Gaming Memory Two
Since the release of the Xbox 360 way back in 2005, people have complained a lot about the sixty dollars, or higher, price tag of new video games, without realizing that games have always been priced from half a hundred bucks to borderline ridiculous.
Back when I was younger (yes, I know I sound crotchety), it was not uncommon for me to get one, maybe two, video games a year. That’s why every weekend, I was allowed to walk over to Blockbuster Video and rent a game.
The house I grew up in was situated right next to the local High School’s practice football field, which was next to the High School’s parking lot, which was, as you’d guess, next to Blockbuster. Making the walk from my house to Blockbuster was always fun; the excitement over which wondrous Super Nintendo games would adorn the Blockbuster shelves was always a delight.
The holiday of 1993 was an especially joyous time, because I had finally gotten permission to have a television in my room. These days, kids having a TV in their room is generally a given, but back in ‘93, when most households had a single - maybe double - TV arrangement, my situation was not of the norm.
Some time earlier, my parents picked up a full-sized, Chevrolet Van. This machine was a heap of a vehicle, and outside of being spacious for trips, never did anything helpful for our family. I’m saying that shit was broke. But it did come with a small, nine-inch television that my parents didn’t want in the vehicle, and that’s where this memory really begins.
Even though the TV was as ghetto as the junk vehicle it arrived in, it was mine. This is why the aforementioned Blockbuster rental trip of ‘93 held so much weight in my gaming memories; this time, I could play the game in my room - away from my brother and sister.
My TV’s set up was modest, but got the job done. It sat on a plastic crate to achieve eye level gaming, and was housed in the corner of my room between my bed and dresser. I cherished this place as my tiny little cubbyhole of gaming. My not-going-to-go-outside-this-weekend nerd hovel.
As good as the first rental to be played on the TV was (it was Mega Man X, by the way), the fact that I got to play it in my own room, away from everything else, stands out as one of my most cherished memories.
Even though the screen was somewhat blurry and lacked the ideal measurements in size, it was one of the best distractions in my young life.
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Do any of you have a particular gaming memory you’d like to share? If so, leave them in the comments or email me using the mail button at the top right of the page. And yes, I will post any emails you send me regarding the topic, so just let me know if you don’t want your name posted.
Much love.
