<p style="text-align: left;">As we celebrate Christmas this year, we look back on the gaming memories we have had over the years with gaming. Here are the games we fondly remember.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Corey Atwood</strong></span></p>
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<p>For me, the holidays are a time of year rich with fond video game memories. I vividly recall unwrapping my NES in 1988 while my sister, with incorrect eagerness, shouted &#8220;Atari!&#8221; I cherish the memories of my first holiday vacation from college, which I spent obsessively beating my first PlayStation 2 game, <em>Eternal Ring</em>. Unbeknownst to be at the time, this mostly-forgotten launch title sparked my continued love affair with From Software. Warm and fuzzy as these holiday memories are, I don&#8217;t have one specific title I play every year. However, as someone who loves both gaming and holiday tradition, I do have one very personal Xmas ritual. Bathed in only the warm glow of the Xmas tree and roaring fireplace, I thoroughly enjoy snuggling up under a thick blanket and playing a handheld system. There is something about the close glow of the small screen in a darkened room that just seems more intimate and cozy than the garish brightness of a television, on which I play most of my games. Last year, I spent most of the holiday season beating Earthbound (using only the screen of the Wii U), while this year I am focusing on <em>The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes</em> and <em>Terraria</em> on my 3DS. The weather outside may be frightful, but the games are so delightful.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Jerry Dobracki</strong></span></p>
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<figure id="attachment_29542" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29542" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-full wp-image-29542" src="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/06085524/elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-screenshot-_4.jpg" alt="(Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, Bethesda)" width="1024" height="576" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-29542" class="wp-caption-text">(The <em>Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</em>, Bethesda)</figcaption></figure>
<p style="text-align: left;">Generally at Christmas time people have more time to game due to breaks from school, lucky vacations or because of traveling (handheld). I have two games that bring back memories of the holidays and that I played a lot during the holidays. The first game or games are <em>Resident Evil</em>, I remember my first break back from college I rushed home and tore through<em> Resident Evil</em> 1 and 2 over my break. Then my next break in college, I played through Resident Evil 3, which was the first game I ever pre-ordered. As I moved to the newer generations, the <em>Elder Scrolls</em> games became my Christmas game of choice. The music, the architecture, and the overall feel just make me think homey and Christmas time. <em>Oblivion</em> was the first one that I played during the holidays and the theme &#8220;Sunrise of Flutes&#8221; takes me right back to those Christmas feels. <em>Skyrim</em> doesn&#8217;t have the music that takes me back, but all that snow does.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Chris Penwell</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">While I haven&#8217;t got a specific Christmas ritual when it comes to gaming, memories of getting the Nintendo 64 and the Gameboy Color spring up to mind. I remember how I jumped up and down when I was given the Nintendo 64, my first gaming console, for Christmas. I loved playing <em>Super Mario</em> 64 on it, despite my father getting all the stars while I&#8217;m scratching my head. Even though I am not a fan of Mario at all at this point due to Nintendo&#8217;s oversaturation of the character in recent years, I still remember fondly of the beautiful worlds that Shigeru Miyamoto and his team created. Bob-Omb Battlefield in particular is engrained in my memory, and I hope at some point that instead of making another cop-out sequel or 2D title, Mario takes another step on the NX like <em>Galaxy</em> did on the Wii. The music of <em>Super Mario 64</em> is extremely memorable as well. I also remember playing hours upon hours on the Gameboy Color with Pokémon Gold. Unlike many, Gold is my first Pokémon game, and I loved it. The music is so memorable, the simple battle system works so well, and exploring the world is so fun. Like Mario, I hope that Pokémon gets a revamp on the NX with a completely 3D adventure like<em> Pokémon Colosseum</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I also fond memories of playing <em>Dragon Quest VIII</em> and <em>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</em> over the holidays. It&#8217;s always great to play a fantasy J-RPG over the holidays. Another fond memory I have from Christmas is when my sister and I were playing <em>Tomb Raider II</em> and locked the annoying butler in the meat cellar. We found it hilarious that we could do that in the game!</p>

Our Holiday Gaming Memories
- Categories: Opinion
- Tags: GamesMariooblivionPokémonThe Elder ScrollsTop Stories
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