Your Game History

[TornadoCreator]

Well, I thought this would be a good way  to get to know each other and discuss gaming at the same time. So what's your gaming history? Here's mine;

 

Started gaming in 1991 when I got my first console; the Master System. Only had a few games including Alex Kidd, Enduro Racer, The Ninja, Paperboy, Sonic The Hedgehog, Lucky Dime Caper and Castle Of Illusion. I think that was my entire library as a kid.

 

Christmas 1993 I got a SEGA Mega Drive and thanks to car boot sales, charity shops and my cousins who would sell off their old games; I actually had a massive library of games. More than 50 games in 3 years, though I have none off them now. My guess is my parents traded them in without telling me, or they're in a box in the attic and have been for over 15 years. 

 

After the Mega Drive I got a Sega Saturn in early 1997 I think, which I eventually gave away, much to my regret now. I had some genuinely collectable games on it too and I'd like in time to build up a good Saturn collection. Meanwhile my brother got an SNES second hand and for his birthday in 1998 he got a Playstation... so now we're a multi-platform household which back then was rare.

 

My first launch console was my Dreamcast in 1999, as an early Christmas present. It's still to this day a console I love and regularly play. My brother would go on to get a PS2 in 2001, and I bought one second hand in late 2002 though I never really got my own games for it. My cousin had an N64 and Gamecube during this time but I never played them much. At one point they even had a 3DO and a Neo Geo. In 2000 I got a Gameboy Colour which was my first handheld... it was used mainly for Pokémon.

 

In 2002 I got my first PC, though we'd had a family PC in the living room since 1993 so PC gaming wasn't anything new to me... though now I didn't have to fight my mum for gaming time on the PC, (yes my mum is an old school PC gamer). This same year I got my Gameboy Advance, again mainly for Pokémon and now Golden Sun too.

 

I got my Xbox in 2004 mainly to play DVDs as I was at University and didn't have a DVD player. It felt like the spiritual sucessor to the Dreamcast though, and the KOTOR games where awesome. I got a PSP for Christmas 2005, which I feel is very underrated as a system.

 

I was given my first Xbox 360 for free by a roommate because it was "on the way out anyway" when he upgraded to the Elite in late 2007, my parents then bought me another one that Christmas despite me telling them I already had one many times; the one they bought me never bloody worked anyway. They bought it off my cousin and he'd clearly not looked after it because it had graphical glitches whenever I tried to play games in it. It became a glorified DVD player. The "on-the-way-out" console lasted me for 4 years of heavy use, it wasn't looked after, often had clothes or pizza boxes piled on it... and it was a release day model. When it finally red-ringed, it earned it.

 

I got my PS3 back in 2012, and I had three fats, none of which lasted more than 6 weeks... never buy preowned PS3s. Eventually, I got a PS3 slim in early 2013, which is my primary console to this day. I got my 3DS in early 2013 also, though for a long time I had no games for it and borrowed my sisters copy of Super Mario 3D Land, I did have Pokémon SoulSilver for DS though.

 

Lastly there's this year, I got my Vita in February and love it, my favourite system if I'm honest. Most recent of all though is the Wii U which I got last week... and it rocks.

 

So that's my, very abridged history with video games. I look forward to reading others.

[Strangelove]

I honestly don't remember exact dates.

I know my first system I actually owned was the Sega Genesis. Before that I was solely playing on my cousin's NES. Not sure why I picked the Genesis over the SNES. SNES was probably more expensive.

After that I bought a Gameboy, then a Gameboy Color.

Then around the time FF7 came out I bought a PSX after having played it at my friends house.

From then on I remember trading in my systems for credit toward a new system. This is when I started doing it.

I got a Gameboy Advance, then eventually an Advance SP.

I bought my PS2 around the time Tekken Tag Tournament came out. I traded in my PSX at this time. And honestly, I'm not sure why I got a ps2 at the time. Tekken Tag was the only decent thing I could find at the time I bought it. I guess I just wanted something new and shiny.

Is this around the time the DS came out? I don't remember, but the DS was the first system I ever bought myself with my own money. I was in college at the time. I got it bundled with a Mario and Luigi RPG I can't remember. Something about time or something. I eventually ended up getting a DS Lite.

Then I got a PS3 in late 2007. I bought it with Ninja Gaiden Sigma. I think around this time my ps2 had stopped reading discs.

then I got a PSP years later. I don't remember why either. Years after that I bought a used PSP Go, which I still have and is awesome.

I then bought a used PS2 slim from a friend to play my old ps2 games. I still have it hooked up to my tv to this day.

Got a Wii around the time Smash Bros Brawl came out.

My fat ps3 died around late 2010 and I ended up buying a ps3 slim when those came out.

Eventually I got a 3DS.....twice for some reason. The first one I traded in for credit towards a Vita and the second time I traded in for credit towards an iPad Mini. I just wasn't a fan of it. Still ain't. I've had a lot more fun with the Vita and the iPad mini.

Then I got a PS4 on release day. And a Wii U after that. Sadly, I'm not a fan of the Wii U either. I'll probably sell it once I need money for ps4 games.

 

I'm a real Mario and Castlevania whore. That's basically the reason I've bought every Nintendo handheld til now. Though I think that might be over with.

I'm primarily a Playstation fan overall. I have great memories of all my playstation consoles.

I've steered clear of Xbox solely because of the focus that they put on the fps genre and online multiplayer. Two things I still tend to dislike to this day. There are exceptions, but for the most part I'm not a fan.

 

My timeline is severely out of order, but that's off the top of my head.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Strangelove

[TCP]

My older brother had an NES, which he must have got when I was very young because I don't ever remember us not having it. I still have it, but I lost my power chord and controllers. 

When I was 7, I got a SNES for Christmas. Mortal Kombat, Toy Story (??), Super Mario All-Stars (with SMW), and Donkey Kong Country 3 were the only games I ever owned, but I'd generally rent a game every weekend.

Around this time I was using my brothers original Gameboy fairly often. I beat Metroid 2 as my first game ever completed.

When I was 10ish, I got an N64 with Mario Kart 64 for Christmas. Also around that period came a Gameboy Colour with Pokemon Yellow. However by the time I was in high school, I started feeling a little burnt by Nintendo, as I felt they hadn't grown with me. 

So at that point I sort of just gave up on gaming, not sure why, I got really into music though and at that point I tended to get really absorbed into one hobby and ignored the others. However I did briefly own a PS2, long enough to play and beat  Vice City, and then I sold it to buy a Fender bass amp, the same Fender bass amp I sold to (partly) finance my PS4... theee ciiiiiiiircccle of liiiiife. The only gaming I did after that was playing through Minish Cap via an emulator. I never owned a Gamecube, GBA, or Xbox.

So fastforward to 2008, I'm done schooling, dating a really hot girl whom I spend most of my time with. However, I knew that wasn't going to last, so I got an Xbox 360, then we broke up a few days later, mostly because she was cray-cray, as the young folks say, also she just kind of starfished in bed, not fun. Anyways, I picked up Fable 2 and got really into it, from there gaming sucked me back in.

I saw my brother in law playing Twilight Princess on a Wii, and I remember being really impressed with how Link climbed on vines (??) so I got a Wii from Walmart right after that. 

One night in 2010 I watched the trailers for The Last Guardian and Final Fantasy Versus 13. Those two games got me really stoked for PlayStation 3. Trailers like that and LittleBigPlanet and Heavy Rain made me realize that PlayStation had the kind of games I wanted, so soon after that I got a PS3. Within a month or two the PS3 quickly became my main console, to the point where I didn't even have my 360 plugged in anymore.

Also within this period I got a DS Lite and a PSP-3000. The PSP remains my favourite handheld of that generation.

However, I got the best handheld of all time, the PlayStation Vita, a few weeks before launch thanks to an Amazon.ca fuck up. Since then after my PS3/4 Vita has always been my secondary console. I play a lot of it at home on the couch while my fiance watches bad TV.

I bought a Wii U at launch, don't know why, it sat there unused up until recently.

I sold my 360 to (also) (partly) finance my PS4, which I got at launch.

 

So in summary: I've never owned anything Sega.

[TornadoCreator]

Cool histories so far. Interesting to see how there's little actual brand loyalty going on so far. People seem happy to jump between console brands when it suits them which is good.

[TheMightyEthan]

I got an NES sometime before first grade (I was no older than 6, and it was no later than 1992), but I don't know exactly when.  I didn't have many games for it, but I remember having SMB2 & 3, some Sesame Street game, and maybe one other one that I feel like I can vaguely remember, but can't get a good enough grasp on to even guess at what it was.

 

Some time after that, at least after I had started first grade, and probably not while I was in first grade, but again I don't remember for sure, I got a Sega Genesis.  It was awesome!  I had all 4 Sonic games, and played the shit out of them even though they were hard as balls, and also a Batman brawler of some kind that I liked because it was Batman but am sure it was actually terrible.  Around this time my cousins had a Game Gear, and I was SO jealous.

 

I got a Nintendo 64 for Christmas 1996 (when I was 10) with Mario 64, which was amazeballs.  I remember that year at the local Walmart they had the display version that you could play, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever because it was 3D!  I had more games for the 64, of particular note being Mario Kart, Ocarina of Time, the first Zelda I ever played, and Goldeneye.  Mario Kart and Goldeneye particularly my cousins and sisters all played together a lot, cause over the summer we'd stay at our grandma's house during the day.  We also rented various incarnations of Mario Party incessantly, resulting in huge blisters on our palms from those stick-rotating games.

 

Then around 6th grade or so I got a Playstation from my mom's boyfriend (originally we were just borrowing his but when they broke up he let us keep it) with Tales of Destiny, which I loved.  Still do.  I never really got much into Playstation gaming though, played Final Fantasy VII and VIII a little but they never hooked me.

 

Also around that time I got a Gameboy Color (transparent purple, fuck yeah!) with Pokemon Yellow, because obviously.  It was great, but I never really played much else on it.

 

ALSO around that time I started to kind of get into PC gaming.  Mostly Tribes and then strategy games, particularly Starcraft and Homeworld.  One of my friends and I would play Starcraft online almost every night, and then when we'd hang out on the weekends we'd rent the 64 version (because who has two computers at their house?).  We and a couple of our other friends would also often rent the 64 version of Quake 2 to play together.

 

I got an Xbox at launch and fell in love with Halo.  All throughout high school and college my friends and I would play LAN games of Halo any chance we could.  We also all modded our Xboxes, which significantly broadened the scope of games we were able to play because money was no longer an issue.  I also continued to grow in PC gaming, playing mostly strategy games there.  I also got a Gamecube when I started college, pretty much exclusively for the Nintendo-developed games.  The farther into the that generation the more I played on PC and the less on console.

 

I got a 360 for Christmas 2006 and started playing more console games again because my computer couldn't keep up.  By this point my tastes had gotten pretty broad, I'm not even going to attempt to catalog what all I played.  Again, as the generation wore on I started to get more into PC gaming, though I did get a PS3 in I think 2010 or 11 for the exclusives.  But other than exclusives by 2013 I was playing pretty much everything on PC.

 

I got a Wii U and PS4 each at launch, and an Xbone in April this year.  I'm back to playing mostly console games, but anticipate in a couple years I'll build a new PC and start the slide back to that side.

 

There are also a few handhelds in there (I've owned a GBA, PSP, DS Lite, Vita), but they've never been a major part of my gaming since the GBC.

[TCP]

What consoles have you guys got rid of? I sold my SNES to buy games like Jet Force Gemini and Donkey Kong 64... one of the great regrets in my life. As I mentioned, I also sold my PS2 (but I got another one a few years ago from my brother) and my 360. Otherwise I still have my NES and my N64, plus my Wii and PS3 and still connected to various TVs (though the Wii is essentially a Gamecube now). 

[TheMightyEthan]

As far as home consoles I've still got everything since my Xbox, but nothing from before that. As far as mobile I've still got all of them but my PSP.

[Alex Heat]

I remember getting the original NES in 1989 on Christmas.  That moment, when I was a wee lad of 4 years old, ended my life as I knew it right there.  Over the years, my family accumulated well over 100 games, some good, most bad.  We ended up trading a lot of them in to buy an SNES not long after it came out (about...a year I think?).  I played that a helluva lot and would occasionally loan it to one of my friends in exchange for his Sega Genesis (and sometimes my older cousin in exchange for his Sega CD).

 

The Sega Saturn largely passed me by (but I did buy one in like 2006 along with Shining Force 3), especially after I got a taste of the original Playstation.  My brother bought it, so my access to it was relatively limited then outright lost when he went to college.  I got one for my birthday about a year and a half to two years afterwards along with an N64 that my brother got for $80 from his friend who worked at a toy store in the mall (I assume he didn't work there much longer).

 

Ever since then, I primarily game on the system with most of the games I want (which was the PS2) or the one that most of my friends own (which was the 360 once that came out).  This gen, I already switched over to the PS4  Eventually, I own all the big name consoles on the market so I have access to all the games.

[Eleven]

Oooh... Let's see...

 

We started out playing River Raid on the Atari. This and missile command was the only game I remember, but I'm sure there were more, as we were swapping cartridges with our neighbor.

 

My dad came back from Japan and got us a Family Computer. After a while, it was replaced with a NES. Or whatever the hell it is, because when I search for NES, it doesn't look like our NES. But whatever. It plays the bootleg cartridges we bought. Tons of them. This included, of course, Mario 3, one of the best games ever.

 

I was sick one day, and I wanted to play GI Joe on the NES, so I asked my mom for permission. She said no, but said go play on the computer (PC). I didn't realize there could be other games on the PC (I thought the PC was for work and the only game on it was some sort of typing tutor). We played Steel Thunder (the most awesome tank sim ever!), Dune 2, and the 2 Prince of Persia games.

 

My dad got us a SEGA Megadrive (16 bit!), and there was Sonic, and Royal Rumble (we were crazy about the WWE back then). I got my mind blown by the X-Men game. At the end of one level, Professor X asked us to "reset the computer now!". There were no switches anywhere. Could he talking about the reset button on the system? We pressed it and woah... mind blown.

 

Then my dad came home 1 day and got us Eye of the Beholder 3, for the PC. This was awesome. It was our first RPG, and it got us into RPGs, and I only stopped playing RPGs when I bought my first ever console, which would come later.

 

In any case, we played all the D&D games. EoB 3 (we never had 1 and 2), we then got Ravenloft, and Menzoberranzan (Drizzt is awesome).

 

Dad bought TES: Arena, but during the intro there was this error: "Memory list blown.". So we never got to play it. Not sure what the hell that was, I guess we didn't meet the system requirements. We went back to our D&D RPGs. Then he bought TES: Daggerfall (seriously, I don't know where he gets these games), that game made us upgrade our hardware due to its whopping 200 MB of required disk space. I love this game. We played this for about 2 years non-stop, almost never playing anything else. Just the sheer size of that world and all the things you could do in it. This is probably my all time favorite game.

 

This led to Fallout, then Fallout 2, the Might and Magic RPGs, then TES: Morrowind, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights, and other RPGs in between like Arcanum and Lionheart. I loved western RPGs. I was a PC gamer race all the way up to college.

 

Then I got a job. All this time though I had really wanted a PlayStation. I never had a PS1 but I've played some on my friend's house. So anyway, around this time, FFXII was released, and I bought a PS2 as recommended by a friend. This was my first jRPG ever, and I loved it. I had thought the genre was silly, due to it's little boy protagonists compared to the grown men adventurers used in Western RPGs. Anyhoo, This got me into other jrpgs like Chrono Cross (which I played on a hacked PSP), and FFX. I thought both these games had an amazing story, I loved the twist in Chrono Cross, and I loved the drama in FFX.

 

Later on, I got a PS3 because I wanted to play TES: Oblivion. Crazy reason, but that's what it was. 

 

Then I got an XBox 360, mainly because of Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey.

 

And recently, I got a PS4. Still have to find a defining game for the system.

[staySICK]

Well prior to owning any console my first video game was most likely my Dad's old Coleco Galaxian Tabletop Arcade cabinet.  

 

Then for Christmas in 89-91.. somewhere in there... I got the NES with Mario and Duck Hunt.  I remember fondly playing Ninja Turtles, Mario 3, many games on NES.  

 

92 or so we got a SNES at my Mom's place, so when I was there I got to play the MK series, Aladdin (I never played the Genesis version, so the SNES is all I know), Super Mario World, one of my favorite games of all time, and still the best Mario game.

 

I had an Uncle who had the Genesis, and later the Sega CD, so before I even played the SNES Mortal Kombat, I knew the blood code, the joy of the good Sonic games, and playing FMV and arcade shooters at home. He later had a Turbographix 16 (BONK!) and even a Neo Geo.

 

While I was living with my Mom (I was switched back and forth a lot) we got a PlayStation, and I fell in love.  Crash, Tekken, Spyro, and of course Metal Gear Solid.  Tekken 2 and 3 was a family affair in my house; even my Mom would get in the rotation.

 

When Mom and her husband split, he took the PlayStation with him, and by that time I had my first job, so my first console I bought with my own money was... an N64 from a pawn shop.  I was caught up in the GoldenEye craze, but ultimately regretted choosing it over another PlayStation.  At least I could get the N64 versions of THPS.

 

2002 I bought a PS2 from a high school acquaintance, had few games for it since I was just starting out on my own and was very very broke.  GTA3 was the biggest time consumer back then I remember.  As time progressed I got a few more games.  Oddly my first FF game was FFX... in 2004.  Then in 2005 my then roommate's girlfriend sold me an Xbox for $50, and I got xbox live and Halo 2.  It especially came in handy when a good friend of mine moved out of state about a year later... it's how we still communicate and "hang out" to this day.   I worked at a now defunct major electronics store when the 6th gen launched, and I remember Amped and DOA demos really intriguing me on the xbox... I really wanted to play more DOA.  So I got  DOA ultimate and DOA3 as well.  I remember playing and forgoing food for a number of hours unlocking that "bonus disc" of DOAU.  

 

2006 I got a xbox 360... mainly because of Dead Rising.  That was a system seller to me.  2006 I also got my first handheld-- a PSP -- as a Valentine's Day gift from my girlfriend.  2007 I had quit my job in favor of my current one, and a number of months later got an unexpected check in the mail, around the same time they announced the PS3 price drop, so I got one, along with Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Lair, and later Heavenly Sword I think were the first games I remember owning for the system. I really liked Heavenly Sword.  Early 2007 is also when I got a Wii for my wife's birthday, she really wanted one; it was when supply was scarce, so I would hit up the stores every morning after work (I was on night shift) until I came across one.  I only missed her birthday by a few days I think.  

 

2008 is when I built my first computer, I got a 9600 GT a week or so after they came out.  Prior to that I had a prebuilt HP that I had maxed out the gpu slot because the motherboard was only a PCI, not PCI-E.  I also owned an alienware laptop prior to building that pc.  That was a waste of money. I ended up selling it to a friend, and I believe it still runs... somewhat.

[Johnnie Walker]

Started gaming around 1994-1995 on the Atari 2600. Still own that same Atari today.

First games I ever played was Pitfall, Mario Bros. and Asteroids.

 

Acquired a NES a year later, played mostly Legend of Zelda, LoZ The Adventure of Link, Castlevania, Duck Hunt, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Super Mario Bros 1 & 2, and Fester's Quest. A bunch others, but those are the ones I remember the most.

Also owned a Game Boy.

 

In 1997, I got the N64 and that console is most definitely the one that made me into the gamer I am today. I could go on and on about all the games on the N64 that I enjoyed and loved. But my top favorites are Perfect Dark, Golden Eye, Hexen, Duke Nukem 3D, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Turok 1 & 2, Super Smash Bros. and Conker's Bad Furday.

 

GameBoy Color was revolutionary for me tbh. I was like holy shit and I loved it. Pokemon Blue & Silver, Army Men 1 & 2, All LoZ for the BGC.

 

GBA later on, and I thought the GBC was god tier. Pokemon Shappire, all LoZ games for the GBA, Ace Combat Advance, GTA Advance few others I can't think of atm.

 

PS2 and GameCube were really excellent console favorites of mine, but ofc they can never compare to the N64 for me honestly. Favorites are Zelda and the Wind Waker, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Metal Gear Soild, GTA San Andreas, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Bomberman Generation, Call of Duty Big Red One, Spyro A New Beginning, LotR The Two Towers, Mario Party 4, 5, and 6.

 

Never owned an original xbox actually but a friend of mine had one and I use to go over there all the time and play it. Loved a number of games on it including Fable The Lost Chapters, Painkiller Hell Wars, Soul Calibur II, Star Wars Jedi Knight Academy, few others.

 

Got a 360 few years later, not going to go through games I've played on it since it's still a relatively new console for me honestly. Owned a PS3 for a while, but mostly got it for MGS and God of War, as well as other PS3 only games.

 

Switched to PC gaming about 2 years ago. I still enjoy consoles but now I'm a PC gamer at heart. But nothing will still ever be able to compare or beat the N64.

[Nexus]

My parents bought my brother and I a NES. I don't really remember much about it except my dad stayed up all night to beat a Bugs Bunny game, and the Ninja Turtles game was an asshole.

 

We then got a PSX, with World Cup 98, Crash Bandicoot and TOCA Touring Cars. I loved all three of those games. Blah blah Final Fantasy IX blah blah.

 

PS2 came next, closely followed by an XBOX. Always preferred the PS2, but Fable was a masterpiece.

 

I also got an original Gameboy before I got the PSX! Brother hated me because of it. Pokemon Blue was great. 

 

Next came the GBA, and Fire Emblem Sacred Stones!

 

Then I got a PSP - only really remember playing GTA and FIFA on it.

 

I got a DS Lite - yay for Pokemon and somesuch other games (slightly worried I can't remember what else I played)

 

PS3 came next - never had much interest in a 360. Uncharted 2 memories with the PXODers <3

 

3DS XL was a purchase for Pokemon X. 

 

Bought a PS4+Destiny+FIFA 15 yesterday.

 

Main gaming memories are:

 

FFIX

FFIV

FFVIII

FFX

Fifa in various forms

Pro Evo for a bit

International Cricket Captain! 

Gran Turismo 2

Spyro the Dragon

Persona 3 FES and Persona 4

Guitar Hero

Uncharted 2

WWE games in various guises.

Fire Emblems (7 and 8, plus the GameCube one - brother owned the GameCube)

Halo 2+3 at friends houses.

Warcraft 3

Battle for Middle Earth!

 

Rambling on a bit but yeah. Lots of games. Lots of consoles. Mainly Sony, though. 

[TheFlyingGerbil]

So, my question for Brits is did you start gaming on consoles or, as is more the stereotype, on computers such as spectrum, amstrad and commodore? I guess it depends how old you are but when I was young I didn't know anyone with a console, we went from previously mentioned  computers (though I had an Acorn Electron) and on to Amigas and atari (the ST, i think, but definitely a computer not a console). 

[Nexus]

Consoles.

 

Oh I also had a megadrive.