This week, I’d like to talk about what really got me started with video games and what continues to fuel my love for this medium. I have enjoyed video games for as long as I can remember, but I feel like in the last couple of years it’s just skyrocketed for me. I think now that I’m an adult and more in control of my life, it’s just been easier to appreciate these wonderful games.
My First Video Game Experience
My first experience with video games began with the PlayStation 1. The game was Crash Bandicoot, and man it is still a favorite. Since then, as you can imagine, I’ve not only been a Sony boy, but a Naughty Dog one, as well. Crash Bandicoot opened my eyes to platformers, and video games in general. My sisters and I spent hours taking turns playing through levels and begging for a later bedtime to make it through one more.
Besides Crash Bandicoot, we obviously had a few other games like, Spyro the Dragon. This was another game that has stayed with me, and I have enjoyed every Insomniac title since. Eventually, I got my hands on a GameBoy and finally met my favorite franchise of all time, Pokémon. Pokémon Red started my obsession with Pokémon, and to this day I have played every generation of games and continue to look forward to the new ones. I have come a long way with the franchise, and finally completed my National Pokédex earlier this year.
The PlayStation 2 Era
The PlayStation 2 holds a very special place in my heart. I think here things got a bit more personal for me as I had my own console finally. I remember buying my very first PlayStation 2 game with some birthday money I got from my grandparents. It was Ratchet and Clank, and I got it from a Best Buy on the way down from a road trip with the family. I grew up in a small town in West Virginia, so we didn’t have any local Best Buy’s so that was altogether its own experience.
I woke up so early the next morning to start that game. After that, my birthday money every year was a debate between a Ratchet and Clank game, or Jak and Daxter. Both were outstanding games of course, but I only had enough for one each time. I certainly won’t be forgetting Sly Cooper anytime soon either. The PlayStation 2 also marked my start with Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2 remains to be my favorite in the series. Outside of Pokémon, Kingdom Hearts was my first RPG experience so that was very exciting and certainly lit that RPG fire in me.
The PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 Era
The PlayStation 2 certainly contributed to my love of video games, but I feel like the PlayStation 3 blew it out of the park. Games like Infamous, Uncharted, and The Last of Us got me hooked to story driven games. They were more than just games, they were full fledged experiences. It was here too, that I dove into my PlayStation 3 hard because we had just moved to Tennessee and I didn’t know too many people. Instead, I sought refuge in my games and since then, they’ve always been escapes from the hardships of life.
Alright, so with all those games and more under my belt, here came the PlayStation 4. Now, bear with me here because nowadays I swear I’m not a Sony exclusive guy anymore. I’ve expanded my library and interests quite a bit. I would be doing myself a disservice though, if I didn’t mention the PlayStation 4’s mark on my life.
This was another console, like the PlayStation 3, that got me through some of the hardest moments in my life. 2014 was a year of healing and moving on for me and the PlayStation 4 helped me to do that. It was also the year I got my first dog and rightfully named her, Ellie after Ellie from the Last of Us. She is still by my side, experiencing every game with me.
PlayStation 3 hits like The Last of Us and GTA V all got remasters for the PlayStation 4, which was nice to experience. The latter half of the PlayStation 4’s life is where it really started to shine, though. Games like God of War, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II absolutely changed my life. By now, there’s honestly too many games to even mention and the PlayStation 4 ended up being my favorite console, so far.
The Nintendo Switch Exposed Me To So Much More
I’ll tell you what though, the Nintendo Switch is up there, too. I got my Switch in 2018 and the first game I played on it was, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Since then I have been honored to experience everything Nintendo has to offer with a ton of ports from consoles I never had the opportunity to own, and a huge collection of Indie titles. The Switch is absolutely full of endless titles and opportunities, ones that I just couldn’t miss out on.
They have ported so many classics to the Switch, like the Collection of Mana, offer a ton of retro games through their online service, and continue to re-release older games. I think this is a wonderful way for a gamer like to me finally get the chance to experience all of these wonderful retro games.
Just this past year I got to finally experience Mario’s first 3 3D titles thanks to the Mario 3D All Star Collection. Mario was a huge gap in my knowledge as a gamer, as a close friend of mine would like to remind me from time to time, so finally being able to play those games and fall in love with them was a magical experience.
Naturally, I needed a Switch to keep my love for Pokémon alive and well, but it really ended up being my favorite console during 2020. Between it and my friend who has a bigger collection of games than I do, I was able to really expand my knowledge and exposure to all types of video games. He really inspired me to break out of my AAA video game mentality and expose myself to everything the medium has to offer.
Cut to now, I certainly feel more well-rounded as a gamer. I will continue to experience the classics, along with the new titles and I’m excited to see what the PlayStation 5 has in store for me. Video games have become so much more than just a “time waster” as my parents would call them. They are an art form just waiting to be experienced and appreciated. I imagine my love for them will continue to grow as I expose myself to more and more in the video game world.
