The Evolution of a Gamer

Do you remember your first time?

Do you remember the first time you wrapped your hand around that stick and pressed that button?  What about when you got your moves just right and hit that target?  Remember how your temperature would rise while you concentrated on satisfying your urges?  Do you remember that excitement you felt and the late nights you spent?  Do you remember?

I know that sounded a bit out there, but get your minds out of the gutter.  I'm talking about playing video games.  I remember sitting cross legged on the floor watching my older cousins play Pac-Man on the Atari.  I remember when they asked if I wanted to try and the excitement my little four year old self felt while controlling Pac-Man.  And when he ate the power pellets?  Oh man, it was like heaven.

But at that time, it wasn't serious for me.  I was curious and I had fun, but it didn't define me.  I wasn't yet a gamer.

A few years rolled by, and I received a Nintendo for a gift.  Ah, now here we go.  I began my 8-bit adventures and things got a little more serious.  Like many budding gamers at the time, I cut my teeth on Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.

I took mushrooms, picked flaming flowers, bumped coins out of bricks, stomped on creatures, pulled down flags, and saved the princess.  And I happily did it time after time.  Super Mario Bros. was my first obsession.  When I wanted a change, I could be seen shooting ducks or being taunted by a large dog I came to hate.  Oh yeah, I shot at him with the NES Zapper more than a few times.

Ugh

I remember one of my cousins even had a Power Pad.  We used it to play World Class Track Meet.  We were gaming and burning calories before the Wii or the Kinect.  Yeah, yeah.

As time went on, I began to amass a nice collection of NES games.  I fondly remember anxiously awaiting Fridays because my mom would let me rent a game every weekend.  My weekends were spent trying to save April with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, punch out Mike Tyson, and help Darkwing Duck keep St. Canard safe.  A little gamer was beginning to grow.

A couple of years passed, and I received a Super Nintendo from a cousin.  I stepped into the realm of 16-bit gaming, and my love for gaming grew deeper.  It was on the SNES that I teamed up with Mario and Yoshi to defeat Bowser again, and I threw the first of many Hadoukens with Ryu on Street Fighter II.

The gamer in me continued to grow.  It was during this era that I truly began to enjoy gaming as a social activity, and my competitive edge began to show.  I wanted to prove my dominance over my cousins and friends in everything from Mortal Kombat to NBA Jam.

I started to read various gaming magazines like Nintendo Power and longed for a Game Genie.  I accumulated various codes and strategies.  I had to feed the need.

Oh, the hours we spent huddled around my little TV punching the YXBA buttons and bumpers in any number of combinations.  There were times when my mom had to make us stop in order to eat.  Gamer life, man.  It is what it is.

Fast forward a few years, and I was introduced to the Nintendo 64.  Imagine the excitement on my face the first time I loaded up Super Mario 64 and discovered I could tug and pull Mario's face on the title screen.  The time I spent on Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Donkey Kong 64, and Cruis'n USA will forever be priceless to me.

I was beginning to view gaming as a less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle.  It wasn't simply something to do anymore; it was becoming my life.

I remember opening presents one faithful Christmas morning, and I became the proud owner of a brand new Playstation.  Yeah!!!  Am I the only one who remembers spending hours playing demo discs on Playstation?  Classic times.

I think it was with the Playstation that I began to evolve into a marathon gamer. I couldn't rest until I beat whatever I was playing.  I was hooked on Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil.  I was quite fond of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, as well.

My appetite only grew with the release of the Playstation 2.  I would go to Blockbuster every weekend to rent something different.  I was a full fledged gamer by then.  If it was out, I had probably played it.  I don't even know the number of hours I spent playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.  It was no longer a hobby.  Gaming had become a major component of my life.

I eventually moved on to the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One.  Gamers constantly evolve, but I sometimes go back to the old consoles.  That nostalgia will get you every time.

So, here I am today.  If I'm not playing something, I'm watching gaming videos through the YouTube app on my Xbox One.  So even when I'm not actively gaming, I'm still gaming.  I read my Game Informer magazine from GameStop.  I research upcoming game releases and anxiously mark my calendar for my favorites.

I evolved from blowing into cartridges to wiping discs.  I grew from having to write down pass keys, to using memory cards and sticks, to finally saving to the hard drive.  I witnessed games changing from simple side scrollers to near movie experiences with actual actors in them.

I am a full fledged gamer.  I'll never change.  I am what I am.

What about you guys?  Do you have fond memories of your first time?  Drop some comments and let's connect.

Game on, my friends.

A Gamer's Dilemma

What's the best thing about this time of year?  Is it all the upcoming holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas?  Is it all the upcoming opportunities to be around your family and spend that quality time?  Or is the chance to throw your diet out of the window, eat what you want, and indulge in self loathing later?  Sure, it can be all of those things.  For gamers such as myself, it's all about those upcoming game releases for the holiday season.

What to buy?  For me, there are three games that force me to make some hard decisions.  I want all three, but I have to decide which one to buy and which ones to put on my Christmas list.  Let's take a look at my top three list according to release date.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops III  November 6, 2015 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
2. Fallout 4 November 10, 2015 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
3. Rise of the Tomb Raider November 10, 2015 (Xbox 360, Xbox One)

Boom, there it is.  Three games, three franchises, one tough decision.

I guess you could say it just comes down to personal preference.  Do I want to go with the FPS that is Black Ops III? Would I rather level up with the RPG Fallout 4?  Should I just go spelunking with Lara Croft instead?  Ugh, I can't make up my mind.  

I wish I had enough money to buy whatever I wanted with no worries about it.  My gamer life would be simple.  New release?  Boom, money dropped and game enjoyed.  Since I don't have it like that, I have to convince myself to buy one over the others.  Ah, well.  Such is life.

I'll just drop trailers for all three below.  Even if I remain stumped, maybe they'll help someone else decide.  Game on, my friends.

A Black woman that plays video games? Yes!

Yes, we do exist.  I love video games.  I've always loved playing video games ever since I was a child.  I've owned and played everything from the Atari 2600 to the Xbox One (my current obsession).  

The funny thing is I'm always defending my love of video games.  I'm not the type that pretends to play to impress guys.  No, I want to kick their butts.  I'm super competitive.  I had a boyfriend in high school that didn't believe I played until I whipped his tail in NBA Street.  He later admitted that he was so salty that he practiced for a week just to beat me.  So cute but he never did.  

To this day, he still says he's never met another girl that was as into gaming and he gave up looking.  He awarded me the crown. To be fair, I do look for a guy who loves to game, too.  Nothing more relaxing than chilling at home and gaming the night away.  Gaming over clubs any day.

My mother asked why I like stuff that boys like.  I responded that it's no more absurd than a man that cooks and cleans.  

By the way, a man in the kitchen is very sexy but, I digress.  

I feel that Black women are under represented in gaming culture.  It's almost as if we're not interested in it.  That's just not true.  Some of the most hardcore gamers I know are Black women.  Some people think that if we're into it at all, we're only interested in games like The Sims.  A game that some people call a "girl" game.  I love The Sims and know guys that play it, but I play so many different games.  Although I must admit, The Sims can get deep if someone is a skilled Simmer.  My Sims usually end up doing better at life than I am.  Crazy.

I'm more of a Grand Theft Auto/Call of Duty type of girl, though.  Nothing more satisfying than mindlessly mowing down pedestrians while listening to R&B on the radio or blasting campers on my favorite maps.  Great stress relief, believe it or not  Oh, and don't put a good RPG in front of me.  I'll get lost for days.  

I guess my love of sitting in front of a television or monitor and playing games doesn't help my social life.  Yeah, that's true.  I'm not big on going out and being seen.  However, I tend to build my friendships around my love of games.  My buddies are all gamers, too.  So, it works out in the end.  Instead of calling or texting one another all day, we just hop into an Xbox Live party and chat.  Gaming IS social.

So, what's the point of my blog?  Well, I want to prove that Black women love games just like everyone else.  I want to prove that we do keep up with game releases and watch E3.  I know I'm currently waiting on Fallout 4 to release.  11-10-15 is marked on my calendar.  I want to prove that we play all consoles and games.  Yes, some of us are into anime and cosplay, too.   We come in different packages, but we all share that love of gaming and fantasy. 

In case you're wondering how I'm spending my Friday night, I'm watching gaming videos on YouTube.  I'm watching DashieGames, to be exact.  Yeah, I'm really doing that.  Heads up, Dashie curses a lot.  Just an FYI in case anyone wants to check him out.  

I'm hoping that some people out there can relate to me.  I just want to game in peace without feeling like a science project.  Can I live?  Here's hoping to change, anyway.  Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start.  Game on, my friends, game on.