How did you lose your gaming virginity ?

[Jake]

I'd agree, the first generation ends with the death of the 2600, and the second begins with the NES. This makes me a kind of "tweener" insofar as I came into the gaming world almost exactly between these periods. (I did play the notorious E.T., which may make you wonder why I became a gamer at all.)

Yeah I had an Atari 7800 ¬ Don't know where that lands me. Probably firmly in the land of

[Steve]

Well, regardless of the first, I'd say the last great generation of gaming was the SNES / Megadrive era. Back then there was no internet, so multiplayers actually required multiple players and not just a decent connection to the old three dubya's.

Games were wild and expensive, and we were all only twelve, so you could only ever own three at any one time. It was a fantastic time to be alive, because it was impossible to fall back on gaming as your sole form of entertainment. If it was a really nice day, you would play football.

I pity the children.

Like wise Thrik once said to me, the people whose first gaming experience is Half Life 2 are in a tough situation - games are pointed towards realism as opposed to memorability. I mean, I remember weird, weird things from random games just because they were innovative. I don't remember ever liking a game because it looked "realistic."

Nostalgist, nostalgist, bullshit bullshit bullshit (welcome to the forums )

Back in the age of S/NES, video games were MY primary form of entertainment (besides Hardy Boys paperbacks,) either on the computer or the Nintendo, alone or with friends. I certainly never went out and played football! Egad.

I don't know if I'd rather be a kid 'coming up' on games now or in the 80's, but I sure am glad that I'm an older gamer now and not then. I don't know how people my age could be big into games back in the 8-bit days, or console games at least. The NES wasn't exactly mentally stimulating. I guess back in the 80's it was a lot of IF and Ultima and Wasteland and Sierra adventures for the hardcore types back then. In any case, I'm glad that games grew up with me.

And for the record I think games now are better than they ever have been, and haven't nearly reached their apex yet.

[Trithemius]

Old? Hasn't someone cited pong? I dropped in Moon Patrol ¬ These aren't exactly new games...

Spectrums and ZX81s beat those damn Apples! xTreme old skool!

[jokemaster]

...IF and Ultima and Wasteland and Sierra adventures for the hardcore types back then.

*SLAP*

You don't even mention the LEC games?!

[miffy495]

That's it, people. LYYYYNCH MOB!! :( :(

[Steve]

*SLAP*

You don't even mention the LEC games?!

I am talking pre-90's here. Monkey Island = 1990. Maniac Mansion was '87, but that's really the tail-end of the period I'm thinking of.

LEARN YOUR HISTORY, BOY *SLAP*

[Nachimir]

Yowser! It must have been a hell of an experience to lose your virginity in the pole position, with your older brother.

Oh, gaming virginity.

At the age of three, no less. He beat me a lot.

[n0wak]

Jackal and/or Dragon Spirit and/or Ms Pac-Man Pinball and/or (I think? Maybe) Mach Rider

Arcade machines, back in the day when they were common in convenience stores. Got an NES months later. Rest was history.

[Bc9b]

First game ever? Tetris on the old blocky game boy. I played that damn thing for hours. Still do.

First "Hardcore Game"? I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but Banjo-Tooie. It's probably the first substantial game I completed. I played a little bit of it now and I wonder why I liked it so much, but it still has it's moments. Some how that led to game sites, reading a review for Grim Fandango and getting into adventures. Needless to say, Psychonauts is dream come fucking true.

[steak-flavored gum]

Well, you know, long history of blow-jobs, but it wasn't until Tie Fighter that I got into it black tar-style