Welcome to part three of my museum series. This is where I display various video-game related items that wouldn't really fit in the course of my normal review format. I think they're kind of interensting. You can click on the photos to examine more closely.

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My nephew Jordan happens to be a world traveler of sorts, and whenever he visits Asia he brings me back a few video game-related souvenirs. What a guy! Here are some pictures of the items, along with his recollections of where he obtained them. They are clearly big on Kirby and Pokemon over there!

Pikachu Figure

Jordan picked up this plastic Pikachu figure at a convenience store in China. He said there were six different pokemons in the set, costing about 10 RMB each. There's a little dial on the base of this one that spins him around. Pretty neat. It also came with a card.

Kirby Riding a Rainbow

While in China, Jordan and a friend spotted a "vending machine on wheels" and proceeded to chase it down the street. He picked up this figure of Kirby riding a rainbow for 35 RMB. It's made of very soft plastic. What's most odd is that a little piece of white "chicklet" gum was also included. I remember as a kid when a stick of gum was included in packs of baseball cards. What is the point? Anyway my nephew Luke ate the gum and said it was good.

Pink Rubber Kirby ball

Jordan obtained this from a "Gachapon machine" in Japan for about $4. It's one of those round, squeezable rubber stress-relievers.

Orange Furry Kirby

Jordan said he tried very hard to get the pink version of Kirby from a Gachapon machine, but despite a 50-50 shot he got six of these fuzzy orange Kirbys in a row! I've been told this is actually a different character named Waddle Dee. He can currently be found standing guard by my game room light switch.

Nintendo Poster

Jordan picked up this promotional poster from the Nintendo Store in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. The menagerie of characters on the front is overwhelming, but you almost need a magnifying glass to appreciate the detail. The back has all the Nintendo characters in separate panels. I tried hanging this poster over my window but took it down because you can't really make out anything from a distance.

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There's an old saying: "A fool and his money are soon parted". Nothing exemplifies those sentiments quite like this abomination of a controller, clearly purchased on impulse.

During the early 2000's GameStop stocked lots of novelty items that looked amazing but were not the least bit practical. Maybe I was just going through my Lord of the Rings phase, but having a controller shaped like a dragon actually seemed like a good idea at the time!

It's definitely a head-turner, but you could say the same for a fender-bender on the side of the highway. Four-player couch gaming was reaching its apex in the early 2000's, but I don't think I was ever desperate enough to pull this one out.

As you can tell, this is not the most comfortable chunk of plastic. While the back of it vaguely molds to your hand, you can still detect some rough edges. If your fingers are long enough to extend around the "wings" you're subjected to additional jagged plastic. Worst of all, the four main buttons are surrounded by raised bumps that irritate your thumb when trying to move between them.

You can leave the rubber tail unattached because frankly it serves no practical purpose. In retrospect this controller doesn't even look good. This happens to be part of a "freak" line of controllers. I also own a Playstation 2 "freak" controller, and that one is so hideous I included it in my Halloween Museum Special.

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About ten years ago I converted an unfinished basement storage room into a game room "annex". This gave me a place to display all the extra games and boxes I couldn't fit in my actual game room.

That cold concrete floor was not very inviting. Upon scanning the internet for game-related floor coverings, I stumbled upon this gem on Etsy.

I heart this rug! Not only does it look amazing, but it's comfortable too, with a foamy quality that lets your toes sink in. And as you can see it's a great fit.

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Activision patches were "earned" back in the early 1980s by achieving an extremely high score as specified in the game's instruction manual. You took a picture of your TV, mailed it to Activision, and they sent you one of these badges of honor.

Looking back, it was an ingenious promotion that not only encouraged kids to play their games but also promoted brand loyalty. It seems like all of my friends owned at least one.

I wish I could say I personally earned these patches, but that would be a lie. They were actually part of a deal I made my coworker Greg around the year 2001. Greg knew I was collecting classic games and offered to sell me an Intellivision console (in good condition) along with an Atari 2600 system box (fair condition).

As the cherry on top, he handed me "a special surprise" in a white envelope, which happened to contain these patches. Today I'm honored to own these small but significant pieces of video game history, displaying them proudly in a shadow box.

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I recently rediscovered these awesome controllers while sifting through a box of old stuff. Keep in mind that during the PS2/GameCube/Xbox era (2001-2006), controllers were still wired. This created a market for third-party wireless options, and Logitech stepped up in a big way.

I'm not sure how I ended up with four of these exactly, but I'm pretty sure two were given to me by my old friend Newk during one of his moves. Anyway, these controllers are heavy, solid, and mold perfectly to your hands. I own two models of each, but to be honest I prefer the bulkier original versions. The only problem with those is how they require four AA batteries instead of two.

Each controller has a wired "receiver" that plugs into the console and communicates with the controller. I don't think it's possible to hook up more than one of these to the same system, as they would interfere with each other.

Whenever I hand one of these controllers to a friend, they are always taken aback by how substantial they feel. The smooth contours of the larger models make you feel as if you've become one with the controller. The smaller versions feel more in line with the standard PS2/Xbox controller, except more sturdy and heavy.

That said, I would caution collectors about picking up one of these today. Of the four I own, only two still work. The larger Xbox controller has a calibration issue, and my small PS2 controller won't even connect. When in working condition however these controllers are first class all the way.

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My buddy Brad is always giving me random video game related items, and he brought this over during a recent game night. It's a white mug with the image of a Game Boy printed on the front and back. Its screen is black until you pour hot water into it, after which a Super Mario Bros. game screen magically appears, materializing from bottom to top. Pretty neat!

I can't get over how well this mug retains heat. Typically white mugs don't absorb heat very well, but this one must be lined with copper. Not only does it heat up quickly, but also uniformly (save for the handle). Even after pouring out the hot water it remained warm to the touch for another 15 minutes, retaining the game screen image for the duration.

I'm a coffee drinker but white mugs tend to stain so I keep this as a display piece, or perhaps a magic prop to amaze guests.

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This is a strange story. My mother-in-law does a lot of sewing and clothes-making, so she brings over a lot of random things. So one day she brings over this small pillow she made, intended for our cats. I really don't think she even realized the video game connection.

Anyway my friends saw it and were like "no way are you giving a pillow this awesome to the cats!" The characters look great and even after repeated washings the colors really pop! To this day I have no idea how she even came across the pattern (neither does she), but it is awesome.

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Standard 3DO controllers leave something to be desired. Some have only three buttons, and some have more, but in terms of game capability, you never know. Wouldn't it be nice to just use a good-ole fashioned SNES controller instead?

Enter the 3D Zero adapter. This little box will connect an SNES controller to your 3DO. It has an extra port to "daisy chain" addition controller, and a little switch for 6 or 4 button format (not sure what that's about). But does it work?

Yes! I know because I tested it with the one 3DO game that benefits most from an SNES controller. You guessed it - Super Street Fighter II Turbo!!

At first I was kind of nervous because when the game said press start, it was hard to find a button that allowed me to proceed. But once I got going, all six buttons worked like a charm, feeling super responsive to boot! I did have to reconfigure the button layout, but that's easily done via the options screen.

When doing a recent search, it looks like other devices like this have appeared on the years, but clearly this was the OG of SNES converters. I even still have the box!

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When Street Fighter IV was released, I was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I loved how it retained the classic 2D gameplay while giving the graphics a stylish 3D makeover. It really lived up to the hype.

Of course, as any grizzled fighting game veteran will tell you, a solid arcade-style joystick is a necessary additive. So I jumped on this official Capcom Street Fighter IV controller. I love this thing. It has some heft, so you know it's a quality item. The joystick and buttons made that appealing "click" sound, offering instant gratification. It has a nice smooth surface to rest your palms on. And you could easily connect it directly to your Xbox 360 thanks to a generous 9-foot-long cord.

The only problem is, when playing with friends, player two will be at a distinct disadvantage. To remedy this urgent situation I picked up these Street Fighter IV controllers featuring Chun Li and Blanka. I believe these were the only two they made. They look amazing and sport the classic six-button layout. The back of them has a rubber surface, making them feel a bit tacky and easier to grip. And they have the extra long wires as well.

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