Growing up with the NES

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JustLikeHeaven
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Growing up with the NES

Postby JustLikeHeaven » March 8th, 2017, 8:46 pm

Another little shameless promotions, but my friend and I just uploaded our NES podcast episode over on our website. The episode talks about the very first time we ever played a NES, our favorite games, and more. Please check it out!

https://wolfmanslounge.com/2017/03/08/w ... episode-9/


Honestly, while we were recording this I think we each came to the same realization that while modern gaming is all kinds of awesome...being a kid in the 80/90s and discovering the NES library was just the absolute best. I guess some of it is nostalgia and being a kid, but videogaming was probably never more awe inspiring or important than when I was in 3rd grade discussing how to Warp in Super Mario Bros 2, or how to get the Master Sword in the original Zelda. Also, nothing quite matches walking into your local mom and pop rental store, or blockbuster video and renting what you're hoping is an awesome NES game, only to quickly discover it's a giant steaming pile of koopa troopa poopa. Ah, I'd give anything to go back and experience it all just for a week or so!

jon
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby jon » March 9th, 2017, 11:58 am

I agree. Growing up on the NES was the best console to have for being a young kid. It was so exciting. Specifically the late 80's when the game library blossomed. Those were really the good old days. Now with the NES approaching antique status it makes me realize how much more I enjoyed things back then. Before social media and everyone was playing with their cell phones all the time. The world seemed bigger and less complicated.

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scotland
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby scotland » March 9th, 2017, 1:04 pm

What a great thread!

I missed out on this experience, but the NES certainly seems magical to those of you who grew up with it. That is so awesome to hear your stories and memories. I missed out on things like playing Zelda before it was considered a classic or the bedrock game of a franchise.

CaptainCruch
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby CaptainCruch » March 10th, 2017, 3:47 am

I live in Europe and I grew up with a Sega Master System, I have fine memories of that system too. I guess things make more impression on you as you are a kid, so the systems with had back in the days were very influential for our 'development as gamers'. :).... My favorite Master System games were Bubble Bobble, Double Dragon (both 2-player with my brother), Sonic, Golden Axe, and Alex Kidd in Miracle World (built-in the system). So yes, I have been a Sega fan ever since and I can't judge the games I mentioned honestly because of nostalgia.

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JustLikeHeaven
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby JustLikeHeaven » March 11th, 2017, 9:35 pm

CaptainCruch wrote:I live in Europe and I grew up with a Sega Master System, I have fine memories of that system too. I guess things make more impression on you as you are a kid, so the systems with had back in the days were very influential for our 'development as gamers'. :).... My favorite Master System games were Bubble Bobble, Double Dragon (both 2-player with my brother), Sonic, Golden Axe, and Alex Kidd in Miracle World (built-in the system). So yes, I have been a Sega fan ever since and I can't judge the games I mentioned honestly because of nostalgia.


Yeah, I guess the system you grew up with certainly doesn't matter. The big thing was experiencing it pre-internet. Having to go out and rent/borrow games was such a huge part of the experience. When you uncovered something truly unexpected and great it made a lasting impression. Now with all the knowledge of the world at our finger tips it's rare to ever just stumble upon some amazing game.

In the podcast I briefly lament at how creative and weird videogames USED to be. As a kid these things didn't need to have deep stories or make sense. If it looked good, had tight/responsive controls, and addictive gameplay...then nothing else mattered. Excuse me, I need to go boot up Adventure Island II on the NES and take a trip back to the days of hula skirts, throwing axes, and dinosaurs!

Herschie
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby Herschie » March 14th, 2017, 11:33 pm


Honestly, while we were recording this I think we each came to the same realization that while modern gaming is all kinds of awesome...being a kid in the 80/90s and discovering the NES library was just the absolute best. I guess some of it is nostalgia and being a kid, but videogaming was probably never more awe inspiring or important than when I was in 3rd grade discussing how to Warp in Super Mario Bros 2, or how to get the Master Sword in the original Zelda. Also, nothing quite matches walking into your local mom and pop rental store, or blockbuster video and renting what you're hoping is an awesome NES game, only to quickly discover it's a giant steaming pile of koopa troopa poopa. Ah, I'd give anything to go back and experience it all just for a week or so!



Oh, hell yeah! Never heard anything more true in my life. I remember going to Blockbuster and renting all the good games my parents never bought me, then getting a frozen yogurt to boot.

Or sitting my my friend's basement failing miserably at Super Mario 3. But let me tell you, he who beat Ganon became the coolest person in the first grade. Thems were the days!

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velcrozombie
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Re: Growing up with the NES

Postby velcrozombie » March 15th, 2017, 11:20 am

As someone who grew up with the NES and had it as their only system for 6 years, I can say that nothing was worse (or a bigger waste of time) than a bad NES game. Hey little boy, you got some birthday money? Did you get some good grades on your report card? Let's go pick up a game - how about Mystery Quest? Maybe Target: Renegade? I got it - how about Bart vs. the World! Now play that for hours because you have no idea what else to do with yourself and can't afford anything else for the next 3 months. Thank God you rented Milon's Secret Castle before you had a chance to buy it!

I don't necessarily like where mainstream gaming has been going the last couple of years as a whole, but I do feel that there are less terrible games now - the base level of competency has risen. Is that a good thing? Are bland workmanlike games better than Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde-level disasters? I'm not sure. I guess I don't even mind the existence of badly-made games so much today - in the NES days you could be taken in by a cool name or well-designed boxart; today you can go on Youtube and Jim Sterling will show you exactly how much something sucks - you get the catharsis without the pain. It takes away from some of the surprise and mystery of the old days, but that's easy to say while being in the financial position to shrug off a bad game - a position that many kids aren't in.


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