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When I was six years old, my mother got me and my two older brothers a Game Boy Color and corresponding copy of Pokémon each. My oldest brother got a red Game Boy and Pokémon Red, the next one got a blue one and Pokémon Blue, and I got a yellow console with Pokémon Yellow. I remember the little huddle we had away from the adults afterwards where my brother showed me how the game worked and explained how we could trade our monsters with each other. My eyes lit up as I not only fell in love with the cute little Pikachu that followed my every move on the screen, but as I realized that I’d be able to play this on my own when I wanted to, then connect to and play with my brothers when we were all able. I wish I could say it became a lifelong tradition and we all still play today, but even if it only lasted a little while it was a clever gift that made great use of gaming’s ability to not only bring people together, but to dynamically transform solo playtime into shared time together, and back again, so you can always feel connected to people, even when playing alone.

So, to celebrate the holiday season, we want to know: what are some of your favourite gaming-related Christmas stories from over the years? It could be anything, from something you gave or got, to a casual game helping break the ice during an awkward family dinner, or gaming providing a way to bond with a younger relative.

From all of us here at GBAtemp, we want to wish you and yours a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

 

[raxadian]

The children need father more than mothers in the world.

As someone who lost their mother at a young age, I disagree.

Kids will always notice and suffer when one of their parents is missing, even if said parent had been gone for so long they no longer remember it.

Both my parents worked but they still expended some time with me. Holidaysand vacations was still the time they could be there the most.

 

[Deleted User]

... I would like to add, what with the current World economic situation, that people shouldn't be down if they didn't receive a gift this Christmas; one's health and the company of family and friends, be it virtual or within physical distance, are genuinely gifts that should not be taken for granted.

For most of my childhood we had the minimal amount of budget to buy gifts but that never decreased my memories of those years.

The way I see it, if you can't get a piece of technology today, then by the time you can it'll be a technology far better than the one you wanted, at the same price. Moreover, with a Gaming Community like GBATemp here you can always come back to your nostalgic consoles, enjoy the fruits of everyone's labour through the years and play the games that you always wanted.

Everything has its time and as long as you stay positive, positivity will come back to you.
Merry Christmas.

 

[wiitendo84]

As far as it goes for me personally, it was when I got the super nintendo. Mario Kart and Super Mario World came with it. Two controllers and we were set. Beat super Mario World and got to 96 on the save file. Went crazy for years trying to figure out how to get 100 only to find out that 96 was the highest you could get.
Now, every christmas I get the kids a board game each that we all can play. So far we have about 30ish board game and I'd say about 14 are different variations of Monopoly. Several nintendo themed and we got my son the Ghostbusters monopoly this year along with battleship. Been having a lot of fun with those lol.

 

[HideoKojima]

Two words: Ps1, Metal gear... Ok three words lol

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Either getting some PC parts for my first modem PC so I could afford the rest of the parts with whatever money I could get my hands on or getting a slim PS2 a year after the PS3 launched!

 

[mightymuffy]

They are just fake holidays invented by political and a long in Egyptians around 3,000 B.C.E for birthday. Xmas celebrated was actually dates all the way back to the Roman Empire in 336. Those are part of politics.

And I don't gave video games to my kids at all until they are older enough. Many kids I watched at someone's else had PSX, PS2, and etc when they were 7,8,9 and maybe 10 years old and they started to abandon it, damaged, dust on them, messed the controllers wires up. Those systems were very expensive. No.

I gave my kids who wants to play video games as gift when they are over 12 years old and teach them how to take care of them responsibility because it cost money. Many parents don't understand. Not kids's faults, its parents's responsible. Just like they got puppy for kids under 10 years old. Heck no! The puppies are not toys. The console are not toy. Same thing.

I am not part of those false things. To your questions, I got a gift from my money and sometime from anybody from any months, and spend time with family, true friends and relatives every months as much as I can to cherish our lives. I watched and noticed those those people don't get together very much until birthday, xmas, and other false holidays. Disgusting and sadness.

Fuck me I bet you're a barrel of fun on a night out.... Lighten up lad: is your username an anagram of Ebenez--wait, no it's not.

I kind of agree with your 3rd paragraph though, and so do my parents: consoles were certainly not given [over Christmas], not really what I'd call toys either, and in my case Christmas is more a time for gifts, with the bigger stuff being on birthdays (or usually around launch time for consoles!)
So no memories for me, I've recently asked for summat like the latest Forza game off my in laws since they HAD to buy me a pressie (I'd have done with £20 really!), but it doesn't really count.
I think I bought the eldest lad a PSP once in all honesty, think my yed had gone coming up with a gift idea and broke the family rule! Only once though!

 

[YuseiFD]

I don't celebrate christmas, and have no memory of ever getting a console or a game as a gift, but i apreciate the gest, one time some guy bought me diablo 3, made my effing life just cuz he knew it's impossible for me to get it.

 

[pedro702]

Playing Super smash bros or Mario kart with 4 player local with my cousins all afternoon before the dinner or after lunch the next day xD

 

[spotanjo3]

*Waste my time*

 

[RyRyIV]

I remember it well. It was 1999, and I was six years old. The Pokémon craze had taken over the playground, and all I wanted for Christmas was “anything Pokémon.”

My at the time single mother would proceed to blow my six year old mind when I woke up to unwrap a package containing an atomic purple GameBoy Color, Pokémon Yellow version, and two AA batteries so I could play. I swear I spent the rest of Christmas Day with my nose in that GameBoy, wandering around Kanto with my Pikachu and trying my hardest to beat Brock with him “just like Ash.”

I don’t think mom quite knew what she was getting herself into with this one. That single Christmas present turned Pokémon from something I liked to an obsession, where I still get flack from her for having begged and pleaded until she took me to the movies in the theatre. It also now, twenty one years later, has become a so far lifelong obsession. Pokémon is still one of my favorite series out there. And I fully credit that Christmas gift to being what got me into video games as a whole.

 

[osaka35]

I just got VR this christmas and it's been pretty memorable so far. I quite enjoy 3d.

Nothing to do with holid I am talking bout fathers do not take care of children.. Most moms does. That's shame. Moms are slave and men is what ? You know the answer to that. I am not here to argument because that's my point of view about holidays, that's all. I am being honest. Please don't be angry with me. I know what I am talking bout. I respect people's belief so respect my belief as being father, uncle, and grandfather to the children. I know what I see.

please understand not everyone's experiences are the same as yours. yours may be unique, it may be local, it may be cultural. regardless, i think we can all agree that it shouldn't be this way. and the best thing that can be done is engage and change what you can. try and figure out what's going wrong and ask for help and guidance in making it better.

recognizing it's a problem can make you sad and feel angry, but that's just the first step. second step is moving past the anger and figuring out what you can do to help people. being a big brother/father to a kid (mentor) can help change this mentality in the next generation, but you've got to change it within yourself first.

 

[spotanjo3]

*Waste my time*

 

[|<roni&g]

Can't pick 1
-xmas 98 Gameboy color & pocket bomber man, Tetris, Zelda link to the past
Xmas 99- N64 with blast corps, 007, Zelda
Xmas 2001 - WWF smackdown 2, couldn't wait for it and still replicate that cold morning on the console every year
I miss what Xmas was as a kid

 

[Everlasting1337]

Grand Theft Auto V, throwing snowballs.

 

[izzeling]

My grandma got me the box set of Earthbound back when it came out. Would have been for my 6th or 7th birthday. Came with the players guide and everything. I love that game so much.

 

[BORTZ]

I think Christmas 2002 was probably my favorite? My parents usually took us on one big vacation over the summer but that particular year they decided to take us on a few smaller ones and then a big one for Christmas. I had borrowed Wario Land 3 from a friend and spent most of the ride down to Florida getting 100% and playing the golfing mini game.

For Christmas, my parents got me a glacier (purple) Game Boy Advance and Yoshi's Island. Quite possibly one of my favorite games of all time. Towards the end of the week I got a huge pack of "Dura King" batteries from a flea market. They lasted about an hour at a time, but I had like 36 of them.

The year before that, I remember going to a family friend's for new years. The daughter wasn't hom there, but I didn't care. I had the entire basement and N64 all to myself. I think that was the first time I was able to play N64 with no time limit and I didn't have to share with anyone. To a kid who didn't have a console, and my gaming time was extremely limited, that was heaven.

2003, I got Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga, that was a banging good time.

2004 my brother got me Mega Man X4 with no prior knowledge of the series. Still one of my favorite games.

Anyways I know that's more than just one... But clearly I have a lot of good ones.

 

[adamsef]

For me without a doubt would have been in the early 90s when all the cool kids played street fighter 2 in the arcades and loving that game and finding out that Nintendo was selling a console that had that game!! well it was a no brainier To know what I wanted for Xmas 1992..

however It was castlevania 4, Mario world and f-zero That stole the show for me!
I absolutely loved street fighter 2 but I used to wish my friends would feck off and leave my house so I could play castlevania 4 and Mario world on my own
Absolute quality gaming and even now still play them

 

[Chary]

Definitely the Christmas that the PS2 came out. My parents were too poor to afford anything more than a few Goodwill toys and a Sega Genesis game.

So after I opened all my small presents, my uncle came by. He might as well have been Santa himself cuz he pulled a giant box out of his car and handed it to me.

It was a PlayStation 2, with 3 games, strategy guides, an extra controller. Everything. Kid-me had never see anything like it. I’m pretty sure I cried because I was so overwhelmed and my uncle was like “oh crap I’m sorry I guess you wanted an Xbox?” But I was just so happy and amazed that my reaction was to happy-cry lol.

 

[Ryab]

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When I was six years old, my mother got me and my two older brothers a Game Boy Color and corresponding copy of Pokémon each. My oldest brother got a red Game Boy and Pokémon Red, the next one got a blue one and Pokémon Blue, and I got a yellow console with Pokémon Yellow. I remember the little huddle we had away from the adults afterwards where my brother showed me how the game worked and explained how we could trade our monsters with each other. My eyes lit up as I not only fell in love with the cute little Pikachu that followed my every move on the screen, but as I realized that I’d be able to play this on my own when I wanted to, then connect to and play with my brothers when we were all able. I wish I could say it became a lifelong tradition and we all still play today, but even if it only lasted a little while it was a clever gift that made great use of gaming’s ability to not only bring people together, but to dynamically transform solo playtime into shared time together, and back again, so you can always feel connected to people, even when playing alone.

So, to celebrate the holiday season, we want to know: what are some of your favourite gaming-related Christmas stories from over the years? It could be anything, from something you gave or got, to a casual game helping break the ice during an awkward family dinner, or gaming providing a way to bond with a younger relative.

From all of us here at GBAtemp, we want to wish you and yours a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Yesterday actually. This is my first Christmas where I actually had the choice to get some friends gifts. Even though the gifts were small I have never felt so happy before. I have had these friends to rely on for a while and I thought I should give back. Best decision of my life.

 

[MarkDarkness]

Chrono Trigger.