1987: I’m 6 years old, and my dad buys our first family computer to use for his business – he loads a few games on it for me and my older siblings to play with. I get to try Centipede for the first time, along with Police Quest 1 (Seriously, command-line entry was great for learning to spell!) I also inherit a used Atari 2600 with some fun games.
1990: I’m 9 and get an Nintendo Entertainment System for my birthday – it came with S. Mario Bros, Duck Hunt and World-class Track Meet (with the running pad). I played the greats like Mega Man 2, Battletoads, Mario 3, Double Dragon, and Contra on that system.
1993: Grade-7. I saved enough money from my Sears Catalog route to buy a Sega Genesis. I played Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, Sonic the Hedgehog (2, 3 and Knuckles) and NBA Jam, the most fun basketball game ever (in my opinion).
1995: Fancy new IBM 486 – it ran Doom 2 and Duke Nukem 3D like a dream. I played as many Lucasarts and Sierra point&click adventures as I could get my hands on – Sam ‘n Max: Hit the Road, Day of the Tentacle, Kings Quest, Space Quest, Robin Hood, and played the breakthrough adventure Myst on it. I discovered the real time strategy genre with this computer – Command & Conquer and Warcraft 2.
1999: New computer upgrade – I bought this one myself. The first person shooter (FPS) has evolved with Quake 2, and Half-Life. I also had the honour of buying Trespasser: Jurassic Park – a game that was brilliantly conceived and ahead of it’s time, but so poorly executed and buggy that it’s mocked to this day when PC Gamer releases their worst games of all time list. I played Total Annihilation and Myth I & II on this system, two of the most under appreciated games of their age (imo). Duke Nukem Forever has been announced.
2001: Another major PC upgrade gets me through University, and keeps my spare time full of the latest games. I play the next generation of FPS games, Quake 3, Jedi Knight 2 & 3, Unreal Tournament, and finally Half-Life 2. It plays Warcraft 3 as well as a brief go at World of Warcraft. I also developed a love for the Need for Speed racing series with Underground 2.
2007: I discover Guitar Hero and bought my second Playstation 2 (the first was stolen in 2005). My computer still plays the occasional game, but it’s mostly used for work and communication these days. There’s a titles I want to play, and I really want to pick up the expansions to Half-Life 2 and continue that storyline. I’ll do it when I have the time and money. The Wii has also caught my attention, but I don’t have any plans to buy one right now.
So, it’s a long story. I have been playing video games for most of my 26 years and don’t plan to stop. Though I rarely get to dedicate an entire Saturday afternoon to a game these days, I have fun when I do. The game of the moment is a fun little Flash title called N Game by Metanet, it’s a free download and no more than a few megs. It reminds me a lot of Lode Runner from back in the mid-80s. Try it out.
I completely agree re: NBA Jam. I didn’t play it as a youngster, but I played two on two with a few friends at a summer barbecue a few years ago (after the cold and mosquitoes had driven us indoors). The game went into QUINTUPLE OVERTIME – so many that the game didn’t know what to do and just started us in “overtime” again.
I was never really a big gamer when I was little – my parents thought we’d spend too much time playing it (and, after seeing my brother with his brand-new Xbox 360, I think they’re probably right). But I did get to play original Nintendo when I was over at my best friend’s house, and I’ve never had as much fun playing videogames as I did then. Maybe it’s because for me, I don’t play them to think – I like knowing there’s something simple I have to do, like shooting the duck or killing the big boss, and doing it. Maybe I just haven’t played enough new games to fully appreciate them though…
Great post Rick! Brings back a lot of memories.
It seems you have had a lot of experience with the gaming industry. I have considerably less, though I still love the way the old games make me feel.
Every once in a while, I get the urge to crack out the old SNES and play a round or two of Super Mario World.
You cant go back to being a kid, but you can definitely re-experience some of its joys.
I sure hope my kid likes video games … that will give me someone to play with!
joe, you’ll want to read the Ctrl+Alt+Del Winter-een-mass series of comics from two weeks ago. http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20080125