Video Games

[EastWest Gal]

Back in the late 90s we were introduced to Nintendo at a friend's house. I enjoyed watching their kids play Super Mario Bros. When we moved to PA in the end of 1998, our son was 6, in first grade, and was having a really hard time in school with reading. Since we didn't know anyone local, and it was winter, we decided to get a family Christmas present of a Nintendo 64 bundled with two games, Super Mario Bros. and Zelda, Ocarina of Time. DS and I absolutely loved the games, but he couldn't read the instructions on the screen, so I would go up to the screen and point out the words and read them slowly. He found it much more fun to learn to read for himself after that.

I credit video games with giving DS, who has a learning disability, the motivation to learn to read. Now he is involved with a group that gets together and plays a multi-player version of Ocarina of Time on Twitch and Discord. His Twitch streaming has given him some income as well.

 

[Sorcerer]

Back in the late 90s we were introduced to Nintendo at a friend's house. I enjoyed watching their kids play Super Mario Bros. When we moved to PA in the end of 1998, our son was 6, in first grade, and was having a really hard time in school with reading. Since we didn't know anyone local, and it was winter, we decided to get a family Christmas present of a Nintendo 64 bundled with two games, Super Mario Bros. and Zelda, Ocarina of Time. DS and I absolutely loved the games, but he couldn't read the instructions on the screen, so I would go up to the screen and point out the words and read them slowly. He found it much more fun to learn to read for himself after that.

I credit video games with giving DS, who has a learning disability, the motivation to learn to read. Now he is involved with a group that gets together and plays a multi-player version of Ocarina of Time on Twitch and Discord. His Twitch streaming has given him some income as well.

That's a feel good story. Ocarina of time is widely considered the greatest video game ever made. At the time, there wasn't anything remotely close to what that game offered. Scale, setting, story, music, and of course the Z targeting system (lock on.). All revolutionary. Wish I could go back and play it again for the first time.

 

[chemEguy]

As a 52 year old Gen X, arcades and video games were a massive part of my formative years.

I still play a bit, but it has to be really good. I enjoyed the first several Assassins Creed games and Mass Effect. Really liked the Dreamcast console. Last game that had me hooked badly was Elden Ring, but I was unable to finish the insanely difficult boss fights and didn’t quite make it all the way through. A shame because the early character build decisions can really affect how you finish or don’t.

 

[Golden Mean]

I started out with space invaders at Shakey’s Pizza!

I used to play a lot of FPS (First Person Shooter) games. I don’t play those anymore as my reflexes just aren’t up to snuff anymore.

Now my favorites are Civilization 6 and Valheim.
I love playing either with friends.
I enjoy many of the survival games. Many though have a static map, so there is no real replay value.

I've got 100s of hours in both Civ 6 and Valheim, though I had to install CQUI to make Civ 6 workable and the Better Archery mod (among a few others?) for Valheim.

Funny thing about Valheim, I got to were I was enjoying the base building more than the rest of the game's mechanics. I'd spend hours getting structures and walls just right. My lady would sit with me and give me a lady's perspective on how to lay it all out. I eventually ended up looking into other base building games (House Flipper, Contractville) because of it.

WRT to arcade games; a UTuber I watch, The 8-Bit Guy, is involved with the Time Rift Arcade, a very cool full fledged arcade in/near Dallas. They also have a bunch of retro computers (C64s, Apple IIe, old consoles, etc) setup with games you can play.

On the Time RIft Arcade's UTube Channel they show refurbs of the machines, which I enjoy watching.

 

[Harris4crna]

I started out with space invaders at Shakey’s Pizza!

I used to play a lot of FPS (First Person Shooter) games. I don’t play those anymore as my reflexes just aren’t up to snuff anymore.

Now my favorites are Civilization 6 and Valheim.
I love playing either with friends.
I enjoy many of the survival games. Many though have a static map, so there is no real replay value.

Worked ar Shakeys pizza as a teenager in 89. Also played the video games when not making pizzas.

 

[Pointby2]

Back in the early PC days I played games, Wolfenstein, Sim City and a few others. Then I found flight sims and went deep down that rabbit hole. Anyone remember Chuck Yeager's Air Combat? Red Baron? Aces of the Pacific? I had so much fun with those. Then I got into some of the modern jet sims like Falcon 3.0 and although they were fun, they were the end of the line. The only thing I "play" now is iRacing once in a while, but I'm not serious with it like I was five years ago.