The gaming revolution: Memories of youth
The gaming revolution: Memories of youth

The Oklahoman columnist, on Sports Illustrated dice games: "I played season after season of a variety of sports. College Football, which included 32 teams from the 1960-70 era. … Historical baseball, with 96 of the game's greatest all-time players. Golf, with 18 of the most famous holes in America. They were video games, with the video in your mind.”

Former head football coach at the University of Oklahoma: "I spent all my time at the pool hall – shot rotation pool, 9-ball, 8-ball, snooker and then went into the back and played moon, dominos and pitch. … We didn't have nothing in Crossett, Arkansas. Just pinball machines in the bus station and the pool hall.”

Director of University of Oklahoma football operations: "I was growing up a long, long time ago, when we didn't have games. We played stickball, basketball, football. Instead of playing games, we actually did it, played the real thing.”

The Oklahoman columnist, on Duck Hunt: "My brother and I were so into that game that my mom would have to holler at us to move back from the television. We would actually have the gun up against the screen. Anything to avoid that annoying, laughing dog!”

Oklahoma State basketball coach, on SEGA Megavision's PGA Golf: "I liked it because it was realistic and you could pick different courses. It felt like you were in a true game situation.”

Head football coach at Edmond Santa Fe High School, on handheld Mattel Football I and II: "My favorite part was learning a specific pattern. I was one of those sharks because I would just find a pattern I liked and just kill people with it.”

Bishop McGuinness High School basketball player, on Madden NFL ‘94 and WCW vs. NWO: "My favorite part about Madden was the player celebrations. I liked the violence in WCW vs. NWO.”

Oklahoma State basketball player, on NBA Live ‘98: "I liked playing with Jordan. I think it was the last year they kept him in the game.”

The Oklahoman copy editor, on Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball for Super Nintendo: "Easily the funnest game the video game world has ever produced. Ken Griffey Jr. is the only real player in the game, but it is also full of satire, inside jokes and, of course, great baseball. I remember heated games with my older brother that usually consisted of me winning, then me getting beaten up.”

Carl Albert High School running back, on all NHL video games: "I liked the fighting in them.”

The Oklahoman staff writer, on Electric Football: "One of my mom's rules about buying toys was: If you break it you don't get another one. She broke that rule only once, for electric football. … Our original electric football game stopped running, so we would pound on the board to make the players move.”

The Oklahoman staff writer, on Strat-O-Matic baseball: "My favorite sit-down game growing up was Strat-O-Matic Baseball, using dice and individual player cards. We got every major league team for the previous year and would sometimes play entire seasons for that team. My favorite team was the Yankees, because of Mickey Mantle.” (He gave two answers).

The Oklahoman copy editor, on Madden NFL '92: Being raised on the Atari 2600, the graphics were incredible to me. I loved the way you could change the playing conditions; I always played the game in the rain or snow.

The Oklahoman staff writer, on Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots: "I loved those things. My parents wouldn't let me and my brother wrestle in the house, and we couldn't stand each other, so we took out our pent-up aggression on each other's robots instead.”

Compiled By Mike Jeffries, Dontay Allen

and Jason Singer

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