About Us

My name is Chuck Van Pelt. I'm a mild-mannered web developer by day, but on nights and weekends I indulge my passion for classic video games. My interests lie mostly in exploring the inner workings of classic game systems and finding ways to repair and improve them.

When I was growing up in the 80's, my best friend had Pong, Atari and even a Vectrex while my parents were convinced that these video games would rot my brain and probably ruin our television. (Yes, my mom actually used that excuse.) I was obsessed with playing these games and constantly begged my friend to play them.

Once I grew up and out on my own in the early 90's, I discovered that you could buy these now older video game systems at thrift stores for next to nothing. Oh yeah! 

In the past decade, classic video games have enjoyed a renaissance as adults are seeking out the toys and game they played with as children. Classic video gaming events such as the Classic Gaming Expo, Penny Arcade Expo and the Portland Retro Gaming Expo have sprung up across the US and beyond, attracting crowds of hundreds and even thousands to share a common interest in the roots of gaming.

I created RecycledGamer in 2006 to put a name to the work I had already been doing repairing and modding classic systems. Since them I have produced several runs of modded controllers, mostly for the Vectrex system - one of my personal favorites.

I'm located in Portland, Oregon which has become a nexus for classic gaming and pinball over the past few years. Additionally, I am one of the organizers of the popular Portland Retro Gaming Expo event.

You can learn more about RecycledGamer and see how I make some of my products on my YouTube channel. Thanks for visiting!

Cheers,

Chuck