What popped your gaming cherry?

[Arcademan]

Moon Cresta

Great classic game

My gaming interests predates even the classics like Space Invaders, Galaxian, Asteroids, Night Driver...even Classic Sprint. The aw so glorious age of Pinball Machines when we had the first game room in Mesa, AZ called "Penner's Place" back in 1972. Still tinkering with games over 50 years later as I go into my 44th year of my work with arcades

Damn but I'm old!!!

 

[MCF 76]

My mom bought me a NES w/ SMB and Rad Racer for Christmas 1987 I was 11. Before that was never interested or had played any video games. I was immediately hooked after playing these two games. I still remember the feeling of opening that present and was not sure if I was going to like it or not lol. I remember Rad Racer having the 3d glasses I was just blown away.

 

[Neo Alec]

Getting an NES with Super Mario Bros. didn't quite do it. It was Contra on the NES that pushed me over the edge.

 

[Syn]

Some pinball machine then came Pong.

 

[famicommander]

I am the youngest of 3 brothers and both my parents played video games too, so we had several consoles as far back as I'm able to remember:
NES
Genesis
Atari 2600
Game Boy
Game Gear

Didn't get a Super Nintendo until the late 90s but my grandma had one I played all the time. Couldn't tell you what system or game I played first.

The first console I actually remember getting was the Saturn, which my dad bought as a Christmas gift for all three of us when I was 5. VF2, Daytona, Virtua Cop.

 

[max 330 mega]

The way the story goes as far as my first interest in video games was that when i was about 2 years old the local grocery store had a Rampage arcade machine at the front of the store and I was absolutely magnetically drawn to the thing. My mom would let me stand in the basket, put my hands on the controls and just stand there and watch the attract mode.
One of the cashiers began to notice how obsessed i was with the arcade machine every week when mom would take me shopping and eventually told my mom that they needed to get me an NES and plop me in front of the TV so she could take a nap. I was turning 3 about then and she wasnt sure id even be able to play the games. The cashier was like “believe me, he will figure it out and even if he doesnt hes gonna be glued to the thing so you can actually get some rest for a while during the day.” So that finally sold my parents on getting me a NES with 8 or 9 games out of the local trading post listings. Smb, dick tracy, battletoads, rad racer, tmnt, beach volleyball, faxanadu, trog, and one or two other rather crap titles. Lol

 

[StevenK]

The way the story goes as far as my first interest in video games was that when i was about 2 years old the local grocery store had a Rampage arcade machine at the front of the store and I was absolutely magnetically drawn to the thing. My mom would let me stand in the basket, put my hands on the controls and just stand there and watch the attract mode.
One of the cashiers began to notice how obsessed i was with the arcade machine every week when mom would take me shopping and eventually told my mom that they needed to get me an NES and plop me in front of the TV so she could take a nap. I was turning 3 about then and she wasnt sure id even be able to play the games. The cashier was like “believe me, he will figure it out and even if he doesnt hes gonna be glued to the thing so you can actually get some rest for a while during the day.” So that finally sold my parents on getting me a NES with 8 or 9 games out of the local trading post listings. Smb, dick tracy, battletoads, rad racer, tmnt, beach volleyball, faxanadu, trog, and one or two other rather crap titles. Lol

That cashier smashed your mom while you were distracted btw

 

[Heinz]

SF2 at the local mall, closely aligned with Pick-A-Dilly pair on the Apple IIc.

 

[max 330 mega]

That cashier smashed your mom while you were distracted btw

Good for mom, she probably needed it!