My fondest gaming memory as a little girl was watching my older brother play 'Age of Empires' for hours and hours on end. I had a small blue chair I would pull up next to the computer and sit there eating snacks, fascinated by this game. I had had some experience of playing games before that, but it was a strange pixelated frog-related learning game on floppy disk. Which I had, funny enough, greatly enjoyed.
I grew up with computers round the house. In our cellar, in the play room, in my dad's office, my mum's office, and in what is now our dining room, but used to house a few software engineers employed by my dad. My dad worked from home, and our house was the office in which his employees worked. It was a strange scenario, now I look back on it, but at the time it was all so normal. Regularly, I would bake Tom and Jerry cupcakes, or a similar cartoon-endorsed set of baked goodies, and loved handing them around to the employees, it gave me great joy, and I was fascinated by the whole set up. My father was and is a software designer, engineer and inventor. He has a PHD in Artificial Intelligence, and loved doing IQ tests on us and involving us where he could in things. I'm pretty sure my brother and I are mentioned as tiny infants in the back of his thesis. Sadly my little brother missed out as he is 5 years behind Xander and I.
Either way, computers were embedded in us, and the beginnings of any gaming interest took place on that particular device. I played many games, always in the watch of my brothers. A few favourites were all of the earlier Age of Empires and the expansions, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Theme Hospital, so many Star Wars games - Rogue Squadron, Battle for Naboo, Pod Racer, Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, etc. Probably every one they made for PC, we owned. The death of Lucas Arts still breaks my heart. There were many other games but the list goes on.
My little brother was the first to ask for a console, and this came in the form of a PS2, which I have in my bedroom here in Brighton to this day. I have fond Tekken related memories with that console. My brothers and I would entertain friends for hours with it. Our favourite was Tekken Tag as it was just mental. So much chaos.
My oldest best friend was given an old Sega once when we were young, and we played Sonic and some Mickey Mouse game that I can't for the life of me remember the name of, but we got stuck on a lot of it and she grew tired and eventually binned it I think. We were very young and we were more interested in ponies and running around in the real scenery outside at that time.
So many years passed and it was my first year of university that brought me back to the gaming world, but sadly not quite in the best way. Introduced to both PS3 and Xbox, I began a slippery slope of Call Of Duty. I was fondest of the Zombies part, and not so much multiplayer, but I got addicted all the same. Hours and hours spent mastering the maps. Getting high scores, making online friends. There was a moment when I played solidly for 19 hours and forgot food and had one toilet break. I calmed down after that, as I was shocked with myself and a bit embaressed. Thank god for my pole dancing classes or I would have never seen another person. Or physically exercised for a long time.
I moved in with my best friend for a year in my second year, who was a 'to the death' Xbox fanatic. It was an Xbox only household we had going, so I spent time playing games with him. I remember him lining up for his special Halo 4 Xbox, and me sitting through him playing the game, and sharing an emotional moment when it reached the end. We used to play these little Halo car race games (I know they aren't cars but I don't know what else to categorise them as) which were challenging and retarded. But we loved them, and so did every other unsuspecting friend who was dragged in when they came over. God and then there was 'Need For Speed' which we trashed. We spent the whole time crashing into things. I will add a link to some bad races we recorded for a laugh. I'm sorry if my voice is irritating, I got a bit overly-excited.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8P0i77Hk5Q - My race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OX_tLiELc0 - Ashe's race
Now the big one of our lives was War In The North. A Lord of the Rings game we absolutely perfected and obsessed over. And what a nightmare it was. We could play co-op, and we went through it on every level, but it crashed at the end of Legendary and we couldn't complete it fully ever, which bugged him loads as he was a bit of an 'Achievement' collector. I was the elven mage, Andriel of Imladris, and my best friend was the Ranger... whose name escapes me. And we had a little AI dwarf following us around called Farin who was a pain in the backside and always made it impossible to sneak up on anyone. God I loved that game. We were completely devoted to it. Yes, it made coursework hard, but it was surprisingly worth it. Funny how that happens. He still buys games to this day for us to play together, but now it's like 'what can we try that is really low budget?'.
Why is it naff-ness can be so fun?
This is an old fuzzy shot I took of us early in the game, just found it on my phone. That's Farin at the back, Andriel (Me) in the middle and the back of Ashe's character the Ranger, just remembered the bloke's name; it's Eradan. Apparently I am a 'lore-master', says The Internet.
It also seems I need some of my armour fixed. Obviously a well composed picture there, Anna.
When I met my boyfriend, almost 2 years ago, he introduced me to a different world of games all over again. He had grown up with Nintendo systems, the consoles that I had always been in awe of as a young girl, and introduced me to them by bringing his very own Game Cube all the way from his parents home in Switzerland for me have, and play his collection of games he had loved when he was young. As well as playing Super Smash Bros, which I thought was so brilliant, I played Zelda. He wanted me to start on Twilight Princess as he thought I would love it, so I began the adventure. I found the whole 'lock-on' system surprisingly difficult, mainly because I was used to aiming at things and shooting, and I got frustrated a lot, but the beauty and darkness of the game was just so so wonderful. I felt so lucky to have the chance to play something like that. I felt like I had been welcomed into a little club that had been kept secret from me. The beautiful world of Nintendo.
As well as the Game Cube experience, I spent time playing games on my boyfriend's 3DS. He had Ocarina of Time, and I started a game on that, and failed wonderfully at Mario 3D Land but persevered, until finally I mustered up the courage, and enough cash to buy my own second hand 3DS. It was a beautiful Aqua Blue one. I also treated myself to Animal Crossing: A New Leaf. The intense cosmic abyss of Animal Crossing has taken up a lot of my time, but in a very good way. The only issue I had was that I missed a Halloween meeting with a pumpkin and I felt so guilty I didn't go back on for 3 months. Anyone who knows this game will understand the pressures behind it. You are a mayor in your very own town and it is all done in real time so you often find yourself making promises and appointments you had to keep within a deadline. This can be rewarding, but also a nightmare! But I started again and am even more into it, as I bought my boyfriend it for his birthday and he and I are very competitive!
The best game I have been into so far, has actually been Pokemon X. I got it the day it was released, getting my little Torchic as a gift (bit of a cheat pokemon for those who know the game, but still nice to start with). I spent lots and lots of time on it, doing everything slowly, nurturing my pokemon. It was my first ever pokemon gaming experience and I didn't really know how it all worked, so I just tried my best to learn. Now I have battled lots and have even beaten my boyfriend several times, which is impressive as he is very knowledgeable in this area. I was thinking of doing a blog on all my pokemon at some point, as I'm probably the only person who has actually gone all the way through the game, naming every single one with some kind of pun. And I've got a buggar-load of pokemon I've collected as well.
Heartbreakingly, that 3DS broke, but I traded it in for a limited edition Pokemon X/Y 3DS XL, which I love more than ever, and I've gotten back into Animal Crossing, and have a new game to play which brings me to yet another Zelda reference - Zelda: A Link between Worlds. When I've started it, I will let you know how it is! But I've heard it's amazing. I can't wait.
I was given a Nintendo 64 for christmas by my computer game loving little brother - the latest addition to my Nintendo family. Sadly I'm having issues getting it to work with my TV, but I am trying to collect games all the same. I was over-joyed when I received it, I just couldn't believe that my little brother had surprised me with it as a christmas present. He also gifted me Star Wars Pod Racer, knowing it is a bit of a nostalgic game for me.
And finally, which is why I felt so fuelled suddenly to write this particular blog, I came across Majora's Mask, another Legend of Zelda game on N64, yesterday. It was there with other good games, but I knew it was a special find. I told myself, if it was still there tomorrow, it was some kind of fate and I was meant to buy it. Today I went back, and shoved amongst loads of other 'lesser' games, there it was. I bought my very first N64 game, and it was one I couldn't wait to buy for so long. I will let you know how it goes.
Games have taken me on a great journey, and it is now, more than ever that I find myself appreciating them like they are part of me. I can't wait to experience Majora's Mask, and A Link Between Worlds. It is going to be a very Zeldary month coming up for me, and it will stick with me through life.
I still play Age of Empires sometimes. Special things give you joy forever.
AKC x
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