Why do we love collecting things so much? From precious gemstones to trading cards, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy collecting at least one thing/franchise. Science and psychology suggest that we love collecting things for a multitude of reasons. Collecting contributes to our knowledge of a certain field. It relaxes us and reduces stress. It is a visual indicator of progress, that brings out our pride of ownership. Gotta catch ‘em all, right?
Now, if you’re anything like me, you can’t stop until you’ve collected them all! Seeing anything other than 100% on a video game drives me up the wall and I don’t reckon I’m alone in this feeling. Over the years, I’ve experienced a few video games that really catered to this completionist mindset, offering bonus collectables and mini-quests at every twist and turn. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then keep reading! These are the 5 must-own video games for collectable lovers.
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Zelda: Breathe Of The Wild
Since Zelda’s inception, Nintendo has been stuffing the franchise with side-quests, emeralds, and all that extra content we collectors have come to know and love. Zelda’s Nintendo Switch game, Breathe Of The Wild was wildly anticipated, and the developers didn’t disappoint. This free-roam adventure game has 900 seeds scattered around the gigantic map. Think of it as a colossal game of hide and seek. The anguish of missing one seed has brought many players to tears, but a true collector will persevere. Do you have what it takes, brave one?
Pokemon Emerald
I mean, the proof is in the pudding. Pokemon’s slogan is literally a call to collectors (gotta catch ‘em all). It’s also the biggest franchise in the world, and its cute mascots protrude into just about nook and cranny of popular culture. Give it a few more years and a First Edition Base Set Charizards (rare collectable card) could put a downpayment on your house.
What the Pokemon video games did brilliantly is provide the player with freedom and responsibility. Your key responsibility is to collect all the pokemon, and there’s a world out there just waiting for you. You make the choices, and you ultimately decide whether to aim for that complete Pokedex or not. For collectors like yourself, the choice should be simple.
Also, you don’t have to pick Emerald for your collectors’ fix – any Pokemon game will satisfy your cravings and more. Emerald is just a personal preference and a fan favourite. Pick your favourite Region, scoop up those Poke Balls and get busy, trainer!
The Lego Games
Man, Lego games knew how to create an addicting formula, then stick to it. Lego Games play out like a jigsaw puzzle. The more pieces (collectables) you can pin down, the quicker your gameplay can progress. At the start, you’ll feel overwhelmed and underpowered, but as you unlock new skills, suddenly, the whole Lego universe will be at your feet. And thank goodness for that, because there’s plenty to do. For example, every level on Lego: Star Wars (The Complete Saga), requires 10 mini kits, a red brick, a true Jedi (stud collection). Times that by 6, then 6 again, then add all the bonus levels, and you’ve got a collectors to dream on your hands. You got this, stay vigilant.
Super Smash Bros
Super Smash Bros was a pioneer of the mass-franchise bonanza video game trend. The idea of a company packaging up all their well-loved characters (assets) into one game was not only a tribute to their significance; it was an intertextual landmark. Suddenly, gamers could play in a world where Luigi and Solid Snake could duel it out. Ridiculous, but endlessly entertaining.
Of course, when you combine so many already-fleshed-out franchises together, the game is going to be chockablock with content. Collecting all the playable characters on Super Smash Bros is a formidable challenge on its own, but combine that with the various other unlockables (stages, music, spirits), and you’ve got about a year’s worth of grinding ahead of you. Don’t fret though. Super Smash Bros dishes out its rewards very fairly and evenly, so the journey to 100% will be just as rewarding as reaching total completion. Not as rewarding as say, a speedy Youtube to mp3 converter or a Belle Delphine drama video, but still pretty damn good.
Donkey Kong 64
This iconic platformer wasn’t messing about when it came to additional content. Upon its release in 2000, Donkey Kong and his crew immediately achieved the Guinness World Record for most collectables in a video game. That’s impressive by itself, but what’s even crazier is that the game still holds this rank today.
Even though video game technology has vastly improved, no one has dared compete with the lucrative spoilings that were Donkey Kong 64 collectables. To earn a 100% completion rate, a player needs to collect bananas, blueprints, keys, medals, fairies, crowns and much much more. Even more tediously, players have to collect these things with all 5 of the playable characters. The grand total of these collectables is a staggering 3,821, so best get cracking if you want to see this mammoth-sized classic through.
