It all started with the gray box. Around the age of 7, Ari’s parents gave him a Nintendo Entertainment System which came with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. The games were both on a single cartridge that was larger than modern handheld systems, yet contained less than 1MB of data. As the hours went by, you would have thought the old Nintendo controller contained motion control for all the flailing about and jumping around. Almost instantly, Ari had a lifelong hobby.

Soon there would be The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Metroid and other games that somehow remain relevant 25 years later. But it was a game purchase inspired by a strategy guide included with an issue of Nintendo Power that helped Ari to discover his favorite genre. Final Fantasy was unlike any game he had ever played, requiring much less in terms of reflexes and hand-eye coordination, but far more reasoning and strategy. It also contained a stronger story element than “rescue the princess.” He described Role Playing Games to his friends as “playing a book.”

Since then, Ari has remained a constant gamer, bearing witness to the rise of gaming as a respectable pastime, and watching the incredible evolution of the technology that powers the hobby.

First video game you ever played

I honestly don’t remember precisely what the first video game I ever played was. It must have been on one of my older brother’s computers, most likely an old Atari, Amiga or Commodore 64 game. I remember a Commodore 64 game called Up ‘N Down, an overhead game where you moved a car between a couple of tracks, but the car could jump and crush other cars, and you had to collect flags.

First video game you ever finished

The first game I ever finished had to have been Super Mario Bros., mainly because it was the first game I played that actually had a beginning, middle and end. Most games back then were arcade style mechanically, so they just became more and more difficult until you inevitably failed or got bored.

First video game system you ever purchased with your own money

The first game system I bought with my own money was a Gameboy Color. Up until then, I had been happily spoiled by my parents, but my Gameboy Color purchase was the result of saving up allowance and working a part time job for months.

Systems played