Name: Steven
Age: 28
City: Conegliano
Country: Italy
NesTales - Hi and welcome to Tales from the NES, can you tell us something about you before we start?
Steven - Hi everybody, my name is Steven and i am an italian nes fan and collector. I have many hobbies, not only games but also coins, banknotes, stamps, lego and Disney comics. I love sports, i played soccer for a long time and i like swimming and ski.
NesTales - Now our readers know something about you, it's time to tell us when and how Nintendo got into your house!
Steven - The first time I played a Nintendo game I was 5 years old, and it was on the NES. I was at my babysitter house, and i remember i used to play Super Mario Bros. She also had Zelda and Metroid, but they were too hard for me at that time. One day she bought the SNES, and gave me the NES and the games. It was this way that the NES took place in my home.
NesTales - What was your favorite game when the NES was rocking the scene?
Steven - I only had 3 games that i used to play back in the days, they were Super Mario Bros., Metroid and Ducktales 2, even if there were other cartdridges, thoose 3 were my favourite.
I fell in love with Ducktales 2, i loved the cartoon too, and when i was playing the game I dreamed about being there with Scrooge (my favourite Disney character) and follow him in various adventures in the search for treasures.
NesTales - What was the most wanted game in your Christmas list?
Steven - I don’t really had a most wanted game at that time, i remember i once saw Super Mario Bros. 3 displayed in the local store and enjoyed playing it there, but i didn’t buy it.
NesTales - Have you ever quit a game just because was too difficult?
Steven - Yes, I did. I rage quitted in Metroid, it was too hard form e in some points, also Zelda was a hard game to beat back in the days.
NesTales - 20 years and more have passed since NES was discontinued, during these years have you still played with it? Have you done retro gaming nights with friends before it was a trend?
Steven - I Played with the NES until the N64 was released. I never bought the SNES (I played it when i was with my babysitter), so until 1997 i played only 8 bit games (together with the GB, my second favourite console). I remember playing Super Mario Bros. With friends, trying to beat the game with the best score and time.
NesTales - What was your reason for collecting NES games and do you also collect games from other countries? Tell us about your style, we want to know everything about your collecting path.
Steven - I started collecting NES games about 10 years ago, i was a student and I did not have much money for buying games, I had would probably have finished the NES library much sooner, because it was easyer and cheaper to get games, even boxed ones. I only collect PAL A ITA games, but i have some PAL B and others exclusives. I try to find the games in the best condition and complete, at the best price for me. I don’t want to over pay too much some games, so i wait sometimes a long time before buying something new. I like to collect also every game in his various versions, if there are, for example first print, second print, MATTEL or GIG, etc. This is a really hard task, because there are some games that can have more than 3 or 4 version and some are harder to find then other. I mostly buy online, eBay, Facebook, forums or announces, and I also check in the local flea markets when i go visit them, but it is hard to find nowadays NES games there.
NesTales - Have you ever thought that it was too difficult and pricey colleting videogames? Have you ever thought about quitting?
Steven - In recent days, collecting old videogames has become for sure more expensive than 3-4 years ago. In some cases prices have doubled or more, and some games have become extremely hard to find, especially in good shape and complete. I never thought to quit, but I paused sometime due to lack of money.
NesTales - Is your favorite retro game still the same nowadays or have you found something else?
Steven - Yes, Ducktales 2. I love that game, too much memories and fun. Best game of my childhood, and i still play it sometime nowadays.
NesTales - Show off and describe the 3 special games/objects of your collection that you care more than others and you included in this interview!
Steven - Ok, this is a difficult task, to choose only 3 different games/objects is a crime! But I will try. 
The first thing i choose is obviously my Ducktales 2 boxed GIG version, it is complete and i a good shape, it is still the game i owned at the time, and only God knows how it survived to my mother (she used to throw away the boxes and manuals back in the days, because they occupy too much space in my room, sigh!). Then i choose my sealed Mattel ITA Zelda 2 game, it is in my collection since 2007, one of my first and lucky buy. A lot of collectors asked me to sell them the game, but I always refused. Last but not least, my M82 game station. I’ve been looking for a long time to get one of those dream machines, an then I once saw one near my city in an online announce, i had to get it, and so I did. It is my graal!
The first thing i choose is obviously my Ducktales 2 boxed GIG version, it is complete and i a good shape, it is still the game i owned at the time, and only God knows how it survived to my mother (she used to throw away the boxes and manuals back in the days, because they occupy too much space in my room, sigh!). Then i choose my sealed Mattel ITA Zelda 2 game, it is in my collection since 2007, one of my first and lucky buy. A lot of collectors asked me to sell them the game, but I always refused. Last but not least, my M82 game station. I’ve been looking for a long time to get one of those dream machines, an then I once saw one near my city in an online announce, i had to get it, and so I did. It is my graal!
NesTales - Except these 3 games/object what's the BEST one of your collection? The one you can't live without?
Steven - Ehm… did I mentioned Ducktales 2?? :D
NesTales - eheheh! Right, you love it too much!!! So Steven, name the last 3 games you played and the last games you completed (if different). If there is a game where you think to be really good, tell us! If you have a personal record, tell us!
Steven - The last 3 games i played? I had a friend visiting my home recently and we played with the M82. We started Street Gangs, a very funny game when played in 2 players mode.
R.C. Pro Am, a challenging race game, funny too. And as last game we played the old classic Duck Hunt, it is too much fun to kill those ducks with the NES Zapper!
But the game I am the best at, is… Ducktales 2 of course!
It is the last game I beated recently, I know that game better then myself.
NesTales - What do you think about collectors who want a "list" of titles to check what they have to buy and if they have a game already much like collecting football/baseball figurines? Collecting Videogames can be seen like collecting stamps or figurines - What's your opinion about those hordes of "new collectors"?
Steven - Every person has his method for building his collection. There are people who want to own every game ever released and don’t care if they will never play all oft hem, others collect only the best games for them to be played and enjoyed, someone wants all the games sealed, or cart only, etc… there is no right or wrong, every one has different ideas and has to be respected. I talk about real Nintendo lovers, people living their games. There is another category of people, i call them the business mans, they only look at the value and profit… but i don’t talk about them here.
NesTales - Yeah, totally aggre! So we come to the last one but maybe the most important: this retro gaming trend can bring many buyers out there that want your childhood objects but will never steal your memories, those feelings you have for the Nintendo Entertainment System can‘t be bought today!
Share with us your most treasured memory of the console!
Steven - Every time I power on my NES I travel back in time like a time machine when I was a little kid, times where you had fun with everything and none or less tecnology. Kids nowadays can’t understand or imagine how we lived without PC, Internet, mobile phones, tablets, dvds and all other modern devices we have today. We spent a lot of time outside playing soccer, or at home with toys. We played videogames together with friends, real peole sitting beside you (not with the R.O.B., lol NdR), sharing the console on one TV. I still miss those days, and yes, I confess... I obviously read instructions while in the bathroom. :)
NesTales - We all love to do that :P Thanks for your time Steven!
Steven - Thank you guys for this opportunity, every collector should be featured to share his Nes memories with everyone!
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