Video Games and Me

From a young age I have always liked playing video games on several different platforms. My first handheld console was the Original Nintendo DS in 2005. On this I played a wide range of games for several years, examples include Sonic Rush, Nintendogs and Super Mario. On this model I was also able to use Gameboy cartridges to play games. I would take my DS with me everywhere and play at any opportunity available. In 2009 my DS was upgraded to a DSi, the first Nintendo to feature a camera, and enabled it's user to download games via a NintendoStore. I gradually began to grow out of my old games and became interested in more challenging puzzle games such as Professor Leighton and Phoenix Wright. I could connect with friends and my brother in many games with multiplayer features, a particular favourite being Animal Crossing. In 2017, I still have my DSi, but haven't used it in over three years due to lost interest and lack of time.

In 2010 I was given my first PC computer, on which I would play SimCity3 and Morrowind. I was given an HP Envy Spectra XT Notebook in 2012, and on this I would play Sims3, Minecraft, League of Legends and Club Penguin as well. This laptop enabled me to bring my games on journeys and holidays, and I would often take it with me when visiting my grandparents. As I got older, I discovered online gaming and made an account on Steam, meaning I could buy games online to download and play immediately, such as Portal, Civ. 6 and Skyrim. In 2016, I upgraded my old desktop PC with one my dad built for me. This one has much higher processing speed and larger hard drive, allowing me to download and play more games with better graphics, however it means I can only play them at my desk in my bedroom.

I have never owned a Play Station or Xbox console, but have played many games on these platforms whilst at friend's houses, for example Fifa, Fallout and Call Of Duty. I found these less engaging than PC games and often felt they were unnecessarily violent, aimed mostly at the male demographic. My family bought a Wii in 2007, upgrading to a WiiU in 2013. On these we could play family orientated games as a group and invite friends over to play. The games were played using a disc and often took a long time to load. We now own a NintendoSwitch which uses cartridges which are very quick to load. The main feature of the Switch is that it can be used in multiple ways which suits our family very well, because my brother can start playing a game on the large TV screen, and and quickly change to a handheld device to continue playing his games whilst others are watching TV. It also means he can take his games over to his friends' houses or on journeys. I think I have grown too old for most of the games which are currently being released for Nintendo, otherwise I would use it more. I now limit my gaming mainly to PC or apps I download for my phone. I will sometimes play on consoles with my brother or friends, but would not chose to play by myself.