My Gaming Memoirs, part 1

I've been meaning to start a blog for years now, but for various reasons this will be my first blog post. Yes, I mean my first ever. I always figured there was no point to blogging, as I assumed that all I had to say would surely have been said by someone else. But I've recently come to realise that even though that may be true, it's missing the point of the exercise. I like writing, so blogging is no doubt an excellent way to become better at it, regardless of who reads what I've offered up.

I am 32 years old, and I can safely say that the last 25 of those years have seen a large portion of my brain devoted to thinking about video games. Over the years, I’ve amassed an annoyingly large collection of consoles – 9 of these are currently hooked up to my television. I’ve got way too many games, ranging from diskette titles that were cheap as chips to rare cartridges that cost me more than I’ve ever told my girlfriend. So deeply are video games a part of me, I’m pretty sure if you took a hacksaw to one of my bones you’d find fresh pixels where marrow should be.

I even know the game responsible for getting this whole mess started, namely Planet Patrol for the Atari 2600. Okay, so it’s not exactly a title that’s going to elicit nostalgic eye-watering from too many gamers, but back then it captured me in a way I’d never known. The console belonged to my babysitter Adam, who was impressed that I could just pick up the joystick and get the gist of it so quickly. Pac-Man was the only other Atari cartridge he owned and I quickly trounced him at that too, a victory made completely hollow courtesy of hindsight and refined tastes.

I’m sure it was the easiest night of Adam’s babysitting career - I barely moved from that patch of shagpile carpet directly in front of the television. That night I never wanted my parents’ fancy dinner to end. My young eyes had seen the future, and it had a fake wood finish.

I've been meaning to start a blog for years now, but for various reasons this will be my first blog post. Yes, I mean my first ever. I always figured there was no point to blogging, as I assumed that all I had to say would surely have been said by someone else. But I've recently come to realise that even though that may be true, it's missing the point of the exercise. I like writing, so blogging is no doubt an excellent way to become better at it, regardless of who reads what I've offered up.

I am 32 years old, and I can safely say that the last 25 of those years have seen a large portion of my brain devoted to thinking about video games. Over the years, I’ve amassed an annoyingly large collection of consoles – 9 of these are currently hooked up to my television. I’ve got way too many games, ranging from diskette titles that were cheap as chips to rare cartridges that cost me more than I’ve ever told my girlfriend. So deeply are video games a part of me, I’m pretty sure if you took a hacksaw to one of my bones you’d find fresh pixels where marrow should be.

I even know the game responsible for getting this whole mess started, namely Planet Patrol for the Atari 2600. Okay, so it’s not exactly a title that’s going to elicit nostalgic eye-watering from too many gamers, but back then it captured me in a way I’d never known. The console belonged to my babysitter Adam, who was impressed that I could just pick up the joystick and get the gist of it so quickly. Pac-Man was the only other Atari cartridge he owned and I quickly trounced him at that too, a victory made completely hollow courtesy of hindsight and refined tastes.

I’m sure it was the easiest night of Adam’s babysitting career - I barely moved from that patch of shagpile carpet directly in front of the television. That night I never wanted my parents’ fancy dinner to end. My young eyes had seen the future, and it had a fake wood finish.

Nice post.  I enjoyed it.  I wish I was able to articulate my gaming nostalgia that well.  I'd have to say that the game that sucked me into games was A Link to the Past.  I got it for Christmas, along with the SNES when I was 6 years old.  I can still remember all the artwork from the instruction manual.   

It's amazing what lodges in your mind, isn't it? I never played Planet Patrol after that and yet the graphics, the way it played and even the forgettable title stuck with me through all those pre-internet years.

Oh, and cheers for being so gentle with me for my first time...

" So deeply are video games a part of me, I’m pretty sure if you took a hacksaw to one of my bones you’d find fresh pixels where marrow should be. "

As long as we're talking about favorite Atari 2600 games, I'll go with Jungle Hunt. It was actually a complex amount of fun, uncommon for the time. Also, Ms. Pac Man proves that women rule.

Wow, this is a hella old blog post. +400 days old.
 
Now that you mention Pacman on the 2600: that version is terrible.

" Wow, this is a hella old blog post. +400 days old.
 
Now that you mention Pacman on the 2600: that version is terrible. "

" @ZanzibarBreeze said:

" Wow, this is a hella old blog post. +400 days old.
 
Now that you mention Pacman on the 2600: that version is terrible. "

Yes to both of these. "

" @buzz_clik said:

" @ZanzibarBreeze said:

" Wow, this is a hella old blog post. +400 days old.
 
Now that you mention Pacman on the 2600: that version is terrible. "

Yes to both of these. "

My how we've grown. Sorry for the bump. I got caught up in a moment. "