MY GAMING ORIGINS

What great nostalgia when I look back and think about my life as a child playing games with such memorable characters like Mario, Link, Sonic, and so many other legendary characters. The passion I have for gaming all derived from my childhood days. So where is the root of my gaming history? What made me the gamer I am today?

So lets see… The first system I ever owned was the Atari 2600;

I remember when I sat down for the first time in front of this machine when I was just 5 years old and experienced the interactive wonderment for the first time. The game that introduced me to this wonderful new world was "Berzerk".

What awesome feeling it was to actually control the action right in front of my eyes! The thrill of watching a several pixel character do what you want. To be part of the action and not just watch it like the cartoons I so enjoyed like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Dragon Warrior" and "Transformers".

But was this what got me hooked on video games? In a way it was but it is not whatgot me to love gaming as I do. That, however, was yet to come.

Though I enjoyed awesome favorites on the 2600 like "Pitfall", "Defender", "Yar's Revenge" and "Raiders of The Lost Ark"

I found myself moving on to new and better systems.
While I was enjoying my 2600, my cousin was enjoying his 7800.

The graphics were so much better and like most gamers, I was attracted by the better graphics. To see my beloved games of the 2600 look so much better on the 7800 like "Joust".

And since you could play2600 games on the 7800 system, I knew I would be able to keep my current gamesand enjoy thelibrary of better looking games for the 7800. So I began my long childish petition to convince my parents to buy me the 7800 with what I thought back then, were more then perfect reasons why I should have the system like "I need it", "look how good it looks" and "You can play with me too".
And in due time I came to own the system building allowing me to build asmall library of games for the systemlike "Karateka", "Food Fight", "Xevious" and "Choplifter".

And so it comes, as anyone would expect, a new systems was out there that was even better. And as usuall,I needed to have it! The one system that would change the way I looked at gaming. The most memorable gaming system in my life, and one Iwill never forget!
The Nintendo Entertainment System!

Though I was getting small glimpses of people enjoying their NES, seeing people play these remarkable games like "Super Mario Bros.", "Metroid" and "Contra"completely captivated me to want… no… need the system.

And again, I begin my petition to my parents telling them how much I "need" the system.
And on one lovely, and oh somemorable Christmas morning, I was privileged to open my very own Nintendo!
What a glorious day this was! I almost didn't even open my other presents. I would spend every minute I couldof the next few months doing nothing but playing "Super Mario Bros.", and occasionally "Duck Hunt"

Though gaming for me started on the Atari 2600, I didn't truly love gaming until the Nintendo. And even though "Super Mario Bros." was the beginning for meof the amazing adventures I would endure on the NES, one game captivated me for 3 years solid. This game not only had me completely consumed, it even got my mother loving to playing it. It was the only game she would play. The world, musicand concept of this game was amazing! The items, the exotic locations, the monsters, bosses, secrets, exploration... Everything about this game was perfect to me at the time!
The game was "The Legend of Zelda"!

Open world true exploration at it's finest. Secrets entrances that had no clues to them being there. The sheer excitement to stumble on a new level and explore the corridors within. Different areas like dungeons, forests, grave yards, mountains and more. This game to me, had it all.

But don't get me wrong. I loved the adventures of other games. So many games and systems followed that I also loved. They all had something great to offer me. All had amazing adventures for me to have! And will always hold a special place in my heart.
But nothing has impacted me or has stayed more memorable to me then theNintendo Entertainment System and "The Legend of Zelda".
For me it was my true plunge into the world of video games and all the glorious adventures they held.

So it seems that there are a few video game based personalities that have been buzzing out there making quite an impression on the video game community. For example, a lot of you out there may know Craig on the "Video Game Vault" from ScrewAttack; and "The Angry Video Game Nerd", whose videos have gained the interest of ScrewAttack. The two have since then partnered thus granting both parties much more recognition and popularity through their harmonious union. Both have been frequently showcased on many sites to include the well know GameTrailer's site.
But there is another personality out there based on video games that I want to tell you about. Which also prompts me to ask GameSpot to consider and think about something, which I will mention later.

This comedic awesomeness that makes you laugh the entire time, has motivated me to write about and share with the rest of the Gamespotters out there the sheer genius of this character.
So for all of you out there that don't know of or heard of Keith Apicary, get ready!
His show is known as

The actor who portrays this hilarious persona is Nathan Barnatt. An actor/comedian from Milford Massachusetts who has appeared on Comedy Central's "The Gong Show". His work as "Keith Apicary"portrays a man who has an obsession with the Neo-Geo arcade system

[video=cXAxlGb95bMMszLe]

and is usually seen giving short commentaries on games for the arcade machine. Though his reviews of the games he does are quite incomprehensive, he just stutters and slurs his reviews as he plays them getting lost in his own words. But it's his characteristics, delivery and facial expressions that make him so funny and intresting.
As popular as his character has become, he has ventured to make an extremely funny music video entitled "Four Bright Buttons and Two Joy Sticks"

[video=ISQ2n2Gt5bMMszLf]

boasting his belief of how glorious the Neo-Geo Arcade system is while him and his arcade machine float around town. And it really is quite good.
But that's not all he does. His appearance at E3 2009 was hilarious!

The theme he tended to focus on was sleep deprivation from 3 days of walking around. I am very surprised he didn't get kicked out of E3. The video of him falling alseep at the top of the stairs and sliding down on his stomach completely asleep was hilarious!

But this is what is captivating about these video game personalities... they make you laugh, their personalities/charactersistics compel you. And you get attached to these well created personas and want to see them more and more in different situations. Their videos become something you look forward to and seek in hopes of seeing it when you visit the site hosting them every time you vist.

So now I ask GameSpot… Why not you!? Why not find/create an awesome character like "Keith Apicary" and have him/her do something for the site and release them periodically as ScrewAttack does with Keith. But with a little better integrated into the site like is done with "On The Spot" allowing viewer interactions and comments.
The Staff could even make a competition challenging Gamespotters to help GS create them, and award prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Emblems never hurt either.
I would definitely love to see user submitted videos and pictures of their ideas having many laughs enjoying users ideas on video… maybe even the GameSpot staff's ideas.

So hats off to you, video game personas! Keep up the good work and keep us laughing!

I just wanted to thank you all forsupporting me in the:

My entertainment center (pictured below) won! Thanks to all of you here at GameSpot, all my friends from CompUSA, Virgina and everyone who supported me from Geek Cubed.
I would also Like to send out a special thanks to my friends Blaire (FL), Shane(ND) Mike(VA) and Nick(VA).
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

The Games I chose are listed below.

~CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURE~

MY GAME CHOICES

Crysis -Maximum Edition

The Last Remnant

The Witcher -Enhanced Edition

Punch-Out!!

Sims 3 Collector's Edition(Got this for a friend since I already own it)

Rock Band 2: Special Edition Bundle (Mic + Guitar + Drums)

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Street Fighter IV