Your Favorite Christmas Video Game Memory

[Superman]

When I think of Christmas, there is one that stands out above the rest. It was the Christmas of 1986.

The kids at school were talking about this new system called the NES. I'm not sure if I had even played it, but I found out it could play arcade games, including my favorite at the time, Karate Champ, so I began asking my mom for it.

I remember going to bed early on Christmas Eve, probably around 8:30 pm, and waiting for someone to bring the gifts out. Of course I was excited and couldn't go to sleep at first, but at some point I fell asleep so I missed that part. In any case, I woke up around 1:30 am and went to the living room. There were some Christmas lights on, so I could partially see what was there.

And there it was...The Nintendo Entertainment System. Needless to say, I was excited. Obviously, it was too early to wake everyone up, so I went to bed; and had trouble sleeping again.

We got up later that morning around 6 am. Now I could see the rest of the items (since I believe some of them were wrapped and I couldn't get a good look at them). There were some items that I wasn't as excited about, like R.O.B. the robot, with Gyromite and Stack Up, but hey, they were Nintendo games! The best part, besides now having a NES, was I got Karate Champ! I couldn't wait to hook up the system.

I took it to me and my mom's room and hooked it up. I can't say that I played Karate Champ first, because I like to save the best (or the things I perceive as best) for last, but when I played it, it was well worth the wait. It was Karate Champ, and it was like playing at the arcade, but at home! I couldn't believe it for quite awhile. It truly felt magical to me. It also didn't just feel magical for the day, but the rest of Christmas Vacation and it probably took a month before the novelty started to wear off.

So, what is your favorite Christmas Video game memory? It doesn't have to be a Christmas morning/find a game event like mine. It could be that you pulled out an old game on Christmas day because you wanted to hide from the family/in-laws, or maybe just the opposite, and you had a get together were everyone played, and it was a memorable time.

[Steven]

My two faves:

-My mom buying me King of the Monsters (SNES) around Christmas of '92. It was the "first video game purchase" of my life and I had to use my charming wit to convince her. If you're crazy enough to want to read more about it, see the KOTM review on my website


-Our uncle buying us Death Duel that same year for the Genesis. But, the game was 14+ my brother and I said. So, luckily, our uncle kept the receipt and gave it to my parents. The next day or whatever, they took us to "G&G" (remember that game store in the mall?) and we exchanged it for Super Mario Kart. BEST.EXCHANGE.EVER :)


Those are my two fondest Christmas gaming memories, as far as purchases/gifts goes. I remember buying DARK LEGEND (Saturn) mid December 2001 at Funcoland. I just had wrapped up my first college semester, took the English final and treated myself to Funcoland afterward to find any good deals. There I found and bought DL for $5. Nothing special, the game, but it played decently enough and now, whenever December rolls around, I always think of Dark Legend and how the graphics of that game fit in well with the darkening December days :)


http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/SFCGamer/IMG_9375.jpg
Dark Legend, for me, will always be associated with December's darkening days

[walrusmonger]

Well it's not Christmas related, but it's close enough since I'm Jewish. My family celebrates the holiday during Thanksgiving (with my NJ family) because they ususally fall somewhat close, and they're far away- multiple visits is not always easy to do.

I had been following Castlevania: SotN forever in game magaznies, and asked my mother to get it for me when it came out. Turns out my aunt had picked it up for me. I was pumped, although I had to wait until we got home before I could play it.

We left NJ that Thursday and got home at around 2 to 3am on Friday. I went to play the game but my mother shot me down. I was 12 at the time. The next day I played the game for hours, and it's still one of my favs till this day.

Not the most exciting story.

[Draven]

I don't remember the year, probably around 92, but I got my SNES and Mortal Kombat. Later I got the Sega Saturn with the 3 game pack-in for Christmas, but I opened it, played it, then repackaged it so my parents wouldn't know...kinda killed the surprise there.

[retro junkie]

Getting a Turbo Express. :rocker:

[c0ldb33r]

The year I got my NES.

I unwrapped a present. It was Super Mario 3. I actually thought, and said to my parents, that someone must have made a mistake. I didn't have an NES. Afterwards I unwrapped the NES, realized that the SMB3 was mine, and was very, very happy :)

[PapaStu]

Moved to the Holiday forum!


**HO HO WHOOSH**

[atreyu187]

Mine was a sad story. See i lived in Hawaii at the time and my father in South Carolina. Well my Dad sent me a Genesis and Gameboy around the time they came out. I didn't know I was getting the Genesis but I knew of the Gameboy. Well my Dad told me the Gameboy was an early Christmas gift, well my Mom said otherwise and took them and put them away. Well me being pissed ATM I went and took it upon myself to open my Gameboy so carefully that no one would know. Everything was great I got to enjoy my little handheld for around 3 weeks.


Then it came Christmas Eve, I tried to get it back into the package before my Mom knew it was missing but low and behold my Mom fell asleep on the living room couch next to the tree!! I couldn't get my Gameboy back in the box and my plan had failed miserably there was no way to not get busted.

So we got up and went to open gifts first gift I got was a friggin' Genesis and Altered Beast and Golden Axe my two favorite arcade games at the time. Well next of course came my Gameboy, DOH!! I opened it and set the box off to the side to open my games. I got some good one's to like Double Dragon and the Mario Land game!! Well I had the Gameboy in my pocket i was going to try to act as if I was opening the box and had just pulled it out. Well as I tried to turn my back to my Mom to pull the Gameboy out my Stepdad had saw me pull it out and notified my Mom that Ihad the GB in my pocket the whole time!!


Well Mom told me to open the rest of my gifts and we wold deal with htis later. Well this was the best X-mas gifts I had ever gotten and was totally stoked. I had got my Genesis and two games for, my GB with three games, like 4 NES games, some wrestling action figures, a CD player jsut to name some of the awesomeness.

Then "later" came :( I had to get all my gifts together and put them into the car. So I did wondering what was going on. Well I got in the car with my Mom and drove to Goodwill and donated all my gifts to the "needy"!! I was so pissed all I got was the candy in my stocking. I was so upset and called my father who was even more pissed than me as he had spent around $500 for everything just to get donated when he told me i could have the dang GB. Anyhow that is my fondest memory I will never forget or open a gift early.

All I know is still to this day I find that rash considering the fact that the guy who bought it for me said I could have it but because he was so far away he could do nothing. I would never do that to my kid as it was just the most upsetting day of my life back then. There is one good side to the story. When I went to see Dad for summer I got a Genesis, SNES, Gamegear, and about 4 games for each deck even my NES. The rest of my family felt so bad I got nothing since Dad said I could have it they chipped in and I got X-mas in July.

Now the kicker guys as it isn't over LOL once getting back my mom being the evil vile woman that I love took them all away and I could only have them when I went to my Dad's. Man parents can be mean sometimes. I was told when I got older I would understand but here I am 30 years old and still don't understand.

[c0ldb33r]

Then "later" came :( I had to get all my gifts together and put them into the car. So I did wondering what was going on. Well I got in the car with my Mom and drove to Goodwill and donated all my gifts to the "needy"!! I was so pissed all I got was the candy in my stocking. I was so upset and called my father who was even more pissed than me as he had spent around $500 for everything just to get donated when he told me i could have the dang GB. Anyhow that is my fondest memory I will never forget or open a gift early.
I kind of like that story - it taught you a lesson.

I guess my only concern is that your mother gave away presents which were given to you by your father and part of me wonders whether she would have given them away if she herself bought them. You could answer that better than me.

Still, it taught you a lesson you little bastard. ;)

[atreyu187]

The Gameboy was an early gift as Dad didn't have cash to get me a gift for my birthday. I wouldn't have fussed with it if he didn't tell me to take it right away as he didn't get me a gift out for my birthday so it was supposed to be mine anyhow. I think my Mom did it as she has always been the spiteful type. When Dad gave her extra money in the child support check to get me something nice I never saw a penny so Dad simply started giving me the cash. Which was messed up as he was only supposed to pay $500 a month but always gave $800, $300 more than required by the court as he said $500 isn't enough to raise I child and I agree with that. She is just a spiteful person and I hate to say it but if we weren't related she is the type of person I would steer clear from but I love her to death. Addiction can turn even the best of people. But that is a different story all together.

As for her gifts yes they went back but to the store to get the cash back as she "had the receipts for those and if I had the ones or your Dad I would have done the same". I honestly wouldn't have opened anything but I felt it was supposed to be mine as I didn't get a birthday gift as this was an early X-mas gift and B-day as we never got anything that expensive for birthday's normally.

He felt bad about not having the means to get me a gift on that day and felt this would make up for it but I didn't care as I know he was having money troubles due to the divorce and such things like that. I honestly to this date think she did it to tick him off as she knew how mad he was about her not giving me the gift in the first place when he said it was for me now but according to her people don't just get gifts that nice everyday and should only be for Christmas as it would upset my other siblings. None of which shared a Dad with me :(

[c0ldb33r]

Hey the good thing - your Dad sounds like a good guy. I deal with a lot of dead beat fathers in my work so it's nice to hear of someone that actually tries his best, and then some.

[skaar]

Your mom's a spiteful bitch, though.

Using the kids to get back at your dad is weaaaaak.

[atreyu187]

True about both but I love them both. My Mom has always been that way and I have begun to accept it as she isn't going to change and I still need a Mom from time to time LOL The screwed up thing is when I was 27 my Mom told me my Dad isn't my actual father and my actual father is my Dad's friend. She never told him so I took it upon myself to let him know. All he said was do you look at me any different? I simply replied no as you have always been there for me and he then told me he had his suspiscions but the way I brought lite to his life he could care less as I loved him and he loved me. Probably explains why I am so small compared to the rest of the family and the fact I am the only one with hair LOL

[Steve W]

Not necessarily video game related, but still worth mentioning.

My brother and I used to sneak into my parents closet and dig out our presents because we couldn't resist finding out what we were getting before the big day. But this time, my brother decided he would open up and try out the Tomy Hit and Missle he was going to get. My parents were in the living room, and we were just down the hall when my brother popped in some C-cell batteries and started the thing up. Neither of us realized that Hit and Missle is LOUD. It's an electromechanical game, and all the motors and gears make a lot of sound. We flipped it off quick, stuffed it back into the box, and put it back into it's hiding place before our parents came to investigate the noise. And when Christmas morning came around, the game mysteriously already had batteries inside it!

[Lostdwarf]

My fondest video game Chistmas has to be when I got my Super Nintendo. I played that thing for hours. I remember screaming and being all happy, I think I even missed christmas dinner cause I was playing it. To this day the SNES is my favorite video game console. ::Sigh::

dwarf

[Push Upstairs]

I was sick for x-mas break in 1991, I think I remember being told I had a sinus infection...but I just remember having a fever (a high one one day) for a majority of my time from school. That x-mas I got Super Mario Bros. 2 for and I spent many days playing that game and fighting off the fever/infection I had.

I hear the music from the game and remember those fever induced gaming sessions.

[XianXi]

SMB when I first got my NES.

[mnbren05]

I've got a few

- Getting Zombies Ate My Next Door Neighbors from my grandmother, she saw zombies and figured I would like it. (One of the few instances recorded in history of a grandparent buying a game that their grandchild ended up loving.)

-Santa leaving a PSX with FFVII and Colony Wars, hidden in the chimney (luckily we never used that fireplace)

-Opening up a Dreamcast and along with Blue Stinger, Sonic, and Soul Caliber.

[jb143]

The only thing that really comes to mind was the Christmas I got a NES. It was a few years after all my friends got one so it was big deal at the time and we pretty much played it all day.

My dad's never been to much into video games but I got him to try. He got Mario to the first pit but fell down it when trying to jump over. That's when he called it quits.

A few weeks ago I went to an arcade auction and since my dad was in town and loves auctions he decided to go as well. The only game he played there was an arcade Super Mario Bros. This time he got as far as the second pit but fell in it. I said "Well, at least you got farther than the last time you played." We all had a big laugh...It was pretty funny at the time anyways.

[slapdash]

The screwed up thing is when I was 27 my Mom told me my Dad isn't my actual father and my actual father is my Dad's friend. She never told him so I took it upon myself to let him know. All he said was do you look at me any different? I simply replied no as you have always been there for me and he then told me he had his suspiscions but the way I brought lite to his life he could care less as I loved him and he loved me.

Dude, your dad is awesome. I was lucky to get a good father too (and mother), but he didn't have that kind of crap to deal with*. That your dad could suspect he wasn't your biological father and hang around for you like that... Wish him a Merry Christmas from me. And kudos to you for the exact right response to his question. :-)

*(well, on THAT level; he had to deal with a mother who gave him up for adoption when he was a baby, and then when she called many years later only to ask about "her" granddaughter and not him, he calmly and politely told her "you're not my mother" and hung up - yay Dad!)