Do you guys start your Kids on the Classic Systems first?

[Anthony1]

Right now, I have a 3 year old Son, and one that is only 2 months old.

With my 3 year old, I'm going to wait till he's about 5 or 6 before I get him started on Video Games. Or at least introduce him to Video Games. But I was wondering, when I do introduce him to the world of Video Games, should I start him off with a Super Nintendo or Genesis first?

Or should I let him go straight to the Playstation 3 and XBOX 2?

I was thinking that I would start him off with a Super Nintendo first, so he could start off with games like Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island and stuff like that, as his first look at the world of video games.

If I let him play the PS3 and XBOX 2 from the get go, then I don't think he would have any interest in the classics.

Plus, with the more current systems, there doesn't seem to be as many kiddie games to start with.

I was just curious to how the rest of you guys handle this.

[AB Positive]

I'm going to start my kids (if/when I have any... *shudder*) probably with an atari system or, if PDS succeeds in his quest, an Odyssey2. The go through the systems as s/he ages. I'm most likely stopping my collection at this generation for a few years, since I rarely play anything above 32-bit nowadays.

-AG

[Anthony1]

I think it might be hard to get a kid to play anthing earlier than a NES.


I think starting them on a NES, Turbo Grafx, Genesis or Super Nintendo is feasable, but an Atari 2600 could be difficult.


I just think that an Atari 2600 would be just a little too ancient for a little kid to start off on. The graphics are just so primitive in comparison to what they will see in TV Commercials and at the friends house, and stuff like that.

But you could certainly try.

[Achika]

Why not just show them your RoD and let them select what they want to play? It might be a little funner for them to do that than be restricted to one thing. 5 is still young enough that they aren't "branded" with the evils of marketing for an older generation.

[rolenta]

I won't let my kids touch my classic stuff.

My kids started gaming with a spare Genesis 3 that I had. From that they went to their own N64 and now Gamecube.

[dan2357]

I think starting your kids off on an Atari or super Nintendo would be like giving them a Vic-20 in place of a Pentium 4. Starting a child on an older system because it seems more child friendly might put a damper on there creativity or imagination. You got to figure just as many adults were playing the older systems as kids, They just take come away with something different from the game. I think introducing them to the classics when there old enough to appreciate how far the technology has come would be more rewarding.
Atleast thats my 2 cents.

[ianoid]

Kids will play any game that's fun, but that's not to say that they need to be limited to old or new.

Unfortunately, most kids are tightly wound up by the media, which they are too young to realize is playing us all like pawns in a global game of commerce. In any case, they'll want the GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip or the Playstation 14 if it's on TV in between episodes of Sponge Bob Squarepants.

[Dire 51]

I'm going to try to make my daughters aware of the classics - if I ever hear "Daddy we don't want to play those stupid old games" they'll be grounded until they're thirty.

[Ruudos]

My nephew (almost 3) discovered an old Game Boy here, and looked at it. So my brother played Super Mario Land with him, of course he died all the time, but the kid was having fun moving a little character on a small screen :)

[EnemyZero]

I don't have kids yet but when I do and im sure I will according to some sources ::cough:: gf:: cough:: lol Id like to have em start with classics but I will leave it up to them!

[chadtower]

I just bought my 4 year old his first system... an n64. I wanted him to start with something that had no consequences if it was broken, was cart based, and had plenty of kiddie games. He loves it and is picking things up very quickly. Now if I could only set one up in his room so that it didn't monopolize the main tv, but my wife has a no tv in any bedrooms rule...