0xcfd26127…37afsent to0xb795c13e…9701·#19,702,563·0x099c35de…dd297c
0xCFd2···37aFI truly believe I grew up during the pinnacle of gaming, anyone who had a Commodore 64 will recall the thrill of the flashing loading screen, the click of the tape deck, and the crackle from budget speakers playing the tinny background music of your favourite games. My favourites were Paper Boy and another where you piloted a spaceship blasting aliens.
I can still picture myself balancing a black and white 12-inch TV on top of a box of crisps, sitting on the floor for hours, completely absorbed in these games. Money was tight back then, and my mum, bless her, often took us to a local town shopping on a Saturday morning. I remember begging her to let me play Ridge Racer at the arcade. I can almost hear the roar of those engines and feel the racing chair vibrating to this day. She would occasionally give in, and those were truly fantastic days. I spent hours trying to master each corner, often spinning off or crashing, but it never deterred me. I was determined to outperform the older kids who seemed like pros.
As I approached my teenage years, I would cycle with friends to the arcade on Saturday mornings to spend my pocket money. I lost at every game, but it didn't matter, I loved the challenge. The sticky, dirty floors and the peculiar old man in the booth will stay with me forever. Little did I know then, those moments would define, drive, and shape me for the rest of my life.