Childhood Video Games

Blam! Senior Mathew Engels Takes a break from his school work with a game of Roblox. Mathew finds peace and relaxation through playing one of his favorite games. Photo courtesy of Tristan Stewart.

When thinking back about childhood memories, many remember video games as a source of nostalgia. Is this nostalgia shared among students at VHS? If so, are there certain video games that we all grew up with? What makes these childhood memories so fond and memorable?

There are a lot of different genres of video game, and specifically some tha catch the eyes of younger generations are ones with multiplayer or possibilities for your own imagination to run free.

“Little Big Planet, it was very personal and I used to create and play levels with my brothers,” senior Soren Peterson said.

Little Big Planet, a game released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3,  holds great emotional value for Peterson as this game is closely connected with his relationship with his brothers and to the freeing element of creativity that the game gives players.

“GTA was one of my favorite games, I would play GTA with my friend in his basement because my parents were super strict,” Senior Jasper Allard said.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Junior Nolan Castro said Spider-Man friend or foe was his favorite childhood video game. 

“I used to grind that game when I was younger,” Castro said. It is clear that many years of dedication to a game make it memorable. 

One game that many students share childhood memories about is Mincraft. 

“Minecraft for sure, I have a lot of memories building random stuff with my friends and running from creepers,” Senior Rowan Marceau said. 

While not deep on the surface, these memories hold great value for most people, especially when it comes to looking back on these memories fondly.

Many may foster friendships through the unconventional means of video games. One could compare videogame bonding to team sports. Although this may be a stretch, the bonding that comes from playing video games may be similar in a way.  

“Poké park was probably my favorite game. It was really relaxing and you got to battle and fight Pokemon. But the ultimate goal is to save the park and befriend everybody,” Senior Mathew Engels said. 

Spending quality time playing something you enjoy also seems to contribute to fond childhood memories. 

Video games have been around for a long time. Even though the average modern video game is quite complex compared to older ones, each generation seems to have grown up with video games in some form whether it be on the Nintendo or something as simple as pinball or arcade games.

“Pinball and Tetris were my favorite,” Principal John Erickson said. “For the most part I liked playing them because I was relatively good. I remember I would go to my friend's house down the block and we used to post up at his house since I didn't have a Nintendo.” Erickson said.

Although many may not share the same memories, playing video games during childhood can be a source of bonding with others, as well as a point of nostalgia for many regardless of age.