Halloween, 1989. While other teenagers were out causing trouble or attending parties, I was hunched in the blue glow of my bedroom TV, sweaty-palmed and wide-eyed, guiding Simon Belmont up the crumbling steps of Dracula’s Castle. My NES copy of Castlevania had been a birthday gift from my uncle Tom, who’d casually mentioned it was “pretty tough” with the knowing smirk of someone who’d thrown his controller in frustration multiple times. He wasn’t wrong—I’d been…
I never expected Minecraft to be the thing that would finally help me connect with my nephew Jake. He’s my…
I had this moment recently while playing Horizon Forbidden West where I stopped to watch a sunset. Not a real…
I first encountered Guitar Hero at a Best Buy in 2006. I was there to pick up a replacement power…
I still remember the first time I saw a “3D” game. It was at our local arcade in 1993, and…
I still remember the exact moment I became truly addicted to a video game. It was winter break during my…
I still have them all in a plastic storage bin in my basement—every single video game manual I’ve managed to…
I first encountered Legacy of Kain in the most appropriately gothic way possible—during a thunderstorm that had knocked out the…
My first brush with Daventry came courtesy of my dad, who wasn’t exactly what you’d call a “gamer.” He was…
