I started with many PC shareware games - including Duke Nukem and Commander Keen, with my favourite being Wolfenstein 3D. Then I progressed to consoles and didn't really return to PC Gaming until I started Uni in 2002.
I really can't say what game it was that i first played, but i do know that i loved gaming from my first encounter with it.
My parents detested it, so i was confined to playing at friends' places.
The games that grabbed me the most are:
Mario Bros. 1 (NES)
Legend of Zelda 1 (NES)
Ridge Racer Revolution (PS1)
Destruction Derby (PS1)
Final Fantasy 7 (PS1)
Civilisation 2 (PC)
Homeworld (PC)
GTA-SA, multiplayer mod called MTA (PC)
I think i played about 75-150 other games all the way or almost through, and i tried out around 1000. I honoustly don't know the exact numbers, but i try out a LOT of games. The ones listed above all have given me 500+ hours of gameplay, with Destruction Derby as an absolute winner, i think i played that for over 2000 hours. What an absolutely fantastic game that was...
As to the why...
All these games gave me the feeling that i was somebody else then i really am. Somebody fantastic, somebody cool, somebody insanely skilled, somebody that holds the fte of the world in his hands.
The word I am always looking for in games is immersive. I want to be in the game. Final Fantasy 7 is the winner for me there. Without a single shred of doubt the most compelling and immersive game ever made - by far. Nothing has ever come close, and since i'm a bit older and have a bit more "natural" distance from being sucked into my screen, nothing will ever again come close for me.
As far as I can remember I have been in the company of computer games. Started off with the Binatone Colour TV Game 4 plus 2 which had a few versions of Pong on it.
Then my dad brought home from Dixons an Acetronic MPU-1000. Space Invaders being the highlight and the plane combat was fun too. The soccer game was scary as hell half time always use to make me jump.
That got ditched for a Sanyo MPC-100 MSX home computer. Some fantastic games were available for the MSX range of computers. Eric and the Floaters, Trailblazer, Avenger. Spent many hours typing out Basic copied from magazines for very little results!
The Amiga 500 was next to take pride of place. It took over my life for years. Lotus Turbo Challenge was probably the reason I got one in the first place. Just too many amazing games Pinball Dreams, Armageddon, Another World, Speedball 2. I was also addicted to buying public domain demo disks.
Having a younger brother also didnt help me escape to the real world. I brought him Thunderforce 4 for his Sega mega drive and always played it more than him.
The trusty Amiga retired graciously to the loft when the Playstation entered the fray. Wipeout was jaw dropping.
I purchase my first PC thinking I would mainly use it for music and surfing, but Half Life was a must. Homeworld changed me too.
The Playstation got fed up with being upside down so a PS2 took its place. Gran Turismo being the game of choice or any other good racer.
The PS2 just got sold recently to make way for a wii. The 10 pin bowling is quality.
I cant say if there has been one defining game over my experiences of all these platforms. Just that I have had many happy hours sitting in front of a screen improving my eye hand coordination and I think it will continue until the arthritis sets in.
(snip)
I was also addicted to buying public domain demo disks.
(snip)
The Playstation got fed up with being upside down so a PS2 took its place.
Blimey yes - most demos were amazing. Remember Eric Schwartz' animations? Amy the Squirrel? I remember one that had an animation of a head that sang, "Please, release me, let me go.." then the head flew round the screen like a balloon deflating.
My PS also ended up on its side, despite mucking about with the pots inside. It's the only way I could get FMV's to play smoothly.
Originally Posted by kenco_uk Blimey yes - most demos were amazing. Remember Eric Schwartz' animations? Amy the Squirrel? I remember one that had an animation of a head that sang, "Please, release me, let me go.." then the head flew round the screen like a balloon deflating.
I really liked stuff by The Silents. They did a music disc called Blues House that had a Lander type game to play while you listened to the tunes. Was cool. I spent days watching demos and listening to music disks. Remember not being able to sleep because of it due to all the spinning cubes in my head...
The first game that really pulled me into it was probably Civ1 on the 286 of a good friend of mine :)
I remember us playing until late in the night, taking turns, and his mother complaining we should be into bed already.
I also remember that we didn't understand half the rules and half the game's messages, since we were only just learning English at school.
What's always great about a game - and it was esp. great there - is when you have a real person you can share the experience with.
I've played all other Civ titles since then, but nothing can beat sitting in front of a tube and arguing about what to do next with that "chariot". :D
Being Joe's Dad makes it a bit strange reading about the 'when I die' bit, however, - Joe claims that 'Thief' was the game for me - he may be right and that got me thinking along the same lines. Maybe it was things in the game that match things in me that got me hooked. For me thief had the element of going about unnoticed which is something I like. It reminded me of childhood games when friends would lock me in or out of a room and I would have to escape or break in (oh what career paths that could have led to) That feeling of getting things done without too much fuss, there is an intelligence to it. What is also important is that the game gave me a language and a common ground. For me as an old man in a world of young people I needed something that crossed an age gap and gave me a chance of having a language that helped me share and communicate with a geeky son who I love dearly (sorry Joe if the open emotion is embarrassing - but I think I have distracted from it by obviuos bad spelllling). Maybe it is not just the game but our own lives and our social grouping that come together to make them special?
Originally Posted by CardJoe Being Joe's Dad makes it a bit strange reading about the 'when I die' bit, however, - Joe claims that 'Thief' was the game for me - he may be right and that got me thinking along the same lines. Maybe it was things in the game that match things in me that got me hooked. For me thief had the element of going about unnoticed which is something I like. It reminded me of childhood games when friends would lock me in or out of a room and I would have to escape or break in (oh what career paths that could have led to) That feeling of getting things done without too much fuss, there is an intelligence to it. What is also important is that the game gave me a language and a common ground. For me as an old man in a world of young people I needed something that crossed an age gap and gave me a chance of having a language that helped me share and communicate with a geeky son who I love dearly (sorry Joe if the open emotion is embarrassing - but I think I have distracted from it by obviuos bad spelllling). Maybe it is not just the game but our own lives and our social grouping that come together to make them special?
has bit-tech found its next columnist? because that was brilliantly put.
Originally Posted by CardJoe Being Joe's Dad makes it a bit strange reading about the 'when I die' bit, however, - Joe claims that 'Thief' was the game for me - he may be right and that got me thinking along the same lines. Maybe it was things in the game that match things in me that got me hooked. For me thief had the element of going about unnoticed which is something I like. It reminded me of childhood games when friends would lock me in or out of a room and I would have to escape or break in (oh what career paths that could have led to) That feeling of getting things done without too much fuss, there is an intelligence to it. What is also important is that the game gave me a language and a common ground. For me as an old man in a world of young people I needed something that crossed an age gap and gave me a chance of having a language that helped me share and communicate with a geeky son who I love dearly (sorry Joe if the open emotion is embarrassing - but I think I have distracted from it by obviuos bad spelllling). Maybe it is not just the game but our own lives and our social grouping that come together to make them special?
Remind me to tell the PC at home not to remember my forum login details anymore. And then kill myself with embaressment. :o
Originally Posted by CardJoe Remind me to tell the PC at home not to remember my forum login details anymore. And then kill myself with embaressment. :o
I wouldn't be embarrassed, your father does have a very good point. and its starting to make me wonder if writing talent is genetic.
Hi Joe
Apologies for a very late response to this. Im off sick at the mo., and random interweb stalking led to me this article, which then led me to cry, and has now ultimately led me to leave a very long and grammatically lacking response (my apologies, and congratulations to anyone who reads it all).
Although Ive played computer games since I could sit up at one, Id never considered myself a gamer until this last year or so. Which, on analysis, could have been down to the company I have kept, which includes your good self, and my ex-boyfriend, for starters. But on deeper analysis Ive come to the conclusion that this is the reason that I have rediscovered my inner gamer, rather than THE reason I would consider myself a gamer. Well, part-time gamer anyhow.
Ive had to really rack my memory to remember the first game I remember playing, and have landed back sometime in the late 1980s (1987/88?), at about 3/4years old, sat at our dining room table playing on Qbert. My Dad was a computer engineer so I presume the pc was borrowed, and the dining table was more frequently used for computer related activities, than those relate to fine cuisine. This NEVER changed throughout his life, and the only times I particularly remember using the dining table for food was Christmas, or to rest my Pot Noodle on while on the computer. From then, up until my teens, nearly every game I played on will have been because my Dads excitedly said Maddy, come and play on this....
Since Qbert, games from my early years that stick out are New Zealand Story and Space Invaders on the Commodore 64, and Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on my Nannas NES. My Nanna gave me the NES after a few years because the controllers made her hands sweaty. My mother threw the NES away at some point when I was at University because it was old, along with the aforementioned game, Bayou Billy, and Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers. BECAUSE IT WAS OLD! I can NEVER forgive her. But I digress... I also remember playing this platform game on the PC (around 1990-1992 maybe) where you are a space man and jump around the screen collecting multi-colour gems. Im sure there was a deeper meaning and story to this, but as a 7 year old girl with magpie syndrome this passed me by. However, there are 2 games that I remember playing most vividly: Monkey Island and Doom. Even more vividly, I remember I was never alone, and always had my Dad by my side playing these games with me. Especially on Doom, where game play went as follows: I walk round looking for monsters; I find monsters; I get scared and hand over to Daddy to kill it cos I dont like it. In the event of him not being in the room I got highly skilled at pausing and screaming Daaaaaaaaaaadddd! Come kill this monster! at the top of my lungs.
At high school I didnt really have many friends, and tried very hard to fit-in. What a waste of time! The reason Im saying this is because I dont have any childhood memories of playing computer games with friends. All my experience of gaming was family related. And when youre at school trying to gain an ounce of popularity, anything related to family activities was not cool. So I didnt play on computers with the people that I tried to hang out with. Nor did I hang out with the people who played on computers. High school sucks. Fortunately, I have now learnt to be myself, and that people like me for it. They do. I have friends... :-D They play computer games, and are cool. Apart from Joe. Hes just grumpy. The games that have helped me rediscover my inner geek are Tales of Symphonia on the Game Cube, and my recently completed Assassins Creed, Halo 3, and Portal. Wherein the latter of which the cake actually isnt a lie hurrah!
So, thanks to these friends who have helped me to not only rediscover my inner geek, but to embrace it and be proud of it. And a special thanks to Joe for writing such an inspirational article, which has prompted me to discover that my reasoning for liking computer games is far from them being superficial time-filling activities. They hold a deeper meaning of connection to simpler happy times with my Dad, who passed away a year ago. Hed have bloody loved Portal!
Brought a tear to my eye Maddy. Allow me to buy you a drink next time our paths cross. And give me a chance to redeem myself on Mario Kart. And Wario Ware. And Super Bomberman. And all those other games you beat me at that afternoon, lol.
Btw, your choice of childhood favourite games (Doom and Monkey Island) made me laugh given mine and Joe endless debates on the subject (Doom's better!)
aw Maddy, that was a really touching read. It's good to hear you embrace your inner geek too! Once you come out - there's no going back!
Next time you visit we're having a gaming marathon to celebrate - and I'll play you the portal theme tune (which im trying and ever so slightly failing to learn).
It's strange though, I didnt recognise any of the games you mentioned apart from the big two - monkey island and doom (which do you prefer? Remember you're gonna break one person's heart whatever you say). I started gaming with Repton, then later Earthworm Jim, Sonic, Dizzy, stuff like that. We'll have to compare notes one time, see what we both missed out on.
Erm, Doom or Monkey Island? Monkey Island or Doom? Sorry Ben, gotta be Monkey Island :-P
I'm still not the biggest fan of first person shooters. For example, about 4 years ago playing Alien on my PS1 with Hev resulted in a similar situation to that of Doom as a child... Apart from neither of us dare kiil the Aliens. *shudder*. I'm much better now, my therapy was to complete Halo3, which initially terrified me - but I'm no longer afriad of death! That's what respawns are for! I am Master Chief! Maybe gaming death was so scary because I was used to Mario - lose all your lives and start again :-(. I like humour in a game hence Monkey Island. I didn't expect the humour that there was in Assassins Creed, albeit simple one liners from citizens "what is that man doing?""If he falls, I am NOT going to help him."... which sound very lame now I've typed it! But made me chucle every time. What also made me chuckle was 'blending' while walkng over the pile of guards I just slayed, while other guards seam oblivious to the fact that there is a dude with throwing knives and a huge sword strapped to his back. I wonder if I could rob Tesco like that?
I don't know Repton or Dizzy. I remember playing on Sonic, and that Alex kid thing... i preferred that! And earthworm Jim... they made a cartoon of that didn't they? I also forgot to mention my Pokemon obsession at 16 yrs old. Yeah. Hmmm...
Originally Posted by Ragdoll84 I also remember playing this platform game on the PC (around 1990-1992 maybe) where you are a space man and jump around the screen collecting multi-colour gems.
Originally Posted by Jamie Sounds like Crystal Caves
Aww, thanks Jamie, I got really excited then - I've been trying to remember this one on and off for years. Unfortunately that's not it :-( I particularly remember levels outside, with a star spangled night sky as a backdrop. And the platform game play kinda moved across horizontally, like mario. And that's all I have to go on!
Comments 76 to 97 of 97
need I say more?
My parents detested it, so i was confined to playing at friends' places.
The games that grabbed me the most are:
Mario Bros. 1 (NES)
Legend of Zelda 1 (NES)
Ridge Racer Revolution (PS1)
Destruction Derby (PS1)
Final Fantasy 7 (PS1)
Civilisation 2 (PC)
Homeworld (PC)
GTA-SA, multiplayer mod called MTA (PC)
I think i played about 75-150 other games all the way or almost through, and i tried out around 1000. I honoustly don't know the exact numbers, but i try out a LOT of games. The ones listed above all have given me 500+ hours of gameplay, with Destruction Derby as an absolute winner, i think i played that for over 2000 hours. What an absolutely fantastic game that was...
As to the why...
All these games gave me the feeling that i was somebody else then i really am. Somebody fantastic, somebody cool, somebody insanely skilled, somebody that holds the fte of the world in his hands.
The word I am always looking for in games is immersive. I want to be in the game. Final Fantasy 7 is the winner for me there. Without a single shred of doubt the most compelling and immersive game ever made - by far. Nothing has ever come close, and since i'm a bit older and have a bit more "natural" distance from being sucked into my screen, nothing will ever again come close for me.
Then my dad brought home from Dixons an Acetronic MPU-1000. Space Invaders being the highlight and the plane combat was fun too. The soccer game was scary as hell half time always use to make me jump.
That got ditched for a Sanyo MPC-100 MSX home computer. Some fantastic games were available for the MSX range of computers. Eric and the Floaters, Trailblazer, Avenger. Spent many hours typing out Basic copied from magazines for very little results!
The Amiga 500 was next to take pride of place. It took over my life for years. Lotus Turbo Challenge was probably the reason I got one in the first place. Just too many amazing games Pinball Dreams, Armageddon, Another World, Speedball 2. I was also addicted to buying public domain demo disks.
Having a younger brother also didnt help me escape to the real world. I brought him Thunderforce 4 for his Sega mega drive and always played it more than him.
The trusty Amiga retired graciously to the loft when the Playstation entered the fray. Wipeout was jaw dropping.
I purchase my first PC thinking I would mainly use it for music and surfing, but Half Life was a must. Homeworld changed me too.
The Playstation got fed up with being upside down so a PS2 took its place. Gran Turismo being the game of choice or any other good racer.
The PS2 just got sold recently to make way for a wii. The 10 pin bowling is quality.
I cant say if there has been one defining game over my experiences of all these platforms. Just that I have had many happy hours sitting in front of a screen improving my eye hand coordination and I think it will continue until the arthritis sets in.
Blimey yes - most demos were amazing. Remember Eric Schwartz' animations? Amy the Squirrel? I remember one that had an animation of a head that sang, "Please, release me, let me go.." then the head flew round the screen like a balloon deflating.
My PS also ended up on its side, despite mucking about with the pots inside. It's the only way I could get FMV's to play smoothly.
That is all.
I really liked stuff by The Silents. They did a music disc called Blues House that had a Lander type game to play while you listened to the tunes. Was cool. I spent days watching demos and listening to music disks. Remember not being able to sleep because of it due to all the spinning cubes in my head...
I remember us playing until late in the night, taking turns, and his mother complaining we should be into bed already.
I also remember that we didn't understand half the rules and half the game's messages, since we were only just learning English at school.
What's always great about a game - and it was esp. great there - is when you have a real person you can share the experience with.
I've played all other Civ titles since then, but nothing can beat sitting in front of a tube and arguing about what to do next with that "chariot". :D
That's going to be the slogan for all old-age homes once us mousepushers start reaching that age :D
has bit-tech found its next columnist? because that was brilliantly put.
Remind me to tell the PC at home not to remember my forum login details anymore. And then kill myself with embaressment. :o
I wouldn't be embarrassed, your father does have a very good point. and its starting to make me wonder if writing talent is genetic.
Apologies for a very late response to this. Im off sick at the mo., and random interweb stalking led to me this article, which then led me to cry, and has now ultimately led me to leave a very long and grammatically lacking response (my apologies, and congratulations to anyone who reads it all).
Although Ive played computer games since I could sit up at one, Id never considered myself a gamer until this last year or so. Which, on analysis, could have been down to the company I have kept, which includes your good self, and my ex-boyfriend, for starters. But on deeper analysis Ive come to the conclusion that this is the reason that I have rediscovered my inner gamer, rather than THE reason I would consider myself a gamer. Well, part-time gamer anyhow.
Ive had to really rack my memory to remember the first game I remember playing, and have landed back sometime in the late 1980s (1987/88?), at about 3/4years old, sat at our dining room table playing on Qbert. My Dad was a computer engineer so I presume the pc was borrowed, and the dining table was more frequently used for computer related activities, than those relate to fine cuisine. This NEVER changed throughout his life, and the only times I particularly remember using the dining table for food was Christmas, or to rest my Pot Noodle on while on the computer. From then, up until my teens, nearly every game I played on will have been because my Dads excitedly said Maddy, come and play on this....
Since Qbert, games from my early years that stick out are New Zealand Story and Space Invaders on the Commodore 64, and Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on my Nannas NES. My Nanna gave me the NES after a few years because the controllers made her hands sweaty. My mother threw the NES away at some point when I was at University because it was old, along with the aforementioned game, Bayou Billy, and Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers. BECAUSE IT WAS OLD! I can NEVER forgive her. But I digress... I also remember playing this platform game on the PC (around 1990-1992 maybe) where you are a space man and jump around the screen collecting multi-colour gems. Im sure there was a deeper meaning and story to this, but as a 7 year old girl with magpie syndrome this passed me by. However, there are 2 games that I remember playing most vividly: Monkey Island and Doom. Even more vividly, I remember I was never alone, and always had my Dad by my side playing these games with me. Especially on Doom, where game play went as follows: I walk round looking for monsters; I find monsters; I get scared and hand over to Daddy to kill it cos I dont like it. In the event of him not being in the room I got highly skilled at pausing and screaming Daaaaaaaaaaadddd! Come kill this monster! at the top of my lungs.
At high school I didnt really have many friends, and tried very hard to fit-in. What a waste of time! The reason Im saying this is because I dont have any childhood memories of playing computer games with friends. All my experience of gaming was family related. And when youre at school trying to gain an ounce of popularity, anything related to family activities was not cool. So I didnt play on computers with the people that I tried to hang out with. Nor did I hang out with the people who played on computers. High school sucks. Fortunately, I have now learnt to be myself, and that people like me for it. They do. I have friends... :-D They play computer games, and are cool. Apart from Joe. Hes just grumpy. The games that have helped me rediscover my inner geek are Tales of Symphonia on the Game Cube, and my recently completed Assassins Creed, Halo 3, and Portal. Wherein the latter of which the cake actually isnt a lie hurrah!
So, thanks to these friends who have helped me to not only rediscover my inner geek, but to embrace it and be proud of it. And a special thanks to Joe for writing such an inspirational article, which has prompted me to discover that my reasoning for liking computer games is far from them being superficial time-filling activities. They hold a deeper meaning of connection to simpler happy times with my Dad, who passed away a year ago. Hed have bloody loved Portal!
Brought a tear to my eye Maddy. Allow me to buy you a drink next time our paths cross. And give me a chance to redeem myself on Mario Kart. And Wario Ware. And Super Bomberman. And all those other games you beat me at that afternoon, lol.
Btw, your choice of childhood favourite games (Doom and Monkey Island) made me laugh given mine and Joe endless debates on the subject (Doom's better!)
:)
aw Maddy, that was a really touching read. It's good to hear you embrace your inner geek too! Once you come out - there's no going back!
Next time you visit we're having a gaming marathon to celebrate - and I'll play you the portal theme tune (which im trying and ever so slightly failing to learn).
It's strange though, I didnt recognise any of the games you mentioned apart from the big two - monkey island and doom (which do you prefer? Remember you're gonna break one person's heart whatever you say). I started gaming with Repton, then later Earthworm Jim, Sonic, Dizzy, stuff like that. We'll have to compare notes one time, see what we both missed out on.
Erm, Doom or Monkey Island? Monkey Island or Doom? Sorry Ben, gotta be Monkey Island :-P
I'm still not the biggest fan of first person shooters. For example, about 4 years ago playing Alien on my PS1 with Hev resulted in a similar situation to that of Doom as a child... Apart from neither of us dare kiil the Aliens. *shudder*. I'm much better now, my therapy was to complete Halo3, which initially terrified me - but I'm no longer afriad of death! That's what respawns are for! I am Master Chief! Maybe gaming death was so scary because I was used to Mario - lose all your lives and start again :-(. I like humour in a game hence Monkey Island. I didn't expect the humour that there was in Assassins Creed, albeit simple one liners from citizens "what is that man doing?""If he falls, I am NOT going to help him."... which sound very lame now I've typed it! But made me chucle every time. What also made me chuckle was 'blending' while walkng over the pile of guards I just slayed, while other guards seam oblivious to the fact that there is a dude with throwing knives and a huge sword strapped to his back. I wonder if I could rob Tesco like that?
I don't know Repton or Dizzy. I remember playing on Sonic, and that Alex kid thing... i preferred that! And earthworm Jim... they made a cartoon of that didn't they? I also forgot to mention my Pokemon obsession at 16 yrs old. Yeah. Hmmm...
Sounds like Crystal Caves
Aww, thanks Jamie, I got really excited then - I've been trying to remember this one on and off for years. Unfortunately that's not it :-( I particularly remember levels outside, with a star spangled night sky as a backdrop. And the platform game play kinda moved across horizontally, like mario. And that's all I have to go on!
E.g. BC Kid - So utterly brilliant. Who wouldn't want to play as an egg-headed caveman who nutts enemies into submission?
Elf - First every hybrid genre game? Part platformer, part puzzle game, part RPG, impossibly difficult. I never made it past level 5 (:D)