How Did You Become a Gamer?

[Drummodino]

My 1000th post woohoo! In celebration of reaching this completely meaningless yet still awesome goal I have two questions for you Escapists.

1. How did you become a gamer?
2. What was the first game that you owned?

Personally I became a gamer at the age of 6 when I got a Gameboy Color. I begged my parents for one but they wouldn't buy me one (I think money may have been tight for them at that time). They said I could have one if I bought it myself. So I did chores for $5 a week until I'd saved up the $120 I needed. My parents made me wait until Christmas before I could have it though for some reason.

The first game I owned for it was a remake of the classic Mario Bros called Super Mario Deluxe.

Spoiler

I played it for hours until my mother took it off me though. She only let me play it for an hour on weekends.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

The after school care program I went to had an SNES which my brother and I played alot. We then convinced our parents to buy us one and the rest is history.

First game I owned was of course Super Mario World.

 

[Caiphus]

Probably the earliest thing that led to me being a gamer, and some of my earliest memories, were playing these educational maths and spelling games on the PC when I was about 3. I remember having to add balloons up, dunno.
And also this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_Jungle

My mum tells me I'd sit in front of the computer for hours.

So my parents eventually, for my 6th birthday, bought me an N64 and Mario Kart 64. So that was probably my first "proper" game, and I still occasionally play it. Yaaay.

 

[Hero of Lime]

My parents got my brother and I a SNES with Super Mario World. And so, the legend began!

 

[Agayek]

First game I ever played was the original Doom on my friend's PC and the XMEN side scroller on his Sega Saturn, back when I was a wee lad. I played that for hours upon hours upon hours. Eventually, my dad caved in and bought me an N64 with Mario64, Banjo Kazooie and Ocarina of Time. I proceeded to play the fuck out of those and the rest is history.

 

[Happiness Assassin]

I needed something to do and soccer wasn't working out as a kid, as I was lazy and I had a propensity for taking shots to the nuts. I had always liked games, but hadn't really made it a hobby until the second grade. So what were my 2 favorite games as a kid? Mortal Kombat and Battlefield 1942.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

For as long as I can remember we had a SNES at home. First game was either Super Mario Bros. or Mario Paint. My sister was my co-op buddy and my dad liked joining in pretty often, so it was all more or less set for me.

 

[lacktheknack]

I watched my Dad play Myst for a few days, then one day when he was at work, I tried it myself and scared myself to death.

I was three.

<______>

 

[Ryotknife]

I have no idea how I started considering how anti-game my parents were, but I started on the Atari in 1986...ish. I remember playing Pitfall, Empire Strikes Back, and some kind of RPG where you collect different color keys and fight multicolored ducks that I think were suppose to be dragons.

(scrolls up and reads other people's comments)

well hell, I guess im an old man. Don't mind me, just trying to find my dentures!

 

[sextus the crazy]

My 1000th post woohoo! In celebration of reaching this completely meaningless yet still awesome goal I have two questions for you Escapists.

1. How did you become a gamer?
2. What was the first game that you owned?

Personally I became a gamer at the age of 6 when I got a Gameboy Color. I begged my parents for one but they wouldn't buy me one (I think money may have been tight for them at that time). They said I could have one if I bought it myself. So I did chores for $5 a week until I'd saved up the $120 I needed. My parents made me wait until Christmas before I could have it though for some reason.

Congrats on the 1000th post, and here's hoping for 1000 more (good ones).

OT: haha, we have remarkably similar gaming circumstances (I am only a month older than you, after all, young whipper-snapper). When I was 6, I pestered my parents to get me Pokemon because everyone else was playing it. I was blessed with a purple gameboy color and Pokemon Yellow and I've played pokemon relgiously ever since. I really got into just videogaming as a whole when I got a gamecube after playing SSBM at someone's house, and then beginning to read nintendo power. Those were the days.

 

[Islandbuffilo]

We were at the store and my mom asked me if I wanted a Gameboy, I said no because: "Video games are boring all you do is press buttons." She told me to look at the games just to be sure, I looked at the games and saw final fantasy legends II, and was intrigued by the helmet and sword, so I got a Gameboy and final fantasy legends II, and thus began my gaming career.
*Edit* This was also the start of my subtle addiction to grinding in jrpgs.

 

[Elfgore]

I played alot of games on the computer when I was younger. The first game I raged about and fell in love with was Lego Racers 2. It made me cry, it made me rage, and generally pissed me off. But damnit I still loved that game. This was what got me interested in games, but I only played for an hour or two a day.

I really got into gaming when I got a gameboy advance when I was seven or so. I played Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland like it was going out of style. But what finally kicked the bucket that made me want to play games quite often was the release of Pokemon: Ruby. After that I got a PS2, then Xbox, and so on.

 

[Teoes]

I was tinkering with some old Commodore that was in the house was I was 6 or so - I can't remember how or when we got it. What really got me into gaming though was being reeled in by the ads for the NES. Games come on cartridges! No loading times!! Wow, the technology was mind-blowing for me. We got one for Christmas in 1990 when I was 8 and I haven't looked back since. Still got that sucker, still works.

I watched my Dad play Myst for a few days, then one day when he was at work, I tried it myself and scared myself to death.

I was three.

<______>

That probably explains a lot..!

 

[The Wykydtron]

I started at least in part due to the whole "virtual babysitter" thing with my mother. Not that I blame her at all, single parent working full time is fucking hard. I always found games fun on their own but the fact that I didn't have much else to do except watch TV at my grandparent's house closed the deal I suppose.

You know half the reason I get so infatuated with one certain game/anime/whatever for X months more maybe moving on to something new is because I had to sit around waiting for mother to get home with nothing but a computer, a gaming console and much later a dog for company. Once I found something interesting I was going to make it last dammit.

My first major game would have been the original Rayman on PS1. AKA the hardest game ever made.

 

[Colour Scientist]

My Mom bought me a SNES with Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Brothers and that was kind of the beginning.

I was an only child so, when I was young, I spent a lot of time by myself and my mom would buy me games to keep me occupied.
Soon after that, she got me a Gameboy so she could keep me quiet on the move.

She also got me a PS1 and pretty much all of the games I have for that.

Love my Mommy.

 

[theevilgenius60]

I played on my grandma's Atari since I can remember. I love Frogger. My first system/game that was mine was the Nintendo Entertainment System along with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt(that damned dog!). My parents got it for me before I got into Kindergarten, as a sort of motivational tool. I do we'll in class, I get to play. Needless to say, I was a very good student. Hell, I used to be a big time Nintendo kid. I even had a Virtual Boy(say what you will, Mario Tennis on that monster was pretty fun). A few months ago I got my first Nintendo Console in at least a decade(3DSXL). It, surprisingly, didnt feel like coming home. It is nice to be able to play Castlevania again though. I missed Simon Belmont.