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Super Mario 64 was the first game to realize 3D gaming. This is important, since it beat out its closest rival by a few months. There had been attempts in the past by its arch nemesis, Sega, as well. Around that time, the whole landscape of gaming was changing. New people were starting to play games, and the next generation was about to take over.

 

Enter a new challenger! Of all companies, it was Sony. The original Playstation was so new and fresh looking at the time. It looked new tech, and had the horse power to rival that of a PC. While it had been out since late 1995, it wasn't until Final Fantasy VII came out that it became hugely popular. Talk about killer app. That was it. The commercials for it made it seem like a high tech movie, and thanks to that blockbuster seller, Sony was able to become king of the hill in console land.

 

Of course, that title wasn't the sole reason why. Fun games like Crash Bandicoot, Battle Arena Toshinden and Twisted Metal stood out as the forefront of what 3D games could be like. The market became obsessed with 3D gaming, and graphic whores shunned 2D gaming goodness. Though eventually, Sony relented on banning 2D games from their system.

 

Also, something should be said of their promotional campaign. They were wickedly effective at trashing their competitors with a snarky attitude. I still remember those commercials of the Crash mascot mocking Nintendo headquarters with a megaphone. Not only that, but they were really funny with their other ones as well. There was one where a senior citizen was playing Jet Moto with a concentrated look on her face, and it cut to the tv screen, and the rider was just sitting there while the other racers passed him. Back to the woman, then back to the rider, where he looked back, then exclaimed, "Hey Granny! Hit the gas!"

 

Anyway, the Playstation was my first console other than a Nintendo one. I had to get FF VIII. I didn't care how much it cost, and the first chance I got, I bought the system, game, and carried the big bag home. I didn't regret it one bit. In fact, it became one of my most favorite consoles ever. I have a lot of fond memories with it, and spent my late teens/ early 20's playing every game I could. It was a good routine I had. Every week after payday, I would get a game or two and play it. I had a subscription to Official Playstation Magazine as well, and would sample everything I could. I loved the demo discs. I have a lot of fond memories with the system in general. One of them includes experiencing the Game Shark for the first time and having a lot of fun replaying some of my favorites.

 

After a time, the console eventually stopped working. The disc drives don't last forever, as I found out. Still, I went through about three of them during the life of the system. The last one I ever got was the redesigned One, and got a screen to go along with it. It served me well during my deployment to Iraq. For a long while, I was a big fan of Playstation. But all good things eventually come to an end, even the new era of gaming.