20 years later...

[darkangel]

In my opinion it did. The graphics for one thing were much more vivid then anything the NES could do, and even the SNES for that matter.

Yes looking back to those games as my 25 year old self I could dissect the cons and pros of both those games, but at the time I was a little kid and to me Sonic blew my mind because it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in terms of gaming at that time.

You should stop talking like everything you say is godly and anything else anyone else says is ****. It's really starting to grind now.

[monel]

On first appearance Sonic's graphics and music did surprise me, but after completing it the day after I bought it I realised I'd wasted ?35 quid. The game had almost no challenge, Sonic 2 was better but for me personally the Sonic games were to be avoided forever. The best thing was the rush / speed factor but at top speed you were rarely in complete control. Not knocking anyone who likes them, though. Actually, a lot of (especially pal version) Megadrive games were too easy.

[PaTaito]

Sonic was awsome when we were kids yes.......but better than mario, imo no. Graphically better than the mario bros cart that came bundled with my NES yes, but lets face it even the master system sonic beat that for visuals. As of mario 3 onwards though.........sonic was left in the dust. While the visuals were better the game was an empty shell by comparison.

Still, i'll never forget stepping into green hill zone for the first time with that wonderful, wonderful music ringing in your ears.

Sonic indeed had the immeadiate wow factor.

Mario had and still has the lasting wow factor.

[sj33]

The Sonic Vs. Mario thing has always been a bit of a puzzler for me. I make no secret of the fact that I consider Sonic 3 & Knuckles to be my favourite game of all time by a significant margin, hence my avatar image. But I also love Super Mario World, and recognise that it is the best platformer of all time, and remains a benchmark. I am able to make the distinction. I know where my heart lies (Sonic 3 & Knuckles), but I am able to be objective, and remove my heart out of the equation. That said, it all feels rather moot - both are in my top 3 games, both are benchmark games.

As for 20 years ago... I was a gamer before I was a game owner. I am younger than many people here, being born in 1985. My first gaming experience was playing my uncle's Master System (Hang-On, specifically) in around 1987 (2 years old! Who says kids can't appreciate games?!) and my other uncle's Spectum a bit late. But things really kickstarted when another uncle of mine bought a Japanese imported MegaDrive in 1990 with Rainbow Islands, Last Battle, Toki and Truxton. It wasn't long before my parents bought me a Master System and I went on from there. So 20 years ago... I owned a Master System, but I was playing a Japanese Mega Drive

[Sane]

Actually, a lot of (especially pal version) Megadrive games were too easy.

You really feel that way? I remember in those days it was extremely rare if I managed to actually complete a game. It didn't help I had to rent most games back then rather than buy them, but I still had them for a week and I used to play every free moment I had.

[Finsbury Girl]

I recall I received a 2 player (2nd player could contol the aliens) portable Galaxian rip off - cannot for the life of me remember what it was called. But at the time it was AWESOME. Gaming for me in those pre-historic days was all arcade (ahh for the halcyon days of the arcade).

[monel]

You really feel that way? I remember in those days it was extremely rare if I managed to actually complete a game. It didn't help I had to rent most games back then rather than buy them, but I still had them for a week and I used to play every free moment I had.

I might be wrong but I remember quite a few UK and US versions had their difficulty levels changed. That's weird because I read an interview on HG101 with a Japanese developer where he mentions Japanese gamers don't like games that are too hard and the West prefer hard games. I definitely remember completing a lot of Megadrive games except for some rock hard ones like Hellfire. A lot of Super Famicom / SNES games seemed much harder to complete at the time.

[Wools]

I?ve always been hazy with my first exposure to gaming but know that my first console was a Master System II with Alex Kidd in Miracle World pre-installed on the system and a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog bundled with it. I?m guessing it was the Christmas of 1991 and I would have been 7 years old, and about to turn 8 only one day later on Boxing Day. It?s amazing to think that was over 20 years ago!

Despite a lot of changes in those 20 years I still enjoy gaming and adore the experience it offers. Games have now moved online as a standard, games can be updated in real time, handheld consoles now have the power I could only dream of whilst playing on a Mega Drive, controllers are now comfortable and offer a similar sense of fidelity as a Mouse, phones now play host to games that can be called Videogames and graphics and audio have now reached such a standard, it?s frequently possible to forget you?re playing a game.

Although I now work in the industry and imagine my free time will diminish even further as I get older, I will never tire of picking up a controller and exploring stunningly realised worlds that have never been traversed before.

[randombs]

It was around 20 years ago that we got our first console - the MD. Prior to that we'd just had the Amstrad CPC 464(awesome machine) since around the time I was born.

I remember it well. It was a Saturday evening and my mum had gone out. My dad told me to bring a bag down from his wardrobe and I had a peek inside and saw an MD and a couple of games. I decided to play it cool and handed him the bag as though I hadn't just feasted my eyes on the treasures within. My acting was peerless. I walked straight out of the living room and told my bro what had just happened.

"WE'VE GOT A MEGADRIVE!!!", I whispered.

Dad called us in and there it was in all its glory with Altered Beast and E-SWAT. ?60 unboxed from someone on Loot hence its being in a carrier bag.

That first helicopter boss was incredible!

[DANGEROUS-3]

So it was 20 years ago this Christmas that I received my first console - my original Game Boy with Tetris and Super Mario Land. I think it was fitting that the game I played the most on Christmas Day was Tetris Axis, despite how easy the games have become since.

My favourite games in all that time have to be:
Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA)
Perfect Dark (N64)
Gotcha Force (GC)
Animal Crossing (GC)
Super Robot Taisen W (DS)
Hacolife (DSiWare)
Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD (PS3)
Monster Hunter TriG (3DS)

I love how far gaming has come in that time and the flow of GB->GBC->GBA-(via GBA SP and GBM)->DS->3DS
Nintendo have kept me entertained and slightly poorer for two decades and will hopefully continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Have u played anything apart from Nintendo?
If not you've missed out big time.

[kryss]

I have a PS2 (6 games + 2 imported last year), PSP (30+ games) and PS3 (30+ games). Right now, if there's something I've missed out on then it's too late for me to care to be honest.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD (PS3)

Did you overlook that one?

[randombs]

Huh? If someone only likes Nintendo games, they won't have missed out on anything at all.

I don't lose any sleep over Battle Raper 2, for example.

Actually, that's a lie. It's on my 2012 must-play list.

Only joking, it's not.

->Open Spoiler<-

It is.


Not.

[Shozuki]

It was around 20 years ago that we got our first console - the MD. Prior to that we'd just had the Amstrad CPC 464(awesome machine) since around the time I was born.

I remember it well. It was a Saturday evening and my mum had gone out. My dad told me to bring a bag down from his wardrobe and I had a peek inside and saw an MD and a couple of games. I decided to play it cool and handed him the bag as though I hadn't just feasted my eyes on the treasures within. My acting was peerless. I walked straight out of the living room and told my bro what had just happened.

"WE'VE GOT A MEGADRIVE!!!", I whispered.

Dad called us in and there it was in all its glory with Altered Beast and E-SWAT. ?60 unboxed from someone on Loot hence its being in a carrier bag.

That first helicopter boss was incredible!

20 years ago I was 6. My first console was a Megadrive too. I had pestered my mum all year about getting one! On Chrimbo eve, my Dad walked in with a big box wrapped up. I knew what it was and just couldn't sleep all night waiting for morning.

I remember after my dad had hooked it into the telly, I was mesmerised by the spikey blue hedgehog at the same time as being unable to get past the first level on Sonic 1!

Good times!

[randombs]

I remember getting Sonic and Castle of Illusion a few months later(Genesis versions for l33t) and, on the way to the indie import shop, a guy was walking out with a Japanese Megadrive. The box was wicked!

Funny you mention your dad hooking it up. There was something awesome about having to wait while your dad or whoever hooked something up. Nowadays we bring it home, plug it in, run through the display settings, etc

[Shozuki]

lol yeah, I didn't play my Megadrive much really. Though my cousin let me borrow Mortal Kombat at the time and I was blown away with it.

That said, PS1 was where it all really started for me, in 1996!