GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - Legacy systems at ready

Soooo cold here in NJ! I can't remember the last time we were in single digits this low, with a windchill that makes it feel like we're deep down in the negatives! If you're feeling this arctic blast, make sure to bundle up! See you in a few, short hours!

Some of you might know that my living room acts as a makeshift shrine to gaming platforms gone by. I may not have all the systems I've owned in my poor-man's shelving (thanks IKEA!), but I have plenty of recognizable platforms. The entire lineup of Nintendo consoles is on display, as are Microsoft and Sony. There's a Genesis and Dreamcast, as well as a spot for the Vitual Boy. Certainly wish I had more room to display consoles, but I'll work with what I have.

What's important to me is that these consoles are always at the ready to play. I used to have every single one of them hooked up to my TV, but then my cat decided he wanted to nearly destroy a few of them by running around behind the TV while I was asleep. Now I have only the current-gen systems hooked up all the time, but the cables, controllers and games for all the others systems are at an arm's length.

Within the last couple of months, I've fired up the original Xbox as well as the NES. There's never a shortage of friends around that want to tackle an old-school NES game like Tecmo Bowl, Double Dragon or Battletoads. With the Xbox, I've been giving ToeJam and Earl III yet another a try. It never tickled my fancy before, and while I still think it makes some bad choices with the franchise, this time around I'm having a bit more fun.

Having services like the Virtual Console is a great way for gamers to experience titles they may have never otherwise played. When it comes to old-timers like me, we still have those platforms and games laying around. Given the choice, I'd rather go with the true experience over the current one, even if it is a bit more bothersome to hook up.

How many of you guys/gals have your legacy platforms still hooked up? How far do you go back with old-school consoles/portables always ready to be fired up? Leave a comment and let us know!