Blog Banter : Memorable Gaming Moments
1 12 2007Blog Banter is a group of bloggers passionate about anything and everything video games. We enjoy getting together once a month to write about the same subject. You will be amazed at the different viewpoints so many people can have on the exact same topic! Links to all the participant’s articles can be found here. If you are interested in participating, contact bs angel for more information. Enjoy our stories!
I was approximately three years old when I stumbled upon the wonderful world of gaming. One fateful afternoon I discovered our wonderfully classic Pachinko machine and happily wasted away the day watching the marbles lift off and fall back down through the hard wooden pegs over, and over, and over. While it wasn’t your typical start to gaming, it was my introduction into the amazing gaming world that I now inhabit.
My earliest most memorable gaming moment involves a classic game released by Atari in 1979. In this game you are spaceship that has to shoot big ol’ floating space rocks and flying saucers in order to survive. Oh yes, Asteroids was where it was at back in the day.
First let me say I am against reading instructions and directions of any kind. I would much rather waste ungodly amounts of time trying to figure everything out by myself and getting incredibly frustrated in the process. And no, I will never learn my lesson.
Anyways, I loved playing Asteroids and had logged numerous days on it when I accidentally discovered you could move your ship. No, you are not stuck in the middle in that one spot! Who knew? I started zipping around extremely fast, unfortunately always directly into an asteroid. After playing that game for so long by staying just in the middle, moving around did not work for me. The temporary excitement of discovering the new controls wore off, and I quickly abandoned moving and went back to staying stagnant where you spawn.
Now my strategy is even better. I stay in the middle constantly rotating in circles and shooting as fast as I can. I got mad skillz yo. I bet you can pass several levels using my tried and true technique (simply keep one arrow key held down to spin while hitting the spacebar as quickly as you can). You can thank me for the tip later.
Fast forward to our current generation of games. I love the scary/horror/gore genre. I play those games with the room completely dark and the surround sound cranked up to ear shattering levels. There has only been one game that I couldn’t play like that because it was too scary and that was Doom 3. One moment in particular stands out to me for a very specific reason. That reason is because I almost crapped my pants.
I will never forget the first time I encountered the nightmarish Cherub. The Cherub is a flying demon with the face of a baby and horribly sharp claws. They quickly pop out at you out of nowhere and their face comes into focus just as they are closing in. It is quite horrific to have a demonic enemy with the head of a baby trying to claw you to death with its crustacean like pinchers.
I have yet to find a game that is as scary as Doom 3. Jericho, despite being purchased at launch, still has not had its seal broken. Will that be the game to rival the horrors from hell I have already faced? Doubtful, but time will tell.
What are your most memorable gaming moments? Negative, positive, retro, next gen, what sticks out in your mind?
I believe the first game I played might of been Space Invaders, I used to waste hours upon hours trying to get past level one…then I think there was the PS1, with Spyro and Crash Banidcoot, those were the good ol days. Then, along game Pokemon, I would hardly ever be seen away from my deer little Gameboy….
Then came the PS2 with Ratchet and Clank, then came the GBA with Super Mario and Zelda, then came the PSP, which was sorta dissapointing and sorta not. Then, there was Halo1 on the P.C, and from then on it’s been the good old king of kings, the 360 ^_^.
You asked for my ramblings, but I could go on for aaaaagggggeeessss.
Be prepared for a long story.
When I was 3, my sister and brother showed me Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Frogger. I played them all the same day. My favorite one out of the three was Donkey Kong.
I was very frustrated with each of those games, but I kept on playing them. I remember always changing the huge D batteries in the mini-arcade machines,as the batteries would run out from me continuously playing them.
My Dad bought me those handheld arcade games that fit in your hand- I believe the company that made them was Tiger. That’s when I was introduced to Sonic, Muppets, and Lamb Chop. I spent so much time playing those games.
There was one time I was so pissed that the batteries had died.
Anyways, when I moved to Arizona (i was 6 at the time) My Dad bought my brother and I a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and we played games like Super Mario Kart, Kirby Superstar, and Top Gear. Those 3 games we played the most out of any other SNES game. I have many fond memories of those games- I remember that we only had a 5 inch black and white t.v. in the house, so that was all we played on- and then one day we brought our SNES to our Dad’s office and we played on a huge color screen. It was really cool.
We would go down to Great Skate, where they had an arcade section, and I played games like Area 51, and Mortal Kombat.
I got a Game Boy Pocket for a Hannukah present when I was 8, and I got into two games: Dead Heat Scramble, and Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. Those games were hardcore. Eventually Pokemon came out, and I amasses over 170 hours on the Blue Version. My brother and I would always have Pokemon battles.
Then, my brother bought a Playstation when we were in 4th grade. That’s when we saw technology evolving. I spent many many hours playing games like Spyro, Final Fantasy IV,V,VI,VII,VIII and IX. Who could forget when Aeris died in FF VII? I could never- I was so sad when she died, I did not play the game for months.
I also tried to play Metal Gear Solid, but the controls were too difficult for me at the time. Also very scary.
Perhaps the most scariest thing I ever saw was the trailer to Parasite Eve for the Playstation. The opera music combined with mutating monsters freaked me out.
I remember the day we got Ridge Racer Evolution for the Playstation, and a wheel too. Wow. Was that awesome. The graphics, music and realism really blew me away. I loved Ridge Racer.
Then of course was the Resident Evil moments… augh lets not go there…
Sim City 2000 was a game I spent alot of time with as well. That was a great game. I loved the music in it.
I got a Nintendo 64 when I was 10. The first game I got was Mario Kart 64. AWESOME. Its funny seeing that game on the Wii’s virtual console. Pokemon Snap was probably the most unique game I played at the time. It was so cute.
And of course, I spent so many hours with Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark. Those two games scared me very much, but wow, were they excellent games.
Anyways, I could go and on about this, but my favorite gaming moment in my life was getting xbox live. Because that is the one thing that actually had meaning… I met such wonderful people on there… including you, Angel : )
Excellent post, angel. I’m one of those peopel that didn’t think Doom was too bad, but I played it during the day on Xbox Live Co op, so I guess that took a lot away. Condemned is bad though!
Also enjoyed reading your comment, Silvercube.
One thing I remember the most was fighting with friends of mine to play the TMNT video game on the NES. We’d have kicking and screaming matches because we both wanted to play, but didn’t want to give anyone else the spot.
I can’t remember how old I was when I started to play with video games. I’d guess around 5 or so? My mom had the NES, and I always played Zelda (albeit I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.. I just ran around fighting people?) and of course getting addicted to Super Mario Brothers 3. I think I even was horribly obsessed with Mario Paint and would always whine at my mom to rent it for me.
I was a Nintendo fangirl for most of my life. Though I never really got into gaming after the N64 game out. It wasn’t until Halo 2 that I got back into gaming on the console. For awhile there you couldn’t tear me away from the PS2. I was so damn addicted to Star Wars Battlefront, MLB 2005, and the Lord of the Rings turn based RPGs (I think it was for ROTK?).
Fast forward to getting my 360, and well, I play every. day. And I love it.
Crazyeye0, take a note from Silvercube, ramblings are always welcome! LOL …
Awesome stories. I love reading everybody’s because I played a lot of those games as well. Space Invaders, Super Mario, Zelda, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Mortal Kombat, TMNT, Star Wars Battlefront, … good stuff.
Memorable gaming moment… it’s still clear in my head. There I was, at my PC playing Halo: Combat Evolved, the Master Chief had just opened up a door when a dead Marine fell through. The silence was eerie… the music that started up, also eerie. The film clip from Private Jenkins’ helmet, very eerie.
I almost crapped my pants when the Flood entered the room. I have never had a game play with my emotions like that before. I was in awe.
I have so many great Halo moments as well, the most notable one being driving that hog on the final level of CE. Just so exhilarating.
“Memorable gaming moment… it’s still clear in my head. There I was, at my PC playing Halo: Combat Evolved, the Master Chief had just opened up a door when a dead Marine fell through. The silence was eerie… the music that started up, also eerie. The film clip from Private Jenkins’ helmet, very eerie.
I almost crapped my pants when the Flood entered the room. I have never had a game play with my emotions like that before. I was in awe.”
This, this all the way. I remember that erlier this year when i got it on P.C, that i think, was the only moment in my gaming history which actualy freaked me out.
Also, thanks for the tip BS =D
Angel!
I decided to unofficially banter on my blog about my gaming moments.
http://stuicide.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/memorable-gaming-moments/
Sad youth… remember those little hand-held football games with the black screen and the little red dots for the football and the players… which reminds me of those metal, vibrating football fields, plastic players and the tiny foam footballs. I was aweful at those!
Happy youth… Intellivision… good feelings!
Happy college years… computer game Xwing vs. Tie Fighter and following series… the most excellent dog fighting style games I have every played in my life.
Happy post college years… Doom 3 and Duke Nukem…. good feelings!
Happy last 20’s… N64 Goldeneye and N64 Destruction Derby
OMG this is the most amazing thing of my life… xbconnect.com allowing us to play Halo by online LAN… I have no idea how that all worked but it swept me off my feet and I have been in love ever since.
Know what’s crazy? The first time I ever played Halo… I thought it was stupid. I’m such an idiot!
Now my wife has to drag me off the sofa to get me to go to bed with her.
The scariest game I’ve ever played was Alien vs Predator on the PC. Running around as a marine being chased by swarms of aliens hot on your heels is enough to give anyone nightmares!
I remember another moment, call me a wuss, but the zombie levels on TimeSplitters3 freaked me out first time round.
Unofficial participation is welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.
yay, i made the cut! good to be a part of the team…
Alright… I never played Doom… in fact the only [sort of] FPS I might have played is Max Payne.
Liked everyone elses banter especially Silvercube’s.
Ok…i’ll post an unofficial Blog Banter: Memorable Gaming Moments here if it’s okay Angel
My first memory of video games was Atari and that game I believe it was Flight of the Condors or Condor, whatever it was… I remember being addicted to it and I think I was 6 or 7 when I first got my Atari console from my brother. He worked in Saudi for a year and came home and surprised her little sis with the Atari Console…of course I didnt know what the heck to do with it and I remember the first thing I said was “uhh what is it?” LOL! My brother hooked it up and bam! I was hooked! I think I even got another game after I beat that one, Galaga I think it was or something that really looks like one (forgive my old mom memory).
Now everytime I see Galaga (and again…something that looked like it) I always HAD to play it let it be in arcades, movie theatres and those classic downloadable games in PS3…yes I bough it! Now I just have to find that Flight of the Condors, I really have to google that name, I’m not even sure if it is called that! Oh no wait…thank you Google! it’s Condor Attack!!
**tear*** ahh memories!