Video Games...

As I write today's post, I am watching Josie play with the Wii Fit. I find myself amazed about how far technology has advanced that allow us to stay fit as we play a video game. I would consider myself a Video Gamer to a lesser degree. I don't play video games as much as I used to because I am just so picky with what I buy. Not to mention that I barely have time to play as it is. But, when I did have time...

My first game system was the Atari 2600. I got it for Christmas and I was the happiest kid on the block. It came with this horrible game called Combat and these stiff ass joysticks that have contributed in the carpal tunnel I have now. I also got Pac-Man (which was nothing like the arcade and therefore WACK) and a bunch of other games. Over that span of my Atari craze I ended up getting Pitfall, Berserk, and E.T. (which I think ended up being the worse video game of all time). What I remember, was the connection the back of the TV. You had to turn you knob to channel 3 and connect this huge silver box that had hooks to the screws where the antennae was attached. The you would have to flick the switch on the silver box to go from video game to TV.

Several years later, after Atari died out, Nintendo came out with the NES: Nintendo Entertainment System. This fancy little console that, again I got for Christmas, was the top of line in terms of video gaming. It came with 2 games, which never happens now, and those were Duck Hunt and Gyromite. It also came with a gun and a little robot named R.O.B. Of course, Dunk Hunt you could play for hours, however you got really bored with it after awhile. The damn little robot was for Gyromite which was ok, but they only made one more other game for that thing. So, it just collected dust. NES was great though, until it got old and you had to blow into the game in order for it to work.
Super Nintendo came out when I was in High School and once again I got it for Christmas (see a pattern?). I think this came with a game called Pilot Wings. I am not sure about that but I remember playing that game a lot. Anyway, I began to realize in High School that this was my escape from the real world. I can play these games not think about how my parents got divorced or how I felt I was the only guy in school who was a virgin (not that video games help this). I sought refuge in 40-50 dollar games that I bought myself because I had a job at Pathmark. By the way that was the last video game system I got for Christmas. By the time I got to college Sega Genesis was out and I new a lot of people that had this. I wasn't into it at all, but I would play it at my buddy house on South Campus.

Nintendo 64 came out and this happened to be the first console I bought myself. I think this came with Super Mario 64, a game I never finished. There were several other games that I was interested in games like Mario Kart and Shadows of the Empire which took up a lot of my time. At this time I was already out of college working as a temp in Syracuse and recovering from a bad break up. Once again, I find myself taking solace in a video game system. It here that I learn that Nintendo cannot fill a void that someone may have.

The Nintendo Gamecube came out and I am in a different world. I am now dating to a video game junkie who tends to play more than I do. Which forced me to go to PlayStation 2 (which, actually I got for Christmas years before...my bad!). What I find interesting that I have gone through 3 PlayStation due to shitty parts and all my Nintendo game consoles still work (yes i still have them all). Which leads me back to the Wii.

I am still amazed how video games have been so much a part of my life. I particularly like the fact that I can still beat little kids in certain games. However, the highlight is that I can play online with my friends. The reason I play video games is still very much for the same reason. It is an escape. This time from work and all the other things that life tends to bring down on me.