out of direct sunlight. Some games have been faded a bit but I can't stress too much about it or else I'll cry.
Yeah, that sunlight can be pretty sneaky!
Thank you very much for this video. Most your recent video's have been on point with my ideas for videos you should do. I keep my collection in the cool temperature living-room. I have around 200 nes games all in dust sleeves and snes games over 200 in dust covers plastic protectors and cib. N64 games I have about 150 or so and game cube games over 150 then x box one.. Anyhow I keep most on display on my book shelf but the rest in roller blade boxes and shoe boxes under my bed. The roller blade boxes are from gifts I bought for my kids and cousins kids. I thought why not buy they some skates and blades and I keep the big box they come in to keep my games cool calm clean and safe. They come with those little bags that make the box smell new so guess what..? My games smell new too. Especially my game cube games. I can fit 40 game cube games cib in one roller blade box. Cause shelf use will not do them justice without plastic dvd case protestors. Thanks for the tips
Another great video. Thanks for this info on disc rot. That stuff scares me. Now I at least have some hope. I heard keeping large bags of bread clips in your home may also help. Possibly.
Well, that's just a good idea in general.. so you might as well.
i Can say that even do disc rot is real it has only happened for me with 90s dvds. all my games are fine. And i have cd based games back from around windows 3.1 era
I handle my cartridges by the edges so I don't wear out the sticker labels.
Reminds me of how sometimes your sibling would get mad enough to just kick or hit a game.
Also in my youth I learned first hand to keep discs in cases. I got done playing Tekken 3 and put it in my pocket. I knocked something over and bent down and broke it.
Use case protectors. I have around 40 SNES and PS1 games all in protectors. The UK/PAL PS1 cases are prone to cracking so easily so I took extra precautions.
You can typically get them for pretty cheap too.
Another little thing is with a disc based console is if you are taking it somewhere or moving, pop the disc out first. Sounds obvious but it does help.
Absolutely!
I broke a Sega CD by not popping out ecco. Not worth it.
Disk Rot! I am no scientist but from experience I believe sunlight (direct or refracted) will potentially contribute to disk rot. Best to keep them out of sunlight all together. 🎮👍
This is what I've read as well.
To protect my boxed NES, SNES and N64 games I use plastic cases. I think this is becoming necessary, and they also look much much better on the shelves. Another important aspect is to learn how to replace batteries in those cartridges games that use them to save data.
Learning some basic soldering skills is definitely useful.
Your videos are awesome man, great work
Thank you!
I pretty much do what you do, I like my games to not only work great, but look great. I hate damaged labels and cases, and I bought end labels for all my N64 games to make them look even more appealing (not to mention more ease of access) I'm a huge game collector (and got a gigantic backlog) so I want my stuff to look and work good for as long as possible.
When it comes to food I recommend smaller, bite size snacks you can put into a cup and drink from. For example I favor trail mix and goldfish for my gaming food
Good thinking!
For all my cartridge games I put them in those plastic protectors, at least the ones that are expensive and ones that mean something to me personally. Other than that same thing, I keep them away from sunlight as much as possible and away from dust as much as I can.
Glad I found your channel! Very entertaining 😁
Thanks! Welcome to the channel.
Yeah. I lost my Chernobyl DVD by not putting it away properly. My husband enforced the putting the disc away in the right box rule and I've kept it up after his death.
I also bought a job lot of empty DVD cases for any discs I got that no longer had cases. One sharpie later and we have titles :).
Mr Nutz music is always a great choice!
I love your videos, especially your humor. I collect since about 1995 nearly every console and thank god i finished my collections a long time ago. Dont own a Neogeo and a Turbograx16 but thats about it. Anyway, keep up the good work. Hopefully you get more subscribers and keep it ad-free.
I still own my games and systems from the NES, SNES, and N64 from growing up. This means I am grandfathered into collection owning and care requirements don't apply to me. Hand washing? Cart dust protectors? Replacing carts with scratched labels? These things are unheard of.
Really liking your channel since I found it a few weeks ago.. Almost impulse bought Lightening Force based on your Geneisis top 10 video, but I wasnt paying over 20 bucks.. Lol.
Hahah definitely make sure you really want the game before picking it up. Glad you're liking the channel.
Somehow the retro bird never reviews games but im totally hooked..i download roms yet im still watching how to preserve carts...what madness is this? 🍌
Hahah I appreciate you watching!
One trick I use for my games in standard CD cases is to store them front-down, fold-in. This way gravity is always trying to do the flattening work for you instead of sagging the manual towards the disc.
Especially in stands where the cases are angled, this puts the weight of the manual on the folded/stapled end instead of on the thinner pages, while also providing a full-length piece of plastic to rest on instead of two smaller 'dots' or lines.
Not to mention that the titles for Dreamcast/PS1 games are all legible from that position so I feel like if it's not the standard way to store it, then it should be.
Ironically, blowing into the seams around the L button on my old GBA SP is the only way I can get it to work, short of replacing the damn thing. 🤷🏻♂️
Also I buy those clear plastic cases for all my loose carts. Even print out the box art and slide it in between the cart and the case.
I niver was my hands when i had nes,snes,ps,ne4,sega dreamcast back in day now just have 3ds xl and niver was my hand
The entire video, I kept thinking about this one time my brother threatened to throw my copy of Pokemon White 2 in the toilet. I hid the cartridge in a 3ds case, and forgot it was there for 3 years.
As for taking care of your collection, if your younger sibling asks you to play a game with them, always comply.
(He only ever did this once)
I have 3 brothers, one of them is my twin (who I share my collection with). We never sold any of our games while growing up, but I always got nervous whenever he just haphazardly put 1 game disc into another game disc. Good thing by highschool we began taking better care of our collection. As for my other 2 brothers I would let them play only if they were using their controller's. 1 of them plays games like fortnite nowadays, but the other one (who is in kindergarten), loves the original Mario Bros. games.
Where was I going with this... I don't know let your little brothers play your games so they can appreciate the classics. If you are worried about your collection, make sure you are nearby when they're playing.
Hahah I'm the youngest sibling in my family. So, I've never had that issue.
Would have been cool to hear a mention about cardboard boxes for cartridge games. I use plastic retro protectors for most of my cib stuff. But the really expensive games (worth 4 digits), I buy acrylic cases for them.
Ahh, something was bound to be left out :( Glad you mentioned it though.
I gave up looking for dust covers. I just need so many lol. But a box of zip lock bags as air tight as I can get them are really working for me
Great video again mate and some brilliant tips in here too. In the UK, we don’t have end labels on our SNES carts which has always annoyed me! 😂 I’ve heard Mega CD games are susceptible to disc rot, but have yet to experience it myself. Keep up the great work, your editing is awesome 👏
Thanks Andrew! And yeah, that's a bummer with the SNES labels over there.
Sensible video.
I'd love to see a video based on how people can protect their game cases, especially those with cardboard cases, like Nintendo games.
That could definitely be part of a future video.
I've been taking great care of my retro games for the past 20 years. They're all in rubbermaid bins along with all of my other childhood stuff. I never open them.
Wow. That's a long time.
Bloodrayne on the original Xbox -I’ve gone through five different discs all from different parts of the country none of them work in either Xbox I have that plays all my other games perfectly. Disc rot is real and it has to do with manufacturing it has Little to do with keeping your games in good condition. You can’t control it.
Since I stick to O.D.Es and the like - all I can offer is to only use gel/ cream-based hydrogen peroxide/ "vol. 40" for de-yellowing if you absolutely need it - that stuff can leave horrible results and isn't nearly as simple to use as liquid-based solutions anyway.
When he made the door conparison when talking about the eject button, i thought he was gonna say "thats like trying to open a door without using the doorknob"
"Spilling a drink seems like it would never happen...until it does."
Yup. It's not video gaming, but back when my Magic playing group was still together, we had this one time where we were all hanging out together and playing and usually we wouldn't have food or drink around our cards or anything, but one day my friend does have some drink near him while we're playing and...it just so happens to slip in his hand or something and it spills. It mostly affected his own deck, and it damaged his Modern deck with some rather valuable stuff in it.
So from then on, the lesson was learned. NO drinks around when we're playing. Well _they_ learned this lesson the hard way anyways. I never did it myself. We then enforced that with other friends (especially the less bright ones), and told them "no", because why open up that risk if there's no reason to? We even explained that it did actually happen, and a drink spilled, so it became a hard rule now.
Good stuff man, you would think this is straight forward stuff. I keep my collection in a nice cool room and try to keep the sun down, even using light blocking curtains. My biggest issue was training my kids in how to handle their 3DS cards properly and to keep their hands off of the collection w/o asking, but it honestly wasn't that difficult and so far only two cards ended up getting washed and dried but they still work 😅. As far as tips go, for disc based games, I try not to leave them in the console after I'm done...right back into the case they go.
Wow. They made it through the washer and dryer! Nice!
Yeah, those DS cards are apparently very durable. Thankfully this hasn't happened since.
I like to collect all physical copies of the games I like in Japanese or English (I speak both) then i normally play on emulator to preserve everything. I got a hello kitty dreamcast the other week and couldn't help but plug in sonic adventure! Thankfully the optical drive is doing well on the system 😁
Go for the highest percentage alcohol you can get. Alcohol evaporates quickly but the water content makes it harder to do so so higher percentage is better. I have cartridge baggies so I can protect those games entirely, not just their contacts.
All Sega disc-based games are prone to disc rot. Don't store them in hot and humid areas as the humidity can destroy the discs. Lots of the Sega games with disc rot usually spent time in garages and attics or storage.
Hot take: blowing on carts is bad. It definitely does get them to work sometimes. What gets them to load is the moisture. Tldr use a q tip and be careful.
Best thing for the NES you can do is disable the lock out chip. That pretty much fixes the flashing white screen that caused so many kids to blow into their NES carts.
I don't think there's a retro bird video that I dislike. They all feel relevant
I made sure to buy blackout curtains for the very purpose of making sure my games don't fade.
I just found your channel and am really enjoying your vids!
Glad to hear it! Welcome aboard :)
I replace old batteries if the game has them so they dont leak over time. Initial cleaning involves disassembling the cart first. Scrub pcb contacts with q tips and Brasso polish, followed by Isopropyl alcohol. Any follow up cleaning once reassembled is alcohol only. The polish gets gunked up inside the cart too easy.
I typically replace the save batteries right away as well.
mine are all in drawers, valuable games are in hard cases in drawers. all kept safe from sun etc.
Sounds pretty safe :)
If i ever have kids playing my Nintendo 64 or super Nintendo they get to use the everdrive, it saves the consoles pins they can just hit the reset button and start a new game, once they get older they can use my actual carts and try to beat my high scores on wave race 64!
I like that idea. Everdrive for the kids!
I’m very prepared. I have all the necessary screwdrivers, a soldering iron, 91% isopropyl alcohol, Qtips, spare capacitors and JFJ Easy Pro disc repair machine. I alway gotta laugh a little when GameStop asks if I want the extra coverage on my games. I think no, I got this boys
I've been ordering alot of games lately , I don't have any large shelves so whenever I bought my games online or in store , I keep them in the envelope or grocery bag I got them with in store or in the mailbox . Then put them in bigger cardboard boxes and bags and put them in a deep area with no windows like the basement or closets etc . It may be risky cause of stuff getting dented or cracked ( Especially for the older games like PS1 )but it's alright .
I heard of the sun damage thing but also it's easier so there's no moisture happening or especially dust making them dirty . As much as I would love to have a large shelf to easily organize and look at my games altogether but I have hundreds of games lol PS1 to PS5 ( huge PlayStation gamer) would have to spend hundreds of dollars just for shelves even then I don't got the space for it lol . It makes brand new games that I opened like 3 years ago feel like they just got opened 3 days ago.
That and the fact I use latex gloves to touch my games too . Treat em like I'm a doctor lol . That and the fact I have been having dry hands lately and my hands sweat alot during intense matches , it may be uncomfortable but I play with the gloves on too . It helps . Hopefully I won't have to see my games rot.
My niece's birthday party was at my house what do you know all the kids are in my room wanting to play my collection. I saw one of them already taking the disc out the case of but luckily she held it the right way not touching the data side. I never thought I would have to lock up my own collection Lol
Hahah of course they wanted to get into that stuff :)
IMO the consoles (particularly portables) require more maintenance.
For older portables with rechargeable batteries (esp PSP) make sure you charge them occasionally. If not, the battery could die. In the case of PSP, it's hard to miss, since the battery will literally bulge until it pushes the cover off. Replacement batteries are rarely as good as the original (at least for PSP). DS and 3DS seem to be a lot better, but I still charge them just in case. Even something like the Wii U you need to be mindful of.
Also, watch for leaking capacitors and batteries. This is more the case with late 80s and early 90s consoles.
I keep my disk based games in their original cases closed in a cupboard without any glass doors. They've worked so far and still work. I suggest that if you have younger siblings you should lock the cupboard with a key and keep the key either close to you or hide it. My family respects my hobby and never touched my games. So I don't lock my games because of that.
Locked away! Yes, it may come to that for some.
@@RetroBirdGaming yeah. I guess that it depends on if you have younger siblings or not.
Man my SNES was perfectly grey until I forgot it in the garage in like 2010. The sun took its toll quickly and now it’s yellow. Sad.
This video hurt! I regret selling a lot of my stuff 15 years ago, I didnt think that game collecting would be THIS popular. I thought I had time to get it all back on ebay or something. I have about 20 systems left, but the games! omg why did I sell the games!!
Yeah I feel your pain. Last summer prices were stupid high, and this summer they’re insane. Hopefully, in two years they’ve cooled off and go back to somewhat affordable.
you can claim blowing the cart did nothing all you like, but I learned to do it after reseating the cart ten times in a row with no change, but then my dad blew on it and the game immediately loaded up when I put the game back in.
Cleaning the contacts with rubbing alcohol would have done the same thing better. Basically the forced air removed loose dust, and the moisture combined with the friction of putting the game in the system slightly cleaned off the pins and improved the connection just enough to play.
Looking into it further (after this video) I came to the conclusion that it is the heat from your breath that makes the pins more conductive. Still not a good long term solution as the moisture from breath isn't good... but that's why it helped a bit.
I know people dont recommend blowing on the cartridges but I bought an n64 game on ebay and I thought it didnt work, alcohol q tipped it 2 times real good and still didnt work, so a week later I tried just aggressively blowing on it and then it worked...
Is the mini super nintendo worth is money over all. That's good video to make. Giving the games over all controls, or just keeping it classic with games like donkey dong being 30 $ and 70 $ more can buy you the 100$ mini system but originally not the collection of original snes games over all.
As far as my collection, I clean each new game I get with alcohol and q tips(Goo Gone if absolutely needed), and I put them in clear plastic sleeves.. I tried the whole coverartproject cases, but I simply dont have the room..
Yeah, that would take up a lot of space depending how many games you have.
Here is a trick. With nes games if you put the cart in and let it stick out slightly and push it in so it pops over the edge into the loader it'll work every time.
I spend a small fortune on controllers and handhelds i can't bring myself to use due to my irrational fear of greasing them up with my perfectly clean freshly washed hands. It is hard going trying to reconcile the part of me that feels games and hardware should be used and enjoyed and the part of me that loves to have nice things to look at.
I think if your hands are freshly washed then you're good. I've had controllers that I bought brand new, but practiced a strict handwashing policy and the controllers still felt brand new over a year later.
@@RetroBirdGaming your definitely right i think for me its a completely illogical thing. As an example i have six 3DS system but only actually use two of them with the other four sitting on display and permanently pristine, justified by telling myself they are back ups for the future should one of my others fail. I sure bet my wife wishes i had this much care and attention for the fancy kitchen stuff and or the truck!!
I was so stupid as a kid and teenager, never cared for my games, would leave discs laying around my bedroom, step on and break discs and covers without a care. Now the adult collector in me wants to cry for my many lost and broken games.
Also caring for games should include lending out a game that somehow never gets returned...I'm still waiting for my copy of Silent Hill 2 on PS2.
Perhaps one day it will make it's way back to you!
I personally don't like having the cartrigdes loose. For me that's the same as having the discs loose. That's why I use protective game cases for them.
Disc rot is a problem because of the manufacturer using organic compounds for the disc data layer. It will happen but it's a matter of time. That said, you can do your best by doing all the things said in this video of the do list. One great way to maintain your games is to just back them up. There are methods for disc and cartridge based games alike. Then when you wish to play them there are multi carts and SD card options for disc based consoles. If you go that route then remember to store your originals away from light oxygen and damage. Take caring serious as if you were a museum curator charged with keeping them in good condition and cleaned and maintained. Act as if you didn't the game preservation police will come and get you. Other than that have fun and play on.
Organic compounds. That explains it perfectly. Thank you for this post!
Friend of mine left his Dream cast in the Sun. It never Worked again!!! Lol
Wow!
Love the channel! 👏🏻 what’s the crazy dancing game in the video ?
I'm starting to run low on space for games. A lot of my Cartridge games I keep on a shelf or in a drawer. I normally pay more for better label conditions but if the game is significantly cheaper with a missing label, Why not.
Regardless if it's cartridge or a disc based game, I don't recommend storing your games tightly. Especially cd based games with long boxes. This just makes it easier to pull out the game & less likely to break the case.
That copy of Resident Evil 2 is so fetch.
"So Fetch" is finally a thing.
I had an n64 that stopped working, so I had to buy a new one and I did but couldn't bring myself to throw away my first one so I kept it, about a year later I took it to a local game store to get it fixed and it turned out the port for the game was just dirty, took me 5 bucks to fix it.
The spiritual successor to Scott the woz!!