How did the first video game you ever played influence your life?
- Thread starter Spirit
- Start date
Cfrock
Keep it strong
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
What impact? Christ, I was three, could barely play it, had no clue what the hell was going on, but couldn't get enough of it. I used to dream about it. Without it I don't think I ever would have spent much time playing the SNES and I certainly wouldn't have played many other games. I'd have never wanted an N64 and my parents probably never would have gotten us a PlayStation. My relationship with video games has given me many good things and many bad things, and to avoid turning this into an episode of Dr Phil I'll just say that the only thing that's had a comparable impact on my life is Discworld. It all goes back to those two things.
Er, you could say that, yeah...
I sure did. I've played and enjoyed many more action/adventure games since and will no doubt continue to into the future.
No one hates A Link to the Past. Even people who say they do are lying to try and look cool (it doesn't work).
Fraxinus
chunky plant goop
I wish I actually remembered what my first video game was. When I got my GBA, which was my first video game system to call my own (the NES is my mom's), the game that my parents got for me with it was like, Stuart Little, or something. Which I did play the hell out of, but I'm not sure if it really influenced me as a gamer much other than it being my first GBA game. I feel like the first game that really got me hooked was the GBA remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Mario became a huge part of my life because of it. I was definitely a Mario fan long before I was a Zelda fan--and when my sister and I watched my mom play her NES, we both preferred watching her play Mario over Zelda.
Ocarina of Time was my first game. And as you can see it has led to my imprisonment in a Zelda Dungeon!
Zelda got me into the high fantasy gaming genre, and Until TP released it was my favourite game ever! It is still in my top 4 and although I don't enjoy it as much now because after 14 previous playthroughs I find the magic of discovering anything new has all gone.
Still, I can never forget the feeling of wonder and amazement I got the first times I played that game. The total freedom I thought I had and how totally immersed I would be in its world. Then of course there were all the different emotions that game would make me feel. From the excitement of progression and discovering somewhere new, to the pure terror of being jumped on and molested by what you initially assumed would be a friendly brown man down the bottom of a grave.
I would spent much of my childhood thinking about the world of Zelda, making up my own stories and dreaming about my adventures in hyrule. I wanted to go home from school so I could play more so it kind of kept me going through my day. And then of course there was many a night that I was unable to sleep because I was thinking about ReDeads! For those reasons it will always hold a special place in my heart along with a few other games in the series.
I have no doubt my life would be totally different without Ocarina of Time and I would be far worse off for having not played it.
Zelda got me into the high fantasy gaming genre, and Until TP released it was my favourite game ever! It is still in my top 4 and although I don't enjoy it as much now because after 14 previous playthroughs I find the magic of discovering anything new has all gone.
Still, I can never forget the feeling of wonder and amazement I got the first times I played that game. The total freedom I thought I had and how totally immersed I would be in its world. Then of course there were all the different emotions that game would make me feel. From the excitement of progression and discovering somewhere new, to the pure terror of being jumped on and molested by what you initially assumed would be a friendly brown man down the bottom of a grave.
I would spent much of my childhood thinking about the world of Zelda, making up my own stories and dreaming about my adventures in hyrule. I wanted to go home from school so I could play more so it kind of kept me going through my day. And then of course there was many a night that I was unable to sleep because I was thinking about ReDeads! For those reasons it will always hold a special place in my heart along with a few other games in the series.
I have no doubt my life would be totally different without Ocarina of Time and I would be far worse off for having not played it.
Last edited:
LegendOfMeesh
You Are The Light
Oh boy, I'm feeling so old right now. The very first video game I ever played wasn't even PONG but Air Hockey and I think it was late 70's. And does it count to say I'm a hockey fan? 
This question is very tricky for me to answer because I never was part of any game that would turn out into a franchise. Most of the franchises as we know werern't even planned when I was a kid. Okay....Donkey Kong might count. But I wasn't addicted to the original DK game (Mario as jump man and had to save Pauline) but my sister was. I alw2ays watched her play it. I never forgot the game and it still brings back memories. hahha so yeah it might count in some way
This question is very tricky for me to answer because I never was part of any game that would turn out into a franchise. Most of the franchises as we know werern't even planned when I was a kid. Okay....Donkey Kong might count. But I wasn't addicted to the original DK game (Mario as jump man and had to save Pauline) but my sister was. I alw2ays watched her play it. I never forgot the game and it still brings back memories. hahha so yeah it might count in some way
CynicalSquid
Swag Master General
The first game I ever played was Ocarina of Time. I was about 5-6 years old and I was obsessed with that game when I was a kid. I would get in trouble with my parents for waking up at 4am to play some Ocarina of Time before school. I made friends with my neighbors because we bonded over the game. I also made a ton of friends at school because they played the game as well and we gave each other tips and hints and it was a really good experience of my childhood and that's why I have such a strong bond with that game. As I grew up I started to have more criticisms with the game, especially when the newer releases in the series started coming out, but I still have sort of a nostalgic blindness to that game just because of how special it is to me. It was actually the only thing I remember fondly from my childhood.
Shortly after I finished the game my parents got divorced and I was forced to move to the other side of the country. I went all the way from Ohio to Arizona. It was a pretty rough time in general, but I was pretty confident as a kid so I wasn't too worried about making new friends in a new school. I would miss my friends in Ohio but I remember I was excited to experience something new. I was shot down immediately by the other kids though. It was the middle of the year. Everyone already had their own cliques. I was mostly just harassed by everyone else and I started having troubles fitting in. I had no friends and my confidence was destroyed. I was a pretty extroverted kid before the move, but I quickly became introverted shortly after. I remember my only escape from reality was when I finally got The Wind Waker and was able to explore that world. Then my mom gave me Twilight Princess as a present and I was so excited to experience what that game had to offer. All I remember from my childhood is Zelda and hating being at school because all the other kids were so mean to me.
I finally was done with everything. Jr high was the worst years of my depression. I made a deal with myself to end my life before I graduated high school. Every time I thought I had made friends they would actively try to avoid me or straight up tell me to go away. I hated gym class because people would actively try to hurt me physically and I was unable to do anything to defend myself. I became tired life. I wanted out. First year of high school though, started looking up. I made a few friends and I was starting to have a good time and began enjoying my life. However, out of nowhere my friends cut all ties with me and I was left with no one to talk to yet again. The worst thing was I was still being beat up and harassed during gym class. I was lonely I was scared and I really had no reason to try and keep on living anymore.
You may be asking yourself why this all matters? Why am I saying all this? Well it still has something to do with Zelda. Right before my second year of high school, I joined ZD. I always had a connection with the Zelda franchise and thought it would be cool to join a forum with other Zelda fans. After joining this site I began to start making friends. I still had my problems with some people and some times I didnt feel like I was fitting in, but slowly I started building up confidence in myself and who I am. I started making more friends and I met some of my best friends on this site who I still talk to and love to this day. Another bright side of that year was I no longer had to be in gym class so no more being physically abused.
In my 3rd year of high school I met Srishti, and even though our relationship ended pretty badly and we are no longer friends anymore, meeting her still had a positive impact on my life. She helped me grow as a person, she helped me grow my confidence even more, and she helped me find a reason to live. This translated to real life too, as I was able to make friends in person and become less anxious aroud other people. Even after I was banned from ZD and Srishti and I broke up, I still was able to be in contact with my friends from ZD and every time I began feeling down they were there to pick me back up. Even to this day, I feel more comfortable with letting out my feelings to people on ZD. My friends in Arizona tell me to stop being a *****, my friends here always know how to lift my spirits whenever I feel down. Since my return, I was able to make even more friends and they have also become a special part of my life. I may still have my issues and still am not 100% confident in who I am, but it's night and day compared to who I was when I first joined this site.
TL;DR: This is just a really sappy story about how despite times of being depressed and wanting nothing more than death, Zelda has always been an important part of my life. And, this may be cliche, I may not be alive today if it wasn't for the Zelda Dungeon community. My story may not be as tragic as other's but the fact that Zelda/a Zelda related community stopped me from ending my life... it just makes it a little more special.
Shortly after I finished the game my parents got divorced and I was forced to move to the other side of the country. I went all the way from Ohio to Arizona. It was a pretty rough time in general, but I was pretty confident as a kid so I wasn't too worried about making new friends in a new school. I would miss my friends in Ohio but I remember I was excited to experience something new. I was shot down immediately by the other kids though. It was the middle of the year. Everyone already had their own cliques. I was mostly just harassed by everyone else and I started having troubles fitting in. I had no friends and my confidence was destroyed. I was a pretty extroverted kid before the move, but I quickly became introverted shortly after. I remember my only escape from reality was when I finally got The Wind Waker and was able to explore that world. Then my mom gave me Twilight Princess as a present and I was so excited to experience what that game had to offer. All I remember from my childhood is Zelda and hating being at school because all the other kids were so mean to me.
I finally was done with everything. Jr high was the worst years of my depression. I made a deal with myself to end my life before I graduated high school. Every time I thought I had made friends they would actively try to avoid me or straight up tell me to go away. I hated gym class because people would actively try to hurt me physically and I was unable to do anything to defend myself. I became tired life. I wanted out. First year of high school though, started looking up. I made a few friends and I was starting to have a good time and began enjoying my life. However, out of nowhere my friends cut all ties with me and I was left with no one to talk to yet again. The worst thing was I was still being beat up and harassed during gym class. I was lonely I was scared and I really had no reason to try and keep on living anymore.
You may be asking yourself why this all matters? Why am I saying all this? Well it still has something to do with Zelda. Right before my second year of high school, I joined ZD. I always had a connection with the Zelda franchise and thought it would be cool to join a forum with other Zelda fans. After joining this site I began to start making friends. I still had my problems with some people and some times I didnt feel like I was fitting in, but slowly I started building up confidence in myself and who I am. I started making more friends and I met some of my best friends on this site who I still talk to and love to this day. Another bright side of that year was I no longer had to be in gym class so no more being physically abused.
In my 3rd year of high school I met Srishti, and even though our relationship ended pretty badly and we are no longer friends anymore, meeting her still had a positive impact on my life. She helped me grow as a person, she helped me grow my confidence even more, and she helped me find a reason to live. This translated to real life too, as I was able to make friends in person and become less anxious aroud other people. Even after I was banned from ZD and Srishti and I broke up, I still was able to be in contact with my friends from ZD and every time I began feeling down they were there to pick me back up. Even to this day, I feel more comfortable with letting out my feelings to people on ZD. My friends in Arizona tell me to stop being a *****, my friends here always know how to lift my spirits whenever I feel down. Since my return, I was able to make even more friends and they have also become a special part of my life. I may still have my issues and still am not 100% confident in who I am, but it's night and day compared to who I was when I first joined this site.
TL;DR: This is just a really sappy story about how despite times of being depressed and wanting nothing more than death, Zelda has always been an important part of my life. And, this may be cliche, I may not be alive today if it wasn't for the Zelda Dungeon community. My story may not be as tragic as other's but the fact that Zelda/a Zelda related community stopped me from ending my life... it just makes it a little more special.
the earliest game I can remember playing was sonic 2 on my brother's game gear, probably the only impact was it caused me to buy the master system version of it on the wii virtual console many years later [or maybe also it made me prefer sega's 8 bit sounds over nintendo's]
but really, mario sunshine and wind waker were the first games I played that actually did greatly matter to me, since before that I was mostly too young to really understand anything I was playing, and of course I became a lifelong fan of both franchises
but really, mario sunshine and wind waker were the first games I played that actually did greatly matter to me, since before that I was mostly too young to really understand anything I was playing, and of course I became a lifelong fan of both franchises
The first game I ever played was Super Mario 64. I'd say it definitely spoiled me a bit as I shortly followed up with Ocarina of Time, and those two games made it that I have a very high standard for the games I actually check out. Super Mario 64 made me a huge fan of the Mario franchise, and it was my favorite game franchise for the first 10 years of my life before it was eclipsed by Halo and eventually Zelda. Recently, I'd say it's become my favorite game franchise again as I am not entirely pleased with the direction Zelda is going in while Super Mario Odyssey left me feeling very satisfied. It's been years since I've played Super Mario 64, and I probably won't be revisiting it until an HD remake comes out, but it still holds a special place in my heart.
Quin
Disaster Master
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2017
- Location
- Netherlands
Probably old SMB or some other old NES game, I can hardly rememeber that time or old Donkey kong that one local cafe still had. I still love platformers and Nintendo!
Cartoonmaniac
Biggest Zelda fan this side of the South Pole
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2016
- Location
- Stuttgart, Germany
Super Mario 64 was my first video game when I was about 4 years old. My uncle had an N64, and he let me play it a little bit while we were visiting. He was on the first Bowser stage where you think you're going to go through the painting, but then the floor drops out from under your feet instead. That's honestly the most vivid detail I have of Super Mario 64 (I still haven't actually done a full playthrough) because I spent quite a lot of time trying to jump over the hole because I would ALMOST make it every time, and I somehow knew it could be done.
It didn't really affect me at all though
Now Lego Star Wars.... THAT was the game that kick-started my love for both Legos and Star Wars. I didn't even watch the movies for a while, and only knew the toned-down Lego version of the Star Wars story. I still like to play it on my Xbox though, and recently got my sister into it as well.
It didn't really affect me at all though
Now Lego Star Wars.... THAT was the game that kick-started my love for both Legos and Star Wars. I didn't even watch the movies for a while, and only knew the toned-down Lego version of the Star Wars story. I still like to play it on my Xbox though, and recently got my sister into it as well.
Hero of Pizza Time
Pizza Parker
First game I ever played was Lego Star Wars the Video Game (which came out in 2005). To this day, I am still a fan of the Star Wars prequels kind of. I guess this game and it's action-adventure puzzle-solving gameplay are also partly why I love Zelda so much.
