OtakuDante: "My Gaming History"

Since I've got some extra time between reviews I thought I'd share my gaming history with you guys. It's quite complex, so sit back, relax and enjoy the tale of how I became the gamer I am today ...

The earliest gaming memories of mine actually came from playing on the Atari 2600. While I can't recall vivid details of my gaming then I do remember the two games my family owned/shared. I recall playing a simple game called 'Face Maker'. I honestly wouldn't call it a true video game, but more of a PC type of application. The case to it was huge, and had a vinyl case. The cartridges were small, square, and black. I remember that very well. The game that really kept my attention though was the 'Yars Revenge'. The game was nothing but a bunch of scattered pixels, but the image on the cartridge was very cool. Looking back at the screenshots of those games makes me wonder what I thought was so great about it. I guess it was due to the fact it was a new thing in technology/entertainment. Somewhere in my house I still have that Yar's Revenge cartridge, but my Atari is long gone.

The 80's brought with it the release of the Nintendo Ent. System (NES). My family was actually a good bit behind in getting the NES. Initially my cousin let us borrow his NES for about a year. It was the actual beginning of my life as a hardcore gamer. I remember playing 'Super Mario Bros.' for the first time. The game seemed like an otherworldly experience to me. I had spent at least two hours trying to get Mario to jump over the first ditch, and after that about an hour trying to make it over  the second ditch. It was the equivalent of a walk on the moon. After some seriously dedicated game time I was able to master the basics of Super Mario Bros. That my friends is what got me hooked. Over the years me, and my brothers amassed an impressive NES gaming library of over 100 titles. We even played through everyone until it was complete. I look back now, and I truly miss those days when gaming was really fun.

From that point me, and my brothers migrated to the Sega Genesis for our gaming needs/wants. We got to enjoy our first 'Teen', and 'Mature' rated games on that console. The Sega Genesis was also the console that got me hooked on fighting games. I remember getting 'Street Fighter II: Championship Ed.' for my birthday. I spent countless hours playing that game. My brothers even joined me sometimes. Sadly it was the only fighting game that we ever really played together. After Street Fighter II: Championship Ed., I went for a more hardcore title. Mortal Kombat became an obsession to me. I loved the blood, and gore. I kind of believe that it was the game that sparked my interest in horror movies later on. I never did get a respectable game collection for the Sega Genesis. It was mainly, because I couldn't afford it at the time. I did enjoy the games I had though.

My next console was a Christmas present one year. I knew I was getting it which only made the wait so much more difficult. The console I speak of is the Nintendo 64. I ended up getting 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' with it. I spent hours finding everything in that game. My brothers were actually not that interested in gaming at that time. They did watch me play though. I always loved showing of my skills for them. I ended up with a small selection of games that included Shadowman, Turok, Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Hybrid Heaven and a few other games. Conker's Bad Fur Day was the first game I really got a good laugh out of. It's vulgar sense of humor, and that singing pile of squat had me laughing for days. The N64 ended up being one of my favorite consoles.

Game consoles seemed to keep on evolving. My next console was Sony's Playstation. Out of all the recent consoles I had played the Playstation beat them all. Playstation was the system that got me hooked on RPGs. I remember saving up my money for what seemed to be a very long time in order to get 'Final Fantasy VII'. Many of my friends had already begun playing it, and the stories they told sounded so amazing. I also kept track of screen shots of it through the gaming magazines I read. After acquiring my copy of the game for a whopping $60 I was truly excited. It's the first game I spent over 60 hours of quality gaming time playing. It's story, and gameplay inspired me to invest in other Playstation RPGs later on. I owned and played through many Squaresoft RPGs including Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Legend of Mana, and Parasite Eve. At that point in my life RPGs were a huge thing, and the Playstation offered some of the best ones ever. Aside from RPGs I found that Playstation also offered fighting games. After a dry spell in my interest of fighters I was thrilled to get my hands on Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and some Street Fighter Alpha games. I also invested some time, and money into Darkstalkers 3. Out of all the classic consoles I have played the Playstation has a special place in my heart.

After spending so much money on Playstation gaming I was unable to buy the Playstation 2 which had been released a little later. My brother ended up getting the Playstation 2 first. At the time I thought the $199 price tag was a bit to steep, but I was glad that my brother was kind enough to share with me. To begin with I played Socom with my Brother. I did invest in some games of my own though. I recall playing my first online game which was a Warhammer title for the PS2. I actually loved that game. I didn't really get into Socom with my brother until later on. When I was finally able to afford my own PS2 the slim version had been released for a lower price. I found several more RPGs that kept my undivided attention. Some of those included the recent additions to the Final Fantasy series, Atlier Iris: Eternal Mana, Trapt, and the two Kingdom Hearts games. I also invested in new fighting games such as Guilty Gear XX  #Accent Core, The latest Mortal Kombat titles, and Street Fighter collections. Out of all of the consoles I had owned I think I ended up investing more time, and money in the Playstation 2.

The first next-gen console I acquired was actually the Nintendo Wii. There was something about it that really appealed to me, perhaps it was nostalgia? Whatever it was I loved the console. I found the available game library to be neat. I can't actually recall all of the games I owned for it, but I had a decent collection. One of the games that really stood out to me was 'Muramasa: The Demon Blade'. It was amazing! being the Japanese fanatic that I am I loved the art style it had. The story was amazing, and the gameplay was unique. Aside from my Wii game collection I also invested money in the virtual console. The classic NES, SEGA, and N64 games it offered brought back good memories from the days when I enjoyed spending long hours gaming. I really enjoyed the Wii, and someday I might buy another one just to play 'Muramasa: The Demon Blade again'.

Next-gen consoles had really caught my attention at this time. The Playstation 3 had been out for at least a few years before I finally got the slim version of it. It ended up being a Christmas present as well which I didn't mind. The PS3 is the console that really got me started in online gaming. I know I played some online on the PS2, but that just wasn't the same. The PS3 not only offered games with greatly enhanced graphics, but it's free online gameplay made it even more worthwhile. I spent major time online fighting against players in Super Street Fighter IV, and pwning gamers in BlackOps. The PS3 was also the first console that really let me down. The hacking incident that took place earlier this year got my undivided attention. With the possibilty of identity theft I was forced to make the toughest decision regarding gaming I had ever made. Sadly after owning my PS3 for less than a year I decided to let it go. At the time I was devastated. It was actually rather depressing to tell the truth. The PS3 was the first console that me, and both of my brothers owned. To this day I miss being able to game with my brothers.

Now comes the tale of my current console choice. After trading in my PS3 I was forced to decide on the next console I would get into. I was a bit weary of the Xbox 360 since it could also ended up being hacked, and the fact that I once owned an Xbox 360 the only lasted 2 days (RROD). I definitely wanted to get back into online gaming. That was my main goal. After some serious thinking I weighed my options and decided to get an Xbox 360 slim in hopes it wouldn't suffer the same fate as my first one. I can honestly say that I'm glad I made that choice. The Xbox 360 has given me many new opportunities. I have many friends on Twitter to game with now, and the Xbox 360 is the reason I made this site. I've ended up doing the job I always dreamed of doing as a child. I'm now able to review video games straight from the developers who made them. I even got the privilege to know some of them personally. The Xbox 360 has been a dream come true for me, and though I might miss gaming with my brothers one the PS3 I will never regret my decision.

There you have it, the reasons why I'm the gamer I am today. I have been through many consoles in my lifetime, and each one has added something special to my life. Each console has helped me escape from some harsh  realities, and allowed me to live in a world that's better than my own. Through gaming I have discovered many wonderful things, and played as many interesting characters. This universe of living art is a big part of who I am, and has inspired me to do great things. It's the reason I'm able to bring my readers these passionate reviews I deliver. If I would have never gotten into gaming my life would have no doubt been severely lacking. My thanks goes out to all the developers, creators, and inventors for this awesome form of entertainment that has impacted my life in the best possible way. I hope to contribute my knowledge of gaming to my audience for a long time to come.