• 1Jun 06

  History of a Compulsive Gamer

  So this is my first blog entry, ever, anywhere.  There's nothing in this world I enjoy talking about more than video games (except maybe for my son).  So, in order to provide any potential readers (Hope, hope!) with a frame of reference, I will summarize my personal history with video games.

  The Pre-NES Era

  My absolute first memory involving a video game was watching my drunk uncle play Ms. Pac-Man (arcade).  I suppose the fact that I can recall this memory has more to do with my uncle dancing on a table during those insanely well-choreographed cut scenes (Pac-Man… what a horn dog) than the game itself.  I was maybe six years old, so this is 1981.

  Flash forward about two years and now I am having my first hands-on experience with the Atari 2600.  My family was at some friends' house and I got my first glimpse at games like Combat, Breakout and Asteroids.  The game collection there was pretty large but it was classics like Pitfall! and Adventure that really hooked me.  Sometime during that day I started to feel very sick, but did I tell my parents… hell no!  I was gaming and nothing would stop me.  It wasn't until some time later that my mother overheard me blowing chunks in the bathroom that I was forced to abandon my new found love. I became a gamer for life that first day and the extremes that I went to were an omen of things to come.

  My early experience with arcade games was great but much more limited since I spent most of my time utterly quarterless.  Some of the standout games for me were Crystal Castles, Mr. Do (and his Castle), Choplifter, Congo Bongo, Spy Hunter and Star Wars (vector-style).  I was always impressed when these early games would try to present a quasi-3D game world.  Congo Bongo I also remember from that children's game show where kids would play games for prizes… the name escapes me.  I loved the arcades, even if I was stuck watching others play most of the time.

  My NES - A Turning Point

  I got my Nintendo for Christmas in 1987.  I also got two games: Top Gun and The Legend of Zelda.  Nintendo was cocky enough to package Zelda in that famous gold cartridge, so, yeah, I put it in to see why.  I can't really explain everything that Zelda did to me as I played, but I can run-down the first thoughts that crossed my mind.

    * Okay, okay, intro screens.  Don't like those much.  Well, here's the start button, let's press that.
    * I get to put in my own name, that's pretty cool.  Let's go with something like… Ben.
    * Alright, I'm a little green dude with a hat in the middle of a field.  *Press A Button* - nothing.  *Press B Button* - nothing.  Not a good sign.  Hey, there's a black square over by those rocks, this must be the exit to level two (Thanks, Gauntlet).  That makes no sense, where's the enemies?  Well, off to level two, then.
    * Okay, a creepy old dude.  Better see what he wants.  A sword, now we're talking.

  Of course, Zelda was great like that, few explanations, few limits and lots of choices.  Zelda was and still is the most expectation shattering game of all time.  The overworld, the dungeons/puzzles, the equipment, the sounds and the save system to name a few.  As you may have guessed, I am a Zelda fanatic, and a bit of a Nintendo Fanboy.  I have no problems with that.  In fact, if you'll excuse a little bit of philosophy wax, I have a theory about gamers of a certain age (old gamers, you might say).  You can divide them into two groups: Those who prefer Super Mario Bros and those who prefer The Legend of Zelda.

  As for the other game, Top Gun, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it was my father who really loved that one.  I lost that game a few weeks later and to this day my dad reminds me of it whenever he can.  My collection went on to include games like Metroid, Contra, Dragon Warrior, Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 & 3, among a few others.  There were also a few games that I didn't own, but borrowed long enough to play through: Bionic Commando, Faxanadu, Metal Gear and Blaster Master were the best.  The arrival of my first home console also taught me a few things about myself.  Most notably, I learned how bad my temper really is.  Video games can be frustrating and if you don't believe me just ask some of my more unfortunate NES controllers.

  SNES is Best

  It would be a long time before I owned another console, however my younger brother got his Super Nintendo for Christmas in 1991.  It was SNES games that would define my favorite game genres.  Final Fantasy II made me a believer.  Zelda: Link to the Past brought my favorite franchise to a new level.  Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger and Super Mario Kart are nothing short of masterpieces.  Chrono Trigger worked every transistor the SNES had to its limit.  I still hear that Sumo voice from the TV ads…. Chrono Trigga!

  Before I move on to the Sony era, I should touch on some of the Sega games I liked.  Sonic, Golden Axe and Altered Beast were all impressive.  I did not play much Sega back in the day, so forgive me if my list of games is limited to the obvious.

  Enter Sony

  At the time of the PlayStation's release I was still hopelessly devoted to Nintendo, so I stuck with the Nintendo 64.  Not a bad choice, but an expensive one.  I didn't have the N64 for long, since I was a poor college student at the time and sold it for beer money at one point or another (selling blood plasma only goes so far).  I went to school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, so beer money was top priority.  Anyway, I only owned two games for the N64: Super Mario 64 and Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  It's safe to say that both of these games were great.  The final battle in Ocarina of Time is the most satisfying moment in video game history.  It's a ten, right Gamespot?

  I never did buy a PlayStation (I waited until the PS2), but hijacked my roommate's for a solid six weeks after he got Final Fantasy VII as a gift.  This was the second most obsessed I have ever been about a game (I didn't actually make myself ill playing FFVII).  I played with Cloud and the gang every chance I had, literally.  I'll put it this way, by the time I had finished EVERYTHING in the game, my roommate (the owner of said game) hadn't even left Midgar.  FFVII also introduced me to the concept of the game guide.  Knights of the Round was mine, and those Bejeweled Weapons never had a chance.  Behind the original Zelda, FFVII was the most influential game in my life.  But there was another…

  Mortal Kombat Arcade

  There really is only one game to list from the arcade in the 90s and only one reason to mention it: fatalities.  I was still in high school at this time and living in a town of 2,500 people.  As you may have guessed, there were no arcades in my hometown and almost no arcade games.  So, my best friend and I would drive half an hour to the nearest Wal-Mart to get our MK fix.  At first, it was just another fighting game (fighting games are not my forte, as I lack the quick reflexes and coordination to compete).  After many visits, we eventually arrived to find one particular gamer playing as Sub-Zero, who was already my favorite character.  Then it was time to "Finish Him" and we were floored as we watched poor Kano lose his head and spine.  How delightful!  Not long after that, Wal-Mart had the game removed and I wouldn't see another MK machine until I arrived at college.  I, of course, played many other arcade games, but none were as big as MK.  Besides, I played as much pinball as I did games.  Twilight Zone anyone…

  I feel lucky that I was able to play so many classic games at the time of their respective relevance.  There's no doubt about it, video games changed my life.  I really have no other hobbies.  Not only that, but I took my NES with me wherever I went, and this brought the love to all of my family and friends.  My aunts grimaced as my uncles and cousins began to see the light.  Soon I was the top dog in a family of gamers.  I was their personal game consultant for anything from game tips to hardware set-up.  I absolutely loved it!

  I will wrap it up here for now.  Hopefully, this glimpse into my gaming history was interesting and maybe a little entertaining.  Next time, I will go over my history with computer games.  From my first BBS experience in 1990 to Oblivion today, computer games have been as big a part of it all as the consoles.
  

  • Posted Jun 1, 2006 10:30 am PT
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