It’s a rather special day for a lot of video game fans today. Why, you might ask? Well, it’s only the 20th anniversary (and it’s birthday!) of the original PlayStation in North America! With that in mind, the PlayStation LifeStyle crew talks about their favorite PlayStation memories in this edition of Now Loading.
Bear in mind that it’s hard to encapsulate 20 years’ worth of gaming without going into a 2,000-word prose, but we tried our best. From playing with friends, to fond memories of time with family, we chat about our fondest PlayStation memories and of course, games.
What’s your favorite PlayStation memory? Get nostalgic and share them in the comments below.
Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).
Essential Reading:
- PlayStation LifeStyle & Sony Santa Monica Team up for One Awesome Giveaway!
- 20 Must Play PSOne Games
- Now Loading…Uncharted 4 DLC Announced Before Release and Micro-Transactions
Now Loading...PlayStation 20th!
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Now Loading...PlayStation 20th Anniversary: What's Your Favorite PlayStation Memory?
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Alex Co
Oh, man! Seeing as I'm 34-years old (turned 34 last month!) and have been gaming ever since I can remember, I have a TON of PlayStation memories.
Where to start? What about the first time I blew someone up in Twisted Metal? Fighting in 3D for the first time in Toshinden? Or what about experiencing polygonal racing goodness in Ridge Racer?
Those all are fond PlayStation memories for me. But possibly the ones that stand out the most is getting scared shitless with BioHazard (I finished the JP version of Resident Evil before it was translated), pulling off the "trigger" trick for Cloud's Limit Break in Final Fantasy VII, and of course, that assault on Shadow Moses in Metal Gear Solid!
I know I mentioned a lot, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing more. Things got better during the PS2 era what with God of War, FFX and more.
Happy birthday, PlayStation! Here's to 20 more years.
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Chandler Wood
Being with PlayStation from the very beginning, I have a vast collection of memories of great games, and great times with games. Final Fantasy VII, the plastic instrument revolution, buying my own PS2. These are just a couple that stick out to me, but there's one special one that got me hooked on the potential in video games.I still remember being a kid and playing the Metal Gear Solid demo disc from PlayStation Magazine over and over again. It was that intro sequence where you sneak into Shadow Moses, and I knew every inch of it by heart! I was dying to play the actual game, but my parents were strict about not letting me play M rated games around that time.
My grandparents weren't as savvy about video game ratings, and when my parents were out of town on vacation, I convinced my grandparents to run me down to Blockbuster to rent the full game, and what an incredible game it was. To think I am now playing Metal Gear Solid V in my free time nearly 20 years later.
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Tyler Treese
My favorite PlayStation memory would be playing countless hours of Tony Hawk's Underground 2 on PlayStation 2. Any fan of the series may be wondering why that game in particular would stick out, but it was because it was a complete glitchy mess!
I would often play online with other gamers in games where we would go on 'easter egg hunts' where we would explore unfinished parts of levels and just have a great time hanging out. For example, you could glitch outside of the Airport level and actually skate around the planes!
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Michael Briers
Selecting one single memory from two decades of greatness is really difficult, that goes without saying. As much as I adore Final Fantasy VIII and Metal Gear Solid, the memory I always hold near and dear is playing Command & Conquer: Red Alert Retaliation on PSOne. It was my uncle that introduced me to Westwood Studios' strategy series soon after it made the jump from PC, and I was transfixed.
For a game that's fast-approaching its 20th birthday, you can imagine that the graphics were light years away from today's standards, but I'll be damned if those low-res troops doing press-ups in the dirt didn't capture my imagination. The cherry on the cake? When my uncle and I would play Retaliation's link-up mode. After cramming two TVs, two PlayStations and copious amounts of wires and cables into a single bedroom, we locked horns in all-out warfare.I may have been oblivious to, you know, the actual strategy part of C&C, but back then I couldn't imagine it getting any better. To this day, I still know the cheat to call in the Ion Cannon by heart. -
Stephen Bitto
So hard to choose just one memory! Whether it was the countless times I played SOCOM through the night, experiencing the darker side of games with Twisted Metal at a 3rd grade sleepover or braving the cold Columbus November for three days to get a PS3 on launch day, PlayStation has always been the beacon that drew me to gaming.
One event that stands out as particularly memorable involves a Resistance tournament I played in during the PS3's first year. I didn't get better at SOCOM until Confrontation so this was the first time I had a true feeling of camaraderie playing with others competitively. We made it to the round of 16 (which was pretty impressive considering thousands played) but were knocked out and the final showdown in NYC simply wasn't in the cards for us.
Regardless, it was and continues to be original experiences like Resistance that makes PlayStation the part of the gaming universe I call home.
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Zarmena Khan
I didn't have a PlayStation console until the PS2 so some of my earliest and best memories are from that era. The one that stands out to me the most is applying cheat codes to GTA: San Andreas and having a ball with it. I was an awkward teenager at the time who somehow sought refuge in huddling around a crappy TV with some kids in the family, and playing for hours on end. Now I'd give anything to have those days back!
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Mack Ashworth
Well this is certainly a tricky one! I think it has to be the day I received the original PlayStation. My first PS1 game was Crash Bandicoot 3 and, as I didn't actually have a memory card, I stayed up all night to complete it. I was 7! Amazing!
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Heath Hindman
I'll never forget putting in the demo disc that came with my 'Station, seeing those awesome games and feeling a satisfied relief that my money had been well spent. I only had money for the system itself for a while, but a few demo discs kept me gaming for a while until I could finally get my first game for it, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. It had some clunky controls, but I loved the heck out of it.
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Cameron Teague
I think it was the memory of having my Sega Genesis stolen by thieves and using the insurance money to purchase the PlayStation. I wasn't really sure if I would like it but it was new and shiny, so I had to have it. Then, I quickly fell in love with all the RPG goodness that the system possessed and from there, my obsession with Suikoden began.
