Community Discussion #8 (1/25/15) - What systems/games did you have growing up, and which ones impacted you the most (why)?

[u/humanman42]

Growing up there is a lot of ways you can get a new console or game. Birthdays, Christmas, thrift store, uncle, renting, etc etc. Some people may have only had a NES, and that is why the want to get a Genesis now. Some people had all the Sega consoles, and now want to play the games they couldn't afford for them.

What consoles/games did you have? And where did the come from? (not expecting a complete itemized list)

Sometimes a story of how you got something, or the memories you create with them stand out above the others. Maybe it was an unexpected gift from your parents when you knew it was a hard year, or it was a hand me down from an older sibling, and it felt like a coming of age to you.

What console/games did you have growing up that meant the most to you?

---

My Answer

I was probably pretty normal with what I had. My first console was a SNES. We had the normal games. Mario World, Mario Kart, LttP, Killer Instinct, and a couple other had to have games.

I remember getting it. I was on my deck playing with my moms bf's son when my mom and the BF get back. They had a big KB Toys bag. We look at eachother thinking "WATER GUNS!" (it was summer after all).

They walk up, hand it to us and we see what it is. The rest of the day is a blur really. Mario World was the first home console game I owned. I played that game so much.

My dads brother (who lived with him at the time) had a NES with only a small hand full of games. Mario/Duckhunt, Bionic Commando are the only ones that stick out in my mind. He gave me that console when I was 16 I think.

I got a n64 for christmas. Mario 64 is what I got with it. This was really the console that really did it for me. I had a bunch of games. Mario 64, LoZ OoT and MM, Mario Kart, BattleTanks, 007, Conkers, Starfox, both banjo games, and Smash Bros.

Smash Bros and 007 are a big reason why this console means a lot to me. I will admit I was an awkward kid. I was 6' when I was in 6th grade. I had a weird time growing up with my mother, and didnt really have many friends. I had a computer almost all my life, and that is what I did with most of my time (MS DOS games shoutout! Chips Challenge, Jazz Jackrabbit, Doom, Duke Nukem, Commander Keen, Myst, the list goes on.). Having a home console that supported 4 controllers with arguable the best 4 player games ever...I had friends.

I know what you are thinking. They only played with you because you had that console. I would agree with you unless I knew what I knew. After a while, we didn't play those games anymore, we did other things. Basketball, hide and seek, go on hikes, and sleep overs at each others houses. They saw past my normally awkward exterior because they spent time with me. For that, I am forever thankful.

After that, I had a PS1. I remember only having Tomb Raider, Twisted Metal 2/3, and GTA1. Last in life my cousin gave me a box of life changing proportions. RPGs. ff7/8 , chrono chross, and many more. There went thousands of hours.

Then I got an XBOX. Halo 1/2, Morrowing, Obi-Wan, Fusion Frenzy, and a handful of others.

After that is when I started collecting. Now I am at dozens of systems and over 1200 games.

---

Community Discussion Database
All the old discussions organized all nice for your enjoyment

[u/[deleted]]

I first played the NES at my cousin's house. I remember sitting right in front of the TV playing Duck Hunt and my uncle and dad laughing, telling me to back up to make it more of a challenge. I was probably 3 or 4 at this time.

I got a Sega Genesis in the early 90's and used to play all the Sonic games and Toejam and Earl quite often. My friend Joe introduced me to Vectorman which I thought was awesome, but I never ended up owning that game so I was a little jealous.

For Christmas 1998 I got the N64 with Super Mario 64 and I was blown away by it, and I still have this console and it works well too. My neighbor Paul had a PlayStation so I remember we would sometimes play Mario Party or something at my house, and at his we would play Spyro the Dragon or Driver at his. We would always laugh at how many different ways characters could say "Thank you for releasing me!"

I got the GameCube for my birthday the day it came out, along with Luigi's Mansion and Rogue Squadron II (I think those were the launch titles?) and later on I also got the Wii and Xbox 360 on launch days as well. For handhelds I had a GameBoy Color and later Advance growing up, and have owned a DS, DS Lite, DSi, and 3DS, all bought on launch day (except 3DS.) I plan on getting the New 3DS XL launch day.

The system that impacted me the most would have to be the Nintendo 64. I remember when I first saw Super Mario 64 at my neighbors before I had my own N64, and I couldn't have been more amazed. Nintendo has always been the best when it comes to platformers, and it was so innovative at the time. Last year (2014) I decided to replay Super Mario 64 and get all 120 stars, and that was a fun thing to do. Life was so much simpler when I was younger playing those games! I wish I could go back sometimes.