Meet the man with an extensive collection of retro game consoles that will evoke fond childhood memories
Mohammad Lufi has about 45 retro game consoles in his collection, including tabletop ones (on the shelf behind him).
Boys don’t outgrow toys. Mohammad Lufi, 44, is a professional photographer, father of one and avid collector of retro game consoles.
Lufi’s collection of 45 game consoles range from Donkey Kong to Super Mario to Space Invaders. He shares with us about his treasures and his truce with his wife.
How did you start collecting retro game consoles?
This hobby started almost three years ago after a trip to Sungei Road where I used to go shopping for vintage treasure. I chanced upon a retro tabletop console that I used to play when I was young. That was the moment that sparked my interest.
I love the way the retro consoles sound and their pixelated graphics — it brings me back to my childhood years like none of the newer games can. Before I knew it, I had an entire cabinet filled with retro
tabletop game consoles.
What retro game consoles do you have in your collection?
I have around 45 pieces in my collection. They range from Bandai, Epoch, Tomy, and even a rare Tomy console that was made here in Singapore!
I have games like Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Caveman. Some of the games that I have are familiar popular games, while some are only available in Japan.
Which is your most prized console?
It would be the Donkey Kong console, which cost me almost $600. What appealed to me was its design and packaging — I just really wanted to own it.
How do your friends and family feel about your hobby?
My friends think that the collection is cool and would sometimes self-invite themselves over to play with the game consoles. Most of the time I would reject them as they can be very rough! The major problem with these retro consoles is that once they spoil, there is almost no way to fix them.
During the GameStart Asia event a couple of weeks ago, when children would come up to play with the consoles, my heart literally skipped a beat every time I saw them rough-handling them.
My wife has admitted defeat. When my wife knew the real prices of the consoles, she screamed at me. Since then we’ve come to a compromise and agreed that I would not speak of her bag collection if she would not speak of my console collection.
Where do you see yourself with this hobby in ten years?
This hobby of mine has brought me to gaming events and conventions. In ten years’ time, I think it would have opened up more doors for me to showcase my collection.
At the same time, I hope that my collection can show teenagers and children these days how games used to be before PlayStation and Xbox came about.
Does your son like these console games?
My son finds the retro games too slow for him and would rather play with his PS4.
Any advice for those contemplating a similar collection?
They would need to have a good cash flow. Retro tabletop consoles don’t come by often and when someone offers a set, there isn’t much time for consideration as they get bought quickly.
Why is your collection so important to you?
It reminds me of my childhood and where I come from. I didn’t come from a wealthy family and we didn’t have very much, which made owning a game console a luxury.
By Geralyne Kaye Ong
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