Game room ideas......

[A8scooter]

That time has come for me to set up my gaming collection for all to enjoy ( including yours truly ). Things have sat in boxes too long and Im starting on planning out how I want everything. Feel free to message me ideas and tips from when you did your Rooms of Doom.  My collection is a LONG way from what it used to be ( 2000 games 35 systems ) but its a work in progress and one day itll get back there again. Been hard core back into the gaming scene since about March 2013. So my meager 176 cart collection is quite sad but I hope it will be pleasing to you all and to me one day. I dont think Ill be pleased till im close to where I was the first time around.

My goal is collecting cartridge based systems only ( that may change who knows ) and obviously an Atari 8 Bit collection that will make anyone jaw drop with amazement  ( Including me ). Let me know what your thinking for ideas share anything youd like on the topic .

Look forward to reading what you guys come up with and how I can incorporate some of those ideas into the room.

[Tynstar]

I think the best thing to do is custom shelves if you can and look at how other people have their stuff set up to get some ideas.

[singlebanana]

A lot of what you will need to be concerned with is how your carts lay (flat or odd) and how you want your labels to be displayed. Most games of course can be stacked, but it really all depends on how you like to display them. If you do not want to stack carts on top of each other, you'll probably have to do custom shelves. I've have success with displaying games by stacking them, so I pretty much went the cheaper route and bought black shelving for about $25-$30 each at Wal-mart and Target.  For disc games, I use CD racks, which can now be found abundantly and cheaply at thrift store (thank you mp3's and iPods). 

I can't remember if A8 games have top labels on them or not, so you'll have to chime in on this.  For games with no top labels, I use a label printer to identify them. I know some people really don't like the look, but I'm more of a functional kind of guy. Newer label printers use stickers that are easily removable and don't damage games.

You'll also want to think about how to display consoles and your controllers. I did a pegboard, which some people on here liked, but others didn't. Again, it's all about your preferences and what works best for your type of collection. Good luck!

Here's a link to some pics of my NanerCade. Not super recent, but close enough: http://www.rfgeneration.c...nerCade-Update-4-2238.php

[A8scooter]

Here's some of my thoughts ( from what Ive seen and been mulling around in my head in the ambulance on my over night runs).

Atari 8 bit carts are in those little plastic cases I mentioned in other posts. I cleverally designed labels images that can be printed out and stuck to the case ( so this would be displayed in a row on the shelves) . Some A8 games have end labels ( wrap around labels ), most do not. Making up labels will be fun to do and I think ill let the people at Staples fight to make it look right ( why should I raise my blood pressure and get frustrated when they can do it for me).

Custom Shelves was my idea. They seem most practical be the size I want and just be how I like it to be. ( Non of that walmart brand stuff that I get half way built and the thing wants to collapse on itself ). Real wood construction should be A.) fun and B.) something that wont fall in on itself halfway built. A8 carts in the cases would make me need shelves spaced 4 inches high.

Atari 2600 games I usually do stacked BUT then again they all have end labels I can lay them on their side in order just the same. Once again 4 inches high shelves should do well for me. Not sure if i want to stack high or side. But size would work I think for these too. ( lets see how long i like tilting my head ). NES is another one ill measure out the size wide and do those on their sides. Genesis games are boxed and can just be placed in as such. Ill measure those boxes and go from there. Atari 5200 games are gonna be a challenge ( no end label and I dont have cases that fit them ). I can use advice on that. Not a fan of labeling carts  Hockey puck cases I dont see working for these.

I like how your room turned out. I liked that shelving unit with the units on it ( I have the same kinda unit here only 3 or 4 shelves though.  How did you manage to hook everything up (im interested in seeing your process to get the most out of it. Also How did you handle the power supplies and outlets to make it happen.)

What would your plan of attack fora  flat screen LCD tv be for multi systems and for a Coaxle TV.Im thinking for the A8 how to display the addons. I know with 6 ft shelves Ill have room for boxes along the top ( i think ) If the boxes dont work Ill have to do them on the top shelf followed by games and use the top of the book shelf for addons. Not sure how thatll work yet.

I did a video on Youtube on my channel ( Atari 8 Bit Game Hunter ) showing the before of the room. The room is quite big but looks kinda small since i have a huge kitchen table in here with the center leaf acting as a coffee table till i can find one. Layout is gonna be a challange for me. but Im thinking 4 inch spacing will work out well. I need to see what SNES , NES and A2600 carts are gonna be cause maybe ill do 2 or 3 inch spacnig and then go from there. not sure how i want to tackle it yet.  Same goes for gameboy games. The clear bins i wasnt a fan of. Nor do I think I have the wall space for a picture frame look and display each one facing outward on the wall ( would be cool but I dont have wall space for it. Maybe I can get a box of some sort for stoage and make it look nice time will tell.

Open to ideas like usual.

[Addicted]

For my gaming office I hooked up the consoles I used the most. There are two holes in the back allowing me to run cable to the switch box/tv. I bought a roll of velcro from Home Depot and used it to keep the cables nice and neat. The most commonly used controllers are in the top drawer with the least used in the bottom.

[img width=600 height=800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/RF/SN851758_zps362fcfa8.jpg[/img]

[img width=700 height=525]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/RF/SN851763_zpsd2c42f53.jpg[/img]

I used Ikea's Benno DVD shelves to hold my loose NES games:

[img width=600 height=800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/SN851666_zpsc51ff8bb.jpg[/img]

I choose the Billy Bookcase from Ikea as I could fit two rows of games and space is limited in my gaming office:

Top:

[img width=600 height=800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/RF/SN851766_zps1db5d6d3.jpg[/img]

Bottom:

[img width=600 height=800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/RF/SN851767_zps249cf435.jpg[/img]

Even the side of the computer desk serves as storage:

[img width=600 height=800]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/cisco678/RF/SN851768_zps4615773c.jpg[/img]

[singlebanana]

I like how your room turned out. I liked that shelving unit with the units on it ( I have the same kinda unit here only 3 or 4 shelves though.  How did you manage to hook everything up (im interested in seeing your process to get the most out of it. Also How did you handle the power supplies and outlets to make it happen.)

For maximizing the amount of systems I have hooked up on 1 television (10, I think...), I used 3 switch boxes. You may notice in my game room pic of this set up on top of my TV that I have the three boxes, and on two of them, you will see a label that reads "Flip 1" and "Flip 2". I use this switch as a jumper to the other boxes (i.e. if I press Flip 1, I can press any labeled console button on box 2 to play that system, and if I press Flip 1 & Flip 2, it will allow me to play systems on the 3rd box.  So I go from A/V outlets on TV to IN on first box, pick an AV switch to go out from box 1 to IN box 2 (rinse and repeat to box 3 and so on).  Sometimes it gets tough dealing systems such as the TG because it has no AV. I know it can be modded, but I just run that coax system through a cheap VCR to convert to AV for the box input.

I use several different outlets and a surge protection power strip at each. Since these power strips have an on/off switch, I can keep it off while not playing, since I am really only turning on one machine at a time to play, even through there are multiple consoles hooked up, it's not really a fire hazard. I turn the strips off merely as a safety precaution, though I don't think one exists.

[JerryGreenwood]

Yes. This is what I want to talk about. My game room won't be started for another couple of years (since I don't have a room for it), but I've already begun thinking. I'm going to have custom shelves (one of my best friends is a very good carpenter).

I can't help you with the Atari 800 games since I've never physically touched one. NES and 2600 carts should be pretty easy and self-explanatory.

My biggest collection is SNES, which also might cause the biggest problem. I want to lay them tall, with the end label facing out and I'm keeping my SNES carts in the plastic protector, but that makes them uneven. I could just ditch the plastic protectors, but I REALLY don't want to.

Any thoughts?

[singlebanana]

Honestly, and take this for what it's worth, dust covers aren't really protecting you from anything that can harm your games, so why bother using them unless you like the looks of them aestheicially. The pins are going to corrode over time whether you have a dust cover on them or not, so "dust" really isn't the enemy. I clean the pins on my games very well when I get them (brass cleaner followed with alcohol) and will sometimes do a quick alcohol swab before putting in a cart to keep my system as clean as possible. Dust covers really protect your console from getting filthy inside, more than your games. For me, an initial thourogh cleaning and a quick swab is better than trying to balance your SNES carts with those unstable covers.

[Addicted]

Yes. This is what I want to talk about. My game room won't be started for another couple of years (since I don't have a room for it), but I've already begun thinking. I'm going to have custom shelves (one of my best friends is a very good carpenter).

I can't help you with the Atari 800 games since I've never physically touched one. NES and 2600 carts should be pretty easy and self-explanatory.

My biggest collection is SNES, which also might cause the biggest problem. I want to lay them tall, with the end label facing out and I'm keeping my SNES carts in the plastic protector, but that makes them uneven. I could just ditch the plastic protectors, but I REALLY don't want to.

Any thoughts?

With that scenario you  have three options:

1. Follow singlebanana's advice. (This is the one I would recommend.)

2. Buy some Universal Game Cases and print out art from the cover project. (http://www.thecoverproject.net/ & http://www.mediashelving....e=W&Product_Code=USCG)

3. Buy some cart only protector's from Jim at Video Game Box Protectors (http://www.videogameboxpr...rs.com/#/store/4569532134)

Good luck on your game room!

[JerryGreenwood]

Addicted, I was thinking of creating a small lip on the SNES shelf near where the top of the game would lay. I haven't measured yet, but probably the size of a paint stirrer.

Single Banana, that Dracula's Pub sign is literally the coolest thing I've ever seen.

EDIT - About Single Banana's idea, I do like it. I really should clean my games too. I'm just a little particular about the plastic case, it might take a while for me to let go. So...use brass cleaner on a cotton swab, let it dry, then rubbing alcohol?

[Addicted]

@Dezoria: I use Weiman's Glass top Cleaner followed by a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol. (http://www.weiman.com/pro...ass-cook-top-cleaner.aspx)

The general idea is to use the cleaner to take off any grime and use the rubbing alcohol to take off the cleaner. If the cleaner is left on it can erode the contacts. There is an episode of the RF Generation Collectorcast that talks about cleaning carts/systems etc. (http://rfgenerationcollec...2012-08-21T21_48_08-07_00)

[techwizard]

if it's not very dirty the alcohol alone sometimes does it well enough