Thursday, August 8, 2013

Share a Childhood Gaming Memory

In the past I've posted about my gaming life, and how I got to where I am today. I've mentioned how I started playing games back when I was 1 1/2 years old when I got my cousin's NES, and I've mentioned quite a few game series that I loved. Well, once again I would like to share a childhood gaming memory with everyone, but this time around things are a little bit different. We here at NGR will be holding a mini event of sorts. What we want you to do is to share some of your childhood gaming memories with us as well.

By going to this forum post (http://forums.nettosgameroom.com/topic/9047212/1/), you can share your childhood gaming memories, and in a few days I will personally select a few of them to publish here on the blog. All you have to do is sign up for a forum account (which is very fast and easy), click on that link, and post away. Feel free to tell us stories of when you got a game, childhood memories of you and your friends/family playing a game, or just about anything else you would like to share. If your memory is chosen, your memory will be published, and you will be given the "[Childhood Gaming]" forum Title as well. Like I said there is no limit to how many memories you post, but if you do post multiple ones; please make sure to clearly label them or simply create a new reply for each memory. This is one of them rare cases where double, triple, and even quadruple posts are allowed. Now with that being said, I look forward to seeing your gaming memories as soon as possible!

So, to start things off, let me share one of my gaming memories with you as well.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has always been a special game to me. Although it isn't my favorite Zelda game, nor is it one that I go back to from time to time; it is still a game that holds a special place in my heart, and a special childhood memory as well.

When I was 12 years old or so, me and my family took a vacation out of state to a place called "Branson." My parents called me off from school for a week, we all loaded up into my Grandpa's van (which had a Super Nintendo and a TV built into it), and we set off for about a 6 hour drive. Although I had been to Branson before, I was really looking forward to going back. Well, long story short; the trip was a blast. I still remember a lot of the things we did that week, and my parents even bought me Megaman Zero 2 for the GBA. Everything about the trip was just great. I got a game I had been waiting for, I got off from school for a week (what kid doesn't want that!?), and I got to spend time with my family; really I still look back on that trip with fond memories even today.

Well after the week was up, we all loaded back up in the van, said goodbye to our little cabin like houses we were staying at, and we began to make the long trip home. After driving for about 4 hours, it was decided that we would all make a stop at my aunt and cousin's house on the way home. Since they lived out of state we hadn't been to their house lately, and I guess my parents and grandparents figured that then was a good of time as any to pay them a visit.

Although it was great seeing my aunt and cousins again, what happened next is something I never expected. When my oldest cousin came home from work, he looked up the stairs (where I was standing), and he called out to me and said "I've got something for you." I really wasn't expecting much when I heard him say this, but when he walked out to the car and came back in, I was pretty shocked. Apparently around that time The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker had come out on the GCN, and the Preorder bonus for it was Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest. Although my cousin didn't have a GCN, he was working at Target at the time, and there were extra preorder bonuses left over. Target had told the employees that since they were extra bonuses, anyone who wanted one could take one home, and that's exactly what my cousin did. He took one home, waited for me to stop by on my way home from my vacation, and he handed it over to me.

Up until that point, I was never really a Zelda fan. I remember playing OoT and even Majora's Mask in Walmart, but it just wasn't a game my parents ever bought me. I would go to school, I'd hear my friends and other kids talk about the games, and I would always sit there wishing that I could join in on the conversation. Even though I wasn't a fan, I was still interested in them, and I had always hoped for the day that I could play the game for myself. At that moment, I knew that day had finally come, and I couldn't wait to get home and play it. Man, that was a long ride home. I still remember to this day sitting in the back of the van and reading that instruction manual that came with the game. I daydreamed about what the game might be like, what Link was going to go through on his adventure, and how it was going to play in general. OoT blew me away back when I saw it on the N64 with its open world, and now I was going to finally play it for myself.

When I got home, it was pretty late. I was pretty tired, but I decided to put in the game, and start playing anyway. The game started up, it asked me to enter a name, and the excited kid in me just hit random letters. I didn't realize that I was actually picking Link's name, so I was quite shocked when Navi showed up and called me by ojaermo (or something along them lines). After playing the game for about 30 minutes or so, I actually ended up restarting it. This time around I picked the "Master Quest" option from the main menu, named Link "Link," and I started my adventure. Although I wouldn't make it very far that night (I believe I made it to the Deku Tree), the next morning I woke up as early as possible, and I jumped right back in. For the next year, The Legend of Zelda: OoT MQ was my go to game. Each day I'd come home from school I'd pop it in, and each day I went to school I'd talk about it with my friends. Master Quest was quite challenging for me way back then, and I still remember struggling to find a way to advance. Overall, I really didn't mind it though. I had fun being lost, and I had fun trying to figure out my next move. I spent such a long time as kid Link, I never thought I'd see Adult Link, and I spent so much time as Adult Link, the next thing I knew it was Thanksgiving. Looking back on it now, it didn't seem like I played it that long, but in reality I had spent almost a full year on that thing. That is one year I will never regret.

So, that's my childhood memory; now what about yours?