2011-08-14, 03:44 PM
Since I'm in the middle of moving and downsizing, I've been drifting through the memories, and sorting what must go, and I felt like sharing what led me into gaming, and hoping others might share their experiences as well. If this thread is more suited for the Speakeasy, feel free to move it.
I know people tend to go back and take pride in their nostalgia, but I'm not going to falsely claim to have gone all the way back with Atari. For that matter, I never owned a Super Nintendo; but I'll start at the beginning.
I first saw video games when I was about 4 years old. The first game I remember seeing was Super Mario Bros. on the NES at a neighbor's home. I wouldn't actually play a game until 3-4 years later when I was offered to play Super Mario World at a friend's place which sparked an interest in gaming in me. It still depresses me that these same childhood friends mock my continued interest when I met them again years later. A relative later bought me a Sega Genesis and I became interested in the Sonic franchise. At this point I was still too young to call myself a gamer; my interests were still just "want, want, want" rather than looking beyond the box.
During this period, I played a couple educational games on Dos and one particular Windows game later that stood out which was Gizmos and Gadgets. I also was left at daycare centers frequently and got familiar with Donkey Kong Country and Zombies Ate My Neighbors (lolESRB).
The N64 then came out, and I started becoming more serious about buying games with it. Super Mario 64 took a large chunk of my time from me; and my neighbors frequently brought Goldeneye 64 over for some multiplayer (massive floating remote mine abuse).
The turning point for me; when I truly started considering myself a gamer; came with Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. I had been playing with a friend on the regular Gameboy version in school quite a bit, and remember becoming OCD for the first time digging up the entire island for secret seashells. Once I had bought this game along with my Gameboy Color; I started subscribing to gaming magazines like Nintendo Power, and doing proper research before buying games. I began making specific requests on games for presents and such, and DID pay attention to the ESRB (all this was still prior to me turning 13).
I've moved here and there; lost and gained loyalties; had hopes, and watched them get crushed since then; but this is where I truly started. Even though I've sold my Gameboy Color and the GBA, I've kept Link's Awakening DX as a memento (with box and instructions).
So SP; I ask you: How did you find yourself as a gamer?
I know people tend to go back and take pride in their nostalgia, but I'm not going to falsely claim to have gone all the way back with Atari. For that matter, I never owned a Super Nintendo; but I'll start at the beginning.
I first saw video games when I was about 4 years old. The first game I remember seeing was Super Mario Bros. on the NES at a neighbor's home. I wouldn't actually play a game until 3-4 years later when I was offered to play Super Mario World at a friend's place which sparked an interest in gaming in me. It still depresses me that these same childhood friends mock my continued interest when I met them again years later. A relative later bought me a Sega Genesis and I became interested in the Sonic franchise. At this point I was still too young to call myself a gamer; my interests were still just "want, want, want" rather than looking beyond the box.
Tangent
During this period, I played a couple educational games on Dos and one particular Windows game later that stood out which was Gizmos and Gadgets. I also was left at daycare centers frequently and got familiar with Donkey Kong Country and Zombies Ate My Neighbors (lolESRB).
The N64 then came out, and I started becoming more serious about buying games with it. Super Mario 64 took a large chunk of my time from me; and my neighbors frequently brought Goldeneye 64 over for some multiplayer (massive floating remote mine abuse).
The turning point for me; when I truly started considering myself a gamer; came with Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. I had been playing with a friend on the regular Gameboy version in school quite a bit, and remember becoming OCD for the first time digging up the entire island for secret seashells. Once I had bought this game along with my Gameboy Color; I started subscribing to gaming magazines like Nintendo Power, and doing proper research before buying games. I began making specific requests on games for presents and such, and DID pay attention to the ESRB (all this was still prior to me turning 13).
I've moved here and there; lost and gained loyalties; had hopes, and watched them get crushed since then; but this is where I truly started. Even though I've sold my Gameboy Color and the GBA, I've kept Link's Awakening DX as a memento (with box and instructions).
So SP; I ask you: How did you find yourself as a gamer?