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One year, my brother and I got £20 each for our Christmas. We both pooled it together to buy Super Mario Bros 3. We were so desperate because we'd seen this commercial incessantly the previous few months:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQO2VtV1PNg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQO2VtV1PNg
Ok first off, I would like to say I'm a huge Gamer, so big of a gamer i actually make video games for a living. Been playing sinice i could remember back on the 8-bit Nintendo. Well any way i was 7 years old and i've been wanting a SNES for Christmas, my mother knew it and my pops knew it. when walking in the local walmart i would always point it out thats why i want. I promised to do homework and get stright As on test, the whole 9 yards. Well when christmas came I woke up, super hyped up. Just fuckin Raced to the Tree and starting opening presents that could look like a gaming console and NOTHING, a fucking BOOM BOX tape player. ugh!......then out of the blue my brother who doesnt even play video games or give a shit about games. Got a SNES!!!! :( my Heart sank as if my parents disowned me... a big "WTF" came over my head... kind enough within a few months my brother just said "hey its yours". strange how Christmas can play a Great Gamer moment in our lives.
SPECIAL Thanks to my parents and brother.. ;)
SPECIAL Thanks to my parents and brother.. ;)
When I was a kid I had a Sega Game Gear. One Christmas my mom and brother decided to play a little trick on me. Christmas morning came and I noticed that I had the biggest present under the tree. It was HUGE. So I'm freaking out and unwrapping this thing and when I finally got it open it contained The Lion King for the Sega Game Gear taped to the bottom.
Laughs were had by all. Except me. :'(
Laughs were had by all. Except me. :'(
I recieved a large box in 1991. I opened it. It was the Sega Genesis which came with Sonic The Hedgehog that I had bugged my parents for relentlessly after playing it in Walmart for 5 minutes.
I hugged the box. The end. Seriously my Xmas Videogame stories suck.
I hugged the box. The end. Seriously my Xmas Videogame stories suck.
Back in the 2000, talking my younger cousin into asking for Pokemon Gold for Christmas, then on Christmas Day, again talking him into trading my all of his good Pokemon (with a link cable, remember that time before Wifi?). I was a motherfucking manipulative master of the Pokemanz.
Well, my parents never were really big fans of video games, so I played literally all of my games at friends' houses, and went quite a few years without owning a single game-related thing. Then, to my surprise one year, I opened up a box, and there was a see-through purple GameBoy Color, sitting right in front of me! Then, when I thought it couldn't get better, I ripped the packaging from a small box, and found myself looking at the box for Pokemon Gold! I played that game for years and years, beating the Elite 4 and Red lord knows how many times. Then, one day, just a few years back I found out that my little brother had deleted my file while he was playing, and even though I hadn't played Gold on a while, that was still definitely the saddest and most rage-filled moment of my gaming career.
it's gotta be the year my brother and I got a Dreamcast. we were amazed at the graphics, coming from N64.
On Christmas day, 2008, I got so drunk that the next morning I actually had to restart my entire playthrough of Mass Effect because I had forgotten everything that had happened the night before. I must have played for three hours completely blacked out.
My name is mrandydixon, and I am an alcoholic gamer.
My name is mrandydixon, and I am an alcoholic gamer.
1989 when I got a ZX Spectrum +2 with lightgun and Hollywood Classics pack, including Robocop, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman and Ghostbusters 2 (which was essentially unplayable as the +2 had a tape deck, but no counter, so when I started level 1 and died, I had to rewind the tape to a certain number. Which I couldnt see so therefore had to RELOAD the enitre game. With a Spectrum this was a sort of endurance test..).
However, I also had Aliens and Predator (this is also the first time I recall thinking who of the two species would win in a fight) and my cousin bought me a copy of Fantasy World Dizzy.
After finnaly getting tired of Batman and admitting I REALLY didnt know how to write my own games, it was time for tea and the final opening of presents that Christmas....and it was only a bloody copy of Chase H.Q!
Thus ended one of the greatest gaming christmas' of all the times....that is of course, until 1992....and I will save this one for next year :-)
However, I also had Aliens and Predator (this is also the first time I recall thinking who of the two species would win in a fight) and my cousin bought me a copy of Fantasy World Dizzy.
After finnaly getting tired of Batman and admitting I REALLY didnt know how to write my own games, it was time for tea and the final opening of presents that Christmas....and it was only a bloody copy of Chase H.Q!
Thus ended one of the greatest gaming christmas' of all the times....that is of course, until 1992....and I will save this one for next year :-)
It was about that time of year,
When everybody cums holiday cheer,
With my family about, in the mall I did shout,
What is this? What is this? I pointed, my mother not giving a piss.
Grandma, Grandma! What is this thing? I point again, beginning to sing.
"Why that's a super nintendo, and it's fucking fun"
She replied, chuckling with pride.
Christmas day, I beheld quite the sight. Why, a newly wrapped box down near my socks!
I wonder what it could be? I tear at the wrapping, and what do I see?
It's a shiny new SNES! I Danced and I twirled.
and hiding beneath it, Super Mario World!
And that is the story of my first video game. Also, SNES doesn't rhyme with anything.
When everybody cums holiday cheer,
With my family about, in the mall I did shout,
What is this? What is this? I pointed, my mother not giving a piss.
Grandma, Grandma! What is this thing? I point again, beginning to sing.
"Why that's a super nintendo, and it's fucking fun"
She replied, chuckling with pride.
Christmas day, I beheld quite the sight. Why, a newly wrapped box down near my socks!
I wonder what it could be? I tear at the wrapping, and what do I see?
It's a shiny new SNES! I Danced and I twirled.
and hiding beneath it, Super Mario World!
And that is the story of my first video game. Also, SNES doesn't rhyme with anything.
I don't know if I should be proud of this or not, but from 1982 through 1987, I received an Atari 2600 for each Christmas during that span. My brother and I played that system so much, that we would break them by September and instead of dealing with sending the systems back for repairs, my mother would just buy another one. She later told me a few years ago that she did it so that she wouldn't have to worry about what I wanted every year because we would start going crazy after we went without our Atari fixes for a few weeks.
Luckly, our NES lasted longer than nine months when we upgraded to that.
Luckly, our NES lasted longer than nine months when we upgraded to that.
The chirstmas of 2002. Fresh on my mind. I come from a pretty poor family, so I didn't ask for much of anything as I played Pokemon Gold/Crystal Religiously and knew I couldn't really get anything. Then unbox this amazing thing right here.
Limited Edition Pokemon GBA. Packed along with Super Mario Bros. and Metroid Fusion. I remember playing alot of days on the dimly lit screen. Trading back and forth with my old Gameboy and my pokemon games. The excitement of getting one of those Cheap Madcatz lights.
For sure, the amazement of this was the fact that I expected nothing and seemingly got everything my little mind could wish for in return.
Limited Edition Pokemon GBA. Packed along with Super Mario Bros. and Metroid Fusion. I remember playing alot of days on the dimly lit screen. Trading back and forth with my old Gameboy and my pokemon games. The excitement of getting one of those Cheap Madcatz lights.
For sure, the amazement of this was the fact that I expected nothing and seemingly got everything my little mind could wish for in return.
"What gaming-related holiday memory of yours stands out the most?"
When I read that one memory came to mind immediately, so I'll just say it. One Christmas Eve night I was feeling sick and eventually threw up all over my basement floor (it felt terrible!) and then the next morning (Christmas morning), I opened my presents and one them was Final Fantasy IV Advance for the GBA and the box was the same colour as my vomit from the previous night and so I started feeling sick again.
I guess I could have picked a better memory than that, but that was the first one that came to mind...
When I read that one memory came to mind immediately, so I'll just say it. One Christmas Eve night I was feeling sick and eventually threw up all over my basement floor (it felt terrible!) and then the next morning (Christmas morning), I opened my presents and one them was Final Fantasy IV Advance for the GBA and the box was the same colour as my vomit from the previous night and so I started feeling sick again.
I guess I could have picked a better memory than that, but that was the first one that came to mind...
The chirstmas of 2002. Fresh on my mind. I come from a pretty poor family, so I didn't ask for much of anything as I played Pokemon Gold/Crystal Religiously and knew I couldn't really get anything. Then unbox this amazing thing right here.
Limited Edition Pokemon GBA. Packed along with Super Mario Bros. and Metroid Fusion. I remember playing alot of days on the dimly lit screen. Trading back and forth with my old Gameboy and my pokemon games. The excitement of getting one of those Cheap Madcatz lights.
For sure, the amazement of this was the fact that I expected nothing and seemingly got everything my little mind could wish for in return.
Limited Edition Pokemon GBA. Packed along with Super Mario Bros. and Metroid Fusion. I remember playing alot of days on the dimly lit screen. Trading back and forth with my old Gameboy and my pokemon games. The excitement of getting one of those Cheap Madcatz lights.
For sure, the amazement of this was the fact that I expected nothing and seemingly got everything my little mind could wish for in return.
1997. Parents got me Doom 64 instead of Goldeneye 007. I secretly resented them for it for years. But as I got older, I realized they probably just couldn't get ahold of goldeneye, and went with the next best thing in their mind. After all, doom was one of the first games I was ever addicted to. Just not on a console.
In 1996, after the Nintendo 64 released, I would have my mom drive me to the local Blockbuster, where I would stand there and play Super Mario 64 for hours while she waited in the car. That year, the N64 was a highly sought item, and was difficult to find in some stores. Because of that, I was genuinely surprised and delighted to open up my birthday gift (shortly before Christmas) to find an N64 in the package. I didn't lose it like the famous N64 kid, but it was the best present I had ever gotten at that point.
I was 6 or 7 years old. I started opening my presents, and first was Disney's Magical Quest, on the SNES, from my grandpa. I didn't have a SNES, so I complained that he had made a mistake, and I wouldn't have a new game to play. He laughed, and told me to open his next gift: a larger box. Inside was a brand new SNES, so I could play the game. Next, he told me to open the even bigger box. Inside of that was a TV of my own so I could play the system in my room!
My grandpa died about a year later. That day is one of my fondest memories of him, and it was undoubtedly my best Christmas ever!
My grandpa died about a year later. That day is one of my fondest memories of him, and it was undoubtedly my best Christmas ever!
The year the N64 came out, I was 12 years old. That was the year I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Since I grew up in a fairly affluent neighborhood, all of my friends got N64s for Christmas, but not I. No, I got something far greater, I only had an NES at the time and for this Christmas "Santa" brought me a Super Nintendo, a Sega Genesis, a 32X and a Sega CD. Now at the time, I didn't see it as such a great thing. I thought to myself, if Santa is up in the North Pole, making everyone else N64s, why the hell did I get last generation stuff? And so I confronted my father and he smiled and didn't say a word. With that, I knew Santa was a lie. Still, looking back, that was a great Christmas. I bet I had 10x more fun with the pile of classics I received than all my friends combined had with Super Mario 64 and Wave Race.
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I received TMNT II: The Arcade Game for the NES from my grandmother. Still one of my favourites today. The music from Stage 1 has got to be the most fucking metal music in any NES game ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eJr3fT75bA I still own the cartridge with the box and manual, all in perfect condition.
I also received Yoshi's Cookie for the NES a couple of years later and my older brother got Kirby's Adventure (for the NES also). While Kirby is a much better game, I still loved Yoshi's Cookie and played it to death. I remember when my brother bought a magazine (Nintendo Power perhaps?) that contained cheat codes for Yoshi's Cookie that allowed you to play in levels over 10 (up to 99). So cool.
I also received Yoshi's Cookie for the NES a couple of years later and my older brother got Kirby's Adventure (for the NES also). While Kirby is a much better game, I still loved Yoshi's Cookie and played it to death. I remember when my brother bought a magazine (Nintendo Power perhaps?) that contained cheat codes for Yoshi's Cookie that allowed you to play in levels over 10 (up to 99). So cool.
Christmas of '97, that entire year I was envious of every kid who was in possession of the famed N64. Commercials on good ol' Saturday morning cartoons sung of it's glory. But my family was in a bad financial period. Around Christmas, my father had gotten a raise and things seemed to be looking up.
Christmas morning I ran down the stairs to see what wonders lay underneath the tree. I opened my gifts, a few good toys and such. Sadly, no 64. I was trying to keep my hope down just in case of that kind of disappointment. A few minutes later, as I was eyeing my opened presents with pleasure, my mom brought out another wrapped box from the other room. My eyes widened. They cleverly said, "We forgot about this one." as I tore through the box and saw that glorious Nintendo 64 logo. My jaw dropped. It was that kind of happy excitement in which you don't know what to do with yourself. Along with it came Super Mario 64. I spent countless time playing that game.
That is my story.
Christmas morning I ran down the stairs to see what wonders lay underneath the tree. I opened my gifts, a few good toys and such. Sadly, no 64. I was trying to keep my hope down just in case of that kind of disappointment. A few minutes later, as I was eyeing my opened presents with pleasure, my mom brought out another wrapped box from the other room. My eyes widened. They cleverly said, "We forgot about this one." as I tore through the box and saw that glorious Nintendo 64 logo. My jaw dropped. It was that kind of happy excitement in which you don't know what to do with yourself. Along with it came Super Mario 64. I spent countless time playing that game.
That is my story.
Well we were a less well off family in the 90's so Christmas 1995, my parents got us a SNES. Needless to say me and my siblings were flipping our shit(not knowing the N64 was less than a year away). We got the bundle that came with Super Mario World + All Stars. My older brother was playing a level on SMB 3 and was completely stuck. SO being the spaz that he was, he threw the controller at the wall breaking it completely. >.< I didn't get to play it for the first time until about a week after. Haha
My favorite Christmas memory was when I got Pokemon Blue. I remember opening it up, watching the opening my TV (Game Boy Player FTW), having my mind blown listening to that sweet Gameboy sound, and after choosing my starter (Bulbasuar).....having absolutely no idea how to play it. I couldn't catch any Pokemon, I was always close to losing battles with Trainers I was terrible. This wouldn't have been so bad if my sister hadn't gotten the Red version and was doing better than me. She even went so far as to mock every time I bragged. Example:
Me: HAH I BEAT THE BROCK! IN YOUR FACE!
Sister: Brock? Hehe took you long enough.
Me: HAH I BEAT THE BROCK! IN YOUR FACE!
Sister: Brock? Hehe took you long enough.
Christmas of 99, a Christmas morning of pants, cheap toys, and candy to a young boy. when at the end of it all my father, leading the way down the dimly light basement steps, asks me to choose right, or left. our steps T junction into two doorways, right, or left. he tells me there is no second chance, and the direction i don't choose, whatever is behind that door, is being taken back to its store, returned.
Right, or left.
I choose right, one of the hardest debates of my childhood, and he entered the door, and came back with every launch title stacked on top of a how-did-you-get-one ps2.
And almost to distracted by the lost possibility behind, the door not chosen, to fully enjoy the ridiculous and probably most expensive present I've ever gotten, i asked what was behind the other.
"your sister's new mountain bike"
Which was extremely unfortunate for her considering she's crippled.
Right, or left.
I choose right, one of the hardest debates of my childhood, and he entered the door, and came back with every launch title stacked on top of a how-did-you-get-one ps2.
And almost to distracted by the lost possibility behind, the door not chosen, to fully enjoy the ridiculous and probably most expensive present I've ever gotten, i asked what was behind the other.
"your sister's new mountain bike"
Which was extremely unfortunate for her considering she's crippled.
There's an almost seven-year difference between by brother and myself, and when you're children, that's huge. The focus noticeably shifted to my brother when I was seven, and this went on well into my tenth Christmas.
About a week before Christmas 2000, my dad showed me a purple Game Boy Color, and said it was for my brother. He even showed me for it-- I think it was Blue's Clues. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of resentment on my end.
Come Christmas Eve and the unwrapping of presents, lo and behold, I tear open the wrapping paper and there's a teal GBC in there waiting for me. My reaction was similar to the N64 kid.
About a week before Christmas 2000, my dad showed me a purple Game Boy Color, and said it was for my brother. He even showed me for it-- I think it was Blue's Clues. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of resentment on my end.
Come Christmas Eve and the unwrapping of presents, lo and behold, I tear open the wrapping paper and there's a teal GBC in there waiting for me. My reaction was similar to the N64 kid.
I'm not sure if my story counts, but i figured i would share it anyways.
I believe it was in 2000, I had received a copy of links awakening DX in an earlier christmas and couldnt for the life of me figure the game out. The most major thing I had asked for christmas was the prima strategy guide for the game. My parents looked everywhere but no stores had it for sale. I prepared myself for dissapointment, and on christmas morning I opened my presents to find that I had indeed not received it. Later, I went to my room and opened a drawer to find a package with a red bow on it. They had found it online and ordered it months earlier, and they had hidden it on christmas night.
Best christmas ever, I played the shit out of that game and to this day its still one of my favorite zelda games.
I believe it was in 2000, I had received a copy of links awakening DX in an earlier christmas and couldnt for the life of me figure the game out. The most major thing I had asked for christmas was the prima strategy guide for the game. My parents looked everywhere but no stores had it for sale. I prepared myself for dissapointment, and on christmas morning I opened my presents to find that I had indeed not received it. Later, I went to my room and opened a drawer to find a package with a red bow on it. They had found it online and ordered it months earlier, and they had hidden it on christmas night.
Best christmas ever, I played the shit out of that game and to this day its still one of my favorite zelda games.
Meh, all I can think about is that Santa Claus should be looking at the game. He's in the freaking grass.
Christmas story, 1998, Ocarina of Time. That's all I'm saying. I read the entire booklet through dinner. Then I spent the rest of the night cutting bushes and throwing rocks around, making a little fortune for myself.
I still wonder how long it must've taken me until I actually ENTERED Deku Tree...
Christmas story, 1998, Ocarina of Time. That's all I'm saying. I read the entire booklet through dinner. Then I spent the rest of the night cutting bushes and throwing rocks around, making a little fortune for myself.
I still wonder how long it must've taken me until I actually ENTERED Deku Tree...
Not exactly gaming-related (although its part of the reason why I love TMNT II so much) but I once received TMNT briefs when I was a kid. Shit was so rad. Like, cowabunga, dude.
The first time I ever got an Xbox 360 was on New Years Day. I was pretty behind on gaming (which is one of the reasons why I still play my dreamcast and every console befor it more) so when I got it, on January 1, 2009 2:07 AM CST, I literally ripped the box open with my teeth. I cried, I laughed. But on that exact time every new years, I. Unhook my xbox, clean it and patch it up, and leave it be for 24 hours.
Its a traditon. (And its also one of the reasons i m on dtoid today!
Its a traditon. (And its also one of the reasons i m on dtoid today!
The best Christmas I had was when my dad had finally bought me a PS2 after years of just playing like three games on the original Playstation. I had asked for The Warriors specifically, yet Christmas morning i had seen my PS2 except for the only game I asked for. My dad bought Grand Theft Auto III and other games of the like, but I honestly didnt care and i cried for a long time. Until I noticed a gift from under the tree titled "From: Santa" and i got The Warriors. I yelped with happiness and i didnt leave my room until the next day.
Back in 1988 my parents bought the family an NES with SMB/Duck Hunt. This was after a month of constant nagging from me about it after seeing my piano teacher's kids playing SMB2 while waiting to be picked up.
Needless to say I'm not very good at playing piano. ^_^
Needless to say I'm not very good at playing piano. ^_^
i dont have any xmas video stories :( my parents didnt every buy me video games when i was younger. i was never really a gamer until i got a job in high school and bought my videos games on my own.
when I was 8 or so... I really wanted a Nintendo 64, but my parents did't know anything about consoles. In that christmas, I was super hyped! and when I open the box... there was a NES, but not an original one, it was one of those chinese copies... but instead of getting angry or cry, I just played and... enjoyed my present as I did'nt care if it was a Nintendo 64 or a chinese NES... I just loved and still love videogames enough to be thankfull and apreciate any console in my posession.
one christmas later, my family ran out of money and could'nt afford any videogames, consoles or toys in the next years... and I was still playing in my chinese NES... with a smile in my face jumping in Super Mario Bros 3 and shooting in Contra.
And today, when I have plenty of consoles and fancy computers, I'm still a kid who does'nt really care about what console is better and enjoy videogames no matter what.
excuse the grammar, english is not my mother language.
one christmas later, my family ran out of money and could'nt afford any videogames, consoles or toys in the next years... and I was still playing in my chinese NES... with a smile in my face jumping in Super Mario Bros 3 and shooting in Contra.
And today, when I have plenty of consoles and fancy computers, I'm still a kid who does'nt really care about what console is better and enjoy videogames no matter what.
excuse the grammar, english is not my mother language.
One year, I really wanted a Donkey Kong Country for Christmas. I already bought SNES, but didn't had enough cash for the games. DKC was really big back then, everybody were talking about it. So, naturally, I was shitpants excited to play it. But like I already said, there was no money. So my only hope was to actually get it as a christmas present. And of course I got it, but in a very awesome way. My parents prepared the presents, I stepped into the room, and I saw it. I saw a big pile of bananas on the floor. There were like thousands of them. Naturally, I was like "WTF is this?". But then I started to search for my present, and there it was. Buried under the thousand bananas, my best gaming-related holiday memory.
Actually, I'm thinking of doing the same thing for my close friend, whose really into DKC. But this time, naturally, it's gonna be Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Actually, I'm thinking of doing the same thing for my close friend, whose really into DKC. But this time, naturally, it's gonna be Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Without a doubt the year I got a Gameboy Advance. I went N64-kid on that thing's ass, then spent the entire rest of the day playing Chu Chu Rocket.
gotta be the year i got the NES when it first came out.i was 6 years old.
got it for xmas. my older brother and i stayed up all night playing super mario bros. by the light of the christmas tree. then we were forced to goto bed. it was 2am.
i remember falling asleep as fast as i could so i could wake up again to play some more. as soon as the sun came out i was awake running downstairs to play more nintendo. only to find out my brother was already awake, playing SMB.
got it for xmas. my older brother and i stayed up all night playing super mario bros. by the light of the christmas tree. then we were forced to goto bed. it was 2am.
i remember falling asleep as fast as i could so i could wake up again to play some more. as soon as the sun came out i was awake running downstairs to play more nintendo. only to find out my brother was already awake, playing SMB.
Oh where should I start?
That Christmas when Santa had what looked like a scorpion in his beard, and me and my brother got our SNES and played DKC all until we fell asleep, and then our mother and her boyfriend tiptoed in and played Mariokart while not trying to wake us up. Which is easier said than done because parents and people unfamiliar with games have a tendency to lean in the direction they are turning towards. And scream, a lot.
That miserable Christmas that wasn´t smashingly fun
We took the n64 with us when we went to our grandparent’s house but we left the super smash bro´s cartridge behind. I nearly cried and screamed as much as I did when they told me that they didn´t have sonic adventure in the store and they gave toy commander instead. I wonder who is crying now Sega? ^^
That Christmas when Santa had what looked like a scorpion in his beard, and me and my brother got our SNES and played DKC all until we fell asleep, and then our mother and her boyfriend tiptoed in and played Mariokart while not trying to wake us up. Which is easier said than done because parents and people unfamiliar with games have a tendency to lean in the direction they are turning towards. And scream, a lot.
That miserable Christmas that wasn´t smashingly fun
We took the n64 with us when we went to our grandparent’s house but we left the super smash bro´s cartridge behind. I nearly cried and screamed as much as I did when they told me that they didn´t have sonic adventure in the store and they gave toy commander instead. I wonder who is crying now Sega? ^^
We all get a little nostalgic during the holidays, tearing up over memories of gaming past: 8-bit consoles, arcade classics, and video game music. While we love the slick graphics and cinematic intros of modern day, there’s something about the simplicity of early games that pulls at our heartstrings. As a throwback to early gaming and a nod to industry gains, SBS Studios took an uber popular video game series and worked in some old school winter cheer. The result is one epic holiday card.
So break away from the hustle and bustle, hunker down, and start slinging snow. Get ready for a fierce draft, Snowball of Duty: White Ops. C’mon, join us for some holiday fun: http://www.sbsstudios.com/holidaycard2010/
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