My life in video games (everything before the xbox)
Being born in 1986, I was essentially born into video games. Atari started it all in the 70's, but Nintendo perfected it just in time for my birth. Releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan in 83 and in America in 1985. Nintendo reinvented the home gaming experience and defined what video games should be.
My first birthday present that I can remember was the Nintendo Entertainment System. I remember being so excited about it and still am considering I can remember the moment I got it. Sure, the the system was a few years old by the time I got it, but that gave the system time to grow and expand before I eventually got to it.
Everyone I knew had a "Nintendo." I played it at my aunt's boyfriend's house. He had Wild Gunman and Track and Field. Both games featured the use of peripherals which can still be seen mimicked to this day. My cousin had a Simpsons game that I remember being a pain in my ass. I cannot remember if this was before or after I got my own personal console, but the fact remains the same that the system defined my childhood. I do remember that for the longest time I admired my father because he could actually beat Super Mario. To this day, I have not completed that game, but if I put my mind to it I am sure I could.
After I moved to where my family currently resides, I grew up with my friend down the street, Jason, who also had a "Nintendo." with him, we would play Wacky Races, Tiny Toons, Super Mario 2 and Super Mario 3. We were fairly recreational gamers. We would play almost everyday and almost anything we could get our hands on, but these games stick out in my mind.
One game that sticks out in my personal collection that pissed me off was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was unnecessarily difficult and an utter pain in the ass. I knew no one that could beat the game. I have no idea what the end of the game even looks like.
Also growing up, I had the Original Gameboy. Notable memories of this fine handheld console included Tetris, and Super Mario 2: The Six Golden Coins. Those were my favorite games for the system. Toward the end of the Original Gameboy's lifespan, I received Pokemon Red shortly after my brother received his copy of Pokemon Blue. He played it on his gameboy pocket. I skipped the pocket however and went straight from the mammoth original to the Gameboy Color If I had one problem with Nintendo, it was around this time that they started releasing systems in multiple colors and those colors typically only included purple. I got the clear purple one, which I later scratched the screen, but I still used it for the majority of junior high until the Gameboy Advance came out. I still remember the day my brother and I picked up our Gameboy Advances after school from Target, if my memory serves correctly.
While I am following the line of Gameboys, I am getting ahead of myself console-wise. About a year or two after the Super Nintento was released it was gifted to me. It was on this console that I started to actually beat games. I think it was thanks in part to the ability to finally save games. This was not an option on the original console or the gameboy. You just had to play it out to the end or restart every time. I remember beating Super Mario World for the first time. Running outside announcing it to my friends. They came in and watched what the end credits looked like.
I experienced my first positive experience with an RPG in the form of Super Mario RPG. It played like a typical RPG, but with characters I actually cared about. It was an amazing storyline with such an amazing engine that it was basically impossible to hate. For the Record, I never played the Paper Mario games and no other RPG except for Pokemon has been able to capture my attention.
Another Tiny Toons Game Buster Busts Loose made it's way into my life. It was brimming with movie references that I was just not ready for. Looking back on it, I can see them almost instantly. Animaniacs was another game filled with movie references, but were not as subtle. This was one of those extremely difficult games on the system that I never beat. I didn't hate it for being so hard though. The system also featured my first multiplayer experience in the form of Super Mario Kart. It was perfect. If any console truly defined my life, it would be this one.
The Super Nintendo also brought about the greatest memory of my life. I am referring to the infamous Christmas that I received Super Mario Allstars. The game itself was a collection of the first three Mario Games as well as the Japanese Sequel to the first. It was my first taste of Nostalgia and I was not even 10. The controversy surrounding the game was that the game cartridge I got in the box was not the game. Someone was able to remove the game and shrink wrap the box to contain their used copy of Super Mario World. I remember getting the game and thinking and saying that the cartridge was identical to the game I already had. As soon as I turned it on, I realized it actually was. I was devastated. As we were returning it, to the Meijer on center Road, the employees and customers behind us kept telling us there were no returns on video games. We kept telling them that the wrong game was in the fucking package and we just wanted the game we paid for and not the game that came out with the system. We eventually won and I got my copy. It was with this game, that I was finally able to beat Super Mario 2 and 3. I will admit that there is one particular level of Mario 3 that I cannot beat, but can just skip over it. I still have that game and I have played it as recently as a month ago in which Nick and I spent the night getting to the end of the Japanese Sequel to Super Mario.
Seeing as how, I grew up on nothing, but Nintendo I was privileged to get the Nintendo 64 as well. This system saw more play than any other system up until that point in time. It featured the option for four players. I was first treated to the playability of the system at a Spinal Muscular Dystrophy convention in Chicago. They had Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64, but Mario Kart was played more than anything. Always in battle, never actually racing. With this system my friends around me were more getting into video games as well. My neighbor Doug, also had a Nintendo 64 and while we weren't playing Basketball or up to our shenanigans, we were playing games.
The "64" had four controller ports as opposed to the two that were featured on the "Super." With this addition in number of players we had larger parties of people playing at once. Our summer friend from Georgia, Travis, even got in on the games. We all played Mario Kart, WCW vs NWO, Super Smash Brothers and of course Goldeneye almost ritualistically. These games defined the multiplayer experience before the internet made it's way to video game consoles. Of course we also played every single game in the Mario Party Series and Perfect Dark allowed us to stop fighting each other and team up against computer controlled "bots" in the same way we would play Goldeneye.
One of my fondest memories of the system include Doug's copy of New Tetris, which he has recently gifted to me. We would sit down, turn on some rocking music (such as 3 Doors Down - Better Life or some Rob Zombie) and play the game for hours on end. We played in his room, in his living room as well as at my house. It was this point in our life that we were lifting weights. While we weren't lifting weights or watching movies, we were playing tetris. My brother and Travis weren't too big into the game, but Doug and I loved the shit out of the game. Actually, now that I think about it, it was his grandmother that wanted the game. Excellent game choice.
While the system was a multiplayer paradise, it did feature the best Zelda games ever. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Both games took hours of my life and converted those wasted hours into hours of entertainment and problem solving. Both games are still considered two of the greatest games of all-time, which in the grand scheme of things video game history is only half-a-decade old. Most of the "classic" video games were from the Nintendo 64.
The Gamecube kind of saw a decline in my video game playing. It really only featured a handful of games that peaked my interest, but that might be from the lack of decent games. Mario Party released 4-7 in their series and they were some of my favorites on this particular console. This console's Mario title, Mario Kart and the first zelda game, Windwaker were all relatively unimpressive. Most of my time spent on this console went into the new iteration of Smash Brothers entitled Melee. Another game that was amazing, but I hardly ever got into was Soulcalibur II.
It was at this point that I started to leave Nintendo. While I did own a Playstation, it never really captured me. I probably put most of my Playstation time into Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi. Many panned this game, but it was fantastic. Fighting with Star Wars characters, including Mara Jade was fucking sweet. Don't get me wrong, the Smackdown Series was the best wrestling game ever and the Tony Hawk Pro Skater Series offered the greatest soundtracks in video game history. I still listen to music from these games and really only look forward to these game releases just for the soundtracks.
My Playstation 2 offered me a continuation of those two major game franchises. This system also introduced me to the video game genre of Sandbox in the form of Grand Theft Auto, which has since been my favorite video game type. I never was much of a fan of San Andreas, though. I think it was at this point they were trying to imitate life too much and as a result I haven't liked their newest iteration either. The only other game that truly stands out for me on the playstation is Metal Gear Solid 2. On one hand, it was short, but it featured a lot of replay value. In my opinion, it was the last great single player video game of all time.
I did own a sega dreamcast as well. Unfortunately, this system failed despite having the most potential of the time. Crazy Taxi, while it was repetitive, was one of the best games on the the system. It features the best soundtrack since Tony Hawk. Another "professional wrestling" game I played as a kid was on this console. Royal Rumble was fun, but did not have the replay value that the Smackdown series featured.
Another one of my favorite video game stories is from this console. I took my brother to get Star Wars: Demolition from the local Funcoland. As we looked at the wall there were two copies of the game. A used copy and a new copy. The used copy was 10 dollars more than the new copy. We laughed and joked with the girl working about it and made our purchase of the new copy of the game.
My first birthday present that I can remember was the Nintendo Entertainment System. I remember being so excited about it and still am considering I can remember the moment I got it. Sure, the the system was a few years old by the time I got it, but that gave the system time to grow and expand before I eventually got to it.
Everyone I knew had a "Nintendo." I played it at my aunt's boyfriend's house. He had Wild Gunman and Track and Field. Both games featured the use of peripherals which can still be seen mimicked to this day. My cousin had a Simpsons game that I remember being a pain in my ass. I cannot remember if this was before or after I got my own personal console, but the fact remains the same that the system defined my childhood. I do remember that for the longest time I admired my father because he could actually beat Super Mario. To this day, I have not completed that game, but if I put my mind to it I am sure I could.
After I moved to where my family currently resides, I grew up with my friend down the street, Jason, who also had a "Nintendo." with him, we would play Wacky Races, Tiny Toons, Super Mario 2 and Super Mario 3. We were fairly recreational gamers. We would play almost everyday and almost anything we could get our hands on, but these games stick out in my mind.
One game that sticks out in my personal collection that pissed me off was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was unnecessarily difficult and an utter pain in the ass. I knew no one that could beat the game. I have no idea what the end of the game even looks like.
Also growing up, I had the Original Gameboy. Notable memories of this fine handheld console included Tetris, and Super Mario 2: The Six Golden Coins. Those were my favorite games for the system. Toward the end of the Original Gameboy's lifespan, I received Pokemon Red shortly after my brother received his copy of Pokemon Blue. He played it on his gameboy pocket. I skipped the pocket however and went straight from the mammoth original to the Gameboy Color If I had one problem with Nintendo, it was around this time that they started releasing systems in multiple colors and those colors typically only included purple. I got the clear purple one, which I later scratched the screen, but I still used it for the majority of junior high until the Gameboy Advance came out. I still remember the day my brother and I picked up our Gameboy Advances after school from Target, if my memory serves correctly.
While I am following the line of Gameboys, I am getting ahead of myself console-wise. About a year or two after the Super Nintento was released it was gifted to me. It was on this console that I started to actually beat games. I think it was thanks in part to the ability to finally save games. This was not an option on the original console or the gameboy. You just had to play it out to the end or restart every time. I remember beating Super Mario World for the first time. Running outside announcing it to my friends. They came in and watched what the end credits looked like.
I experienced my first positive experience with an RPG in the form of Super Mario RPG. It played like a typical RPG, but with characters I actually cared about. It was an amazing storyline with such an amazing engine that it was basically impossible to hate. For the Record, I never played the Paper Mario games and no other RPG except for Pokemon has been able to capture my attention.
Another Tiny Toons Game Buster Busts Loose made it's way into my life. It was brimming with movie references that I was just not ready for. Looking back on it, I can see them almost instantly. Animaniacs was another game filled with movie references, but were not as subtle. This was one of those extremely difficult games on the system that I never beat. I didn't hate it for being so hard though. The system also featured my first multiplayer experience in the form of Super Mario Kart. It was perfect. If any console truly defined my life, it would be this one.
The Super Nintendo also brought about the greatest memory of my life. I am referring to the infamous Christmas that I received Super Mario Allstars. The game itself was a collection of the first three Mario Games as well as the Japanese Sequel to the first. It was my first taste of Nostalgia and I was not even 10. The controversy surrounding the game was that the game cartridge I got in the box was not the game. Someone was able to remove the game and shrink wrap the box to contain their used copy of Super Mario World. I remember getting the game and thinking and saying that the cartridge was identical to the game I already had. As soon as I turned it on, I realized it actually was. I was devastated. As we were returning it, to the Meijer on center Road, the employees and customers behind us kept telling us there were no returns on video games. We kept telling them that the wrong game was in the fucking package and we just wanted the game we paid for and not the game that came out with the system. We eventually won and I got my copy. It was with this game, that I was finally able to beat Super Mario 2 and 3. I will admit that there is one particular level of Mario 3 that I cannot beat, but can just skip over it. I still have that game and I have played it as recently as a month ago in which Nick and I spent the night getting to the end of the Japanese Sequel to Super Mario.
Seeing as how, I grew up on nothing, but Nintendo I was privileged to get the Nintendo 64 as well. This system saw more play than any other system up until that point in time. It featured the option for four players. I was first treated to the playability of the system at a Spinal Muscular Dystrophy convention in Chicago. They had Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64, but Mario Kart was played more than anything. Always in battle, never actually racing. With this system my friends around me were more getting into video games as well. My neighbor Doug, also had a Nintendo 64 and while we weren't playing Basketball or up to our shenanigans, we were playing games.
The "64" had four controller ports as opposed to the two that were featured on the "Super." With this addition in number of players we had larger parties of people playing at once. Our summer friend from Georgia, Travis, even got in on the games. We all played Mario Kart, WCW vs NWO, Super Smash Brothers and of course Goldeneye almost ritualistically. These games defined the multiplayer experience before the internet made it's way to video game consoles. Of course we also played every single game in the Mario Party Series and Perfect Dark allowed us to stop fighting each other and team up against computer controlled "bots" in the same way we would play Goldeneye.
One of my fondest memories of the system include Doug's copy of New Tetris, which he has recently gifted to me. We would sit down, turn on some rocking music (such as 3 Doors Down - Better Life or some Rob Zombie) and play the game for hours on end. We played in his room, in his living room as well as at my house. It was this point in our life that we were lifting weights. While we weren't lifting weights or watching movies, we were playing tetris. My brother and Travis weren't too big into the game, but Doug and I loved the shit out of the game. Actually, now that I think about it, it was his grandmother that wanted the game. Excellent game choice.
While the system was a multiplayer paradise, it did feature the best Zelda games ever. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Both games took hours of my life and converted those wasted hours into hours of entertainment and problem solving. Both games are still considered two of the greatest games of all-time, which in the grand scheme of things video game history is only half-a-decade old. Most of the "classic" video games were from the Nintendo 64.
The Gamecube kind of saw a decline in my video game playing. It really only featured a handful of games that peaked my interest, but that might be from the lack of decent games. Mario Party released 4-7 in their series and they were some of my favorites on this particular console. This console's Mario title, Mario Kart and the first zelda game, Windwaker were all relatively unimpressive. Most of my time spent on this console went into the new iteration of Smash Brothers entitled Melee. Another game that was amazing, but I hardly ever got into was Soulcalibur II.
It was at this point that I started to leave Nintendo. While I did own a Playstation, it never really captured me. I probably put most of my Playstation time into Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi. Many panned this game, but it was fantastic. Fighting with Star Wars characters, including Mara Jade was fucking sweet. Don't get me wrong, the Smackdown Series was the best wrestling game ever and the Tony Hawk Pro Skater Series offered the greatest soundtracks in video game history. I still listen to music from these games and really only look forward to these game releases just for the soundtracks.
My Playstation 2 offered me a continuation of those two major game franchises. This system also introduced me to the video game genre of Sandbox in the form of Grand Theft Auto, which has since been my favorite video game type. I never was much of a fan of San Andreas, though. I think it was at this point they were trying to imitate life too much and as a result I haven't liked their newest iteration either. The only other game that truly stands out for me on the playstation is Metal Gear Solid 2. On one hand, it was short, but it featured a lot of replay value. In my opinion, it was the last great single player video game of all time.
I did own a sega dreamcast as well. Unfortunately, this system failed despite having the most potential of the time. Crazy Taxi, while it was repetitive, was one of the best games on the the system. It features the best soundtrack since Tony Hawk. Another "professional wrestling" game I played as a kid was on this console. Royal Rumble was fun, but did not have the replay value that the Smackdown series featured.
Another one of my favorite video game stories is from this console. I took my brother to get Star Wars: Demolition from the local Funcoland. As we looked at the wall there were two copies of the game. A used copy and a new copy. The used copy was 10 dollars more than the new copy. We laughed and joked with the girl working about it and made our purchase of the new copy of the game.