Josh’s Diary of a Retro Gamer – Buying My First System
One of the best memories in my childhood was getting my first system in February of 1991. It was a very different feeling in society, people were more carefree and wholesome. I was being taught to follow my dreams and have hope for a brighter future. Even the colors were bright neon pinks and blues coupled with whimsical shapes. With that in mind, imagine how the inside of electronic stores looked with all of its new games and systems playing on screens all around. When I walked in, I felt like I had walked into a wonderland. I immediately ran to the screen that was playing Mario Bros 2. I had no idea that one of the most important decisions of my entire life was occurring at that moment. I loved Mario already and to have a game that I was familiar with seemed like the best choice to purchase. I asked my dad to buy me one for my birthday and he said this magic sentence, “You can choose one system.” I didn’t understand what he meant because I hadn’t heard of the Sega Genesis. My dad then took me to the Sega screen playing Sonic the Hedgehog. Super Nintendo hadn’t come out yet so I was pulled in by the significantly better graphics and massively updated platform. Even the games were more complex due to the increase of memory available in the cartridges. It was the moment that I chose Sega over Nintendo without knowing the gravity of my decision.
I know, I know, Sega lost the console war at the end of the day. As sad as that was for a classic Sega kid, I couldn’t be too disappointed. Nintendo had blown open the doors with the Super Nintendo and then the Nintendo 64, two pinnacles of my childhood happiness. I will always hold the day I bought my first Sega in my heart and mind. So to sum up my childhood in one melodic word and classic intro: Seeegaaaaaa…