how would you rank your collecting experience per console

[sworddude]

C TIER

PS4: I've essentially bought all my PS4 games as new releases since the console came out in 2013, or through various B2G1 or B2G2 sales at Gamestop and other game stores. I love the PS4, actually more than the PS3 now, however my collecting experience has more or less been fairly uninteresting compared to when I was scooping up PS2 or XBOX games for a few bucks each all over the place. There's also the big question mark about the longevity of these games and people's ability to continue to play them after their respective servers get shut down someday.


Switch: I've continually bought Switch games since it came out in 2017, but nearly every game I have for it has been from retail, mostly new. I love the Switch and some of the best games I've ever played are on it, but from a collecting standpoint, there's been nothing interesting or exciting about it for me.

In terms of indi releases or retro collections you usually got the full game even on ps4 on disc, but in terms of collecting pre ordering stuff from sites such a limited run and or being quick with the more limited releases is not that exciting as classic game collecting in which you can get stuff all over the place, but perhaps it might be different in the future.

[pzeke]

Blergh! You got my interest going, and then it deflated when I saw that image. I fucking hate that meme.

Nevertheless, I'll partake.

• S—PS1 / PS3: Collecting for these two was a blast! Back when I got the PS3, I ended up amassing a three-digit collection in the same year I got the console, and after that I ended up filling the gaps in my other collections, the PS1 being the prime example, where I managed to get plenty of nice deals, especially for long box titles, way before the hike in prices. It was also at this point in the hobby that I began dabbling with imports, specifically for PS1, PS2, and PS3.
  
  
• A—PS2 / NDS / GCN: These go along with the first two, especially for the GCN, given I got it, and alongside it, most of the games I wanted, with just a few missing that I've learned over the years to not care for as much; after all, there's no point chasing white whales. In the case of the PS2 and NDS, they were nice to collect for as well since, at the time, just like with the PS1, I came across a lot of great deals, as well as discovering a bunch of games that I wound up loving, like Sub Rebellion (PS2) and Prey the Stars (NDS), just to name a couple. As previously suggested, these could very well go on the first tier, but I'm only placing them one lower due to the amount of games I was getting at the time for the first two consoles, to the point where not only was I buying games every day, but I'd be getting visits from the mailman daily as well.
  
  
• B—PS4 / Switch: Back when I got the PS4 in November 2019 during Black Friday, I pretty much spent the rest of that year and the next collecting for it, coming to a halt sometime during 2022; however, by then I had already amassed a three-digit collection, so I was just filling gaps whenever a good deal reared its way. I'd like to continue expanding the collection, especially imports, given I haven't dabbled with those yet, but I've put that on hold in the meantime while I have my sights on the PS5, although, if I'm being honest, the PS4 is probably the most neglected out of all my consoles, but collecting for it so far has been enjoyable. I'll add the Switch here given that, like the PS4, and soon hopefully the PS5, I got it specifically for a game, and, although my collection is sparse compared to the others, so far, omitting GameStop shenanigans, I haven't had a dull moment getting and collecting games for it, even when considering my engagement with the console hasn't been on par with my other consoles when it comes to that front, where I've let a bunch of great deals slip me by. But I'm still getting the occasional game and having fun in the process, so I'll catch up for sure.
  
  
• C—SNES / N64 / GBx: When it comes to these consoles (and handhelds), I already had most of what I wanted by the time I started hunting for good deals. Granted, there are still games that I would love to add to their respective libraries, but at this point in time, that's truly something I'm not interested in pursuing. For example, I'm OCD when it comes to numbers, meaning that, while it may sound like too strong of a word to use, I'm averse to odd numbers, a number that unfortunately all but one of these happen to end with. So, given that the majority of the games I'd like to add for either of them happen to be quite expensive, living with odd-numbered collections is something I've had to begrudgingly accept. Still, one of the redeeming aspects of that is the fact that I got the entirety of these games way before the big retro boom, so that more than makes up for my petulant ODD.
  
  
• D—Wii: This console literally was the harbor to my sanity during my college years, given that particular part of my life was excruciatingly monochromatic. During this time, what with the few economic benefits and, albeit short-lived, part-time job, I would go out and buy games every chance I could; in fact, other than my time during elementary all through high school, college was quite possibly the acme of the hobby for me given it was where I spent the most playing video games, particularly Wii, PS2, and NDS, to the point where I beat or nearly beat a good chunk of the games I had for the former, which back then was around 50+. And just as with the abovementioned, I also managed to fill the gaps in my collection during the time I was collecting for the PS3, getting many of the games that I currently own, including games like Arc Rise Fantasia and Pandora's Tower, dirt cheap. The only reason I'm placing this one so low is because it reminds me of college, even though it does manage to occasionally bring about great memories that elicit nostalgic comfort, as oxymoronic as it may sound.
  
  
• E—N3DS: This one is my least celebrated; I bought a lot off eBay that had the New 3DS, then proceeded to get games left and right, but I've yet to properly play any. As pathetic as this will sound, I only booted the console once every week back when you could collect 30 platinum points for My Nintendo Rewards Program by accessing the eShop, which I soon stopped doing once I deemed it too much of a hassle. I literally haven't done anything else with the handheld, although the idea of modding it has been floating in my mind for the longest time now, but I just haven't bothered. Don't get me wrong, I like the N3DS; there's some really nice games for it, but as sworddude quite aptly put it, the console doesn't speak to me. Maybe one day, before I become dust, I'll give it the attention it deserves.

[...] Luckily Sony did a good faith out of warranty repair on it for free, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth that I'd either have to own a dozen or more PS5's to fit all the game data for a moderately sized collection, or accept the fact that the games will be useless in another decade or so.

I have. I'm only interested in the console due to a select number of games, one such example being Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Granted, by the time the third part releases, it'll most likely be for the PS6, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If I'm being brutally honest, I've lost interest in modern gaming, so I'm sort of done; there's always the PC if something were to catch my eye. As I've said before, I have enough games already to last me a lifetime.

[wartoy]

S tier
Nes, Snes, Ps1, Xbox 360, Dreamcast

A tier
Ps2, Gamecube, Xbox, Genesis, Ds

B tier
N64, Ps3, Turbo Grafx 16, Saturn, Sega cd, Psp, Gba, Switch, 3Ds, Wii, Wii U, Neo Geo

C tier
Jaguar, Nego Geo pocket, Vita, Xbox one, Ps4, Xbox series X, Ps5, Atari 2600, 3do

D tier
Game Gear, Lynx, Gb, Gbc, 32x, Intellivision, Colecovision ,Pc

I do like to collect certain special games for most systems all the way down to tier D but the father down from tier S the less frequent they become.