The Five Games That Mean The Most To Me, Intro, and Number 5
by imbalance
Intro I was born in 1994. Take that however you will. Some people will say I “missed” everything, and am not qualified to talk about the video games of my generation without experiencing the older ones. Some people say I will never understand what a “true” video game is. While it is true that I never owned an NES , SNES or countless other older consoles, it doesn't mean I don't respect the game...
Intro
I was born in 1994. Take that however you will. Some people will say I “missed” everything, and am not qualified to talk about the video games of my generation without experiencing the older ones. Some people say I will never understand what a “true” video game is. While it is true that I never owned an NES, SNES or countless other older consoles, it doesn't mean I don't respect the games that were on them. In fact, I know two people who own an SNES, and yes, I remember playing Super Mario World (I also remember playing whatever Castlevania game was on the SNES. Super Castlevania IV, was it?), and I now have that game on the Virtual Console on my Wii. My point is, what gives these people the right to slap a label on me? Thus, I feel the need to write this blog. Why a blog, and not a list? Because there are stories with these games, and a short description would not do them justice. These are the five games that I grew up with, that I love, and that mean the most to me.Number Five
My first console was a Nintendo 64. I got it on Christmas day (I can't remember what year), along with an absolutely tiny TV. I swear, I was almost as excited as the Nintendo 64 kid, but of course I didn't scream at my parents.
Okay, maybe a little.
The reason I was so ecstatic to get the console requires even more story. There's a place in our small town called the TYC (Teen Youth Center, that's a hard one), and dozens of kids flocked there after school.(To be honest, I can't remember how I ever ended up there. It must have been some program.) How do you keep young kids entertained? Video games! There were two Nintendo 64's, about ten computers, and an SNES. The games were all kept in a back storeroom, where the adults on staff would get new games from. There were so many games there, and all of them were great. Star Fox 64, Hydro Thunder, Kirby 64, Pokemon Stadium, Earthworm Jim 3D, Extreme-G 2, Super Mario 64, Super Smash Bros and so much more. But there was one game I was particularly interested in. That game was Banjo-Kazooie. I noticed that the save file for the game never got anywhere. Everyone was just running around, not knowing what to do. I tried the game, and I was hooked from the start. The quirky characters, the cartoonish world, everything about this game screamed awesome! Sadly, I stopped going to the TYC for reasons I can't remember. But that made my reunion with the franchise oh-so- much sweeter.
The second I opened the box to my Nintendo 64, I was already astounded. Not only would I get all these awesome games at my house, I would be able to get the ones that were yet to come out, and even rent them! Then my parents handed me another gift. “It goes along with that.” they said. I don't know how they picked the right one. Maybe a store clerk had recommended it, or maybe it was just luck, but the game I held in my hands - game number five - was Banjo-Tooie.
I played this game for so long that the joystick in the controller became loose. The running, the jumping, the special moves you could learn, the different worlds, the new characters, the dialogue and innuendo (That I wouldn't understand until much, much later.) that Rare is so, so revered for. All the save files on the cart were filled up, and all of them were completed.
This was my first true foray into the world of gaming.
I don't know how it happened, but I ended up selling that game. Right now, that cartridge I held so dear to my heart is sitting on a store shelf, collecting dust. One can only hope it's being enjoyed by another, fellow gamer, but chances of that are slim. I also ended up re-buying that game. On ebay, no less. It must have been so long since I had played that game, and the second I got it I rushed into the house, popped that cartridge in and beat the game. Again. The feelings of nostalgia were overwhelming, and it was every bit as sweet as it was back then.
This should give you an idea into the craziness that is Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie, if you've never played it before.
But we've only just begun. What are the rest of the games? Check back to find out.
Do you have any games that you hold close to your heart? That helped you through tough times, or brought you new memories?