Nostalgia - The Playstation Generation

Imagine: having a generation of children named after a game console. It may be a stretch to believe that an entire western generation relates mostly to video games above all else, and maybe it doesn't say much about our worth in society, but its a very real title nonetheless. In 1994, Sony released (in Japan; it was released in 1995 in Europe) the console that caused such a stir for members of my generation: the Playstation. This 32-bit console is today hopelessly out of date, looked upon patronisingly by its grandson the Playstation 3, but inside that cold grey exterior lie the memories of delight, frustration and hours upon hours of time well spent.

The Playstation was home to some incredible feats of gaming design, and I must first mention the one game that not only has a descendant pending release for the PS3, but holds the record for the most units shipped ever for the Playstation (nearly 11 million). Of course, I refer to that titanic racing game, Gran Turismo. I remember going head to head with family, with friends, with anyone who would challenge me in a Nissan Skyline GT-R on 'High Speed Ring'. When I grew tired of Gran Turismo, the Playstation was there to gently open its lid and entice me to change games for just a little more gaming each time. Other games of note in my experience include Hercules (in particular I have memories of the level in the forest with hordes of hostile Centaurs), Rollcage (there is something strangely alluring about those turbo boost arrows) and last but certainly not least The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (his character design and that lethal spear captured my imagination on many occasions).

So there you have it; my first independent experience with gaming. Puzzling out levels with my brother and reaching that feeling of euphoria after finally slaying a particularly annoying boss... These experiences are rather unique to consoles, and more so the younger you are. The age of innocence occurs prior to age 10, and I was lucky enough to be enchanted at this age by the Playstation. They say that nostalgia occurs due to a dimming of bad memories; maybe so. But I think my nostalgia for the Playstation occurs because in short, this console started a legacy, and will remain with me for the rest of my life.