Mendel's Life in Gaming
A rough chronological order of games I remember playing from childhood up until my early college years. Not every game I played and not all of the games here are good, just games I have strong memories of, good or bad. By the time the Wii came out, I was only playing games occasionally. Cuts off right around 2010, where after picking up the (then) new Pokemon game, I eased my way back into gaming regularly after not playing much for several years.
167 Games
I know my aunt had an Atari 2600 when I was a little thing, but I cannot recall what games she actually had.
My Mom played this game extensively when she was pregnant with me and after I was born.
I remember my older brother playing this when I was a kid. The skeleton/Death that appeared when you died freaked me out.
By the time I was old enough actually understand and play games, my Mom had gifted our NES to my aunt's family. I played it every time I came over, which was my main experience with the NES back then.
The NES version - Rescue: The Embassy Mission.
I had NO clue how this game worked at the time, but the visual spectacle of going into hyperdrive is stuck in my mind.
I played a few Mega Man games during my childhood, but I can't remember which ones specifically.
The first game I ever emulated.
I got a Sega Genesis relatively early. I'd eventually get the Sega Channel service, so I played more Genesis than SNES. I gave away most of my Genesis games to my nephews one day because I had I figured I had all the games I'd ever need for the system with the Sega Channel. When the service closed down, it was my first confrontation with game preservation issues and the follies of digital gaming.
I distinctly remember my older brother had a copy of this disguised as Sonic the Hedgehog.
Other than Zelda, my Mom was big into puzzle games, so I remember her playing this quite a bit when it'd pop up on Sega Channel.
I remember pouring over the section that covers the character's backgrounds. The melancholy music and the stories that inevitably end with their death stick in mind.
One of the first big games I ever beat. My Mom being a classic Zelda vet, she helped me with a few puzzles.
Made me want to be a comic book artist for a week.
This game always felt slightly weird and uncomfortable.
I remember staying up super late the night that the Sega Channel was set to change games, wanting to get as far in the game as possible before it made the switch.
I remember trying to make a weird tabletop game/league thing for Mutant League Football. Never got very far.
First experience with cyberpunk. I never got far into the game, but I found it fascinating. Years later it was one of the first games I beat via emulation.
The melancholy intro for the game was gripping to young me and the science-fantasy setting was cool, but I never got very far in this game.
I never liked this game or got very far in it, but I remember trying it quite a few times.
I didn't own a ton of SNES games, but this kept me busy for quite a while.
I was a Power Rangers kid growing up. This was the only PR game I ever got though, so I faired pretty well.
I was also big into wrestling as a kid. I mained Shawn Micheals and The Undertaker.
My younger brother's favorite game for a long time.
I'm not even a big fan of sports, but I remember playing this quite a bit.
A friend of mine in middle school got suspended for installing Wolf 3D on one of the classroom's new computers.
The first time I ever played a Pokemon game, someone let me play for a few minutes. They were in the Pokemon Tower and the one trainer I encountered said they wanted my blood.
When my Mom got us an N64 for Christmas, she rented four random games: this, Bomberman 64, Chameleon Twist, and Glover. She never returned them.
Played both the actual game and GB Pokemon on the emulator a ton.
A friend had this one.
No Mercy might be the better game, but this was the one I had.
I mainly remember playing this one at a friend's house.
I was absolutely entranced by this game, but I never beat it as a kid.
I legit got 100% on this one.
Belonged to my older bro, who didn't want me playing his PS1. When he caught me playing it one day, he snapped the disc in half.
