NVM lists their mission statement on their website: “The goal of the National Videogame Museum is to document, FIRST HAND, as much information about the creation and evolution of the videogame industry as possible and preserve as many physical artifacts as possible for generations to come.”
Many of the museum’s displays come from the founders’ personal collections. They came together and formed a traveling museum that toured gaming conventions before deciding to set up at a more permanent location. They are joined by their mascot, BLIP!, a character made of various gaming peripherals, such as joysticks, arcade buttons and cables.
The exhibit features 50 game consoles, going back to the first ones ever released. Visitors can learn the history of each one through a physical timeline. Those who want a more hands-on experience can visit Pixel Dreams, a retro arcade, where they are given five free NVM tokens. More can be purchased if you’d like to relive the experience of losing time and money in greasy, neon-lit rooms. The collection includes Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Space Invaders, Mortal Kombat, Punch-Out!! Centipede, Asteroids Deluxe, and Donkey Kong Jr.
Children and adults can also take advantage of NVM’s classes, which focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The museum’s collection includes a rare example of an Atari Mindlink, an unreleased controller for the 2600. On a more mainstream front, you can play Pong on a giant screen. Among our favorite items is a rare Earthbound air freshener, which is worth hundreds of dollars.
The museum is located at the Frisco Discovery Center near the Dallas North Tollway and Cotton Gin Road.
