Welcome to the ninth edition of our game room series where we take a look at some of our site members gaming spaces!  This month we are featuring longtime member, Collectorcaster, and all around good guy, Crabmaster2000. 

Join us as we explore Crabmaster's gaming space, learn more about how and what he collects, and how he makes his space work for his gaming needs.

**If you are a member and have a game room or gaming area that you would like to share, please send a PM to singlebanana and I will add you to our list.**




RF Generation handle:

Crabmaster2000


Approximate dimensions of your game room (in feet, or meters if you prefer):

9’x23’ with a long hallway entrance that houses Amiibos and one shelf full of figures and music


Describe your game room in a Tweet (140 characters, include spaces).

What’s a Tweet?




How many distinct systems do you own (including handheld)?  What are your favorites?

Depending on the definition of distinct there’s over 50. NES is a big favorite of mine with PS2 being my runner up.


How many systems do you have hooked up right now?  What are they?

All of them are ready to go




What are the top 5 biggest collections in your game room? Are any complete?

PS2 is by far my largest collection currently. Licensed NES was complete, but I recently sold off my Stadium events, so now I’m complete -1. I have all of the North American TG16 games. I am over 80% of 5 other complete sets as well.


What is your favorite piece in your game room (game and/or non-game)?

I’ve got a few items from my childhood that are always my favorites. Lots of great PS1 games I never gave up like Lunar 2 Eternal Blue, FFIX, Xenogears and Symphony of the Night. My grandparents are starting to declutter their home so that when they pass away my family won’t be burdened by an excess of stuff to deal with and one of the items they gave to me was their CIB SEGA Genesis that they purchased for when the grandkids came over to visit. Apparently, my sister and I were the only ones that used to actually use it and my sister and grandparents agreed it would be appropriate for me to hold onto it. It’s got a special place in my home.


What is the rarest piece in your game room?

With Stadium Events now sold it would likely be my Hu Card/Manual copy of Magical Chase for the TG16.




Do you own any game cabinets/pinball machines?  If so, which one would you like to add next?  If not, which one would you like to be your first?

I currently own around 40 machines, but I’m in the process of selling my store and nearly all of those machines will be going along with it. I have worked out the option to cherry pick a few to keep though. As for arcade cabs, I’d love to add a Playchoice 10 to my home and for Pinball I’m desperately trying to convince my wife we cannot live without the new Iron Maiden Pinball that Stern is putting together. 


What, if anything, makes your game room or setup distinguishable?

Wall to roof library of games surrounding you in a cool, windowless basement room. Maybe not the most unique, but it’s exactly what I want in a game room.

 


Who or what was the inspiration for your game room?

No one in particular was the inspiration. Just made the best use of the space I had available to me in my home.


If your game room were an animal, which one would it be and why?

A captive Zoo Panda. Adorable and encouraged to have a slothful and pleasurable life




Did you have any plans for your game room that became too ambitious or expensive to implement?

I built custom shelving for my consoles and TVs that has it’s own wiring that took up 4 breakers as well as all the AV cables are hidden in the wall. It ended up going a bit over budget as well as taking many months of extra build time. I did get done, but it was a lot more effort than anticipated.

 
What new section or set would you like to eventually add to your game room?

I’m actually toying with the idea of downsizing a bit. Getting rid of some of the never plan to play kind of games and using that money to knock off a few more of the expensive and more interesting gems I’m missing. If I downsize enough I may invest in a curio cabinet to display full series of games (like every Super Mario game for example).




If someone handed you $100 and you HAD to spend it on your game room (not on games or systems), what would you buy?

I have a friend who I commissioned a Mega Man painting from that turned out fantastic. I’d likely commission her to do another painting for me.


For many collectors, storing controllers is always an issue due to their cords and sometimes awkward shapes. How do you manage these?

Peg board mounted on my walls on each side of my TVs. Keeps most of my controllers and light guns in easy reach. Have some back ups and ones that don’t get used as much use in a sturdy wooden box as well.




What does your significant other, housemate(s), or friends think about your game room?

Wife doesn’t understand it at all, but tolerates it. Son enjoys it with me and without me. Daughter likes to visit it because of the stuffed toys on display that she re-arranges for me. Friends are mostly gamers/collectors also so they “get it” and can appreciate what I’m doing. Other family members really don’t get it and I get some flack from them about it.


What was the funniest/coolest thing someone has ever said when they saw your game room for the first time?

I don’t actually show it off very often. It’s kind of just for me so I don’t make a point of giving tours too often. My wife likes to show it too her friends when I’m not around so they can laugh about how silly the things their husbands are into though.




What advice would you give to someone getting ready to set up their own game room?

There is no such thing as too much shelving!


Question from previous participant Voodoo Monkey:

How do you keep track of your collection besides the RF Gen database?  Are there any other online/ mobile collection tools you use alongside RF Gen to track your games, check prices, etc.?

The RFGen app does everything I need. I’ve never used another method ever. Once it was big enough to justify tracking, I found RFGen and was hooked. I’ve seen a few others that friends use and have tried to convert them to the superior RFGen app each time. I don’t like what I’ve seen from the other ones so far.


What question would you like to ask the next participant?

I’ve been getting more into art and have a stack of cool pictures/paintings/posters I plan to hang up soon. Do you have a preference between officially licensed art for your game room as opposed to fan made art? I’ve got pieces from both sides that I absolutely love, but for me there is something special about official work that makes it seem “cooler” somehow.

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