The new «Zelda» game «Tears of the Kingdom» is out! The first of its kind, Nintendo released Legend of Zelda in 1986. Since then, a total of 19 other main parts and numerous minor offshoots have been released. The “Zelda” series is therefore considered the most successful action-adventure game series of all time.
Throughout the nearly 40-year history of the game series, “Zelda” has been an entry into the fantastic world of video games for children of many generations. Also for some Watson editors, Zelda was the first or formative game of their own childhood. Surprised which games were the first and most influential to the Watsons, we asked around and gathered a small compilation of the answers here.
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”
The Legend of Zelda is as much a part of my childhood as scrapes and candy mushrooms. I got a Nintendo 64 from my parents and played “Ocarina of Time” with the neighborhood kids. In my memory, we always had weeks before we solved certain puzzles or defeated particularly difficult opponents. In reality it was more days. In the meantime I play the game again every two to three years, the thing is and remains an absolute classic!
“pong”
It must have been the late 1970s or early 1980s when my brother, who already had a small black-and-white TV, got Pong. I remember practically nothing about it – it was funny, I seem to remember, but somehow it got boring quickly. That’s probably why I’ve never really found access to video games.
«Nebulus – Towercracker»
Don’t know if it was really the first one, but we played this one endlessly on the Atari. In my memory it was a pig that you had to climb a tower with. With many traps, obstacles, elevators and doors. But as I see now, it was probably more of a fantasy animal. Played with the keyboard of course. In any case, you had to think and think a lot. Was probably more for smart kids. And then time was always up. Ah, and when you got to the top, the tower collapsed and you had to take the sub to the next tower. Was an obvious special effect. Oh, how wisely I used my afternoons.
“parsecs”
With “Parsec” I immediately entered what was then the Champions League of video games. The horizontally scrolling shoot’em up with voice output overwhelmed me as a five year old, but it laid the foundations for my passion for video games. Even today phrases from the game are quoted at the family table. Especially the “Alert! Alien craft are coming up! », became a winged word with us.
«Bundesliga Manager Professional»
This simulation changed everything in the early 1990s. With a quirky football club like “Wormatia Worms”, “KSV Baunatal” or “Schweinfurt” we hunted for the championship trophy in the Bundesliga. With transfers, sponsorship negotiations, choosing locations for the training camp or simply determining the perfect line-up, the game was so realistic that we as little Uli Hoenesse were excited for the afternoon. And if the first half of the year got out of hand, there was a fresh start during the winter break.
«Maniac Mansion»
Well, I haven’t played it myself yet, my big brother did and I was wrong and mostly scared. That was so scary, that blue (because of the meteorite radiation) Dr. Fred and his equally blue (partly because of the meteorite radiation) nurse. What I then completed independently and about 100 times is the game’s successor, «Day of Tentacle» (1993)! After that I played nothing but “Monkey Island” (first part 1990), because I was and still am a firm believer that there can never be anything more original, funnier and more imaginative than a human beauty pageant with a roller skating rink. mummy in the Win the future by knocking out her competition with plastic puke, tidying up her (cooked) spaghetti hair with a fork, and using a clown laugh box and horse teeth.
“Siberia”
I still remember borrowing this game from the school library back then – possibly as a change from “Sims”. The beautifully mystical world and the unusual story immediately captivated me. While the game had its flaws, it sparked my passion for adventure games, which I still have.
“Age of Mythology”
My sister and I spent hours playing Age of Mythology (2002) and The Ship: Murder Party (2006). It was a sister thing, so it was great. We built minotaur armies and killed passengers with frying pans or flare guns (in elegant 1920s style). What great memories!
“Pokemon Stage”
My first video game was Pokemon Stadium on the N64. I can still remember the first time I was able to play the game. My visions of proving myself as a Pokemon trainer against rival trainers came true. And for the first time in 3D, absolutely amazing. The minigames in “Pokemon Stadium” also have legendary status in my circle of friends. I still have my Nintendo 64 to this day. And if it won’t start – you know the drill – just blow it up and it’s ready to go.
jungle book
My very first video game was “Jungle Book” on the Gameboy. This was supposedly released in 1994, three years before me. I remember being stuck for a long time in the beginning and not getting any further. At one point I checked, but I don’t know if I ever actually finished it. It wasn’t until I got a Playstation 2 that the gaming world really opened up to me. Of course with a football match (for the EM 2004).
“In the air”
These game developers were true pioneers «Airborne!» I played back and forth on my dad’s Macintosh. It was the first Mac game to use digitized sound. During the epic intro, Richard Wagner’s rather clattering «Valkyrie Ride» sounds. Irony of history: The programmers unashamedly took their gameplay inspiration from the MS-DOS game “Paratrooper” (1982). You control a lone soldier with the mouse, who must shoot and stop the approaching and attacking enemy troops with an anti-aircraft gun and a mortar (see video!)
“Sim 3”
My very first (and admittedly last) video game was “Sims 3”. Although it came out in 2009, it wasn’t until a few years later that the word got around the country. As a 12 year old I spent entire Wednesday and Saturday afternoons ruining my Sim’s life and had so much fun doing it.
“Tracks”
My absolute childhood blast was «Spore», an evolution simulator. You had to work your way up from the unicellular to the intergalactic nation; there were so many ways and possibilities… good shit!
“Barbie – Horse Adventures: save the wild horses”
I’m the youngest of three kids and of course I played my siblings’ video games at the time. But my first own game was «Barbie – Horse Adventures: Save the Wild Horses». On Google, the game still has a 93 percent approval rating. I loved it then! Oh Memories… And I guess I don’t need to say what kind of girl I was. But no, I hadn’t subscribed to Wendy.
“GTA III: 10th Anniversary Edition”
As a little boy I always got to play «GTA III» with my dad on his iPhone 4S. Of course that was the most fun for me, even though my mother probably wouldn’t have been very happy about it. «GTA» has stuck with me to this day and I always enjoy playing «GTA V» on the Playstation, although «GTA VI» should finally be released after almost 10 years.
“Super Mario Bros”
Super Mario Bros. on the NES. The game came out in 1985 and four years later, before Christmas in 1989, I got my first game console with this game. Since it was my only game in the beginning, I played it so many times that the music and secret shortcuts got burned into my head forever.
What was your first video game? Tell us in the comments?
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