Gaming Made Me Too!

[Townroe]

Always thought this thread was needed...

Gaming to me is just as much about the past as it is the present. There's no doubt gaming has made me when long forgotten memories of games come flooding back in bursts of nostalgia. Triggering smells of the south of growing up, the feeling i had listening to my first nirvana cassette and arguments with my sister. See it wasn't the familiar smell that triggered this recreation nor was it the smell of teen spirit. It's the mention of long forgotten games like Descent, Jagged Alliance or Leisure Suit Larry (Lass Suit Larry as it was known in my circles not exactly sure why) that recreate a moment almost exactly from otherwise irretrievable memories Its interesting also that its often not our most loved games but rather the forgotten ones, the ones that filled a time or a purpose the ones where you played they first two levels of over and over because that's all the demo would allow. See all the nostalgic goodness gets snowed under in our puny brains by worthless things like remembering how to drive or opening bags of crisps. That's exactly why i hold these 'gaming made me' articles with such esteem and think us common folk should indulge in a little 'Gaming made me too!' perhaps sift even more treasured memories to the surface for a bit of lovely reflection of better times? perhaps simpler times? But most definitely of times passed...

Ps. Let brevity be our friend.

[mashakos]

I'm surprised at why no one ever mentions shoot 'em ups. My formative gaming years were dominated by shooters in much the same way FPS games dominate today. R-Type, Xenon2, Space Harrier II, these games hold a special place in my heart and I always see them through the eyes of the 7 year old kid they enchanted.

[Rii]

More than anything else what I like about the Gaming Made Me series of articles is that they acknowledge the subjectivity of gaming. For the most part we talk about games of themselves or as they relate to a particular era or design trend or whatever, but in terms of the actual enjoyment we derive from playing a game, the unique circumstances in which we experience it - when, with whom, etc. - often have as great a role to play as the qualities of the game itself, and our recollections of those games are intimately associated with those circumstances. Donkey Kong Country will always evoke memories of the weeks I spent playing it (courtesy of my cousin's generosity) in hospital with a broken leg. Serious Sam will always be about the insanity of that one evening of LAN-based co-op with my brother during which we made so much noise that our throats were left hoarse. Wind Waker will always be inextricably associated with the lazy week my girlfriend and I spent playing through it. And so on.

[Miked]

I was teaching a guitar lesson the other day and the student tried to remember the Bm7 chord but got it completely wrong. She inadvertently played some beautiful chord that instantly transported me back to Final Fantasy VIII. It was bizarre. Consequentially, I hunted for the songs and it turns out I was correct, the chord was the starting chord for a track called 'Breezy'.

I don't believe gaming has made me (I'm quite a selective gamer) but it certainly has impacted me and various components of a game, in this case the music, have considerable impacted on me. Good 'ol gaming!

[Kody94]

Games that really take me back are Rainbow 6: Rogue Spear, SMB 3, LoZ: A Link to the Past, Mortal Kombat II, Command and Conquer, The Avengers, 007, Morrowind, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (for the NES), Dungeon Siege, Commandos, and Nox. There were also a few obscure NES and PC games whose names I unfortunately do not remember. There was one turn-based strategy game for the NES that I played nonstop, but I can't remember its name.