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Retro Gaming Culture

Where it all started: my first TV gaming system

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It was 1984 when I got this baby. No – it wasn’t an Atari 2600 or an Intellivision (I wish I had one of these at the time!) – it was the Hanimex 666T.

It was basically a home version of Pong. The larger paddle contained the system hardware and the main game controls. These controls were used to select the type of game, the bat size, auto or manual serving, and speed of the game. I never understood the 40 / 20 angle switch as it didn’t make a difference to gameplay as far as I could tell. The smaller paddle could be detached and used by a second player.

I was a sore loser when playing on this system. My sister would start to win and I would get mad and would reset the game only to be beaten again. I eventually got better and started kickin’ ass – that’s when my sister stopped playing video games with me.

This was my introduction to owning a TV gaming system. It served its purpose until I got into the ‘real’ home consoles and computers in the 80’s. The last ‘Where it all started‘ feature will be on the first true 8-bit gaming system which I acquired in 1986. Could it be the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Master System, or the Commodore 64 ?

Welllllllllll, you will just have to wait and see……….

 

Where it all started: Retro Lovin

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Like every other retro gamer, the love of video gaming started early in my childhood. I recall yo-yo’s being the biggest fad back in the early 80’s. I had the Fanta and Coca-Cola yo-yo’s. I thought I was so cool being able to ‘walk the dog’.

Soon enough though, my attention turned towards electronic gaming. The Nintendo Game & Watch series and the various table top games took my fancy. This was a time before Atari became big in Australia – and the NES was still years away (it was released here in 1987). I was totally mesmerised by these Game & Watch and Table Top games my friends were playing and I became hooked. Little did I realise this would grow into a life long love of video gaming, in particular, old/retro games and systems.

I still have my first Game & Watch and Table Top games – and that is where it all started for me. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

A big thank you to hunksparrow for giving me the idea to write about my collection, and in particular, where this video gaming love all started for me.

Confessions of a Retro Gamer

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I confess, I love retro gaming ! There, that was easy to admit. I love playing (and talking about) the old school consoles from Nintendo, Atari, Sega, SNK and NEC. I would also include the 8-bit and 16-bit computers (yeh, you remember those, the C64, Amstrad, Atari ST, and the Amiga) amongst my retro loves. Add some arcade action in that retro mix and things really start humming. As you can appreciate, I like to spread my retro lovin. Ah, the good old days. I have the latest gaming systems, but nothing brings a smile and those happy memories from my childhood and teenage years than to switch-on the old systems – even if you have to blow into the cartridges to make them work. I will publish all matter of retro gaming articles on here. To keep in the loop, check back here as there will be heaps of retro stuff to satisfy the most ardent retro gamer. For now, enjoy your retro gaming poison and remember to spread the word.