I was born in the late 1970’s so that makes me a child of the 80’s & then a teenager of the 90’s. Some call us generation X others call us Thatcher’s Children but what fun I had especially with my gaming back then. I made a lot of fond video game memories.
We all look back with fondness at our retro gaming days gone by & I’m sure we will continue to do so but these were fun times & when you think about it there was quite a few things that we did then that we would no longer do today!
My First Retro Gaming Memories
Now before I explain further let me tell you a little about myself. My first gaming memory would be discovering & playing the Star Wars arcade game at a young age (probably in Great Yarmouth). I also remember playing Ghostbusters at a friend’s house on a Commodore 64. This would be my first home computing experience & I immediately wanted my own Commodore so parent pestering ensued.
Fast forward to Christmas 1986 & I got my first home computer which was an Acorn Electron! I still to do this day don’t know why Dad decided to go with the Electron but after 3 years of struggling to get what I considered at the time to be good games I eventually got a Commodore 64 for Christmas 1989.
It was a revelation being able to buy games from wherever we went as a family rather than the odd few Electron titles.
My First Games Consoles
In 1990 a Nintendo Entertainment System was added to my collection which started a habit of regularly getting new machines at every occasion possible (Birthdays & Christmas mostly). But what this meant was that in the late 80’s & early 90’s my love for gaming boomed!
A Sega Mega Drive followed the NES, Then a Super Nintendo and then at the age of 18 I would buy a console with my own money for the first time – the Sony Playstation.
Buying Cheap Budget Games
I’m talking the great budget labels that we had on the home computers like Mastertronic & Codemasters amongst others. These guys provided original titles for £1.99 or £2.99 & often produced better quality games than the full priced bigger licenced games. Could you possibly go to your newsagent nowadays for your Sunday paper & treat your kids to a cheap computer game.
Newsagents & Woolworths were 2 of my main sources for budget titles & pre internet what a selection of titles we had to choose from. Cassettes are long gone & nowadays it takes more than a few guys programming together to produce a video game. Unfortunately, these days are gone.
Birthday and Christmas Retro Gaming Memories
These big events seemed to take an age to arrive back in my younger days. They often involved getting a computer, console or games which weren’t easily affordable on a few pounds pocket money each week.
Cartridge based games for your Mega Drive or Super Nintendo were expensive. Nowadays I seem to celebrate the New Year & the next thing I know Christmas is being planned again plus if I want something I can usually just buy it.
I’m not a child who had to negotiate/earn rewards. Of course, though back then I didn’t have to justify my buying intentions to a spouse (luckily my wife enjoys a bit of retro gaming but sometimes the kids do need shoes). I have money & I can now spend it (mostly) how I like.
Pile Round a Mates House to Play Games
Picture the scene you’ve just got in from work your dinner won’t be ready for a good hour or two. So, what do you do you jump on your mountain bike or BMX call on a few friends & all pile round someone’s house who has a Xbox game that nobody else has.
You get in as much gaming as possible before racing home to be just about on time for your fish fingers & chips. It doesn’t happen surely does it?
If you are over 40 & it does, please do let me know.
Surround Someone with the Latest Games Magazine
When I was at school, I religiously read Mean Machines as well as CVG magazine. I’d pass the town’s newsagent on my route to school so I could pick these magazines up (pocket money permitting) on my way to school or on the way back.
This would often result in my mates surrounding me & the new issue I was engrossed in. What rating did the new Mario game get or something similar would often be heard. I would imagine this may have happened to a few others back in the day but today with the internet being the main source of any news & everyone being older I’m a bit saddened to think it doesn’t.
Swapping ( Sometimes Dodgy) Games
Now I don’t really discuss gaming with anyone today other than the good people like yourself who I chat to on twitter or at the various retro gaming event that pop up during the year.
Back in the day when I had a game that I didn’t really enjoy I would try to off load on a mate in exchange for another game (probably one that they didn’t want).
These trades happened now again & I still remember gaining ‘Revenge of Shinobi’ in exchange for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (which I had completed many times) which had somehow become broken whilst in possession of my mate. At the time this was a result for me but nowadays do we still swap games with mates permanently with the bartering & negotiations that we did back then?
Arcades Were Magical Back Then
Are arcades still magical places? Today when I take my kids to the seaside it’s all penny pushers and ticket machines with some arcade games.
Who remembers entering a dimly lit arcade & being hit with that barrage of noise & flashing lights? The arcade games of course in the 80’s & 90’s were often games we couldn’t play at home or certainly not up to the same standard that you would get for the multiple 10 & 20 pence pieces we would require to play them.
Final Fight, Afterburner, TMNT, Star Wars, Street Fighter 2 to name a few were usually why we looked forward to the family summer holiday by the sea.
Over the last few years I have loved seeing retro arcades make a comeback. Locations like Arcade Club and the Pixel Bunker are great locations to enjoy arcade games like we did back in the day.
Playing Games All Weekend
When I was a teenager, a weekend would involve video games and quite often not a lot else. If I did this today the lawn wouldn’t get mowed, the wife & children would be ignored & other DIY duties would remain on my to do list for the foreseeable future. I would end up public enemy No 1 in my house!
I hope this article has brought back some memories for you & if you feel the urge to share your memories you can find me on my socials!
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