[General Discussion] First gaming experience

I'm pretty sure the first game I ever played was some Pacman styled clone involving a spider, on the Fountain console. I was 4, which was 15 years ago, so I don't remember very much of the game or the console for that matter. It's all pretty vague.

My local rental store was a blessing. My mother would rent out a Mastersystem and games and I'd play that constantly. Eventually she bought me a Mastersystem, and I was over the moon. I remember staying up until 11 pm playing Alex Kidd built-in. And when you're 4 years old, staying up until 11 pm is pretty hueg.

Then after that came along, I of course wanted a Megadrive. So the same thing happened, my mother started to rent games and the console out over the weekend. I was hooked.

I constantly remember renting out Aladdin and Cool Spot. Those two games were amazingly good fun even for licensed titles. I've never seen two licensed games be more fun and more entertaining than these two have. I loved it. Eventually I was bought a Megadrive console, and then an endless debacle over what games to get occured.

Of course, getting Megadrive titles was difficult. You're talking $80US per title, here. And that's why I say the rental shop was a godsend. Of course I was 5-6 when I first got my Megadrive, so I didn't have a bunch of money available. However, I did trade my games often.

There was this local newspaper which had a gaming section. It was for people wanting to sell or swap their games. I must've traded hundreds of games with other people all around Auckland. It was amazing the amount of people who were also addicted and hooked to gaming, but even back then it wasn't heard of.

Gaming is alot more mainstream now, even for down here. But I don't mind, really, because it's good to get it's name out. Most of my gaming life I had a Megadrive, up until 1997. I didn't like the PS1 or N64 consoles whatsoever. It just wasn't my thing.

I remember playing them and thinking "you know, Cool Boarders is neat, but I still prefer my old Megadrive games" in a local store. There was this store which had a N64, PS1, and Saturn lined up in that exact order. Of course, the Saturn had the original Rayman playing.

It was like watching heaven. The original Rayman (before it turned 3D) was a great game. It instantly convinced me into buying a Saturn console. But of course, I didn't have the money. During the period of 1997, I decided to get myself a PS1, because there wasn't much demand for the Saturn.

I didn't like it. I sold it for a Megadrive and a bunch of games. Had a blast with those, and eventually everything was stolen. Thank god for insurance, I ended up getting a Saturn and Street Fighter Alpha 2, Cool Spot Goes to Hollywood, and a few other games.

However, Cool Spot Goes to Hollywood wasn't half as fun as the original, and I couldn't bring myself to completing it. Street Fighter Alpha 2 was great, but since I'm an only child and didn't have any friends at the time, I didn't have anyone to play the game with, and the fun eventually wore itself out as I thrashed the console.

I went back and forth between N64, PS1 and Saturn consoles between the period of 1997 and 1999. We bought a PC in 1999 for $3000, but I wasn't at all interested in PC games. However, it did get me the information that I wanted. The Dreamcast was coming. December 4th, 1999.

I was there on it's launch day. Not before the store opened or anything, because I'm not insane, but I was there. My mother and I had a blast playing the House of the Dead 2 kiosk which was playable. There was also Soul Calibur being played, which was amazing. Soul Calibur is still an amazing game and it's aged really well.

Early 1999, my mother also got me into doing a paper run down the main street. It was $15 bucks a week, to do it three times a week. I'd end up spending this on Wendy's or save for a game. It was still difficult to buy games, but I managed.

Sega Ozisoft sent me a notice that the Dreamcast's online feature wouldn't be possible in Australia and New Zealand. I didn't care, but they eventually asked if I wanted a full refund. I took it.

Afterwards I purchased an american SNES, along with Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, and Super Mario World. I never stepped into pre-N64 Nintendo gear until the 2000's. I did enjoy the N64 in the late nineties though, I admit. It was really nice. But the games were expensive and I really didn't get that many games to play with.

Then in 2002, I hire-purchased a PS2. I was still doing my paper run then, and I was 15 (I think). I paid the PS2 off, which at the time cost nearly a grand with MGS2 and Tekken Tag, for 2 years. And I did it. I paid it all off. Took me 2 years exactly, but I'm still happy with my PS2 and it's still going strong (although, I must admit, the first memory card slot is a bit wonky, and it doesn't always recognize that there's a memory card inserted.)

That tied me over for a few more years. I proceeded to purchase a Gamecube after it's live had been lived (2004) as well as an xbox. Of course I had a real job now so the money was just flowing in nicely. I had someone professionally install a modchip into the xbox, along with a 120 GB hard drive. It was emulation heaven.

The Gamecube I didn't like too much. By the time I had picked it up, every store down here had clearance stock or didn't have Gamecube games whatsoever. This was pretty disappointing, because I didn't really get a chance with it. Although earlier this year I've stepped more into Gamecube getting overseas titles, like Paper Mario and F-Zero GX, which are great.

The xbox I constantly and still use for emulation. SNES emulation on it is very useful. All you need to do is download an SNES emulator designed to run on an xbox, fill the rom directory full of roms, and away you go.

When I had my american SNES, I only purchased it because of Chrono Trigger. I was so pleased to finally play the game that everyone had been raving on about. I mean, even for it's age, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. My appreciation for 2D games grew even more.

Although I was stranded. I didn't have any way of purchasing american SNES titles, and I was too young to use a credit card. I was stuck with Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid and Super Mario World. Not something necessarily bad to be stuck with, but it was still annoying that I couldn't play games from my own country in it. They were also quite hard to find at the time, since two generations had already come along after the SNES.

I don't mind though. Chrono Trigger was impossible to find here, so I was forced to import it. But that's alright. I spent alot of time with my PS2 until I picked up the xbox and Gamecube after finally getting myself a somewhat decent income.

Between 2002 and 2006 I've gained a very solid PS2 collection, a decent Gamecube collection, and I'm working on my xbox collection as we speak. I have no real interest in the next generation of consoles, because my taste in games and location mean that I'm not going to be interested until there's a modchip for the 360, Wii and PS3. Or a slide tool.

In fact, that's something which really caught my interest with the PS2. Especially the japanese PS2 titles, such as the shooting and fighting ones. I mean, I don't know japanese, but that doesn't matter. I ended up importing fighting/shooting/music titles and using a Swap Magic for the longest time. Only earlier this year did I have my old PS2 modchipped. But I have faith that it'll last, because it's done so since 2002. It's been really good.

Unfortunately I don't see myself getting a Wii, PS3 or 360. Granted, they all ha ve their own positives and negatives, but the consoles haven't settled in yet. Not to mention, the Wii and PS3 haven't even been released. I'd like to see a substantial amount of games available for the Wii and PS3 before making a purchase, and in saying that, I mean I'd like to see games released which aren't launch titles.

The 360 hasn't taken off the ground like it should have. Unless it starts picking up, I don't see it doing anything impressive before or during the PS3 and Wii's life. So really, I can't see myself buying that either.

I'm quite thankful I've been consumed by the gaming world. There are the flaws, like the lack of social life (I still have one, it's just minimal, with a grand total of a single friend and on-and-off girlfriend) and education. But had I never of been introduced into gaming via the Atari and Sega consoles, I don't know where I would be.

I still remember thinking "Hey! You can control your tv!" while watching someone play Sonic 2 on a Megadrive at K-Mart sometime in '94. Very good times.

Jam it back in, in the dark.