My Gaming History

I remember friends with Nintendo and Genesis.  Hanging out after school with Brittney I'd explore the Mushroom Kingdom or fail to shoot that mocking dog in Duck Hunt.  I'd always play Tails to Chris's Sonic.  Even my orthodontist's office had a game of Aladdin to play while I waited.

But at home was the computer, with DOS and Windows 3.1.  This was the game setup of my childhood and so games have always been entwined with computers in my mind.  There was Duke Nukem (sidescrolling, not 3D), Wolfenstein 3D, Pinball...

Then there was the day my father and I went to get a rotisserie chicken at Costco.  I wandered over to look at the games as usual, and the was a compilation of all four (at that time) Quest for Glory games for sixteen dollars.  Somewhat to my surprise, my father agreed to buy it.

Thus I was simultaneously inducted into the worlds of roleplaying and adventure games.  Over the next years I ended up exploring much of the Sierra "quest" oeuvre.  These, and the occasional other adventure game, are my childhood gaming memories.

As for roleplaying games, my next step there came with Bioware and Baldur's Gate, and I haven't left Bioware yet.  Despite the changes over the years, I've yet always found in Bioware games that allow me to play multiple characters and tell their stories to a degree I can't find anywhere else.

My explorations of Baldur's Gate didn't truly expand until college (I think I got stuck at the top of the Iron Throne tower until after high school graduation) but I've loved almost every Bioware game since then (Neverwinter Nights being the sole exception.  I've never played it.)  I've explored Obsidian and the vast landscapes of Bethsaida and enjoyed them, but not to the same level.

Another big impact game came with a spur-of-the-moment purchase on a trip to Target with my friends in college.  I happened to browse the computer games and spot The Longest Journey for ten dollars.  Having read good reviews of it, I decided what the hey.  It's been a long (and still continuing) journey indeed exploring the mysteries of those worlds.

So the adventures and exploration continue.  My preferences keep me from being too swamped, but thankfully I like to replay.  And there are old games yet to discover, and new ones made every day.