More is (almost impossible): A visit to René Meyer and the world’s largest private console and games collection

1 - Record-breaking CV 2 - Office, office and even more incoming things 3 - Cellar paradise and monitor heaven 4 - A different kind of home theater 5 - When and where the man becomes a basement dweller 6 - The great collecting - When the floor becomes a shelf 7 - René On Tour - Nostalgia on wheels 8 - All hands on deck: the little marvels 9 - Collecting mania and real rarities 10 - We play a round... 11 - We play another round... 12 - Played out, conclusion and a cool event idea

The SNK NeoGeo CD was the David in a world of gaming console Goliaths. In the 90s, when the video games industry was dominated by giants like Sony and Nintendo, the NeoGeo CD came onto the scene – with the self-confidence of a small dog that doesn’t know it’s small, but wants to bite all the more. In Bavaria, this is called a Wadelzwicker, or simply a foot horn. It was the younger, somewhat more practical sibling of the NeoGeo AES and came with a big promise: to bring SNK’s glorious arcade games into the living room without having to rob a bank to afford them.

One of the key features was the CD drive, a bold move at a time when cartridges were still the norm. The idea was great – until you experienced the loading times. Loading a game on the NeoGeo CD was like stepping back in time to an era when you could still make coffee, read the newspaper and have a little chat with the neighbors before the game finally started. The games themselves, however, were undeniably impressive. Titles like “Metal Slug”, “King of Fighters” and “Samurai Shodown” offered graphics and gameplay that were second to none. Each game was like a small work of art, with detailed sprites and animations that were so fluid you almost forgot you were staring at a loading screen. In retrospect, this console was a fascinating piece of technological history and proof that sometimes size and speed aren’t everything.

The Nintendo GameCube was a small, cube-shaped console that was the centerpiece of many living rooms in the early 2000s. Small, handy and in a color palette that ranged from dignified indigo blue to an exciting orange – the GameCube looked as if someone had decided that consoles should not only be powerful, but also stylish. And then there was the collaboration with ATI, the famous graphics chip manufacturer (even before AMD). The GameCube was equipped with the ATI “Flipper” graphics processor, responsible for the impressive graphics performance that gave us games like “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” with its picturesque cel-shaded graphics or “Metroid Prime” with its breathtaking environment.

The special thing about the GameCube, however, was that it didn’t even try to be a multimedia device. No, it was a pure games console. No DVD player, no online streaming services, just a solid gaming device. At a time when consoles were becoming more and more like entertainment centers, the GameCube was an oasis for those who just wanted to play. The controllers are iconic because they are still wonderfully ergonomic pieces of engineering that feel like they were molded directly into your hand. With their unusual layout and C-stick, they were perfect for long gaming sessions without feeling like your hands would never return to their original shape afterwards.

The Sega Saturn, the console that came like a ninja in the night – quiet, mysterious and, for many, completely unnoticed. The Saturn was Segаs answer to the growing 32-bit console market in the 90s, and what an answer it was! With an internal design more complex than the web of relationships in a soap opera, the Saturn was a dream come true for anyone who wanted to program something for it. Without a doubt, the Saturn was technically impressive, with so many processors you could almost lose track. Why keep it simple when you can make it complicated?

With classics such as “Panzer Dragoon” and “Nights into Dreams”, the Saturn offered unique gaming experiences that were unfortunately often overlooked by the masses. But perhaps that was part of its charm – it wasn’t for everyone, and that was fine. Perhaps the best thing about the Sega Saturn was its role in the history of the console wars. Going up against giants like the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64, it fought valiantly and lost in the end. The Saturn was like the brave knight fighting dragons, armed with a plastic spoon.

Enthusiasts say that the Sega Saturn was a console ahead of its time, but malicious tongues claim that it was simply launched in a separate time zone. It was a symbol of Segа’s bold ambitions and a touch of “what if?” in the history of video games. In a world dominated by easy accessibility and broad mass appeal, Saturn is a painful reminder that sometimes the most interesting stories are the ones that remain hidden because no one wants to get involved.

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo’s glorious entry into the world of home consoles, was so revolutionary that it almost makes you wonder how humanity ever survived without it. With its sleek, gray design that was more reminiscent of a VHS recorder than the centerpiece of home entertainment, it was the definition of high-end technology, at least in an era when digital clocks were considered the pinnacle of innovation. The NES, known for its robust construction, was virtually indestructible. You could drop it, douse it with lemonade, or throw it in a time capsule and dig it up a hundred years later – it would probably still work. Maybe it was even Nintendo’s secret plan to outlive humanity and win.

The NES’s game library was a kaleidoscope of creativity. Titles like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were so simple yet so addictive that you could be glued to the TV for hours, while the realistic 8-bit graphics pushed the boundaries of what you thought was possible. Each pixel was the size of a thumbprint, but that was part of the charm. After a few hours of intense gameplay, not only had you finally made some progress in the game, but thanks to the chunky controllers, you had also developed the hands of a construction worker.

Summary, conclusion and an event idea

The “50 Years of Video Games” exhibition at the Berggut was therefore not only a tribute to the development of the games industry, but also a testimony to the vibrant collector and gaming culture, especially in the person of my friend René Meyer. And this time it was even free and just 4 fun for the community. Visitors like me had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world full of nostalgia and memories and experience the evolution of gaming consoles and technologies up close. And that, by the way, is exactly René’s business idea. Incidentally, René does such exhibitions and appearances in charitable institutions and schools free of charge, and the bookings then go through large museums, festivals or even private organizers.

In addition to all the major events, which he has become an integral part of with his presentation, you can also rent the whole thing, as here in the “Berggut”, and René, as a living console and gaming icon, is no exception. You’ll not only encounter a playable past that you can touch, but also a living encyclopaedia of retro gaming. Even if these events are becoming more and more popular, there is still a blank spot in the calendar every now and then. And it is also my personal concern that these gaps disappear. René on Tour is more than just entertainment, it’s living gaming history!

House of computer games: http://www.spielepower.de/

The House of Computer Games is a traveling museum. It does not have its own exhibition rooms. The exhibits are only managed and stored at the address. However, interested collectors and institutions are welcome to visit for a coffee. Just like me. 🙂