Flashback Friday: My First Video Game

Flashback Friday is a new series where I get in the wayback machine and revisit some of my favorite things from years past. It can be anything really, random stuff from teh intarwebz, books, movies, games, et cetera.

The big snow that much of the country is getting this weekend reminded me of my first video game. A strange connection to make at first glance, but it makes a lot of sense when I explain the story. The first video game that I ever owned was Super Mario World. I got my first console, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), for Christmas in 1992. I was five years old and I was probably the giddiest person on my street, I assure you. I didn't get a lot of games right away, but the first game I played for SNES was Super Mario World.



For those who don't remember, SMW took Mario and Luigi to a new land called Dinosaur World. After the events of Super Mario Brothers 3, the brothers were taking a much needed respite in Yoshi's homeland. Things soon turn sour when Princess Toadstool disappears. After a frantic search, the pair come upon an egg which hatches revealing Yoshi, who tells them that his friends have been imprisoned in eggs. They then have to set out on a quest to rescue the princess and defeat the King Koopa.

Super Mario World took Mario and Luigi across seven worlds, each one a bit more challenging than the next. My favorite worlds were Donut Plains and Forest of Illusion. I do remember a five year old Natasha not liking any zone that had to do with ghosts. They made me nervous. Underwater zones also made me nervous because I always thought that Mario was going to run out of air. There were also two bonus worlds: Star World and Special World. My least favorite world was Chocolate Island; I didn't like the barren terrain.

As I said before, I received SMW and my SNES for Christmas in 1992. That winter was a bad one, and going to a county school, we were often out of school during the winter months. In particular, 1993 Storm of the Century occurred that March. We got at least a foot and a half of snow and because my mom was a teacher, we both were stuck at home. I had played the game fairly casually from Christmas to March, but when the storm hit, we went into hardcore mode and she stayed up late with me to beat the game. I'll always remember that as a really special moment with my mom.

There you have it folks, the story of owning my first video game. I was a one console girl until the Playstation 2 rolled around. Ever since, though, I've preferred PC play to console. I didn't own my first PC game until Tropico in 2001. I became really interested in construction and management simulation games after that and was also really into The Sims.

What was your first video game?