What is your first video game memory?

[MrDooo]

I remember that pong system that a few people have mentioned. My uncle had one. Sticking to video games we played alotta pac-man, defender and pitfall on my cousin's 2600 (we didn't get our own till a couple years later). But I always loved getting quarters from Dad and playing asteroids, centipede and omega race at the local tavern.

[Isleh]

One word. "Adventure"

On my uncle's early, primitive Atari game system. Thats right where you were the brave knight represented by the square and your task was to journy across the land(only on the path) and retrieve the grails but you had to watch out for the dragons!*`

That right Adventurs in all its 2-color graphic glory!*




*Well 2-color if you had a color TV
*`The author of this post is so old, she cannot remember very much about the game at all, only the bits and pieces.

LOL. Yep.. dragons that looked like ducks.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail94.html

[Ekade]

Installing 4 D batteries into the PONG machine and proceeding to have a blast.

The BEST was playing the game on setting #3.. dual paddles. Sometimes you could get the "ball" between the 2 forward paddles and it would bounce back an forth between the two at ludicrous speed.

Be aware that my era of concious thought predates video games.

[Krusshyk]

Installing 4 D batteries into the PONG machine and proceeding to have a blast.

The BEST was playing the game on setting #3.. dual paddles. Sometimes you could get the "ball" between the 2 forward paddles and it would bounce back an forth between the two at ludicrous speed.

Be aware that my era of concious thought predates video games.

Fogey.

In that same vein, I have this to mention...I was saddened yesterday while I was watching the UCA cheerleading championships (college cheerleaders). I realized that I was older than every single one of those girls.

I died a little bit on the inside.

[Iri]

Wow most of the games and platforms mentioned here were before my time.

Ah youth. :P

[X'an Shin]

Be aware that my era of concious thought predates video games.

Were you born before 1971? Because "Computer Space" was released as an arcade cabinet in 1971, and "Pong" was a cabinet in '72.

[Kabarra]

I remember my father brought home the pong console and we set it up on our b/w tv that doubled as furniture, thing was frickin Ginormous, but the screen itself was like 13 inches. My brother and Dad set it up and the whole famn damily played pretty much the whole day. Taking turns and such.
Ah sitting on the orange shag rug with my dog on my lap getting slaughtered in pong by everybody cuz I was the youngest and had the worst motor skills...and attention span. I would get so excited and crank on the turny wheel and my little line would just shoot to the top or bottom of the screen totally missing the white square ball.....
Ok this thread sucks because it made me feel old. But it rocks because it brought back some good time memories

[Krusshyk]

...white square ball.....

Wow, how far we have come. Our balls actually look like balls!

[Jaminos]

My dad got an NES lwhen they were new and I think it was some Mario game but I cannot remember 100%.

[Ekade]

Be aware that my era of concious thought predates video games.

Were you born before 1971? Because "Computer Space" was released as an arcade cabinet in 1971, and "Pong" was a cabinet in '72.

Perhaps I am incorrect as to when home video game consoles actually came out.

The unit I am referring to was "Pong". It was roughly the size of a toaster, maybe a little bigger (hard to judge as I was a kid at the time). It was kinda shaped like an anvil. The sound came out of the unit itself, not the TV. It was a lovely chocolate brown.

There were 2 knobs on the "face", a off-on switch, and a slider for settings 1 thru 4.

Ahh.. I finally found it.. it is pictured near the bottom of this article.. the 1975 release of the home version... http://computermuseum.50megs.com/pong2.htm

That was my first video game memory... playing this with my dad.

[Ekade]

Well I could say my first video game memory was with my sister's Maganvox Odessey. It was similiar to the Intellivision but it had a HUGE Apple IIe style keyboard. Problem is I barely remember any games for it.

So my first real memory of that spark of true love for video gaming would have to be my 8-Bit NES. Playing Duck Hunt, Super Mario, Ice Climber, Ballon Fight, 10-yard Fight, and all the rest of the near-launch titles had me entertained for hours.

At night I am still taunted by the evil laugh of that canine that would pop up and cackle at me when I missed a duck with my light gun. Oh how he torments me so after all this years. CURSE YOU HELLHOUND!! CUUUURSSE YOOOOU!!!

I think you might be referring to the oddyssey2.

It came with a couple racing games, and a word scramble game I believe.

What else can I remeber about the odyssey2..
- KC Mucnchkin. Basically a pac-man ripoff
- They had the space invaders equivalent.. forget the name
- You could buy a voice unit that came with a speak and spell "game"
- Pick axe pete was a lot fo fun to play. Some similarities to donkey kong.
- They had a series of 3 UBER games that came in larger boxes that had a gameboard. One was based on Lord of the rings, called "Quest for the rings" I believe. The players had to obtain 10 rings. The DM would put the coins representing the rings on the game board, and he could defend them with certain monster coins. The DM would then cover all of these so the "adventurers" could not see where the rings/monsters were. The players would uncover a space, then you would tell oddyssey what type of encounter it was and the players would fight it out in game. The players could be warrior (guy with sword), wizard (could shoot a little fireball and stun monsters), phantom(could move through walls), and changeling(could turn invisible). There were also variable environments for these encounters (standard, invisible walls, moving walls, and lava walls). I was not old enough at the time to truly appreciate the true coolness of this game.


LOL.. I remember Duck Hunt. I really dug Ghosts-n-Goblins. Oh.. and Legend of Zelda was just out of control awesome!

[Jabe Adaks]

Oh.. and Legend of Zelda was just out of control awesome!

OH HELL YES. Classic Zelda rocked.

Jabe

[Krusshyk]

Oh and Galaga. Gotta give props to Galaga. The coolest thing was when one of those little bastards picked up your ship and tried to fly off with it. Then you waited till he turned his back, smoked his ass, and then had two ships siamese twin style.

Talk about bad assery.