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Nintendo through the ages of your life - end of 2020 update. [roundtable]
 
Whatever stage of life you are currently in right now, chances are a Nintendo System has been around to entertain you through the ups and downs. As the Wii U approaches, I wonder what will happen to me and my family during its current generation lifecycle.
With the exception of the NES/SNES, I have owned a Nintendo system from beginning to end and when looking back, a lot of things have happened. After the initial gaming experiences, I’ve just noted what’s happened in my life personally as time goes on.

NES: 1989-1993
• My first Nintendo system – after playing games for a few years in other peoples’ homes, including Atari etc.
• Became a Mario, Mega Man fan and knew I’d play games for life.
• My first job
• Graduated Public School – Started High School

SNES: 1993-1996
• A Link to the Past. Yep – became a Zelda fan.
• Chrono Trigger – became an RPG fan
• My first family dog (Husky)

N64: 1996-2001 (and present)
• Graduated High School
• Started – and graduated College
• My first job in the field I studied for (film/tv)
• First bachelor apartment

GCN: 2001-2006 (and present)
• Took a chance and left work for more schooling in 3D arts
• Got engaged, married.
• First niece/God daughter was born
• Got injured on the job (factory) was laid off for 9 months
• Started working at Toys R Us (best retail job I could have..wish it paid more)

Wii: 2006-2012 (and present)
• First house purchased
• Was diagnosed and then beat Cancer with three operations (hopefully for the last time)
• I bought my first dog (Another Husky – Maya)
• First consistent job in game development – working from home for the first time.
• 3 more nieces born
• Experienced under employment again (laid off etc). Full time work later acquired (although not in game development)
• Went through the hoops for adoption so we could become eligible.


Wii U 2012-2018
• Goals – We hope to adopt soon
• Build up our savings – go on another major vacation sometime
• Finish the games room *cough* I mean basement.
Updated -
- no adoption - had children via a donor in 2016 - Twins !
- no major vacation done. Maybe later.
- we moved to another house in 2015 - a small office / game room space is now mine :)

Nintendo Switch 2018-present
• New job as a graphic designer / production in 2018
• Twins started school
• Covid-19 craziness
• Cancer back Nov 2020. Had first surgery in 12 years on Nov 30th. So far a success but now on strict surveillance. Lots of time off and game time / family time this past month. More lock downs due to virus in the province.


How does your life add up via Nintendo?


S

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11/16/12, 17:35    Edited: 12/27/20, 02:49
 
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I pretty much can only remember when things happened in my life based on the games that were out at the time. "Hmm, when was that aga... oh yeah, I remember I was playing Metroid Prime, so it must have been..."

Let's see:

NES: 1985-1991 (Ages: 6-12)
-Got seriously into games through Mario, Mega Man, Zelda
-Started skateboarding, which was my big thing for years

SNES: 1991-1996 (Ages: 12-17)
-Link to the Past and Super Metroid changed everything
-Started cross country and track, also a big thing, but not for quite as long

N64: 1996-2001 (Ages 17-22)
-Super Mario 64 and Smash Brothers were awesome
-Started playing guitar, writing music
-Started programming, obviously still do that

GCN: 2001-2006 (Ages 22-27)
-Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4 were awesome
-Finished my degree in Computer Science
-Started Negative World, or whatever it was called back then (Nintendo Unification Association?)

Wii: 2006-2012 (Ages 27-33)
-Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Skyward Sword were awesome
-Many people actually started using Negative World
-Started making electronic music
-Finally had (and still have!) a relationship with a(n awesome) girl

Wii U 2012-X (Ages 33-X)
-Who knows what games will be awesome?
-Hopefully more people start using Negative World
-Unless she breaks up with me out of nowhere by sunday, will still be in a relationship with an awesome girl
-Who knows where life will go?
11/16/12, 18:03   
Edited: 11/16/12, 18:08
Let's see. Of course, while I've had every Nintendo console, I can't say that any of them were my main console since the SNES.

NES: 1987-1991 Ages 13-17
• First Nintendo system, received along with Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros for Christmas 1987
• Began my likely life-long fandom of Nintendo
• Started high school
• First girlfriend
• Who knows how many hundred great hours with friends running Baseball Stars and Tecmo Super Bowl leagues
SNES: 1991-1996 Ages 17-22
• Too many great games to even try to list
• Finished high school
• Started college
• Quit college
• Moved from California to Oklahoma
• First apartment
• First nephew born
N64: 1996-2001 (and present) Ages 22-27
• My first good job
• Moved from the tiny hick town I was in to Oklahoma City
• 4 more nieces and nephews
GCN: 2001-2006 Ages 27-32
• Got engaged
• Got married
• Got 4 promotions in 4 years
• Bought first house
• Another niece and nephew born
Wii: 2006-2012 (and present) Ages 32-38
• Got divorced
• Sold that house and went back to apartment living, but a nice one this time at least
• Met my current girlfriend who is my first ever gamer girl girlfriend, even if she is a Sony fangirl
• My youngest nephew was born


Wii U 2012-20XX Ages 38 - ?
• Goals – Build up savings
• Retire by 40 since I didn't make 30 like I wanted, although at 38 it's not looking good either
• Maybe get married again after my GF finishes her grad school program in a couple years
• Have a decent game collection again
11/16/12, 18:15   
Edited: 11/17/12, 00:14
Oh, boy. Here we go: A warning in advance: I am rather young, so I haven't accomplished much in my life yet.

Super Nintendo: 1997-1999

• My first console and the first time playing video games.
• Became a fan of Mario and Kirby games and knew games would be a major part of my life.
• Learned to read while playing games such as A Link to the Past.

Nintendo 64: 1999 - 2002

• Played Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask then became a passionate Zelda fan.
• Started first grade and began to take interest in drawing, specially during class.
• Started to play games on my own.

Nintendo Gamecube: 2002 - 2007

• Discovered the Super Smash Bros. franchise by playing Melee.
• Got the first system of my own, the Gameboy Advance and discovered Pokιmon.
• At 10 years old I worked at my father's office as the Xerox boy and saved up cash of my very own sweat.
• Finished the first degree in my school and began the second one.
• First major family vacation I went to.
• Started to think about my profession as game designer.

Nintendo Wii: 2007- today and probably until next summer

• First console of my own.
• Older brother went to Norway and I began to take care of myself as well as making unique friends of my own.
• First games bought with my own money (that's a very big deal in Brazil for games are ridiculously expensive over here).
• Began to frequent in forums, the first one being Brawl in the Family's one.
• Started Highschool.
• Got my 3DS, first handheld in years, since my GBA, which was stolen, back in 2004.
• Started a Graphics Design course.
• Started my collection of consoles.
• Joined Negative World.

Wii U: Next summer - whenever

• Goals

- Finish my course.
- Start and finish a game design's course in an university.
- Get a decent job.
- Make my Video Game collection grow.
- Get a girlfriend/wife.
- Participate more in NW (Threads, Clubs, Podcasts, Chat and whatnot).

That's all I can really think of, so far. I may edit this sometime.
11/16/12, 18:16   
Edited: 11/16/12, 18:23
Whoa, you lived quite a life, Smerd! Congratulations on beating cancer.

I take it we put the home console years that we've actually owned them, as opposed to when they came out.

NES: 1988 - 1994

- Born 05/22/1985, shortly before the NES's actual launch.
- Learned to read ('88)
- Played my very first video game, Super Mario Bros. (Christmas '88)
- Started going to school ('90)
- Got our first family dog, Fluff, a chow/terrier mix ('91)
- Moved to a new house, with a temporary trailer in-between ('92-'93)

SNES: 1994 - 1997

- Finally got an SNES, obsessed over ALttP, Super Metroid, FF3, and EarthBound. (Christmas '94 and beyond)
- Transferred schools ('97)

N64: 1997 - 2001

- Ocarina of Time came out, mind blown ('98)
- Entered high school ('99)
- Got my first few jobs: McDonald's cook, supermarket stock boy ('99)
- Began getting highly anticipated games (Majora's Mask) with my own money rather than waiting ('00)

GCN: 2001 - 2006

- Really began to post on internet message boards frequently ('01)
- Graduated high school, started college at LSU ('03)
- Lost our first family dog, Fluff ('03)
- Began a job I still currently have: church choir member ('03)
- Family got a new dog, Sasha, an American Eskimo ('04)
- Attended my first E3 ('04)
- Voted for the first time ('04)
- Worked at this horrible plant for a week, got fired for putting my wet socks on a large cylinder that gave off a lot of heat ('05)
- Transferred to Southeastern University ('05)
- Played the Wii for the first time at E3 ('06)

Wii: 2006 - 2012

- Worked on Phoenix Wright: The Musical, an online project ('07)
- Got a job I still have today: church pianist ('07)
- Began my webcomic, Brawl in the Family ('08)
- Graduated from Southeastern with a BA in Graphic Design ('08)
- Taught choir at a Catholic High School for one year ('08)
- Traveled to Japan for 2 weeks ('09)
- Went to Colorado for a PW Musical meet-up with the other members, met my future wife Sarah ('09)
- Moved out of parents' house and into an apartment ('09)
- Played the Wii U for the first time at E3 ('11)
- Proposed at the beach on the day Skyward Sword came out ('11)
- Was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, got crazy sick for awhile, had 3 surgical procedures ('12)
- Got married ('12)
- Bought and moved into a new house ('12)
- Successfully funded a BitF book with a Kickstarter ('12)
- Collaborated with Howard Phillips on a couple projects ('12)
- Made an early Tadpole Treble demo, put it online ('12)

Wow, it's been an eventful year for me! And an eventful gen all-around, really...who knows what craziness will come in the Wii U era?
11/16/12, 18:17   
Wii and 3DS: 2010-2012

- Broke out of my pokemon egg
- Made bank in Vegas
- Perfected android Lugia
- Cat died
- Won a Smash Bros sports side bet for a sexual favor
- Learned how to de-Burrito
11/16/12, 18:30   
Edited: 11/16/12, 19:41
My life may seem boring, but I'm one of those type of guys that's easy to please.

NES: 1986 - 1991 (9 - 14)
-Introduced to Mario, Duck Hunt
-Found something to satisfy my loneliness (that's a long story)
-Decided I wanted to become an animator. Started to get into art.
-Also learned how to be independent.
-Introduced to console wars at school

SNES: 1991-1996 (14 - 19)
-First game I played on the SNES was U.N. Squadron
-Moved to Georgia (I hated it so much)
-First girlfriend
-The Georgia school would not take the credits that I earned at my old high school (I was a Junior/11th grader) and ended up having to start back as a freshman.
-Continued doing art, but the art program in Georgia sucked so I didn't really accomplished anything.

N64: 1996-2001 (19 - 24)
-First game I played on N64 was Super Mario 64
-Enlisted into the military (USMC)
-No art programs in the military so all I did was just worked and partied (wish I would've went to college )
-Got out of the military
-The year I started to not care about my birthday (9/11)

GCN: 2001-2006 (24 - 29)
-First game I played on Gamecube was Luigi's Mansion
-The only game that I played from 2001 - 2006 was Super Smash Bros Melee
-Moved back to the city life in Missouri
-Found our about the hardships of living alone in the civilian world......it sucks
-Got my driver's license and my first car (pathetic, huh?)

Wii: 2006-2013 (29 - 36)
-First Wii game I played was Wii Sports
-Things didn't work out in the city so I moved back to Georgia
-Things aren't really working out down here either, lol
-The Mayans predicted that the world will end this year so I'm waiting to see if the prophecy is true
-I'll be laid off for the beginning of 2013 if it doesn't end, lol

Wii U: 2013- 2019 (36 - 39)
-Decided to wait until next year to get a Wii U
-First game I'm going to play on it will be Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
-Also decided to just go back to college and seriously stick with it this time
11/16/12, 18:46   
Edited: 11/16/12, 18:47
NES: 1985-1991 (Ages 1-8):
- I didn't have an NES until much later, but I played a lot at friends. Particularly loved Zelda.
- I was playing PC games this entire time, basically since birth
- Went to elementary school
- Mother died

SNES: 1991-1996 (Ages: 8-13)
- I also didn't have a SNES until much later, but again I played at friends. Particularly loved Super Mario World.
-Still was playing PC games but adventure games, my favorite genre, became fewer and less good as time went on.
-Also had a Genesis, which I liked but didn't love. Favorite game was Sonic 2
-Traveled to Bali, first time out of the country, while my dad worked on a book about Balinese culture.
-Went to middle school. Middle school sucked.
-Dad married my stepmother.

N64: 1996-2001 (Ages 13-18)
-Played Super Mario 64 at a friend's house and fell in love with it, decided I needed to get a N64 and asked for it for Christmas.
-Probably the best video gaming time of my life (separate from computer gaming), playing all those great 4 player multiplayer games with friends
-Moved to California, while my dad was trying to get a liver transplant. He couldn't get one and died.
-Started high school
-Stepmother kicked me out of the house that my father had bought for her, bounced around houses for a while until my sister moved back to my hometown and we bought a house using our inheritance money.
-Graduated high school and went to Tulane University.

GCN: 2001-2006 (Ages 18-23)
-Got Gamecube pretty close after launch for my birthday. Melee was one of the best games ever, which I played a ton with my college friends and my niece who just a little girl then, but unfortunately no other games on Gamecube lived up to the best of N64 for me.
-Played a lot of Halo with my college friends, but again nothing else on Xbox was that great for me. Also played lots of my brother-in-law's PS2, but this generation just didn't do it for me.
-Bought a GBA SP, my first handheld but accidentally broke it after having barely played it. Convinced my friend to give me his DS but still didn't play it much at this time.
-Joined IGN Insider and started posting on the forums. Zero invited me to NW sometime during this period and I made a login but only went on once I think.
-Graduated from Tulane with a major in Religious Studies and English.

Wii: 2006-2012 (Ages 23-29)
-Got a Wii on midnight launch day because my friend invited me to come with him, not because I was excited for the Wii. Didn't love Twilight Princess, but Wii Sports got me playing games with my friends and family again. I've played Wii more than any other console, always has been a reason to turn it on for things like Everybody Votes and just tons of fun with tons of games, particularly with my nieces and brother.
-Also started getting back into PC gaming at this time, built a good PC, got Steam and have played lots of good games on there, particularly indie games.
-Got a 360 to play sports games on, enjoyed some stuff on it but now have mostly replaced it with PC gaming.
-Got a DS Lite and started playing DS and GBA games on it a bunch, particularly while traveling (see below)
-Started posting on Negative World
-Worked as a substitute teacher for a while, then ESPN, before deciding I needed a larger plan in life
-Took the LSAT and applied to law school.
-While waiting to hear about law school, I decided I should go to Europe since I'd never been there and I had saved some money from working after college
-Went to Spain where I met Nathalie. We fell in love.
-Got into law school but deferred a year to spend more time with Nathalie. We decided to blow the savings I had left by traveling around the world. Went around Europe, the Middle East, Asia, with particularly two months in Bali, staying with a friend of my dad's (surprisingly cheap).
-Proposed to Nathalie on the beach in Bali
-Went to Venezuela for 6 months to get a visa for Nathalie to come to the US
-Married Nathalie and started law school the next day

Wii U 2012-X (Ages 29-???)
-Excited to see where this console takes us, hopefully I'll be able to get as much fun out of it as I did the Wii
-Hope to build a new PC about a year or two after Wii U comes out so I can avoid a second console this generation
-Will graduate law school, in the top 10 of my class hopefully if I can keep my grades up
-Working for a judge for a one year clerkship next year
-Will have to figure out what I'm actually going to do with my life in the long term
11/16/12, 18:59   
Edited: 11/16/12, 19:03
Great idea Smerd! My timeframes are a bit different, and I'll sprinkle in portables with their respective consoles.

NES and Game Boy
I bought an NES with Christmas money when I turned seven (and a Game Boy with Christmas money when I was nine) and became a fan of Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Kirby. Got through Elementary school.

SNES
My dad found a deal on this at the PX when I was in seventh grade, so I bought it with Super Mario World and Mario Paint. I was relatively late into the console's life cycle (or at least it felt like it when I bought it), but I still amassed a good bit of games for it when all was said and done. I finished middle school and started high school with it.

N64 and Game Boy Pocket
This N64 was the first console I ever bought at launch. I was in tenth grade and my dad and I picked it up with Super Mario 64 from the PX. I picked up a Game Boy Pocket my senior year of high school because my Game Boy wouldn't hold any kind of charge unless it was plugged into the wall. Graduated in 1999, took them both to college and enjoyed countless nights of Super Smash Bros., F-Zero X, Mario Party 1 & 2, Goldeneye 007, and Perfect Dark.

GCN and Game Boy Advance
Was finishing up college, working summers as a lifeguard. Bought the GCN at midnight on launch night at Wal-Mart. Got engaged, then broke it off. Phantasy Star Online on GCN became my gaming comfort food during my post-relationship depression, so to speak. Bought a GBA when it launched.

Wii and DS
Bought both Wii and DS when they launched. I graduated college two years prior and moved out on my own. Met my wife in 2008, wed in 2009, had our first child two months ago. Also got my first pets, some fish and our dog.

Wii U and 3DS
I own a 3DS and am about to own a Wii U. Laura and I are both going back to school in August 2013. Our daughter will be nine weeks old the day before Wii U launches. We're hoping to be out of Alabama by the end of 2015 and homeowners.
11/16/12, 19:29   
I like this roundtable. I'll post my life as a Nintendo fan later tonight or tomorrow.
11/16/12, 19:33   
Tagged for later. Will update with events once my baby daughter stops screaming her head off and takes her nap, lol.
11/22/12, 19:31   
Cool topic, so cool I'll come back from hibernation to post in it haha.

NES Action Set - 1988 Toddler
- It was my brother's console, his second one after Atari 2600, I own both of them now
- First game i can remember playing is Super Mario Bros 2
- My grandmother had a NES for years and when she had to watch me I played hers
- For classic gaming I think this is the system I go to most

SNES Super Set (?) with an extra controller and Super Mario World - 1991 Childhood to preteen
-I believe I got it for Christmas the year it launched since many games on the box like say "Zelda III coming soon"
-My first console I could call my own
-One of the last gifts from my grandfather before he passed away
-My brother got the Genesis the same time, I stuck to the SNES most of the time though
-I became obsessed with Mortal Kombat, then later Donkey Kong Country
-First gen I had to deal with a PC snob saying it's better
- I probably put more time in SNES than any other console ive owned

N64 Charcoal Grey 1997 - Teenager
-First time I played it was a Blockbuster and I didn't like it cause of the controls hahaha
-Was going to get it as a Christmas gift but all sold out so I got a Playstation instead
-My dad bought a N64 for the family in March 1997, I own it now
-Got use to SM64 controls and started to really like the system
-Long period of times I would ignore the system do to nothing new on it and played PS1 a lot
-At the time I liked PS1 more but years later I like N64 more
-Got in trouble in school a lot and got kicked out

GCN Purple 2001 late teens - adult
-first console I bought at launch
-kinda regret buying purple, black looked better but whatever haha
-I trolled IGN boards around this era
-too much of a loser to get a job during this time but had money for games somehow lol
-in general sucked at life and didn't go outside much haha
-least favorite Nintendo console
-I got into collecting classic games

WII 2006 20's
-Bought at launch
-Really liked the system until the last couple years again
-Finally got out and got a job, drivers license and starting to really live
-Slowly stop trolling IGN and just stop going there haha
-Got into collecting Vinyl and it is my hobby that dominating gaming now
-Not much else to say

Wiiu Deluxe 2012 30 in 2 years
- Found it randomly yesterday ..
-No real plan to get it yet but got it when i saw it.
11/23/12, 01:22   
Edited: 11/23/12, 01:26
The Wii U has potential but I need to see more before I buy one. Gaming has never been and still is not my number one interest, so I like to buy games on sales and in deals to get the most from my gaming budget. I kind of regret buying a 3DS near launch, so I'm waiting until the Wii U library is built up instead of staring at the box waiting for things to come out for it. With my 3DS, I have been buying up all the DS games I've missed out on while I can still find them relatively easily and cheaply, so it's been easy to wait for sales/deals on 3DS games.
12/07/12, 01:00   
Edited: 12/27/20, 04:01
2020 thread bump. Merry Christmas NW. Lets hope 2021 is better then this year.
12/27/20, 02:55   
Huh, I guess I never got my daughter down to sleep all those years ago...!

I suppose we're only talking about Nintendo consoles? Or can I talk about my precious, precious handhelds in this thread, too?
12/28/20, 18:04   
Zero said:
-Hopefully more people start using Negative World

LOL, that one didn't really pan out.

Zero said:
-Unless she breaks up with me out of nowhere by sunday, will still be in a relationship with an awesome girl

But that did, we're married now!

Zero said:
-Who knows where life will go?

Definitely didn't predict 2020.
12/28/20, 21:13   
@GameDadGrant

Handhelds for sure !!
My issue was that my first handheld I owned was a DS - good memories for sure - just not a ton of history
12/31/20, 19:54   
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