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I’m not sure what my very first experience with a videogame was. I have several early memories, like the time I put a quarter into a Pong-type game, only to anger my dad (who was opposite the cocktail table machine) by selecting “pro” difficulty, or seeing new Atari 2600 games (one was Dodge ‘Em) in a glass display case at the Value Giant. However, I don’t remember exactly when they happened.
I do have several more concrete memories, however, and I think they would make for a pretty interesting read. So without further ado, let’s go back to 1978…
During a family trip to see a relative, we (Mom, Dad, and myself) stopped in at a store called Gemco in Concord, CA. We went there often, but this time was special. During this visit, I was looking hungrily at a store display. It was a large stack of new (as in newly released) Odyssey 2 systems! Only problem was I didn’t really know what an Odyssey 2 system was, until I took a closer look at the box. It was one of those things that you plug unto your TV so you can play games! I’m not sure whether I had seen an Atari 2600 by then or not. I was only 4 years old at the time, and in 1978, Ataris were still a luxury item. However, I do remember understanding what the concept of a home videogame system was. Anyway, I was floored to see my dad actually pick one up and put it in our red plastic shopping cart! My Dad also picked out an educational game called I’ve Got Your Number.
After we left the store, we continued to the relative’s house, where we hooked up the system and played Speedway (one of three games on the pack-in cartridge). Everyone at the house thought it was pretty cool. If we played the other games, I don’t remember.
Over the next few years, my Dad and I stopped in the Magnavox store in our hometown mall to check out the games that were available. The store had an Odyssey 2 display in the window. I remember seeing Pachinko on it once. There was a four-legged glass case that housed the games. My Dad usually bought one whenever we went, and we eventually accumulated about 35 games. Once, when I was sick, he brought home Blockout/Breakdown for me as a surprise. I got K.C’s crazy chase for Christmas near the end of the Odyssey’s lifespan. My Dad and I often played Blackjack together, while my friends Brandon and Richard and I played Baseball and Showdown in 2100 AD, respectively. When by myself, I enjoyed playing Pick Axe Pete, Attack of the Timelord, or Casino Slot Machine. One game I always wanted was Quest for the Rings, an elaborate game that featured a gameboard and pieces as well as a cartridge. I never got it, either because it was too expensive or my Dad thought it was too complex for me.
I knew a few friends who had Atari 2600’s. I remember playing Combat, Frogs and Flies, Pac Man (oh boy), Missile Command, Kaboom, Pitfall, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I never really wanted a 2600. I was happy with my Odyssey 2.
In the mid 80’s, when arcades were huge, I developed an obsession with PunchOut. Whenever I found that game, I’d always spend a dollar or two on it. (This was back when a dollar actually netted you four plays.) I could never beat Bald Bull. Some other arcade favorites were Galaga, Donkey Kong, and Pulsar. I played Pac Man sometimes, but I was never very good at it. I remember when Spy Hunter came out. I must have spent five dollars on that game (it was in a sundae shop). Back then, most of my arcade gaming came from a place called Malibu, where you could race little cars.
Richard eventually got an Atari 5200, and I remember playing River Raid, Pitfall (an updated version), and Popeye. I remember Richard never seemed very excited about playing it, but I always wanted to.
Sometime around 1985, I got a Commodore 64 computer for educational purposes. It turned out to be an all-purpose game machine. Some of my favorite games were Ultimate Wizard, Blue Max, and Aliens. I also had Ikari Warriors. The C64 version made the NES version look like Super Mario Bros. 3. Brandon and I often played 1 on 1 Larry Bird vs. Dr. J. We’d team up against the computer; I’d play the 2nd and 4th quarters, Brandon the 1st and 3rd. I have an audio recording of us playing. It’s priceless. I also have audio recordings of my friend Peter and I playing Blue Max and Aliens.
By the time I was in 7th grade, a good half of my male classmates had Nintendo Entertainment Systems. By this time, the thing had become immensely popular, and every day you could count on hearing Nintendo related talk on the playground (“The wave beam sucks for Metroids!”) Oh how I longed for an NES.
About that time Richard and I were at Toys R Us, and his Dad bought him an NES Action Set, along with Spy Hunter (It was an early birthday gift). As we stepped out of the car, he got the box and walked up and down the street with it. His trophy. I remember a little kid asking “Hey Rich, is that a Nintendo?” Richard nonchalantly looked down, as if he had forgotten he was carrying it, and coolly said “This? Yeah.”
Inside, his Dad hooked it up, and we were soon playing Super Mario Brothers. (Well, Richard was, anyway. He had selected one player mode. Jerk.) I did get to play a little, though. While I can’t be sure whether I had played it before, this is my first memory of playing SMB. His sister even played, and by chance she found the 1-UP mushroom in world 1-1. We played Spy Hunter a little after that. I don’t remember playing Duck Hunt that day.
Also around this time Brandon got a Sega Master System. We played many games regularly, but a few notables were Astro Warrior, Great Wrestling, and California Games. While there was somewhat of a console war between the two, I never really had any favorite.
Enter Metroid. I don’t know when I first saw the game; probably in a commercial. But I knew I wanted it. The idea of blasting enemies while exploring a giant maze keyed me up. On a return visit to Toys R Us with Richard and his Dad, I urged Richard to pick Metroid. He did. We brought it home that night, and while I don’t remember actually playing it, I drew maps for Richard as he played, and we stayed up until 3 AM playing. We finished it the next day.
Unfortunately for me, Richard was never wholly interested in playing games, so I’d have to wait for him to suggest it. Even then I rarely got to play.
All the while, I was still playing Odyssey 2. Brandon and I started a baseball season between the two of us. He was the Red Sox, I was the A’s. We kept stats for about 10 games before we lost interest.
By this time (early 90’s) I was working for Round Table Pizza. We had a little game room with 3 or 4 games at any one time. We had Shinobi for a while. I played that game so much it wasn’t funny. It got to the point where I could beat it with one man.
One of my co-workers, Jeff, was a budding pothead (no pun intended). He would often sell his possessions in order to get pot money. One time when I was over his house, he offered to sell me his NES for 10 dollars. He needed a dimebag. Without hesitation, I made the buy. I finally got my NES! It had Soccer, Golf, and a WWF game with it, none of which interested me. I went out and found a new copy of Metroid for 30 dollars, three times what I paid for the system. Later, I hit a used game store and bought Punchout, Gauntlet, Zelda 2, and Ikari Warriors. I also bought new copies of Super Mario Bros, Castlevania 3, Bill Elliots NASCAR Challenge, and the original Zelda. I haven’t stopped buying NES game since. Some of my current favorites include Metroid and Punchout. My goal is to have complete copies of all NES games I own.
By this time, the Super Nintendo had come out. In 1993, Super Metroid was released, and I immediately bought it even before I had the system. I don’t remember how long it took me to get the SNES, but I eventually got one new for $99. It came with Zelda III. That night, I played Super Metroid until 4AM, at which point I got yelled at by my Mother. My next game was Super Punchout. I haven’t bought quite as many game for the SNES as I did my NES.
Around that time I subscribed to Nintendo Power for some reason.
When the Nintendo 64 came out, I had no intention of buying one. Several months later, I had just gotten some dental work done, and I was in a mall. I noticed the N64 had dropped to $149.99. I bought one on a whim, even thought my mouth was still numb and I couldn’t talk. I just pointed at the system and mumbled. I stuck it under my bed and forgot about it for a long time. Around Christmas time, I bought Super Mario 64 and Goldeneye. I became obsessed with Goldeneye and played it until I had unlocked everything. I played through SM 64 4 times, 3 of which I got 120 stars.
By now I was hardcore Nintendo, and I barely heard (or listened to) a word about Sony’s Playstation console. My first experience with a PSX was at my friend Christine’s house. She had a 60 inch TV (which was taller than I was), and we played Intelligent Qube on it. I was not impressed (by the game, anyway. The TV was another story).
In 1998, I got a computer with internet capabilities, and I went off to college. I met a small group of people about my age that were into older games. Over the course of time, Crawl and 1000 mentioned some playstation games that he liked. He made them sound interesting, so I bought them. (They were Vagrant Story and R-Types.) My next trip home, I picked up a PSOne, the new, smaller version of the Playstation. I really liked the games I had, so I began to pick up a few more. I ended up really liking my Playstation. Some of my favorite PSX games include the above named games, as well as some other shooters. I have a pretty bad backlog of games now.
I didn’t stop there, however. I heard that Sega’s Dreamcast was going out of production, and the price was slashed in half. I went to Toys R Us and picked up a DC with the Smash Pack. The Smash Pack (emulated Genesis games) was pretty bad, but the demo that came with the system included MDK 2, which turned out to be my favorite DC game. I also love Mars Matrix.
I also began buying some Playstation 2 games in anticipation of buying the system. After getting seven games, my Dad bought me one as a college graduation gift. This was the beginning of the end as far as purchasing moderation goes. A Gamecube and XBox followed, as well as a Genesis, (a brand new) Turbo Duo, and an Atari 2600.
I then made the jump to PC games, starting with Quake III. My advisor Chris made a map based on the psychology building where we work, and he frags me often. (But Neal Roese frags him often, so it evens out.) I also have MAME, an arcade emulator, on which I enjoy playing classics and sentimental favorites.
In addition to playing games, I've also developed an interest in writing reviews and discussing other aspects of gaming, such as challenge.
Well, that’s pretty much it. I hope you enjoyed reading my history of gaming.