It’s kind of interesting that personally I don’t consider Sonic the Hedgehog to be one of my favourite characters from the gaming world and yet the character features heavily in my fondest memories of video games whilst growing up.
There are those who consider gamers to be loners, nerds or outcasts and I’m sure that this ridiculous stereotype is true in the odd case but all of my memories growing up involving video games feature social interaction with my friends. I have strong memories playing Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with a friend, trying to work out its frustrating puzzles on a green screen computer. The game didn’t even have graphics or sound, that’s right, we had to read and use our imagination!! But the point was we did it together.
Jump forward to the rise of home gaming systems such as the NES and the SEGA and the introduction of a blue hedgehog.
I can’t remember perfectly but I believe that we each had Sega systems and would go around to each other’s house for massive gameplay sessions. Of course we were kids and barely had any money, let alone enough for new games but the local video store was progressive and embraced video game rentals nice and early.
When Sonic came out I remember that we were all around at someone’s house and we had the game for 24 hours from the video store. We sat around eating junk food and taking turns playing the game out until we actually finished it. It was extraordinary, we got our money’s worth out of the game and had accomplished something together.
It became a ritual, sometimes we would finish the game and sometimes we’d lose interest or it was too hard. But we always returned for the Sonic the Hedgehog sequels, well the next two games anyway.
Remember too that Sonic the Hedgehog is a one player game! Well we showed them 
I don’t get the ‘loner’ description that gamers get labeled with and maybe it’s changed since I was a kid but we would gather together and plan out our quests and debate tactics and generally enjoy each other’s company. It’s something I honestly treasure as a memory and miss.
I’m really lucky as I have regained some of this today though with the networks that you can connect your gaming systems to, just the other day I played online with two friends as we battled our way through the world of the Transformers on the PS3.
I should probably come clean and point out that last year I picked up a copy of the Sonic collection for the PS2 and eagerly sat ready to make my way through the levels in game one. Unfortunately I think my spinning skills are rusty with age or maybe I relied on my team mates more than I remembered but damned if I could get past level three!!!
I can dominate PS2 era games now… but my mojo for older console fare has gone bye bye.
I think I’ve reached a shallow tipping point where older games don’t have as much appeal to me in actually playing them. I do like reflecting upon them but I’m moving forward with current game playing at the moment.
Of course one of the reasons I got a Wii was for Ocarina of Time!
I just put the Sonic Mega Collection Plus on my list at Goozex so I can play the good Sonic Games… not the ones that came out after the series went 3D.
Ah, the green screen games. Zork ruled. I was eaten by many a grue.
After the Atari, I never had another console or hand-held system, opting for PC games instead. I played at people’s houses from time to time, but never really got good at anything on a console. I kind of feel like I missed out to some degree.
Though I do know exactly what you’re talking about with the social aspects of gaming, even on a one player game (heck that’s what we did with Myst). I don’t think there was anything particularly solitary about 85% of my gaming history.
I loved my Atari.
Though the very poor graphics of Double Dragon required a lot of imagination
I got sick of my PC not being able to compete with current games – I was devastated when Unreal Tournament 3 wouldn’t work as I spent a lot of time on my PC playing UT2004 online.
I’m a huge fan of my PS3 because of the blu-ray and media server capabilities aside from the gaming.
With online multi player type things I suspect that gaming is becoming even more social, although a different type of social I imagine. I never bothered trying as everyone else would just beat me anyway.
The gaming experience that was my other choice for this theme was sitting around playing civilization with a bunch of friends fro 24 hours straight.
Damn, I wish I had the time and ability to do that sort of stuff these days.
I miss Age of Empires and the hours I lost on that and Unreal Tournament 2004 demo which had all of two maps but I played almost daily on it for a while.
I find it really hard to get time for the PS3 lately.
Most of my Sonic memories are from the cartoon I’m afraid, I’ve hardly played any sonic game. The early episodes of the cartoon were enjoyable though