What was your first videogame experience?

[Gryzor]

1) Game & Watch (with calculator) - killed it by opening it and trying to figure out what makes it tick.

Ooh I had done this a few times... could NEVER put the screen back together - such a pity

[MaV]

Ooh I had done this a few times... could NEVER put the screen back together - such a pity

Now that you mention it, I think I had the same problem. IIRC, the LCD had two stripes at the back side top and bottom, which must have been conductive. There was no way I could place them exactly like they were, before I opened it.

Also the CPU was hidden behind a blob. At age 10 or 11 I was naive, I expected a dip package chip or something.

MaV

[Gryzor]

Yes, precisely, those spongy stripes... also, the various films behind the screen glass...

[Optimus]

Yes! It had to be roland in ropes that you mentioned. I don't remember the Spectrum version I played but the CPC one is too flickery. Ugh!

[scooby1970]

In 1977 when I was 7 years old, my dad brought home a Pong machine, we plugged it in and that's when my addiction to video gaming started. My first video-game out of the house was Space Invaders a few years later in the local chip-shop, followed by Missile Command, Gorf and Frogger... I spent sooo much money on those damn machines!

Mark

[Gryzor]

Still got that Pong machine?

[scooby1970]

Still got that Pong machine?

I wish! That went with my CPC 464 and other stuff during a time when cash was needed in my youth to fund beer!

Mark

[norecess]

Really first video game experience : playing that good old Bomb Jack 1 on Amstrad CPC, I was 8.

[Gryzor]

@scooby: the story of us all...
@norecess: lucky you!

[EgoTrip]

Ooh I had done this a few times... could NEVER put the screen back together - such a pity

I never had a game and watch but I had a red car racing game where you had to go from side to side without getting hit. It was really easy. I vaguely remember a cheat mode if you held down all the buttons and kept resetting it or something, the game would play all weird and different. Mine also died after I took it apart to see how it worked.

[Gryzor]

This could be a thread. "Devices I've destroyed by opening them up to see how they worked". Thank god I was able to put the family VCR back together (*and* I solved the head alignment problem it had by knocking it on the head(s))

[redbox]

Thank god I was able to put the family VCR back together (*and* I solved the head alignment problem it had by knocking it on the head(s))

This made me smile - I can just imagine a 12 year old kid in the front room with all the bits of a VCR on the floor.  Oh, the sweating and mild look of panic... hahaha!

But glad to hear you turned the terror into triumph, bet you were glad you could tell your father when he came home from work that you'd fixed it 

[Gryzor]

Actually, once I opened it it appeared quite easy to figure out and fix. What's more, since it was nearing death, the risk was not as big And yes, my parents were quite proud. And we could once again watch our rentals.

[AMSDOS]

@scooby: the story of us all...  

Trading Computers for Booze!! 

@norecess: lucky you!

Bombjack would be a great game to start off with, I even remember how addicted I was to it. 

[dcdrac]

for me it was Pong in 1978

[TFM]

That's quite interresting... but what's about the 2nd video game experience?


It was Zaxxon here (and yes, you can kill the end of level big boss robot, hehe! Just shoot his missle before he fires at you  ).

[tastefulmrship]

Home computing; it was the Binatone TV Master - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=3&c=1035
Arcade machine; it was the amazing Vanguard - Vanguard (video game) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[dcdrac]

second game was space Invaders at the local swimming pools cafe, third was Defender same café, 4th was Gorf at a French motoway service station when Mum and Dad were taking us to Nice by Car, I also encountered Minitel at the same place and thought wow

[CraigsBar]

The son of one of my mothers friends had a job mending and servicing Arcade machines. I'll never forget a whole New Years Eve party when I was about 8 playing on a Battlezone upright arcade cabinet set up in Free play.

Battle zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia(1980_video_game)

Those were the days.