You’ve made it to our first blog post! Thank you.
We are excited to introduce you to our team by showcasing some of our first video game memories that made us the passionate gamers we are today. All of this through our gaming memories.
We come from so many different countries and backgrounds, each influencing the types of games we got to know and love.
Even though joysticks are a distant memory of the past, the SEGA logo or Pacman’s distinct “Waka Waka” are still nostalgic sounds for many of us. Whether we were bonding with friends and family or learning a new skill, video games have influenced each of us in a variety of ways.
What was your first gaming memory? Share in the comments below!
Battle City
Battle City for NES remade as a flash game. Source: Emulator
“The first videogame I have ever played is Battle City for the NES. I remember playing it with my older brother and it was one of the few videogames I could beat him at (hurray). Actually, I played it so much that I still distinctly remember the sound of the tank bullets against iron walls! I also loved it because it had a construction mode, in which you could create your own battlefields: I always made ones with only water and green cover, so that I could easily sneak behind my brother and win!”- Beatrice, Italian Translator.
Super Mario Bros 2
Characters in Super Mario 2 have the ability to throw objects. Source: Wikipedia
“My mom trained horses when I was young; my afternoons and weekends were spent with animals in stables and pastures. A family with a boy my age lived in a house attached to the stable we most often visited, and one day he invited me in to play with his NES. He showed me Super Mario Bros. 2, and within a few minutes I was so eager to play I almost begged for it to be my turn. That summer I ran a lemonade stand in my neighborhood so I could buy my own system.” - Alexis, PM Team Lead.
Tetris
An original version of Tetris. Source: Flickr
“Back when I was 10 years old, I remember playing Tetris and I was completely addicted to the game. I would play nonstop for hours. Then came Prince of Persia and Dune, which I could never finish. It was so complicated and had so many enigmas that we just never got to the end. Of course there was no way to look it up online so you’d have to buy PC magazines, which we never had enough money for!” - Marie, CEO.
World Cup 90
Similar to soccer, World Cup 90 featured fun moves like the "super shot". Source: Wikipedia
“Being the youngest of 3 siblings (one brother who was a games nerd and actually bought video game magazines in the early 90s), I came across videogames so early in life that I can’t remember the very first moment I played. Most certainly, I was playing NES with them. We had a cartridge for the Nintendo with 3 games on it: Super Mario Bros, Tetris and World Cup 90. As the only multiplayer game, we played WC 90 excessively. It was great fun shooting balls intentionally at the opponents to knock them out and to do "Super Shots" that teared through their entire defense and the net of the goal, too... Great fun. Plus, there were small pictures for every national team that reflected their home country. This taught me about the world (Netherlands = windmills and tulips) and that people’s eyes pop out when you body check them hard.” - Christoph, Coordinator/German Translator.
Tomb Raider
A more updated Lara Croft from Tomb Raider 2013. Source: Flickr
“The first video games I ever played were floppy disc games such as Spacewar! or Prince of Persia. However, the best gaming memory I have from my childhood is when my grandfather got me a PlayStation and a bunch of games for my birthday, including Tomb Raider. It was the first game that I played that was a bit scary but it was so much fun I didn't leave my room for days!” – Irene, Business Developer.
The Legend of Zelda
The 1998 Legend of Zelda title screen. Source: Wikipedia
“I remember exploring a weird little world and finding lots of hidden stuff everywhere. Bombing walls, burning bushes, finding hidden people and treasure. Also running away from bats!” - Wolfgang, PM/Localization Engineer.
Mortal Kombat
Reptile and Kitana fight it out. Source: Flickr
“The first video game I ever played (as opposed to just watching my older brother play) was Mortal Kombat - with my brother, unsurprisingly. I had the time of my life flunking "Test Your Might" strength checks, beating him as the only female character by repeatedly swiping his legs until he figured out that he really did need to block, and losing miserably on all other characters. The one and only fatality we collectively achieved was performed by me mashing random buttons. We never did figure out what exactly I pressed.” - Sandra, Linguistic Editor.
Pink Panther
The Pink Panther finds himself in London. Source: Old Games
“Playing the point and click Pink Panther games on PC, especially The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril where the Pink Panther goes to China, England, Bhutan etc. The game was quite intricate with mysteries to solve and fun facts about each country. Still a fan of the Pink Panther to this day.” - Camilla, Regional Director, Asia.
Super Mario Land 2
Original version of the SD card. Source: Flickr
“The first videogame I remember playing was a mini 4WD racing game for GameBoy, the title of which I can't recall. Not the most intuitive game for a 6-year-old, I hated it at first! Then I got Super Mario Land 2 and it was love at first sight. Cool levels, funny music, fun and challenging. The first of many Mario (or Wario) themed games I've played so far!” - Francesco, Coordinator/Italian Translator.
Vegi
Vegi game has a similar look to the popular game Snake. Source: UV List
“The first video game I played was called "Vegi" and it would run on MS-DOS when I was about 6 or 7 years old. It was some kind of hybrid of "Snake" and a good puzzle game. Looking back, it was super simple but it got me absolutely excited whenever I completed a level without biting myself.” - Katrin, Senior Coordinator, German Translator.
