How do you store and display your games?

I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss given - by and large - the RGB community’s presumably large collection of hardware and software picked up over the years!

One thing always comes to mind whenever I think about how to store my games: This translated blog post from Masahiro Sakurai (Sakurai’s Surprising Storage Skills [pt. 1] – Source Gaming) on how he stores his games and consoles. It inspired me to start looking for new ways to organise my collection. Unfortunately I haven’t done anything so meticulous yet.

I’ve followed @Collz69’s tip for storing Game Boy carts in a small plastic box (Game Boy/Color/Advance OT + Collecting Thread - Get into it! - #45 by Collz69) recently, which has proven to be a great idea.

I’ve been using larger versions of those storage boxes for other things in the past - I just picked up one to put my Japanese Saturn collection in for the moment:

For boxed games I’ve been collapsing the boxes and storing carts separately. Unfortunately I don’t really have much space or any shelves to display my collection - I usually just have a stack of games out that I’m playing.

It’s a bit easier with handheld game cards - I’ve been using HORI cases for Switch and Vita game cards and the old Club Nintendo game card holders (which are basically 3DS cases with space for 18 cards) for 3DS and DS games. GBA carts go in a jiffy bag for now…

One thing I am worried about is storing my disc games in plastic wallet holders - I noticed the other day two of my Saturn games got scratches from a plastic wallet I was using, which gutted me. I confirmed it by sliding a ‘mint’ disc in a few times and it emerged with a lot of visible scratches on both sides. Never again - need to look for a better material.

That’s enough from me though - how do you store, organise and display your games and hardware?

I store my SNES & SFC carts in those clear cart protector boxes, unlike the US carts you can’t read the label from above so I use a label printer to apply labels to the tops of the boxes like so

That way I can easily locate them as I store them in my desk drawer with my controllers etc

3 Likes

That’s a great idea - keeping the carts in a drawer should minimise dust too.

It’s all on one shelf unit mounted on my wall, organized by system and color rather than alphabetical order. My physical collection is generally small enough so that I know where everything is on the shelves within 10 or so seconds of looking. Because it’s all exposed, I generally organize it based on the way it looks rather than any sort of chronology or naming convention so that I find it aestetically pleasing (in an admittedly arbitrary way). Some carts are loose and some have original packaging. And for loose handheld games, I keep them in a little container tucked away near my consoles.

I also have plants, scented oils/sticks, books, CDs, and movies all on the same shelves. But games definitely dominate the unit (surprise surprise).

My general strategy is to just own on average around 20 physical games per system so that it never becomes overwhelming (for some consoles have I more, for many I have less). And it works for figuring out what to play next too - I generally replay games a lot more often than most and am pretty unwilling to buy more physical games unless I know they’re something I’m going to play for a very long time.

When it comes to new games, I only buy phyiscal releases on Nintendo’s systems because I love collecting their stuff. I am all digital on Sony’s and Microsoft’s systems since the middle of last gen when more and more games started playing better when installed on the system rather than streaming off the disc.

I did not do the same with the Wii U, however, because I really loved the look and feel of the discs. And I also love the 3DS’s and Switch’s little boxes too so I’ve carried the tradition forward even though it’s a bit of a pain to juggle the gamecards on the go.

1 Like

I use the same method on my Super Famicom and Famicom carts.

You guys reminded me I need to get a bunch of those plastic sleeves for my Super Famicom/SNES games.

Really Useful Box also do a container that’s half the height of the ones which store GBC/GB carts,

It fits GBA carts pretty well, there’s enough space in one to store 16 standard cartridges with enough room so you can flick through your library (I guess 18 if you want less wiggle space).

3 Likes

I see Ninja Cop in there. :slight_smile:

Nice spot - such a great game! Happy to own a legit cartridge for it, pity boxed copies go for three times the price though!

Did you play Bomberman 2 on DS? The lead designer of Ninja Cop directed it.