All gamers have one thing in common, and that is simply that they love gaming. But why do we love gaming? What about pressing buttons on a game controller and watching characters move on a TV screen appeals to us so much?

Maria Montoro, Co-Site Director

Even though I always liked video games and my dad and I played some arcade games together, I didn't get a gaming console of my own until I was about ten years old. The NES was already in the market, but my parents decided to get me an Atari 2600 instead, with a bunch of games built into a cartridge (bootleg, maybe?). I still had a great time with it; I used to play Keystone Kapers, a weird version of Pac-Man, and a platform game that if I ever touched again would make me fall asleep. Too bad I don't remember the name. However, what I really wanted was the NES. Mario had already caught my attention and, meanwhile, all I could do was play with a bunch of clumsy pixels dancing on the screen.

I made the decision to buy the NES for myself no matter how long it would take me. I started saving all the money from my weekly allowance and, eventually, I went to the electronics store to buy my NES. Of course, the Super NES was already out by then, but I couldn't afford that one! I felt so excited when I bought the NES I can't even describe it. I bought it in a small store in my hometown and they only had six games I could choose from! Unfair! I got Boulder Dash, which was a great game that even my mom played for years to come. I also chose the Super Mario Bros. / Tetris / Nintendo World Cup cartridge. Castelian was my last choice; this one was so disappointing it ruined the night for me. I might have been too young to understand that game, but all I remember was going through one door, coming out through another, continuously climbing a tower, etc. Luckily, the other games were truly remarkable and they provided me with entertainment for many years thereafter.

I'm glad I never gave up on my dream of buying my very own gaming console. I continued buying games from then on, like Simpsons Vs. the Space Mutants, Tom & Jerry, Blaster Master, and a few more. Not all parents understood the new form of entertainment at that time, and I was lucky enough to be a part of it!

D'Marcus Beatty, Co-Site Director

I have always loved video games. Ever since I was a child, I've loved playing video games for hours on end. However, my earliest and most distinct WOW moment was the day that I saw Super Mario Bros for the first time. I was a child at the time, and I was content with my Atari 7800 and the few games that I owned. That was until my neighbor showed me their Nintendo and played Super Mario Bros in front of me. I'm quite sure that my mouth was literally agape as I watched the game. I remember being fascinated by the sheer number of colors, by the distinct outlines of the characters, the way the screen actually scrolled to the left, the size of the stages…everything just seemed too good to be true. I'd grown used to the blocky and simple graphics on the Atari, and the technology of the Nintendo seemed amazing. I didn't receive my first Nintendo until nearly two years later (even then to great elation), but that moment of unbelievable shock has never been topped, even when viewing new, nearly photorealistic games. Maybe that fascination came from my youthful innocence, or maybe it was a product of pure surprise, since I knew nearly nothing about the Nintendo and wasn't expecting the graphics to be so crisp. Regardless of the why, seeing Super

Mario Bros for the first time was an unparalleled event in my gaming life, making me both envious of my neighbor and glad to be a gamer in one movement.

Another great memory in gaming for me comes from the first time that I played The Legend of Zelda: A Link To the Past. I was in junior high at the time of the game's release, and I didn't have the money to purchase it, so I rented it from Blockbuster the day that they received a copy. It was a Friday and I rode home from school with my mother with feverish anticipation. When I finally arrived home, I rushed to my room and put the game in my SNES, expecting a great game. I didn't realize how much of an understatement "great game" would be. From nearly the moment I turned off the SNES, I was enthralled. However, one of the biggest WOW moments of the game came in the first few minutes of gameplay, after young Link leaves his house. I was astounded to see the rainfall. The fact that the game was simulating a thunderstorm and doing a wonderful job of recreating it was fascinating and amazing. Game effects were much more limited in that day, and the rainfall was such an incredible achievement that everyone that saw it for the first time was thunderstruck (excuse the bad pun). I didn't even try to contain my schoolgirl-esque giggling as I began the adventure of a lifetime.

Greig McAllister, Freelance Writer

My fondest gaming memory hails from a time when people could still rent game systems at the video store. That memory is of the first time I ever beat a game. That first game was the original Mortal Kombat for the SNES. The first time I ever beat Shang Tsung and all the people started coming out of him, I was consumed with joy and excitement. It was incredible. That was over ten years ago and I still smile every time I think about it.

Jonathan Marx, Freelance Writer

My most memorable gaming moment was Christmas Eve 1985, at my cousin Mike's house. Mike was always a bit A.D.D. as a kid and literally could not wait for Christmas day to open his presents. There was a good reason for his uncontrollable anticipation that year. The lucky dog was given the Nintendo Entertainment System from an overly punctual Santa. He was the first person I knew to get one. The NES launched with Super Mario Bros., and we played it until my parents dragged me back home kicking and screaming. It's funny that I said "we played" because actually my cousin hogged the controller all night. I think I only played a couple of games when it was all said and done. In any case, I was hooked and have been a devoted Nintendo fanboy ever since.

That gift single-handedly overshadowed all the gifts I received the next morning. I have no idea what I got that year, but I do remember having difficulty sleeping that night due to my excitement. I wasn't so silly to think I would actually get one, but I did know that I'd be going over to Mike's the next day.

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