Atari 5200. Bulky, fragile, expensive-to-replace, complicated controllers notwithstanding, that was a kickass system. A dear friend gave her entire system – including the “Centipede” tracball – after she got tired of it…and took it back years later after I gon an NES. There was a war/tank game, “Countermeasure,” that I was fond of. “Qix” was another favorite. My mother would play “Popeye” for hours.

NES. Mom and I went halfsies on it – and she, who was 33 years older than I, was much better on it than I was. We both played the living hell out of SMB3, mainly because we had the cheat book for it (I never liked SMB2). “Tetris” was also heavily used, as was “Punisher” and “Pin-Bot.” Mom got a lot of use from “Gyruss.” The only game, however, I finished without using a Game Genie cheat thingy was “Rampage.” That system is moldering away in my basement.

PSX (original console). I put this one together, piece by piece, from parts found at thrift shops and game stores. Never really got good on it – only thing I finished was “Die Hard Trilogy” – again, with help from a cheat disc. The PSX version of “Galaga” was too damn much for my stiffening fingers. Mom never touched the PSX…

Beyond that, only a handful of PC games like “Crazy Taxi,” and “Austin Powers Pinball” (which sucked on PSX). The PSX and PC versions of “GTA” are beyond my fading abilities (and isn’t it ironic that Wal-Mart used to sell the 3-disc “GTA Classics” set for $10?).

BTW, Cracked Magazine’s website has some interesting observations about video games!!

I also got my first grownup watch that Christmas, which I promptly destroyed the first time I fell off the Stallion.

a. Oliver is a good writer.

b. His mother is awesome.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

But what I know for certain is that Mario 2 featured the single best piece of music ever composed for any Mario game before or since:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ti5f-LHp4

I remember PSP christmas, I remember PS2 christmas, and this year it will be used 60gb ps3 christmas – no screwing around with models that gyp you on backward compatibility. We will be having multiplayer Little Big Planet and Madden tomorrow and having a blast. Now that he’s 17 it’s even cooler, because we can be honest that the gifts are for Dad too.

ANd yes, your mom rocks hard man.

Awesome story, nonetheless.

P.S. Toad sucked in that game. Utterly useless.

And wow, I lived in Brockport for six months one year, long ago.

Merry Christmas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GpptJusOjM

From one nintendo-er to another: The ‘lost levels’ later released on an SNES Mario package were the original SMB2 — very similar to the original game, but it play-tested too hard. So, under the gun, the good folks at nintendo took a game called ‘Hoki Doki Panic,’ stripped the characters, replaced them with Mario characters and called it good. Shoot, I thought it was a great game.

In my neighborhood there were only two types of kids: Atari kids and Intellivsion kids.

I was the only intellivision kid and I will live that pain forever.

My dad was a technophile and had bought an Atari when they were first released. When the NES was available in my area (Nintendo had no idea if the thing would sell, so they did limited releases of it and it took a while before they shipped enough for the demand) he made a deal with me. He’d match me 1:1 for the system and games. Did up a contract and everything. I worked my butt off, doing chores I had no idea needed done, walking house-to-house in the neighborhood finding whatever driveway shoveling or raking I could. I’d take the money, put it into the NES savings jar, and when dad got home he’d put in whatever I’d added since the last time. Took a little while to get it all together but we did. The day I finally had enough for the system, games, and tax, we went and bought it. I was a bundle of pure anticipation from the drive home until it was plugged in.

I agree. Super Mario 2 was my favorite though. Every time I went over to my friend’s place I played the princess. She was hot and she could fly.