As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gamer

Wonder Boy

Super Potato

Wonder Boy

Super Potato

Haha I'm glad you're rocking up the 16-bit like it's the 20th century again!

Personally, I had a similar experience but in the opposite direction. The first proper gaming system I remember owning was a SNES, never owned a Megadrive / Genesis during that era. Only got into it very recently during a drunken night at my girlfriend's - I was staying at hers and she brought it out from a box, might I add the original box, and hooked it up and positively trounced me at Sonic. Since then though I have been going around relatively small video game stores and picking up games as I go and I'm thoroughly enjoying it - although I will always long for the SNES catalogue I reckon, be that the feeling of nostalgia accentuating it or otherwise.

Oh and dude, if you like FFVI you need to treat yourself to Chrono Trigger if you haven't already. Other classics also include:

• Donkey Kong Country
• Super Bomberman (one of the many; they're all pretty similar. I do believe I preferred the first though).
• Starwing
• Contra 3
• Super Mario All Stars + World
  
• Pop 'n Twinbee

Great Topic post, was a pleasure to read, thanks.
+1

"if you like FFVI you need to treat yourself to Chrono Trigger if you haven't already. Other classics also include:

• Donkey Kong Country
• Super Bomberman (one of the many; they're all pretty similar. I do believe I preferred the first though).
• Starwing
• Contra 3
• Super Mario All Stars + World
  
• Pop 'n Twinbee

"

"Great Topic post, was a pleasure to read, thanks. +1"

I actually was on the opposite side of that dilemma. I played SNES exclusively, not out of fanboyism but out of parents willing to buy only one console. Even my friends at the time had SNES alone with my cousin being the only one I knew who had a Genesis but we rarely visited his home so my SEGA games experience is seriously limited to only one game: Sonic.

Moving to the next stage of consoles, I had an N64 simply because I thought the SNES was great, why would this console be any different. And while I loved the N64 to death, the existence of the PlayStation was something that could not be ignored. I did play more PS games than Sega console games but still these games can be counted on only one or two hands.

Now living in my college years, I've made a plan similar to yours that I hope to execute soon after I finish up studying my field. I want to buy a Sega console and a Playstation 2 and visit the old classics and gems that I missed over that decade and a half. I've considered ROM's but I don't like the feeling of playing these old games with a keyboard and glowing monitor five inches from my face. I want to experience a controller in hand, ass on couch, and inner child at a loss for words.

THANK YOU :D

I'm planing on going to Tokyo this year and I knew places like this exicted but never knew their name.
I'm totally going to stop by there :D Especially if they have a sega master system II controller because I broke mine when I was a kid and I want to try Alexx again ;)

"

Wonder Boy

My earliest gaming memory dates back to playing Wonder Boy on the Commodore 64. I think I was 3 at the time. Or 4. Or was it 5? I dunno. What I'm getting at is I practically went from sucking breast milk to sucking at video games. But it wasn't until that fateful afternoon at my neighbours house when I fell in love with video games. When I first laid my eyes on Sonic the Hedgehog, I almost soiled myself. I remember that night begging my parents for a Sega Master System II. I had to have one. Strangely, I don't remember if I got it for Christmas or my birthday, nor do I remember even getting it. I just remember playing the shit out of it.

Perhaps even stranger, is that I don't remember much of Sonic. Instead, the game that I'll never forget is Alex Kidd in Miracle World. The fact that it came built-in must have something to do with it, because that game is a pain in the ass. I downloaded a ROM a while ago but I still couldn't beat it. So while most kids were playing Mario, I was getting my ass handed to me by Alex Kidd. Sure, I played Nintendo at other kids houses, but I mostly grew up with SEGA. This continued into the 32-bit era. Once again, while most kids were playing Mario, I was playing Crash Bandicoot. Only this time it was me handing out the ass. I fucking rule at Crash Bandicoot.

Looking back on it, I could've just asked my parents for a Nintendo 64. But I was a fanboy. At the time, consoles were like football teams to me. You pick a side and roll with it. But whereas most fanboyism stems from being unable to afford another console, I was just a jackass. But deep down I loved GoldenEye as much as the next kid, and years later I would buy a N64 to play all the classics I missed, particularly Ocarina of Time. But like Final Fantasy VII, you had to be there. And I wasn't there.

Which brings me back to the SNES.

Super Potato

Since I'm relatively new to Giant Bomb, I've been catching up on past Bombcasts. And since I'm in Japan, I figured what better Bombcast to listen to than the ones recorded in Japan last year. In this one, they take a trip to Akihabara and more importantly, Super Potato. Where am I going with this? Well, since beating God of War, Guitaroo Man and Parappa on the PSP, I've needed my gaming fix. So I hopped on a train and followed the guys footseps. I went to Super Potato.

And bought a SNES.

Well, a Super Famicom to be exact. I picked up Super Mario Collection and Super Metroid to go with it. Needless to say, it was like being a kid again. However, this wasn't the childhood I remembered. The one with Alex Kidd and Sonic. This was the alternate reality. This was the Nintendo reality. I returned a few days later and picked up A Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, Earthworm Jim and Final Fantasy VI, but was dissapointed to find no option to play them in English. I should've seen it coming, but a misleading wiki lead me to believe otherwise. Not to mention Super Metroid has the option to play in English.

So I've beaten Super Metroid already and just today I beat Earthworm Jim, I'm probably gonna return to Super Potato tomorrow to add another game to the collection. I'm thinking either Gradius III, R-Type III or Yoshi's Island, but I'll probably end up buying all. If you're willing to pay more, they come boxed & sealed, which makes me happy because I'm anal about that sort of shit.

  

Super Potato in Akihabara, HDTV
by AkihabaraNews

"

"I want to buy a Sega console and a Playstation 2 and visit the old classics and gems that I missed over that decade and a half. I've considered ROM's but I don't like the feeling of playing these old games with a keyboard and glowing monitor five inches from my face. I want to experience a controller in hand, ass on couch, and inner child at a loss for words."

"THANK YOU :DI'm planing on going to Tokyo this year and I knew places like this exicted but never knew their name.I'm totally going to stop by there :D Especially if they have a sega master system II controller because I broke mine when I was a kid and I want to try Alexx again ;)"