If we read through life so far, videogames are centrefolds for many. From being gravity for orbiting kids in the eighties that would fight stigmas for years to come, to being endorsed and promoted by celebrities: they evolved while we evolved with them.

Some of us dwelled a little on the subject in the “Introduce Yourself” thread, but I am curious to know what’s your relationship with videogames. It doesn’t matter when you held the controller or the keyboard & mouse for the first time, or even if you skipped that altogether and started dedicating time to this artform with your fingertips tapping on a screen.

Not just looking back, obviously. This is a moment when the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series are starting to be fed by an interesting catalogue. A moment when the rumors are getting more and more cohesive about a new Nintendo Switch model - still known as the fabled “Nintendo Switch Pro”. And the PC continues to march to the beat of its own drum.

What are your memories of playing while growing up? What are you playing right now? And what titles and/or hardware made your wishlist grow recently?

It’s fascinating how diverse the market is. We have a technological side more expansive than ever, with framerates and resolutions being infused with ray-tracing conversations and ambitions. But we also have artisanal productions that explore a myriad of subjects and graphic styles without the weight of shareholders and crunch.

Videogames, more than ever, are democratized. They have achieved pop culture status, offering almost everything to everyone, with capabilities and concepts that never stopped evolving since the Magnavox Odyssey.

A formless wave of entertainment so many times culprit and so many times savior, it’s all about a very personal experience, your own.

    Related discussions

    Cheetosdust

    My memories of playing start at a very young age with a game called “Pang”. Me and my brother spent hours there, squeezing our tiny hands on the arrows and the “AWD” keys, respectively. If you are curious, you can see it in action here.

    From there, the memories jump to “Re-Volt”, the game, my game. It is not comparable to the newest car racing titles, but it has and will always have a special place in my gaming tales. So much so that years after I played it for the first time, I found it and installed it in my MacBook Pro. Sweet old memories.

    Right now I’m not playing much, but from the approaching games, my eyes are on “Stray”. I can’t wait to see those neon lights enhancing the kitten’s adventures.

    Thank you for bringing this topic to the Community @Cheetosdust, I’m curious to read more stories of memories (and yours)!

        Rob ⚡️

        It is still a great game! Did you ever use the codes? The one that allowed you to have infinite lightnings was terribly funny.

        And now that you are here, you have to tell us about your memories, your actual games and your wishlist! 😄

            Archive (bot)

            I have to be honest, I didn’t know there were codes…and that fact alone is enough to make me want to buy another copy! What else did I miss out on!?

            My earliest gaming memories are of playing Pokemon Crystal on my Gameboy Colour - It developed into a bit of a Nintendo obsession in my teenage years and later I started buying 80’s gaming hardware and delved deep into a love of retro gaming (likely a result of being able to buy retro games on the Nintendo Wii).

            More recently, gaming has become a way to socialise for me, especially throughout the pandemic - any game that has crossplay and game chat is enough for me and my friends to give it a go. We’re quite excited about Back4Blood since L4D has such a great multiplayer experience.

            Party time Sudowoodo - GIF on Imgur

                Rob ⚡️ We’re quite excited about Back4Blood since L4D has such a great multiplayer experience.

                I completely agree with you, Back 4 Blood is being touted as a “spiritual successor” of Left 4 Dead and rightfully so, I believe.

                You probably already know this, but you won’t have to wait until October to play it. There’s going to be an Open Beta in August, first to those who pre-order the game, but it will be completely open after that.

                Personally, I am curious to know how the “card system” will work in the game and how the community will react to the fact that the title will be “always online”, regardless of you playing solo or not.

                  Cheetosdust

                  My earliest memories are going round my mates house to play Goldeneye in his N64, ofc followed by Mario Kart. I also used to dabble in Crazy Taxi for the Dreamcast too and seem to remember a Sonic free world game too. Obviously Pokémon on the Gameboy was a huge hit in the day - do you remember trading with your friends via USB or whatever cable it was?

                  My own consoles follow a road of SNES,Sega Megadrive, PS1-5, GameCube (lol) and PC gaming for a bit. Never touched an Xbox.

                  Standing out as key memories of my own gaming childhood, I’ll pick out Crash Bandicoot, Ape Escape (need a remake of this), Spyro, then as I matured Metal Gear Solid (defo cried at the end of the last one in PS4), FIFA and CoD. On PC I had a few years on Counter Strike, Left 4 Dead, Half Life, Portal (exceptional game) and Evil Genius.

                  I’m now solely a PS5 gamer (when I find time) and switch between CoD and FIFA - both easy pick me ups when I have time and can easily game against mates.

                      Rob ⚡️ I have to be honest, I didn’t know there were codes…and that fact alone is enough to make me want to buy another copy! What else did I miss out on!?

                      The ones I remember are “carnival” that unlocked all the cars, and “sadist” the one I mentioned. It allowed you to spam lightnings, getting randomized results; it could be a battery or a bomb, for example, but after a while it was a crazy mix of them all. I think there was another one that unlocked all the tracks.

                      Did you try the track editor? Back then, it was really incredible and you could do some impossible circuits.

                        [deleted] From there, the memories jump to “Re-Volt”, the game, my game. It is not comparable to the newest car racing titles, but it has and will always have a special place in my gaming tales. So much so that years after I played it for the first time, I found it and installed it in my MacBook Pro. Sweet old memories.

                        I never played Re-Volt but the name is iconic - Acclaim did have some interesting Intellectual Properties in their catalogue before going bankrupt.

                        I don’t know if it plays like it, but I see a little bit of Re-Volt in Rocket League. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to recreate it using Dreams, hehe.

                        Louis ☕️ My own consoles follow a road of SNES,Sega Megadrive, PS1-5, GameCube (lol) and PC gaming for a bit. Never touched an Xbox.

                        I love how eclectic your console history is and I have tried a few of the games you mentioned, including the awesome Crazy Taxi. I remember getting a Gamecube when it was launched with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Luigi’s Mansion. And later I bought Eternal Darkness - they should indeed do a sequel.

                        The PlayStation 5 is starting to get some interesting titles, if you can find one in stock. Returnal and Ratchet & Clank were really well-reviewed. The case with the Xbox Series is that, even without an “obligatory” title so far, it does benefit from the Xbox Game Pass.

                        To those who want something new for the weekend, tomorrow, June 24th, the Epic Games Store will start offering the excellent Sonic Mania. It’s the PC version, naturally, but you have one week to add it to your digital library.

                              Cheetosdust

                              I remember getting a Gamecube when it was launched with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and Luigi’s Mansion

                              One of the main reasons for me to get it was Luigi’s Mansion, and then there was a Pokemon game, think it was Colosseum, but mine had a strange glitch that wouldn’t let me get past a certain part of the game so I gave up and sold the damn thing 😅

                              Did you ever experience Crazy Taxi in the arcades? Man that’s a whole experience in itself. I also remember when Star Wars Podracing came out in the arcade and you felt like an absolute don 😃

                                  Louis ☕️ One of the main reasons for me to get it was Luigi’s Mansion

                                  I had a blast playing that game - the mechanics with the vacuum had such a heft, it was really hard not enjoy your time exploring the levels. The charming graphics didn’t hurt at all.

                                  Recently, I’ve played the third one that was released for the Switch and it still is an outstanding experience. They added some new mechanics and it takes place in a hotel, but the charm and the fun are all there.

                                  Louis ☕️ Did you ever experience Crazy Taxi in the arcades? Man that’s a whole experience in itself.

                                  Here in Portugal we had arcades inside shopping malls, and during the 90’s I did play a few classics. Not only Crazy Taxi, but Manx TT and House of the Dead - probably House of the Dead 2.

                                  However, my best memories from arcades are with a game called Rad Mobile. It was a racing game developed by SEGA and I clearly remember the graphics, particularly Sonic hanging on the rear-view mirror.

                                  Oh, and a little game called Daytona USA. 🤓

                                  iambhuvan Unfortunately not much of a gaming guy but loving the responses coming along and the emotions attached to those memories.

                                  I am so glad you are enjoying reading the thread - and I completely agree with you, amazing replies so far.

                                  But you can start making memories too. If you start playing a game, any game, now, please do mention it here. This thread is about the past, present and future of videogames, so I would love to read about your experiences too. 😀

                                          Cheetosdust

                                          As a massive Star Wars fan, one of my favourite arcade experiences was the Star Wars Pod Racer, when they had the full on pod that you could climb in. What a game. Much better than The Phantom Menace itself (although having endured the sequels, I am a prequel apologist) 😅

                                              Matt

                                              Hah, it seems that you and @Louis ☕️ had identical experiences with your trips to the arcades.

                                              Speaking of Star Wars and videogames, KOTOR is still one of the most immersive experiences you can get with the series. BioWare truly created something special. Cannot wait to see what Ubisoft Massive will do with the franchise.

                                              More recently, I did like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Respawn can announce a sequel. Next month we’ll have the EA Play Live, so perhaps a hint will be given.

                                              But the most solid rumor for next month is the “re-imagining” of Dead Space being announced. I loved the first two games. And even if EA “killed” Visceral, the rumors point to EA’s Motive studio leading the project.

                                                  6 days later

                                                  Cheetosdust

                                                  Oh man, KOTOR is easily one of my fave games of all time. BioWare under the two doctors was a god-tier studio. I sincerely wish Microsoft had bought them after publishing the first Mass Effect rather than the studio going to EA. It’s been interesting seeing the evolution of the devs who made the RPGs I grew up on. Obsidian and the games they make are faves for that reason too: fantastic, immersive world-building, with choice-driven gameplay that really delivers a sense of agency.

                                                      Matt

                                                      I completely agree with you about BioWare - I think they are still recovering from Anthem and losing two leads.

                                                      It’s interesting to see how developers are working under Microsoft’s umbrella. Take Rare for example. I mean, the amount of time they are - and will be - taking to put Everwild in the market is, I think, possible by having a reliable source of income.

                                                      Not only that, but Sea of Thieves was a game that, a little bit like No Man’s Sky, only grew and got better with time.

                                                      Or even the case of Playground Games. The Forza Horizon series is one of my favorites, gradually becoming more important than the Forza Motorsport saga. And now they are also going to give Fable a go. I don’t think the problem with the Xbox Game Studios is their future, but more its present.

                                                      But if you want a pure narrative-driven experience, I cannot suggest What Remains of Edith Finch enough. Love that game dearly. Or Dontnod Entertainment with Life is Strange and Tell Me Why.

                                                      Speaking about games and growing up, part of my teen years was dedicated to Monkey Island and LucasArts’ excellence - I still remember the chewing gum and the gold tooth. 😄

                                                        Video Games have gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. Lonely times. Scared times. I have a strong connection with them from when I was a kid, to now as an adult trying to navigate myself though the pandemic.

                                                        As a kid, I had a Nintendo…but I wasn’t in love with it. It wasn’t until I had gotten a Sega Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, that I fell in love with games. The graphics, the music, the adventure, the creativity.

                                                        As I got older and I discovered emulators and roms, I started playing SNES games. So many games on that console are timeless and genius. I never had an SNES as a kid. I didn’t know what I was missing. But I’m glad it wasn’t until I was older because I was a little more mature and I was able to appreciate how amazing they were. I think if I was a young kid playing those games, I’d have taken them all for granted. Final Fantasy III (6) and Chrono Trigger 🥰 are still amongst my all time favorite games.

                                                        The PlayStation 1 housed a ton of memories for me that helped me through my adolescence. Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7 and 9, Final Fantasy Tactics, Chrono Cross, Grand Turismo, NFL GameDay. So many memories. All those games are attached to key points in my life that I will never forget.

                                                        My favorite system of all time is the Gameboy Advanced. I could take it with me anywhere. Have fun any time, any place, and there were so many games to enjoy and delve deep into. Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, Advanced Wars, Fire Emblem, all the Castlevania games, all the Zelda games (the Minish Cap), all the Metroid games (Metroid Fusion), all the classic SNES ports. I can go on and on. That system helped get me through college. The GBA was my clutch when I was alone.

                                                        Currently, I play many games on my phone and PS4. I hadn’t played many games from 2014-2019. Then the pandemic hit and I was out of a job. Final Fantasy 7 remake was released for the PS4 and that got me back into gaming. I played the new God of War after that. Then I discovered Horizon Zero Dawn 😍.

                                                        The game I’ve been playing most lately is Axiom Verge on the PS4 and PSvita. Its a “Metroidvania” type of game. I discovered it from a feature story on IGN about the developer. Its a touching story. So I looking into the game and it’s exactly the type of game I love to play.

                                                          Antonio_Luis Metal Gear Solid

                                                          Man this game for me was everything! Especially remember the use of the cardboard box, the ‘magazines’ to distract enemies and the famous ‘cheat’ when fighting Psycho Mantis blew my mind (Controller into P2 slot). This was such an epic game for so many reasons, would love to see a next gen remake.