Jonebone Mystery Box Holiday Giveaway! - Just Post An Xmas Gaming Story

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

I don't need an entry, but my NES story to share-

We had gotten the Atari 7800 for Christmas a few years before (or maybe the year before; I could have sworn we got it Christmas '87 but maybe it was '88).   I wanted a Nintendo, so I saved the Christmas money I had acquired to go buy one Christmas 1989.  My Dad took me to Toys R Us to go get one, we bought it, got it home, and he hooked it up.

The controllers did nothing, unless you wiggled them in the ports, then they reacted.   Dammit!

My Dad mentioned he could probably fix it with some solder, but since it was new it really should be working out of the box.   He must have noticed my crestfallen look (I figured I would have to wait a few days to make a return trip)  and we actually went back to Toys R Us right then to return it for a new one!    Second one worked fine and I played Mario Bros and Duck Hunt for the rest of the day.

[m308gunner | 352]

Christmas of 20... 06? Let's say 20XX. I asked for and received a Nintendo 64 with Castlevania (forget which one). The day after Christmas I went and picked up a brand spanking new copy of Ocarina of Time. Then a big snowstorm hit. It was almost too perfect. Trapped in the house, no homework, no chores, just gaming. I remember starting to play in the morning when it was really coming down and before I knew it it was dark outside (still snowing). It was one of those marathon gaming sessions you only really get when you are young with no responsibilities and you're a bit dizzy from just staring at the screen for so long... Good times man...

[Rooster | 124]

Through the 90s and 2000s my Uncle owned a game store called the Game Den.  I had just gotten an N64 the previous year, and I really wanted Army Men Sarge's Heroes 2 for Christmas.  I specifically mentioned that game, and was obviously hoping that he would give that game to me, since he always gave me a game I wanted for Christmas. 

So, Christmas Eve rolls around, all the family had come over and it was time to start opening presents.  I remember eagerly awaiting the present from my Uncle but didn't see one under the tree.  They told me he left it out in the laundry room and to go get it.  I go out there, and obviously see a loose N64 cart wrapped in gift wrap.  I bring it back out to the living room, open it up, and......  Saw the second hand copy of Bass Hunter 64 that he got for it.  Obviously I was pretty disappointed.  In hindsight, it was a pretty hilarious joke, but I didn't think so back then. 

 

 

p.s. I do have a shipping address in the US.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Rooster

[Fleck586 | 301]

Christmas of 95 or 96. I asked for a N64 and Ocarina of Time. I got what I asked for, but so did my brother. He got a PlayStation and Abe's Odyssee. We watched the intro to it over and over. It was seriously the coolest thing that we had ever seen in a video game before. I was super jealous. Until I played OoT. I still think that game is Top 5 of all time. LOL!

[zombiemicrowave | 42]

Christmas of 89. All I wanted was Mega Man 2. We had just purchased our NES that summer and only had Mario/Duck Hunt, Mario 2 and LJN's MLB (a favorite of mine because my Dad and I played the hell out of it). We rented games here and there but I was desperate for a new game. After playing MM2, I was instantly smitten; love at first play. I begged and pleaded with my parents for it during the holiday season. Even going as far as to "Smile like the Joker" if they purchased it for me. (Hey. it was 1989. Batman was huge.)

I ended up getting the game and cheered and danced like a goon. As well as Joker smiles all around.

My parents have it all on video and love to show it. Every. Freaking. Christmas. 

[SuperJimtendo | 1,125]

One year my nephew that lived with us and I found the hiding spot. we tore open all the presents and played every game we got that year while my parents were away. We cleverly re-wrapped everything. When Christmas day came around we acted surprised and my dad let us play every game that morning. At the end of the night he commented that it was strange that none of the games had cellophane. We played dumb and that was a mistake. We got a thorough tongue lashing and punished for lying about what we did.  

[jonebone | 1,307]

List updated, looks like 24 entrants so far!

I've enjoyed reading the stories thanks for sharing.  Funny how you never know what memories will stick with you for the rest of your life. 

[8-bit_boice | 46]

I always thought the 8 bit Xmas carts were pretty cool but never ended up buying one. When the multi-cart came out I mentioned it maybe once to my wife about how bad ass they were with the changing label and everything and then didn't think much of it after that. Come Christmas morning, my wife surprised me with the 8 bit Xmas multi-cart and the custom black box for it from NES City. I was pretty pumped.

[drxandy | 3,235]

 I asked my parents for a snes for Christmas 3 years in a row and on the 3rd year my mom admitted to me that she wanted to get it for me but my dad said no. Most likely because he was into Atari in the past and knew it was something that would require more purchases... And we still had Atari stuff. I was crushed as a kid, but ended up getting an nes from my grandma the next year. In the twilight years of snes, i was supremely familiar with nes and had played it at friends houses but now I had my own! I hooked it up to our main tv to show my family and get them to play. it was hilarious to watch my mom and sister laugh at dying over and over with Mario 1.

 

[arnpoly | 198]

Very good stories so far.

The story I'll tell is from Christmas 1996.  As much as I would have wanted an N64, I knew they were too expensive for my family to buy and I don't think I even asked for one, despite having talked so much about how cool they were.  (I ended up getting mine Christmas 1998.)  Getting more SNES games was much more obtainable so that's what I asked for.  I was getting into RPGs at the time and I was especially enamored with EarthBound.  I was able to play it from a rental but it was hard getting anywhere serious in just a few days.  Sometime that fall I was shopping with my mom and I found EarthBound when they were being clearanced for $20.  I brought it over to her and she bought it and held it back for Christmas.  So I already knew I was getting it.  I definitely remember poring over every ounce of coverage of EarthBound in Nintendo Power for weeks leading up until Christmas.

The day finally arrives.  On Christmas day we open presents at home in the morning and then go over to my grandparents' house for lunch and more presents.  I got my EarthBound (thanks Mom!) that morning along with some other games.  I got even more games at my grandparents' house.  I know I got a second-hand CIB copy of Final Fantasy III I was very excited about.  I think in all I ended up with seven SNES games, don't even remember the others.  But there was one more game I know I asked for that I didn't see.  I was pretty sure I asked for it and my mom passed word to my grandma about buying it.  My grandma definitely would have bought it for me, I figured.  I didn't want to seem ungrateful for all the good stuff I already got, but I quietly asked my mom about it anyway.  She thought for a bit and said yeah, I did mention that to her, let me go ask your grandma.  Next thing I know I hear my grandma laughing.  Sure enough she bought that game for me, stuffed it in a drawer, and completely forgot about it.  She handed me a brand new copy of Donkey Kong Country 3.  Chances are I benefited from her forgetting about it.  Even with no N64, that was a very good Christmas and those games kept me occupied for a real long time.

[Gutling | 31]

My mom still has my letter I wrote my dad, he was in the military and deployed at the time telling him about how I got a Nintendo for christmas. I got a nes action set, and blaster master was one of my first games. Absolutely loved it, and still remember playing it to this day. Was such a huge thing for me then.

[TDIRunner | 2,756]

Since I won one of these back in the NA days, I don't want to be included in the drawing, but good on you jonebone for continuing this tradition.  

One of my favorite Christmas memories was getting a PS1 for Christmas.  The PS1 itself wasn't super surprising because my brother and I both figured we would get it along with Crash Bandicoot.  However after opening both the PS1 and Crash, we were surprised to find a second game called Tomb Raider.  I had absolutely no idea what this game was, but my Dad said that somebody at Best Buy recommended it.  Of course I tried it out that same night and was blown away by how amazing the game was.  Still my favorite PS1 game to this day, and I still enjoy playing through it at least once per year, tank controls and all.  

[jonebone | 1,307]

Last bump about 24 hours to get in. Right now each person has roughly a 4% chance of winning!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

Christmas of 1987 was when I got my first NES game besides SMB/Duck Hunt that came with my NES. My mom had just moved into a house after my parents divorced and got me a copy of Excitebike. She knew I wanted it because I played the arcade version all of the time. She was literally in tears because a $30 NES game was all she could afford to get me for Christmas, but I was so happy to be able to play Excitebike at home I thought it was the best Christmas present I could have gotten.

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

I can't remember what games I got for most of my Christmases, but I do have one solid memory (it might have actually been a birthday but let's assume it was Christmas). A bit before the holiday, I went to a friend's house that I had never been to before. Naturally, we played video games and since he had an N64 we played super smash bros. I had never played it before so when Christmas rolled around I put it at the top of my list. 

In hindsight, I should have realized there was a couple of problems with this. First off, I only had a Gamecube at the time as it was our family's first non-portable console (my friend had an older brother). Even if I did realize that I wanted Melee, it was rated T. I was around 7-10 at the time and my mom was very strict with age ratings. But when christmas day game I was excited to find that they had gotten me Super Smash Bros Melee. My parents were smart enough to figure out what I really wanted and my mom decided to relax her rule for at least this game. 

It's funny to hear people's stories of peaking or even playing games early. When I was pretty young my parents told me that they didn't give my oldest sister some presents when they caught her looking early (I think she got them a month later or something), so I never tried to do so for fear of the same happening for me. 

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

Awesome thread. Thanks Jone!

Christmas ‘97. Goldeneye 007. Nothing but pure bliss ripping off that wrapping paper and pushing that cart down into my 64. There’s something special about Christmas morning and video games. That one stands out in particular. 

[Velvet_the_Elf | 18]

N64 Xmas.   

 

Sold out, impossible to get, that was the story i heard.  I knew my dad was a great dad, always determined to get his kids what they asked for but this year it seemed like even he was outmatched.  He sold it, he really did - the scarcity, the lack of supply that "hey bud, we tried but we can only do so much."  Xmas morning, i'd made peace with the fact this year was an outlier.  I opened gift after gift...nothing with a Nintendo 64 semblance at all...fate had been sealed.  oh well. 

 

my dad had found it....and he wanted to drum up the drama....it wasn't under the tree at all.  xmas was over......but wait, there was one more gift he had to go get, must have forgot to put under the tree.......probably something small, no big deal, an oversight...no big deal.  it was addressed to me....and it was sorta if the shape of the N64 box.  he wouldn't do that....he wouldn't wait until now, plus there's no way he could have actually got it...to hard to find....and this is a makeup gift.  appreciate the effort....and....it was the N64!!!!!

 

he got it he nailed he delivered!  and i was the happiest boy ever!  

[Boosted52405 | 178]

Cannot get enough of the N64 love, let's remember this when the N64 is getting beat up

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

7 hours ago, Boosted52405 said:

Cannot get enough of the N64 love, let's remember this when the N64 is getting beat up

I beat Ocarina of Time on Christmas morning. Obviously I had been playing it for a while and it was a coincidence, but I still remember it.

[Katchii | 8]

The only memorable christmas gaming story I have, I remember beating Final Fantasy 7 on xmas eve a way back in 98.  

[oshf | 61]

The Christmas of 98 I got my first console, a Game Boy Color. I played it non-stop and I think the rest of that school year I had more 'sick' days from school than all of the other years combined.

[ZBomber | 54]

One of my best Christmas gaming memories was when the Gamecube was released in 2001. I think it was the first Nintendo system I got around launch, and it was such a huge improvement from the N64. I remember spending my whole Christmas vacation playing Super Smash Bros Melee and Rogue Squadron 2. I knew I was getting the system for Christmas because we preordered it from Toys R Us. Melee released a couple weeks after the Gamecube, and even tho I didn't have the Gamecube until Christmas I asked my mom if I could open up the game just so I could look at the manual. Finally being able to play the game lived up to all my dreams. It's still a game I play frequently to this day, and I think the Gamecube is one of the most underrated systems.

 

Another one for me is using the money I got for Christmas and going to Sears in the mall the next day in 1999 to buy what is now my favorite video game of all time, Ocarina of Time.

[jonebone | 1,307]

Final list of 34 posted, thanks to everyone who shared and entered.  Will do a simple Random.org drawing later on and update the thread.

[jonebone | 1,307]

Congrats to @Fleck586 21 was the winner. PM incoming, happy holidays to all!

[jonebone | 1,307]