I was born in 1976, so video games were a huge part of my life. I don't have as much time to play them now, but I do have a Wii, which I enjoy, but miss that feeling of opening the newest, best-graphics-ever, can't stop playing, games. It occurred to me recently that many of the games I played as a child, and teenager, changed my life in many ways.

Here are the 7 games that changed my life, and how they did it:

#1 - Mattel Electronic Football (1977)

I still remember my neighbor getting this amazing creation. I was about four years old, but I remember being blown-away by the cool noises it made. I didn't understand it, or have a clue how to play it, but I carried it with me as often as I could.

How it changed my life: I don't know if Mattel branded the units, but my neighbor's had a Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo (yeah, the orange and white one). The day I saw this game, I became an instant Bucs fan.

#2 - Space Invaders (Atari 2600, 1981?)

My parents bought an Atari 2600 when I was 5. They didn't buy it for me, so they ended up putting it in their bedroom, and I went for months not knowing it was in the house. I guess they got bored with it and ended up moving it into the living room. I didn't know what it was, but after about 5 seconds of seeing Space Invaders in action, I was doing the, "ooo, let me try, let me try..." I quickly found myself addicted to the game, and still to this day, consider it one of my favorites. I figured out the double-fire (explained in the video) by myself, and told all my friends my version of the game was special.

How it changed my life: I learned a valuable lesson from Space Invaders. I learned that all-nighters are fun while they last, but really suck the next day.

#3 - Kangaroo (Arcade, 1982)

I was a latch-key kid (weren't we all back then?) and would go to the Boy's Club after school, and during Summer vacation. My first Summer at the Boy's Club, was the Summer we received 2 video games: Donkey Kong, and Kangaroo. Donkey Kong always had a really long line of kids wanting to play, so I always played Kangaroo, and found it extremely fun. I could go for hours playing on the same quarter. The game was simple - you were a kangaroo trying to beat up monkeys using your ginormous red boxing gloves. You hopped up ledges trying to ring a bell, and punch monkeys all the way up. There were other levels, but you get the idea.

How it changed my life: Sometimes beating up monkeys makes you feel invincible, so when a kid kept talking to me, and made me die (we've all been there), I punched him. It was my very first fight. I ended up losing a tooth when he elbowed me in the mouth, but it forever changed my life by teaching me that there's a huge difference between a video game punch, and a real punch.

#4 - Super Mario Brothers (NES, 1985)

Oh the memories. I had SMB for one year before getting another game. I played it non-stop. I figured out every warp zone, every hidden vine, and every 1-up mushroom in the game. I could run through the entire game, and finish it with one man. I could get into the negative world. It was just so freaking cool, and I had a NES Max, so I had turbo fireballs too. Things seemed so simple back then.

How it changed my life: I was the first kid in the neighborhood to get a Nintendo. Talk about instant "Cool" status. I became the most popular kid in the neighborhood, and realized that having cool gadgets upped my social status - leading to a lifetime gadget addiction.

#5 - The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1986)

The gold cartridge was intoxicating. The music was memorizing. It was just all too perfect of a game. I was getting a little older, so I couldn't play it as much, but I played it every chance I got. I remember going into the first dungeon, and my jaw hit the floor. I think I was the perfect age for the game, because it all just made sense.

How it changed my life: Zelda changed me a few ways. The first thing I remember is that it really made me understand maps, and instilling in me a desire to explore things. I ended up spending more time outside as a result of this game, thinking that there might always be something really cool around the next corner - like a whistle I could blow to make tornadoes. The other life-changing event was quickly learning that 900 numbers are expensive. Let me explain - back in 1986 or 87, Nintendo Power was free. It was more like a newspaper, but it had screenshots, and other cool game tips. They also had an advertisement for a 900 number you could call for game tips. I didn't know it would cost money to make the call, so I called everyday....for a week. I ended up losing the Nintendo for a week, and found the red ring on my own.

#6 - Columns (Genesis, 1989)

I hated this stupid game. Stack some lame blocks in some lame order, and some lame stuff happened. I can't express how much I hated this game. Seriously. It wasn't Tetris, and it wasn't exciting. It was just stupid blocks with stupid colors.

How it changed my life: Why would a boy play a game he hated so much? Did I mention I was a freshman in high school when I got this game? Did I also mention that the reason I bought it was because my girlfriend wanted it? We had been dating for months, and she couldn't put this stupid game down. We ended up playing until about 2am one night, and I'll let you figure out the rest of how this changed my life.

#7 - Super Puzzle Fighter II (PS1, 1997)

Back to the block-puzzle style games. Again, I bought this one for a girlfriend (different one). Super Puzzle Fighter wasn't that bad. We would sit in beach chairs in front of the TV eating atomic fireballs, playing this game. It was an interesting game in that it had the puzzle stuff, but also had little Street Fighter characters in the middle of the screen, beating the hell out of each other.

How it changed my life: The game was great for two players, but I quickly realized that if you stacked your blocks along one side as fast as you could, then did the same to the next column, it would eventually start making big jewels that would blow up and bury your opponent. This lead to a very heated argument one night. Probably the biggest argument we'd had, but I purchased an engagement ring a few days earlier, and after the fight cooled down, I ended up proposing, to which she said yes. To bad I don't have a game for the divorce we had 5 years later.

#8 - Moon Cresta (Arcade, 1981)

I published this post, but then remembered this game, so I had to come back and edit it. Moon Cresta seems to be a lesser known game. It's very similar to Pheonix, and Galaga, but from what I can tell, it never really caught on. The premise is the same as most shooters....you shoot stuff. This game had a slight twist. At certain times during the game, you could dock your smaller ship onto a larger piece of the ship, and had better fire power.

How it changed my life: This game probably changed my life more than any other, but it came much later in life. When I was about 5, my grandmother would go to a craft store for hours. Across the street was a Dairy Queen with Moon Cresta in it. I would be there a few times a week, and there was always this older kid there that would hog the game - no matter how many times I said, "I got next man!" I would stick my head in front of the screen to watch the game, and he would almost push me down. I would do anything I could to make him lose so I could play, but he was really good, and the game gives you extra men for every 100,00 points, so one quarter could last all day. Almost twenty years after first playing this game, and getting bullied by the older kid, I became friends with a guy I worked with. We went to lunch one day, and somehow started talking about Moon Cresta. Neither of us had ever met anyone else that had ever even heard of the game. Then it happened. He started telling me about this little kid that would annoy the crap out of him when he played it. He said his mom used to work next to the Dairy Queen, and he would go and play the game for hours. Long story short - it's the same bully. We've now been business partners for 7 years, and we're the best of friends.

I'm sure there are many other games that changed my life, but none that really had lasting changes like these games.

I'd love to know what games changed other people's lives. I can't be the only one. If you have a game that changed your life, post it in the comments section.

I'll pick one random comment next week, and the winner will receive a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It's old, but it still works. I think I have 6 games that I'll also throw in. Good luck!

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