FEATURES | Five Things First Time Retro Gamers Should Know Before Starting a Collection (Console Edition)

STARTING out as a retro gamer in 2020 can be a daunting task. When there's a ton of backlogs from multiple systems, its easy to get lost in the details and nuances of each console.

Today we're just gonna mainly focus on some of the basic things that every gamer should know before starting out your retro game collecting journey specifically what to look out for when you decide to purchase a console from the third and the seventh-generation.

1. A Working Controller

It goes without saying that you can't play games without it. Short of ordering spare controllers online (OEM or not), make sure that the console you've just purchased from Facebook has at least one working controller. Test out all the buttons and take some time to see if this controller is responsive for the purpose of gameplay. 

2. Memory Cards and Battery Back-Ups 

Some consoles require a memory card to continue your game. This is true up until the original Xbox and seventh Generation Console onwards where memory is saved inside the internal hard drive. Systems like the Sega Saturn lets you just use a coin battery to back up your save file, but they don't last long, so it's better to invest in a 4-in-1 Action Pro Replay or those costly memory cartridges. Similarly, the Sega CD also needs a memory backup cartridge.

PlayStation memory cards can be used on the PlayStation 2 but only when you're playing Playstation one games. Sega's Dreamcast needs its VMU to save, and though optional at best, the Neo Geo AES also has a memory card slot to save high scores. Nintendo systems such as the N64, GameCube and the Wii each have their own respective memory cards. 

3. Cleaning - For the love of God never blow into a cartridge slot.

Despite what the label may say, you could get away cleaning the contacts of your cartridges with some medical alcohol - 70% with cotton Q-Tips helps. Just clear away any dirt or residue and most time it would just work. But in severe cases when this doesn't, it could be more an internal problem with the chips no longer working properly.

4. Powering up

These days we have a universal power 110/240v for systems. However, we weren't so lucky back then. Asian countries and Europe/Australia has a voltage output of 240v while Japan and US output 110v – so, please check whether on the console's label to make sure that before plugging it in, the console accepts the same power ratings as the output or risk blowing up a fuse and frying your console. 

When you do encounter a  console that does not match up with the power ratings, you can benefit from using a stepdown adapter to power up your consoles. You also need to make sure that the step-down adapter has enough wattage and/or ampere to power up the console.

5. Cartridge insert

Unlike disc-based games, cartridges can be a finicky lot and for most of the time when you can't seem to boot up on the first try, it is probably due to wear and tear of the cart or cartridge slot over the years. 

So a soft-touch approach is needed here, being real sensitive when inserting these 30-odd-year-old cartridges. Some times you may even have to slightly tilt the cartridge just enough to make a connection. 

Imagine if you will, it's like inserting a micro SD card, but it's about 100 times larger. So, don't be afraid to push it in and secure into the cartridge slot. Seeing as how old some of the cartridge games are, it's a balancing act in trying to find the correct connection.

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6. Swappable Video Cables

Until HDMI cables, we had a mess of cables to contend with and that's without diving too deep into a component or RGB cables. Fortunately, though they are proprietary in design, some generation consoles can swap between cables.

SNES, N64 and GameCube, fortunately, share the same cable and AV inputs and so does Sega Genesis Model 1 cable fitting into the Neo Geo as well as the Master System. While Sega Genesis Model 2 cable can be used with Sega Nomad and the Model 3. Similarly, PlayStation One cables can be used up until PlayStation 3 as they have the same AV input. 

However, there are some cables that are the exception to the rule such as the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, original Xbox, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii as they each use their own cable and can't be switched between their consoles iterations.

7.  Powering down

Older consoles usually need to be powered down first before switching to another game, especially cartridge. In most cases, powering down systems is nearly hassle-free as it just involves turning off the system and switching to another cartridge. It wasn't until the seventh generation console and onwards where you had to use a home button to exit the game first and then eject the disc to switch games.

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