Collection Highlights

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Collection Highlights

 

Step into the heart of gaming history with a curated selection of the National Videogame Museum’s Star Objects. These standout items offer a rare glimpse into the evolution of video games through one-of-a-kind artefacts, pioneering hardware, and iconic memorabilia. From early development prototypes and limited-edition consoles to beloved cultural relics from classic titles, each object tells a unique story about the people, creativity, and technology that have shaped the world of gaming.

Click on the objects below for more detailed information. Objects are listed alphabetically.

Attack in Space Pocket Arcade

Although based on the iconic arcade game Space Invaders (Taito, 1978), Tomy’s Attack in Space is not a videogame.

Barbie Fashion Designer

Perhaps the most famous of the many Barbie videogames – there are over 50 and counting – is Barbie Fashion Designer, released for PC and Mac in 1996.

Donkey Kong Game & Watch

The portable Game & Watch devices function as a clock and, from 1981, an alarm as well as a game.

DMON

DMON was a very competent machine code monitor and disassembler for the BBC Model B computer.

DOOM II

Doom II is a first-person shooter where players control the Doom Slayer, battling through hellish environments to stop a demonic invasion on Earth.

DOOM II Master Gold Disc

This gold disc contains the master copy of Doom II, which released on MS-DOS in 1994 and Mac OS in 1995 and is signed by the development team.

Famicom

The Famicom practically set the blueprint for home games consoles to come. How much do we really know about it?

Game Boy

First released in 1989, the Game Boy was a revolutionary device that actually drew its design from well-developed, pre-existing technologies.

Grandstand Video Entertainment Computer

The Fairchild Channel F, later known as the Grandstand Video Entertainment Computer in the UK, was a pioneering home video game console.

HeroQuest

HeroQuest is a video game based on the board game of the same name. The game was made right here in Sheffield by Gremlin Interactive.

James and Watch – ‘Arm’

James & Watch: Arm is a fun indie title developed by a single person that utilises the simple aesthetics of a Nintendo Game & Watch.

Liferower Rowing Machine

What does exercise equipment have to do with videogames? This rowing machine from the mid-1980s lets a person play videogames as they exercise.

Lucozade ‘Larazade’ bottles

Whilst the star of Lara Croft might not burn quite as bright as it once did, there are few that have ever had as big an impact.

Magnavox Odyssey

Why the first home videogame console is still more innovative than things on the market.

Nintendo Color TV Game Block Kuzushi

Released in 1979, The Block Kuzushi, or ‘Block Breaker’, was one of the first consoles made by Nintendo.

Pax Power Glove

The Pax Power Glove, released in 1989, was an important stepping stone in the development of virtual reality, video games, and motion control.

Worms 2 Amiga 4000 and Development Diary

Cris Blyth, an animator and artist, used this Amiga 4000 computer while working on Worms 2 with Team17.

Munchman Tabletop Game

The Munchman Tabletop Game is an electronic game based on Tomy’s Pac-Man arcade game.

Narita Boy Arcade Machine

As a promotional project, Team 17 donated this Arcade Cabinet to the NVM. It was designed to play the game Narita Boy in March 2021.

Needle-felted Videogame Figures

This collection of hand crafted, needle-felted figures features an array of videogame characters and videogame inspired designs.

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Famicom was re-branded as the Nintendo Entertainement System internationally. But why was this? How did Nintendo market this machine?

PlayStation 2 (Slimline)

This is a limited edition PlayStation 2 ‘slim’ console, in pink. This particular model, the V15, was first released in Europe in late 2006.

Rockett’s New School

Rockett’s New School was the end result of five years of research into what girls enjoyed in play and in videogames.

Sailor Moon Arcade Machine

Originally released in 1995, discover the story behind the restoration of this stunning arcade machine.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Original Soundtrack

In 2014, Sega released a soundtrack album for the game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The album contained sixty-eight tracks.

Space Invaders Arcade Machine

Space Invaders, released in 1978, took arcades by storm with its simplistic graphics, fun gameplay, and striking cabinet artwork.

The SID Chip

The SID chip was a crucial component of the Commodore 64. The Commodore was a personal home computer introduced in 1982.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) is a 16-bit home video game console released by Nintendo in 1990 that became iconic for its ground breaking graphics, memorable sound, and legendary game library.

Tamagotchi

The Tamagotchi was developed by Aki Maita and Akihiro Yokoi, marketed especially to high school girls in Japan.

Zelda Zine 1 Zelda Zine 1, Volume 1 of 3: Wisdom

Zelda Zine is a series of fan-made magazines by artist Corey Schmitz. They featured fan art from The Legend of Zelda universe.

Zool

Zool is a speedy, side-scrolling platform game in the mould of Sonic, Zool was a huge-success and remains much-loved and was made right here in Sheffield!

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum, released in the UK in 1982, was made to be the most affordable home computer ever.

Collection Catalogue

Our online catalogue offers access to a wide range of entries, each detailing whether the item is currently on display in the Museum.

Browse our Collection