"Video games are pop culture now. Everybody knows Mario. Everybody knows Legend of Zelda. These things are just engraved in us now," says lifelong video game enthusiast Phil Mullins of St. John's.

As developments in technology started making early video gaming systems obsolete, Mullins realized that his favourite childhood video games, such as Donkey Kong Jr. and Ms. Pac Man, were disappearing from store shelves.

"Back in '99, I finally started to realize that this stuff is going to be gone," said Mullins.

"I started buying them, I started looking for them."

Phil Mullins has collected more than 3,500 vintage video games from the 1980s and 1990s. (Mark Cumby/CBC)

Thousands of games, dozens of systems

Mullins has amassed a collection of more than 3,500 video games from the 1980s and 1990s, alphabetically arranged on bookshelves.

The shelves line the rooms and hallways of his home, leading to his basement game room where he can play the games on one of his 59 old-school video game systems.

Mullins says he's found most of the games and systems locally, scouring flea markets, small shops and local classified ads.

"Eventually this stuff is going to be gone. So having this stuff is like a library," said Mullins.

"Keeping it is my way of keeping a bit of history."

Do you have an interesting weekend project or hobby? Tell us what you are at. Email wam@cbc.ca or tweet @CBCWam.

You can hear What Are You At? This Is It Saturdays on Weekend AM from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Labrador) on CBC Radio One.