The first video game I ever played was Putt Putt Enters the Race. I remember this game because of the joy it gave me when I would complete some sort of mission and receive a bottle. I would recycle these bottles, and eventually I would get enough to join the race through recycling enough of those bottles. This system gave me an incentive to keep playing and try to get as many bottles as possible. I became so absorbed with collecting bottles I don't think I really cared about the race, which was the whole point of the game. I believe the mechanics of this game were what kept making me come back to play more. As a little kid, I couldn't explain why but I got some sense of fulfillment from collecting the green bottles and recycling them.
Another game I used to play was Pokemon on my Nintendo DS. I played Blue Mystery Dungeon the most, and I can vividly remember sitting in my room playing that game for hours. I enjoyed the story and I wanted to get my Pokemon to high levels so I could beat the game. I wanted to beat the game not just for the sake of beating it, but for the sake of satisfying the story and seeing what happened in the end. I didn't ever beat the game, but I still have fond memories of it.
The last game I have chosen from my childhood would have to be Cooking Mama. I still smile every time think of the memories. I used to play this game with my sister all the time when I was bored or she wanted to use the Wii. Just the sheer aspect of being a competitive game can draw kids into it despite not really having a story or much appeal. Just racing to chop onions or grind meat is entertaining as long as you are playing against someone else. If I could pinpoint one thing from the Tetrad it would be Aesthetics because I loved when the eggs would break and splatter everywhere. Otherwise, it was just the mere opportunity to compete versus someone else.
