Author Topic: What Is Your Gaming History?  (Read 3024 times)

telekill

What Is Your Gaming History?
« on: November 09, 2020, 09:38:05 am »
Hey all. With the new generation right around the corner, I had been going over my own gaming history and was curious on what your histories in gaming looked like. While I personally started out playing on my dad's C64, it wasn't until the NES that I had a system to call my own. So here's the ground rules.... while you may have gone back to previous gens and had every system as you guys are mostly collectors.... what are the systems that could be considered yours or at least partly yours that you had during their shelf life?

1st Gen - N/A
2nd Gen - N/A

3rd Gen - NES - I was gifted the NES action set that came with a gun and the Mario/Duck Hunt cart. I also got Ninja Turtles 2 with it which I still love to this day.

4th Gen - Genesis and Game Gear - I got my Game Gear first with Sonic 2. I took it everywhere with me. I later got my Genesis model 2. It was the Lion King pack, but I had been given Sonic and Knuckles with it.

5th Gen - Playstation - I worked my rear off during the summer of '95 to get one, but I only got half of what I needed. My grandparents stated if I gave them what I earned and didn't mind knowing what I got for Christmas that year, I'd have a Playstation. I got it that Christmas with Ridge Racer, Destruction Derby and a memory card. Good times.

6th Gen - Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube and PSP - Dreamcast was the first game system I bought myself. I got Sonic Adventure, Blue Stinger, Soul Calibur, a VMU and an extra controller with it at launch. Loved that system. I got PS2 a little after launch with DoA2 Hardcore. I was gifted a Gamecube with Smash Bros shortly after it released. I still consider it the best Nintendo. I also had the original Xbox when Halo 2 came out but I only had it for a month so I'm not really counting it. I got PSP at launch with Twisted Metal, Wipeout and Ridge Racer. I absolutely loved that handheld. I wish I had never gotten rid of it.

7th Gen - PS3, Wii and PSV - I got my PS3 a week after launch with Resistance Fall of Man, Ridge Racer and an extra controller. Little did I know that my favorite series of all time (Uncharted) would be started on that system. The Wii was gifted to me for father's day one year. I learned with Wii that I loathe motion controls. The system ruined me on Nintendo for years. PSV was also another huge let down. I got it at launch with Uncharted and the first couple years were great but then even Sony stopped making games for it. Completely ruined me on handheld gaming from here on for myself.

8th Gen - PS4 - I picked up the PS4 at launch with Assassin's Creed Black Flag and Kill Zone Shadow Fall. I stuck with only the one system for most the gen as I simply didn't have time at this point to expand beyond it with adulting. Still, PS4 has been an incredible system and if I had only one system for the gen, this was a great pick.

9th Gen - Switch and PS5 - I got the Switch as a family system at launch. I waited to give it to them until Mario Kart had released. The kids got to do a city wide clue hunt following clue boxes that looked like the yellow Mario question mark boxes. It took them to all their favorite places including McDonalds for lunch which had Mario specific toys. Good timing there. When we got back to the house for following the final clue, they got to open a 14" box made to look like the clue boxes as well. Inside was the Switch, two Pro controllers, Zelda, Mario Kart, a memory card and screen protector. We've all enjoyed it since.

I have my PS5 preordered with Assassin's Creed Valhalla and the 3D Pulse Wireless Headset. I also have the Destiny Beyond Light expansion preordered to continue playing with my brother with. Should be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward too it.

Obviously, there's been far more systems that I've owned than what's listed above as I have gone back to previous generations and purchased those systems and games. This is just the starting point for what I had during those generations. Interesting to note that the 6th gen was my busiest gaming wise but is also when I was the most financially insecure being in college and going out on my own. Gaming has me remember those days fondly though.

What is your gaming history?

shfan

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2020, 10:36:41 am »
Mid 80s: I was given a ZX Spectrum 128k as a present from my Nan, I was @ 4, it was my first taste of gaming and soon had a few handfuls of games.

Late 80s: Dad brought home a crappy PC, a Trigem 88 (this was an 8088 PC, running MS DOS, with a clock speed of @ 3Mhz), originally it had a monochrome Hercules monitor, but after much badgering Dad upgraded it to CGA 16-colour and we got a few games on 5.25" disk. In addition I was treated to a 'new' Atari 2600 jr - there was some kind of second release being pushed by the likes of Toys 'R' Us and the catalogues which meant that the 2600 was cheap and available.

Early 90s: Despite being lucky to have some gaming available, I was extremely bent out of shape at not receiving an Amiga or even Atari ST despite being SOO desperate for an upgrade from the now moribund 8088 (games were rare for PCs of that age) and prehistoric Spectrum. At some point I was treated to a Gameboy, which was an absolute delight and kept me amused for years.

4th Gen - Megadrive - this was my first current console, barring the Gameboy (though that might have come after anyhow), at the tail-end of the MD's lifetime I bought a second-hand one for £60 from the adverts paper with my own pocket money - its previous owner had discovered nightclubs and young men. I still remember reading eagerly in magazines about Soleil (known as Crusader of Centy in NA) and mail-ordering a copy on release. A SNES was around at some point during the mid-90s, I remember getting Secret of Mana from Argos, but it didn't stay around long.

5th Gen - Playstation - Now this is nostalgia heaven - the PS1 was my first bought-at-release system, it knocked my socks off! Tekken, Krazy Ivan and the delicious Jumping Flash! were my first games in the opening months, followed by Soviet Strike and others which I can't remember now. During its life I dabbled with all sorts of weird and wonderful games (usually Japanese), at release I got some classic titles like Klonoa, Castlevania SOTN and more, got majorly into JRPGs, had an absolute blast. Still remember renting Resident Evil when it was released, plugging my PS1 into the big TV downstairs while my parents were away - scared the snit out of my sister and I.

6th Gen - Dreamcast, PS2- Got into the Dreamcast when it was already on the downward death spiral, enjoyed some cheap gaming like House of the Dead, Record of Lodoss War and Zombie Revenge. The PS2 was bought early in its lifetime, not sure if it was my first game but the game I first remember buying was Dynasty Warriors 2, which absolutely blew me away (and why I'm so gutted the series has turned into such a shambles these days). Loved the PS2, despite selling off most of my collection a couple of times when I 'quit' gaming (ha! tool!), it was a constant.

7th Gen - PS3, Wii and 360 - 360 bought about a year after release, the exclusives were more interesting than the PS3, in fact PS3's exclusives were piss-weak compared the PS1/2, it was cheaper and it had Dead Rising, sold! The Wii followed up a few years later, loved it and still love it (need to connect one up to play some favourites again), eventually succumbed to the PS3 just for exclusives, not realising it was backwards compatible with PS1 until very recently, it was easily a distant third for me in this generation.

8th Gen - PS4, Wii U, Switch - "Nobody wants physical media any more" - MS. Wrong, knobheads. Despite loving the 360, the Xbone was blown out of the water for me before it was even released and nothing has even began to convince me otherwise, might as well not exist in my world. PS4 does what the 360 does - wide base of games, large number of tasty exclusives (Bloodborne alone is a peach, but then all the obscure stuff too? sold), love it. Wii U was a disappointment in that nobody else bothered to make much for it, apart from Tank Tank Tank and Project Zero 5. Switch Lite blew me away - powerful portable with full-fat games running on a small, handheld screen, absolutely love it.

9th Gen - I'm not getting a PS5 any time soon, MS can go swivel, Nintendo's new console isn't even on the horizon, so I'll be back in generation 8 for years to come.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2020, 10:50:45 am by shfan »

tripredacus

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2020, 10:58:18 am »
My history doesn't match up with the generations, and I think that if you added consoles to your life/collection later on, it should count as your history. Some people are going to take this route, rather than making it a retail gaming history. So for my list, I will put them in the order in which I had them.

1. Sega Master System: The first console I had regular access to was the SMS. Which is one of those things where I was given it as a christmas present, but it couldn't take it home. It was from a my step-grandparents and of course, I could only play it when I was there. I remember that it had Hang On / Safari Hunt, After Burner and Great Football. I probably only got to play it a few times because they decided to get rid of it when I had a bad report card. :\ Also a funny thing about this is my father always referred to it as the "Sega Vision" which is an interesting story in itself.

2. NES: And another christmas present for an item that I didn't get to take home. However this time it would stay at my dad's house, so I would get to use it every other weekend. During this period, I was primarily relying on playing other kid's NES at their house. Near the end of the life of this NES I was able to play other kid's Sega Genesis, but IIRC I had only ever played a SNES at one kid's house at some party my Grandma took me to, and the demo unit at Silo. It is extremely annoying that I have no recollection as to where the games I had for this NES went. I had a lot of good games and it would be super expensive to rebuy them today.

3. Game Boy: The first thing I got to actually have at my own house. This was the green Play It Loud model that came in the clear plastic case. I had Tetris and Super Mario Land, but not anything else that I can remember. I think it phased out because the games were not real exciting, not being able to get new games, and the cost of battery replacement. When I had this, I didn't know anyone else who had one, so I couldn't borrow or trade games with anyone. I knew a few kids with Game Gears, one had a Lynx (I didn't like it) and one had the portable Turbo Grafx but I never played it.

4. Apple IIc: Some strange gift situation where my mother was given an IBM XT and I got an Apple IIc. We never had any games for the IBM, so it doesn't get counted. The Apple II didn't really have any either, but I was able to make copies of the educational games from school. I mostly used the word processor disk for this.

5. IBM PS/2 Model 80-041: Some point later I had acquired this giant computer. It had Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Being a PC, there was a wider variety of games I could get for it. I remember playing Commander Keen on it, and Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego. It had a 16 MB hard disk and I remember I could never find any upgrades for it. I remember calling Radio Shack to find out how much the RAM cost to upgrade and they didn't have any information! Turns out it used proprietary memory type and used Microchannel for expansion. Here is the specs of it: http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/alf/ps2_80041/

6. "Crystal City"/"Hive City": I had saved up my money to buy a surplus Windows 95 computer from a local company for $200. It had been through a lot and I had used it for many years. This was the PC I first played Major League Manager on, and my friend would come over and we would play the demo for GTA for hours. I made my first MP3 on this computer and remember that it took about 50 minutes to make it. I used a 14.4Kbps modem I found in the garbage that connected at 128Kbps for some reason. It suffered damage due to a lightning strike and limped along for quite a while before I was able to replace the motherboard and get a video card (Intergraph Voodoo 6 MB PCI) which is when it became Hive City.

7. Sega Saturn: There was a Saturn for sale at Blockbuster (rental unit) for either $40 or $60 (can't remember) and I bought it, along with a bunch of games. Hockey, baseball and some fighters like Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighters Megamix and Daytona USA CCE. This is the oldest part of gaming that I still own.

8. Sega Game Gear: It was being sold at the local department store for $20. I had gotten it but do not remember what games. I do remember I had borrowed someone's copy of Zoom and pretty much played that exclusively.

9. Sega Genesis: Purchased at the local department store with my first ever paycheck from working a job. It is a model 2 that came with Sonic 3 and Sub-Terrania. It became the family game system and I had eventually given it and all my games to my sister. Years later she gave it back to me and it still works to this day.

10. Atari 2600: I do not recall where this system came from, it is possible that I had gotten it from a relative. I made this the video game that would just stay at my Grandparents house for when I went to visit. This system was the one I had rolled the score on Asteroids using the Sega Genesis 6 button controller.

11. "Shiva": This is a Windows 98 computer I had built using parts from wherever I could find them. I believe the original system was another surplus system but as a barebones. It originally had a Pentium II that became a Pentium III I bought from a co-worker. It started with a Voodoo 2, then a Voodoo 3, then a GeForce MX and then a Voodoo 5. It has been through 4 motherboards and now has a board from a "future" system in this list, as well as a Sapphire Radeon 9600 XT. This instance still exists and will be downgraded soon into a new system.

12. Sega Dreamcast: This is one I had bought at retail. Played some Sonic Adventure, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Elemental Gimmick Gear. The game availability was lower for me than with the Saturn, so this didn't last long for me. I remember at the time everyone I knew was into burning games for it, but I never got into it. This system eventually died and it was replaced with one from a friend before he deployed to the border.

13. PlayStation 2: I remember having purchased a Gundam game on PS2 a month or so prior to buying the system. At the time, it was the cheapest DVD player on the market. I still have this system but I haven't used it in many years. Last I used it, it was having trouble reading some games.

14. "Infocore": This is a Windows XP computer I had built using all brand new parts. It started with a Pentium 4 1.7 GHz and 256 MB RDRAM, some GeForce video card and a SoundBlaster Audigy Gold. I want to say that it cost just shy of $3000 at the time to make it. When the motherboard died, I had done benchmarks to test if I could tell the memory speed differences between RDRAM and DDR, and RDRAM was still clearly superior. So I was able to replace the board with another and had found enough RAM to get it up to 768 MB. After RDRAM disappeared from common use, the cost to buy additional sticks was very expensive. Like $800 for 2x 256. This system lasted long enough for RDRAM to become worthless. The hardware in this is currently in the "Shiva" computer from above. The sound card is in a future system.

15. "Behemoth": This is a Windows 7 x86 computer. It started as a computer with DDR and currently has DDR2. I had managed to scavenge a board and CPU set that included a Q6600 quad core, but now it has a Q9300. It did have the Audigy Gold from the "Infocore" instance but that is moved on. This computer is my daily driver and is not only my uptime champ but also has high POT HDDs.

16. PlayStation 3: Another purchase where it was for media reasons, being the then cheapest BluRay player on the market. I did play a decent amount of games on it, but the annoyances of updates relegated this to being a BD player only. These days I have BD players all over the place, so it hasn't really been used. Also, this system was where I found my original user name still existed within the Sony network, but couldn't be used because I had no access to the original email address.

17. "Elite": This is a Windows 7 x64 computer. It is my current gaming and video streaming system. It has the SB Audigy Gold from the previous computers.

18. Sega Saturn 2: My most recent console acquisition is a Japanese Sega Saturn so that I was finally able to play those cheap Japanese games I had been buying on Ebay over the years.

There are many other things I had acquired and tested if they worked, but did not really play much. So they are not included in this list.

wartoy

PRO Supporter

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2020, 07:57:37 pm »
Im only going to list systems that were still sold at retail when I got them.

1.Atari 2600 childhood gift
2.nes first system I bought
3.Snes gift
4.Sega Genesis second system I bought
5.32X
6.sega cd
7.N64 Christmas gift
8.Sega Saturn
9.Sega Dreamcast bought day one
10.Ps2
11.Xbox bought day one
12.Gamecube Black friday buy
13.Xbox 360 bought day one
14.ps3 bought day one
15.Wii bought day one
16.Wii U gift from game store
17.Ps4 Christmas gift from game store
18.Xbox one bought day one
19.Ps4 pro
20.Xbox One X
21.Switch bought day one

I didn't list special editions or handhelds and systems I bought after they were no longer sold at retail it would take way to long.

Warmsignal

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2020, 08:14:59 pm »
I'll try to condense this to a post that might have a chance at being read. A lot of my early systems were kinda "shared", because I have a brother.

Early years - NES, SNES, Genesis, GameBoy, Mac

I started out gaming on the NES, and SNES. My older brother had an NES already and around the time I started to play games, he was asking for an SNES from Santa because my uncle had one. I more or less learned to play games on these two consoles. We also acquired a GameBoy, and a SEGA Genesis the following years. We kinda neglected those in favor of the NES/SNES. We also had a terrible Mac that could run really crappy budget games and educational games that I tinkered around with.

Peak hype years - N64, PS1, Dreamcast, GameBoy Color, PC

I was super into gaming, and blown away with N64 when it came out. Sunk countless hours into it, lots of multiplayer fun. Fond memories. I did eventually get a PS1, which was something of a stop-gap between N64 and Dreamcast for me. I was also really hyped up for Dreamcast and got one basically at launch. I enjoyed my short opportunity to play it, before my brother discover Fantasy Star Online, and I pretty much never got to use the system again at that point. I also managed to get a GBC, held my attention for all of maybe one week? Had an on and off stint with some PC games back in the dreadful years of Windows 98 and eventually XP.

Jaded teen years + first retro attempt - PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA SP, PSP.

I got a PS2 early on and played it quite a lot. Got hooked on certain types of games and played them to death. My parents were generous enough to gift us an Xbox and GameCube, which we ignored, as I continued to play only PS2 and my brother became addicted to PC MMOs. Managed to con myself a GBA SP as well, held my attention for maybe a week again? Got a PSP at launch. Held my attention maybe a week.

In the midst of my PS2 years, I decided to research and eventually buy from of the then sketchy eBay, a used SEGA Saturn. Couldn't find many games to purchase for it, everything online seemed expensive then. Gave up.

Young adult years + retro collecting - Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, lots of retro stuff

After taking a break from games, came back by jumping into the Xbox 360, and the then newly released Nintendo DSi, followed by a Wii the next year. The Mario Galaxy games stand out probably the most from this era. From there, my interest in retro was reignited. I started to collect for all major consoles of previous generations.

Adult years - 3DS, Vita, Wii U, PS4, Switch, XB1.

It's all been a blur, as time speeds up when you start to get older. But I've acquired all of these systems over the past 8 or so years, at some point as they've come to market. Haven't spent a lot of time playing these, as much as collecting. Too old, not enough time, the desire just isn't there for a lot of the more modern style games of today. I prefer the retro throwbacks and the indie type games on these systems.

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2020, 02:34:08 am »
Actually my vary first gaming experience was on PC, running Microsoft Windows 3.1, I played this art program called "Kids Pix" and another game, but I think the vary first game I ever played in my life that I can remember was "Kids Pix". later on I played more games on Microsoft Windows 3.1 one was "PGA Tour Golf" and "Bill Elliott's Nascar Challenge". My first real computer that I owned myself was a Macintosh Apple with a green screen monitor. My grandfather gave it to me, then I eventually had the that Windows 3.1 Zeos computer passed down to me after the apple computer.

My first new computer was given to me in 1996 for Christmas and it was a "Packard Bell" brand PC with an original Pentium processer, running Microsoft Windows 95,  I used that Packard Bell PC and then my next PC was a Dell Pentium 4 processer in 2001 for Christmas. running Microsoft Windows ME or XP I can't remember correctly. As far as gaming goes, I played a ton of Heavy Gear and Duke Nukem 3D and Ultimate Doom.

My one and only console that I had in it's natural lifetime, is a Nintendo GameCube with NHL Hits 2002 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2. than the rest of my gaming was always retro, the next console I bought was a previous Generation Nintendo 64, I have more history but the OP said for us to only share our history based what was new at the time, that's about it.

I have been a gamer all of my life but mostly on PC I never was a console collector untill 2015, when Metal Jesus Rocks inspired me to have my own collection
« Last Edit: November 10, 2020, 02:36:45 am by oldgamerz »
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Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2020, 04:02:52 am »
Just gonna count consoles for this, not handhelds, though I might go back into the list and add them later.  Gonna put these to just the decades I got them in and hopefully in order.

90's
We were given an NES from a family friend for some reason, we then picked up a Sega Genesis at some point in the early 90's, and the console I consider to be more specifically my first, one that I wanted, was the Nintendo 64.  One of my favorite systems despite the goofy controller.

2000's
First of this era was the Playstation 2 I believe, followed by an Xbox because I was drastically hooked on Halo LAN parties with my buddies all the way up to Halo 3.  My first console I bought at launch was the Nintendo Wii and I hated it.  Mostly due to the controller being ass and not being interested in most of the games other than like the most gimmicky stuff like Wii Sports.  I eventually got an Xbox 360 because the PS3 was pricey, Dead Rising in particular being a big draw for me.

2010's
I forget if I got a Wii U first, or a PS3 Slim, but I think I'll say Wii U, I really dug that console even if it failed.  Had some good games for sure.  This is where I start to notice that I tend to like Nintendo's lesser systems more than their successes lol After this was the PS3 Slim, got as a gift sometime before the PS4 came out.  Didn't really love it, mostly used it for Blu-Rays, and a few games.  After that was the Playstation 4, picked that up in 2016 or 17 I think, real solid system, had some good games for it.  The last console to buy of this era was the Nintendo Switch, bought it at launch, that first year was so good, but it's kind of become something I'm not as interested in over the past few years.  Just too many Wii U ports and not enough releases appealing to me.

2020's
Kicking off this era with the Playstation 5, and I'm actually pretty excited for it.  Most of the Playstation 4 games I like will play better, and there's a number of games I'm already excited for coming up.

stealthrush

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2020, 12:50:17 pm »
As for my collection of games, they are rather games I've decided to keep over the years since I find them timelessly enjoyable. Many of the consoles I own, are the exact ones I've bought during the time of launch. Since I'm not a collector, I discard any shovelware games immediately. Over the years I've sold majority of games for my systems and kept my favorites.


NES: When I was still a very young boy my parents bought me a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System with Super Mario Bro. / Duck Hunt package. Every week we should go down to our local video rental store to rent 1 NES games to play. I grew up playing Mega Man, Double Dragon, Kirby, Mario, Little Nemo, amongst other NA released games. To this day I still own the exact (not working) console without box/misc. For now I do not play, or buy any games for it.

SNES: The second console my parents bought me growing up in the 90s soon after NES was SNES with Super Mario World. This would be my console for my childhood years. My neighbor owned the Sega Genesis and I remember frequently playing over his home, and he would visit to play SNES at mine. In the same fashion as NES, I have rented 1 game every-week for many years experiencing and playing plethora of NA-released games. From Kirby series, Mega Man X series, Pocky and Rocky, Contra III, etc. Back then I did not own many actual games since I've rented them, but for today I still own at least 5 actual CIB SNES games from my childhood growing up.

GB: Around the time of SNES days, my parents bought me a Game Boy Pocket (green). Owning under 5 games, my main use was eventually playing Pokémon (Blue Version) during the craze. Went ahead and bought a link cable and would challenge and trade fellow friends at middle school. To this day I still own my original Game Boy Pocket and set of Pokémon cards I've had growing up. I do not collect for this system.

Saturn: During the 32-bit wars, I remember very clearly, I would subscribe to many video game magazines at the time (Game Fan, EGM, Game Pro) and would debate which next console I should buy. PlayStation has been on the shelve for a few months now, Nintendo 64 debuted, but my decision as to go for Sega Saturn. Since it one of my all-time favorite arcade games growing up; Die Hard Arcade. I would play that game at my local arcade for hours. Eventually buying a PlayStation, Sega Saturn was very enjoyable at the time. I've sold majority of my NA-released games to this day. And recently sold my actual original NA-released Sega Saturn console (modded) in order to focus my collecting/playing on JPN Sega Saturn titles instead. To this day its one of my favorite consoles of all-time.

PlayStation: Not convinced in the system library of games at time it took me a few years to jump on board. Around 1998 I bought PS1 since my friend introduced me to a few gems he had; Trap Gunner / Mega Man X4 / Silhouette Mirage. Those games made me want the console. I collect/play obscure titles domestic and imported for this console.

Dreamcast: Very similar fashion to Sega Saturn, my favorite arcade games were being released to this system (Marvel Vs. Capcom, Power Stone, and Spawn: In the Demon Hand) all which I've played extensively at my local arcade. To this day its one of my favorite consoles of all-time. I do not collect for this console, I wish to in the future.

PS2: From the gap between Dreamcast - Xbox I owned a PS2. This time around I've bought many games (not intending to collect) and still own majority, many being exclusive. I still collect/play PS2 to this day. I collect/play domestic and imported games.

GameCube: Was giving to as a gift, was not a fan of the system. Found a few exclusive gems that were worthwhile, I still own today. Only collect/play specific imported titles.

PSP: I've bought the PSP with no intention to playing games instead using it as a translator on my travels to Japan. Using the software Talkman. My only interest are imported shmups, beat'em ups, and fighters

NDS: My friend convinced me in buying a Nintendo DS Lite. One of my favorite handhelds, since it also has a port for GBA games as well. I've bought a handful of NA-released NDS and GBA games for it. More recently I've been playing many RPGs on it via R4 SD card.

Xbox 360: Online-fighting games only. I do not collect for this system.

PC Engine: My (2015) addition to my collection of systems is NEC PC-Engine I've acquired a few years back. My goal is to play many of the best games the system has to offer. Turbo Everdrive helping as well.

PC Engine CD: See above. ^^

Genesis: Second latest addiction to my collection of systems. I've been playing games using Ever Drive SD card more recently.

Wii: Decided to get into Nintendo Wii at this point (2018-Present) since game prices are low.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2020, 12:53:14 pm by stealthrush »

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2020, 01:05:40 am »
1991-1992: Introduction to Video Games


My dad took me to a lot of sports bars growing up and one thing they always had were arcade and pinball machines. I remember being about 4-years old and playing Off Road, Galaga, and Stun Runner at these establishments as well as my local arcade at a shopping mall I grew up near. I always thought these arcade games were fun, however it was around this time also that my parents used to go over to my aunt and uncles house for dinners and BBQs a lot where I really caught the gaming bug. My cousins has a Sega Genesis and I remember being completely blown away by the games they had, especially Sonic the Hedgehog. I was obsessed with the first Sonic game and remember even begging my parents let me spend the night so I could play it longer. Luckily my parents caught the hint and bought me my own Genesis for my 5th birthday along with The Flintstones, Home Alone, and Batman Returns. I played the hell out of those games and many other in the following years to come.


1993-1995: Early years and the 16-bit era


One of my absolute favorite things to do on a Friday or Saturday night was have my dad drive me over to a local independent rental shop where he'd let me rent a movie and game. I rented a ton of Genesis games during this time including Super Street Fighter 2, Joe and Mac, Tournament Fighters, Sonic 2, and many others. My Genesis was my one and only console during most of this time, however I was able to play other consoles like the SNES and NES for the first time thanks to various friends I had during this time. I always envied these friends, especially the ones that has Super Nintendos, and lucky for me for my birthday in 1995 my aunt would get me my very own SNES along with Donkey Kong Country. I played the crap out of DKC and its sequel DKC2, however aside from several other SNES games I remember my Genesis still being my goto console for entertainment. Maybe because I was so young or possibly I just hadn't found the right gaming experience yet, but it wouldn't be until XMAS Eve 1996 that my gaming life would be changed forever and I'd officially make that jump from person who likes video games to full on gamer.


1996-2002: Birth of a Gamer


As mentioned above, my aunt who had also bought me the SNES for my birthday would gift me another console that forever change not only my gaming habits, but my love of gaming forever. On Christmas Eve 1996 my aunt got me my very own N64 along with Super Mario 64. My desire to get a Nintendo 64 no doubt came from seeing commercials for it as well as ads in video game magazines I used to browse through at the grocery store. But plugging my N64 in and playing Super Mario 64 for the first time completely blew my freakin mind like no other game had. I obsessively played the N64 and the many games i'd eventually own and rent for it over the years. During this time I gradually morphed into a person who liked playing video games when I wasn't doing other things I liked more, to someone who lived to play, discuss, and buy video games. There is no doubt that other consoles like the Sega Saturn which I used to play at a couple of friends' houses growing up also played a role in this transformation, however the N64 was definitely the driving force. During this time I also got really into Pokemon and consequently the Gameboy. My love and passion for video games received another massive boost in 1999 thanks to the release of the Dreamcast. I was obsessed with the Dreamcast and used to go to my local Hollywood Video to play their kiosk of it. My little brother ended up getting a Dreamcast for his birthday that year and I probably played it twice as much as him lol. And then barely a year later I also got a PS2 for XMAS Eve along with Tekken Tag Tournament. Also during this magical time period I also was deeply in love with going to several arcades in my areas, especially Dave and Busters which opened in 1997 or so. Yep, it was an incredible time to be a gamer, however it wouldn't last forever.


2003-2007: The dark years


I started high school in 2001, and at the very end of that year I started my first job. High School wasn't particularly difficult for me, however during this time like anyone I struggled to find my own identity and decide what I wanted to do with my life. There were a lot of ups and downs personally during this time, however one casualty of all of this and then some was my passion and motivation to play video games. I remember around my Sophomore year or so I just stopped being as interested in video games, like any of them. I did play some video games during this time, however it was something I really, really had to be in the mood for. I graduated high school in 2005 and started college that same year. During this time my life changed dramatically and I found myself with more friends than I'd ever had before as well as several girlfriends that occupied most of my time. Still I squeaked in some gaming during this time and even owned a Wii and 360 during this time. It was probably owning these two consoles and getting really into games like Zelda Twilight Princess, Mass Effect, and Half Life 2 that really started getting the ball rolling towards getting me back into gaming. Little did I know way, way ,way, WAY more than I'd ever been before.


2008-2018: The Collecting and Hardcore Years


In 2007 I moved to Louisiana for a year for school and to put it bluntly it was one of the worst, most challenging years of my life. I hated it down there and video games were one of my few escapes from my situation. I remember a few months leading up to me moving back to Colorado I started getting super, super nostalgic for video games I grew up with, which at this point I had almost none of them anymore. I remember creating a list of not N64, or Genesis games I wanted, but Saturn games. Yep, that console I played a ton at friends' houses back in the day for whatever reason stood out as being one of the most memorable and nostalgic for me. I remember while researching the Saturn I found a bunch of games I never knew were released on it. Fastforward a few months later and I began my quest to collect for the Saturn. Unfortunately in 2009 I had a fairly large unexpected expense come up for school and had to sell off my pretty small Saturn collection along with my mountain bike. Luckily a year later after graduating college, starting my first real job, and moving into my own place I started collecting again, however this time it was mostly for the PS2, Gamecube, and Dreamcast. Eventually this evolved into pretty much all consoles released between the mid-80s to the current generation, and I remember soaking up so much info on the many games and consoles released during the past two decades. Around 2010 I began game hunting and going to garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and second hand media shops and finding tons of retro games for literally a couple bucks each. Between 2010 and 2013 my collecting probably grew at a rate of 500 games a year and it was during this time I found many of the games I'd owned as a kid, wish I had owned, or never knew existed, but looked amazing. Unfortunately around 2013 video game collecting started to get really popular and finding great deals in the wild for cheap became less and less common. By 2016 I was pretty much spending full price on most of the games I bought which wasn't a big deal given most of the games I was still after were pretty expensive and rare anyways. Leading up to 2017 I had never had to sell off any significant portion of my collection for any reason, and what I did sell off has always been stuff I thought I'd get more into, but never did or were trophy games I bought more because of their rarity rathe than how interested I was in them. But then in 2017 I was forced to sell off around a quarter of my collection between myself and my fiancee, then girlfriend, having to get out wisdom teeth removed only a few months apart. On top of that I also needed to buy a new car around this time too, which pretty much killed game collecting for me. I realized during these trying times however that many games in my collection meant far less to me than I had previous believed. I also realized around this time that I actually enjoyed playing games than I did collecting them. Regardless I still collected, but even after realizing much of my collection didn't matter that much to me I still accumulated games. However I reached a point around 2018 that I realized my passion for hardcore collecting and especially going out and looking for games had pretty much died. It really left me wondering where I was going to go heading forward in terms of identifying as a collector, but also a gamer.


2019 - Present: Evolution


With collecting being significantly less important to me I began focusing on playing as many games as I possibly could. However I felt like I wanted to do more than just cruise through one game, start another, rinse and repeat. Out of this I decided that there were certain things way more important to me than just adding new games to my collection and I began to think about my ability to play many of these older games I grew up loving beyond the present and deep into the future. This lead me down the path of learning about things like flash carts, ODEs, upscalers, and various other technology used to game on modern displays and to bypass the limitations and fragility of cartridges and disks. Also during this time I decided to make good on doing something I'd thought about doing almost since getting into collecting in the late 2000s which was start my own youtube channel. Being at home way more due to COVID I decided now was a better time than any to start this, and in May of 2020 I posted my first youtube video and have steadily created and released videos since. I guess if I had to assume where my lifelong journey as a gamer is going to take me in the future I imagine it will probably be contuning to get the best out of the games I play as possible while also preserving my ability to play and enjoy these amazing games. I'm hoping that the next chapter of my life in gaming will include me finally being able to get my own house and start collecting pinball and arcade games I grew up with playing. In fact, I want to make it my goal to create my dream arcade in the comfort of my own home. This includes not only getting the cabinets and games I want, but also having the right carpet, lighting, decor, and everything else that would define my dream arcade I'd always want. I sincerely hope this chapter is around the corner, but we will see I guess.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2020, 01:07:50 am by bikingjahuty »

pzeke

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2020, 11:41:27 am »
I'm purposely leaving a lot of details out, this is mainly just an account of how and when I got X console. Overall is more or less a good representation of my "gaming history"...

My first taste was with the Atari 2600 many years ago, but it wasn't until my mother surprised me with an NES one day that things started to pick up—I used to talk a lot about the console to her given a friend of mine had it and I used to visit him quite often just as an excuse to play Super Mario Bros. and Metroid. Years later I got the SNES for Christmas, then my father surprised me on a birthday with the original Game Boy brick, which I literally took everywhere I went; I used to have a bunch of Tiger handhelds, so the Game Boy to me was the next step, so to speak. Then a few years after that at a Sears on one of my birthdays my mother got me the Game Gear, which I ended up ignoring almost immediately—the Game Gear is literally the only Sega console I have ever owned. Then some time after that came the PlayStation, which I remember wanting even more because my friends at school wouldn't shut up about "Final Fantasy VII", which made me feel somewhat ostracized. Soon after getting the PS1 I got hooked and pretty much forgot about Nintendo; however, their new console was all the rage at my school, and with my dad asking what I wanted for Christmas, I asked for a Nintendo 64, which he got me...albeit without a game. Then some time after that I had saved up enough money from my allowance and doing chores to get a Game Boy Pocket in which I continued playing the ever living snot out of my Pokémon games. And then, to wrap it all up, while at recess at school one day I found a Game Boy Color in one of the garbage bins; the thing was somewhat beat up, but still worked like a charm. By the end of middle school I was pretty much invested in Pokémon and comicbooks.

During my senior year at school I was still gaming, especially given my friends were as well and we essentially tried to 1UP each other whenever possible. Pokémon had conquered the world and it was all my friends and I talked about, with the TCG becoming my main focus for a while, which also included Magic the Gathering. Years later graduation came and went, and now as a freshman I ended up saving money and got myself a PlayStation 2 at Walmart, "Final Fantasy X" being the only game I got, which I played for hours on end almost everyday. During college gaming pretty much ended on the back of my mind, as I would focus more on classes and other hobbies; however, after meeting other people in campus that also liked video games, I felt reinvigorated and basically shifted priorities. Reminiscing about college and the years that followed are truly a blur to me since I really didn't enjoy college, but do remember video games, especially the PS2 helping me unwind, so video games ended up becoming my main hobby once again. Some time later I got a Nintendo DS Lite, which I ended up playing and enjoying more than I would've ever imagined, "Mario Kart DS" and "Pokémon Diamond" being my top games for the handheld. A few months after getting the DS, I bought a used Game Boy Advance SP at a GameStop because I wanted to experience "Pokémon Emerald" genuinely given I originally, not only skipped the GBA altogether, but the third Pokémon generation as well. Then one day by happenstance I was at a Sam's Club and came across a friend from college who had a weird-looking item in his cart that turned out to be a Wii bundled with a game; I was there and had the money, so I got it. I remember having low expectations for the Wii, but the years that followed owning the console were truly a blast for me.

The rest is rather uneventful, as I got all my other consoles through eBay, with the exception of the PlayStation 4, which I got at Walmart on Black Friday last year. I have a list with a few other consoles that I would like to add to my collection, which hopefully I'll get sometime, someday.

I know your every move behind this face; I have control over expendable slaves.
When confrontation comes down to the wire, I'll use my cyclotrode to commence the fire.
You're never gonna get me!

« Last Edit: November 13, 2020, 08:29:48 am by ignition365 »


Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2020, 11:41:18 pm »
1997-NES: first console given to me upon entering the United States at age of 7
1998-Genesis: given as a gift by uncle
1999-N64 and PS1: given as a gift by uncle
2001-GBC: gift by parents. It was the Pokemon Gold and Silver Edition
2003-PS2: gift from father for getting grades up and 13th birthday
2004-GBA: given by a friend. I remember taking the screen off because to many scratches
2006-NDS: late xmas gift. Lined up with parents before Best Buy opened to get one
2008-Wii: first console I bought with my own money from co-worker at my first job
2009-PS3: won this in an ebay auction. Made a last minute bid to win

Somewhere between 2010 and 2013 is when I bought a good amount of retro consoles when they were still going for reasonable prices like NES, SNES, Genesis, 32X, Sega CD, Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox, Gamecube. I even bought an Xbox 360 along the way. I can't pinpoint when exactly so I just put them all in this paragraph.

2014-3DS: I bought it around the time that Smash Bros. for 3DS came out

2015-PS4: Bought over Thanksgiving Weekend on sale

2016-Wii U and Vita: Bought a Wii U despite Switch coming out a year prior because I really wanted one. Vita was imo one the first gaming hardware regrets I've had.

2017-Xbox One:Bought from someone off of Letgo as I needed it for Rare Replay which I bought prior to getting the console.

2018-Switch: Bought from Gamestop using nothing but traden in credit. Took advantage of when they were boosting trade in credit during their Elite Pro days and managed to get enough to pay for the whole console. This was also the year I bought the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X over Thanksgiving weekend

2020-PS5: I managed to get one this morning around 2am from Sony after 2 hours on multiple sites to get one. Won't arrive until tomorrow. This will be the first console I have purchased on launch.


astralsoul

  • Guest
Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2020, 01:39:41 am »
Gen 2 - My Introduction to Games
Atari 2600 - The first system I ever played in the late 80s. Wasn't actually mine but it was my dad's and he let me play Pitfall and Combat and a few other games he had.

Gen 3 - My First Very Own Console
NES - Got for Christmas 1989, liked it but didn't play it a whole lot. Eventually broke and got a new one at a garage sale, which also broke.

Gen 4 - 2D Gaming at its best
Game Boy - Got in the early 90s, with Kirby, but rarely played it. Eventually sold it for a Game Gear. (my dad's idea)
Game Gear - Got this for the Game Boy I sold. Only had Sonic 2 on it and I hated this system. Eventually sold it back to Funcoland for a Game Boy Pocket.
SNES - Got 1995 for my birthday with Super Mario World + All-Stars. Like the NES I didn't own many games for it but I loved the ones I had. My favorite system of all time.

Gen 5 - Gaming is now an obsession
N64 - Got in 1997 after I was so blown away by the Super Mario 64 demo in Blockbuster. Second favorite console of all time.
Game Boy Pocket - Bought this in 1998 for Pokemon Red after selling my Game Gear for it. Barely played it after finishing Pokemon, but it was worth owning one again.
PS1 - Got in 2000 for my birthday. Only wanted it to play Final Fantasy games after playing FF7 on PC. Really only had the FF games and Spyro on it since I got it late in its life.

Gen 6 - Gaming at its peak (for me)
GBA - Bought on launch day in 2001. First system I bought at launch. I now had a car and a job so I was free to go and buy my own games.
GCN - Bought a week or two after launch in 2001. I was super excited for this system especially for Super Smash Bros. Melee. I was obsessed with the console during its life.
Xbox - My friend convinced me to buy one in 2002 for Morrowind. I was obsessed with that game for at least a year but I didn;t play the system much after that. Later sold it for a PS2.
GBA SP - Traded my original GBA for this. Instantly became one of my favorite systems.
PS2 - Got around 2003 for Final Fantasy X and Kingdom Hearts. Traded in my Xbox for it. PS2 was mostly my RPG machine as most other games I played on GameCube at the time.

Gen 7 - Disappointment
DS - Third system I got at or around launch day, 2004. This system didn't see much use, honestly. Not until I sold it for a DS Lite later.
GB Micro - I have no idea why I bought one but I did. I sold it a few years later after it sat in a drawer after about a first month of use.
DS Lite - Sold my DS for a DS Lite, 2006. Around this time better DS games were coming out and DS was quickly becoming my favorite handheld.
Wii - Got a month after launch by luck after driving around to stores like crazy after launch. I was super excited to get it but ultimately once the newness wore off, I was not a big fan of the Wii.
PS3 - Got in 2008 sporadically. I actually had no interest in the system but felt that if I wanted to play any future Final Fantasy games I needed a new Playstation system. I barely used this system at all until FF13 came out. This system was pretty disappointing to me and between that and just general life problems around this time, I thought I would lose interest in gaming forever.
DSi XL - 2010, DS Lite wasn't big enough so I had to get one. Traded in DS Lite for it.

Gen 8 - Renewed Interest
3DS - Sporadically bought this in 2011 several months after launch. Really didn't use it much until a few years later. Not my favorite handheld but it was pretty cool. Eventually sold for a "New" 3DS XL.
Wii U - My parents bought this for me at launch and gave it to me that Christmas. I was really not that interested in the system but I was happy to have it anyway. Barely played the system during its lifetime and as I write this, my Wii U is being sold on eBay as it is my least favorite console I own and I haven't touched it in at least 3 years.
PS4 - 2015, Another sporadic console purchase and one I instantly regretted. There was nothing on this console I wanted. I actually sold it 2 years later, which is yet another action I regretted.
"New" 3DS XL - Sold my 3DS for it in 2016. It's a better upgraded version. I still didn't play 3DS all that much but it was a good handheld. Still own it.
Switch - One of the few consoles I bought at launch. Zelda Breath of the Wild was one of the few games of the modern gaming era that had me completely engrossed and obsessed, to the point where I actually couldn't wait to leave work just to play this game. I had not felt that way since at least the Gamecube era. Last year and this year it has seen significantly less use but still remains a fantastic console.
PS4 Pro - After regretting my decision to sell my PS4 I bought a Pro in 2018 and I'm so glad I did because in the time I've had it it's been one of my favorite consoles.

Gen 9 - Excitement of the Unknown
PS5 - ??? I would love to have one but there's not enough games for it yet, not to mention I'm broke. But, one day....

Warmsignal

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2020, 10:57:09 am »
https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7752.msg127656.html#msg127656

Cool, I like the cover art method of showing off the games you were most into. Didn't think of that. I might have to necro that thread at some point.

Re: What Is Your Gaming History?
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2020, 11:35:12 am »
https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,7752.msg127656.html#msg127656

Cool, I like the cover art method of showing off the games you were most into. Didn't think of that. I might have to necro that thread at some point.
I think I never finished it because I stopped at early 2000s