I wasn't introduced to the gaming world until my junior high school years. Up until that point I had always had to go to a friend's house to play the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. My parents thought that if I began to play games all the time, I would do poorly in school (you know, that old chestnut). Ironically enough I graduated from high school with expertise and from college as Cum Laude, so there went that train of thought.

My first gaming system ever was the Nintendo Gameboy Color, which to me was better than nothing. It was lime green, and I played the Pokémon games for hours on that thing, until one day I dropped a bat on the screen and could only use half the screen for game play. Freshman year I received my Nintendo GameCube for Christmas, and I had many a good time playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl. About halfway through high school I got my first Xbox, but thankfully it did not come with a "hamburger" controller; I mean I have large hands, but not banana hands. It wasn't until senior year of high school that I entered the current generation of console gaming with my purchase of the 2^nd generation Xbox 360 (Red Ring of Death need not apply).

My tastes in games have remained consistent over the years, favoring games with a good story, interesting characters, and varied game play. RPG's like Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Mass Effect are a mainstay in my game library, even if I have my gripes about the direction some are taking these days by removing more "role playing" aspects and replacing them with action elements. As such, my favorite developers for RPG's remain Bethesda and Bio Ware. Knights of the Old Republic was my first introduction into the genre and I haven’t looked back since.

I am also a fan of Action-Adventure games that take you on a wild journey with the main character, such as the Assassin's Creed series and Batman: Arkham Asylum (and City). These types of games often tickle my exploration and "I can do anything because I'm such a bad ass" fancies; I also find myself in desperate need to find every last collectible, if only for more experience points to level up. "What do you mean I don't have the right gadget yet to get that trophy? It's right there…I can see it…" has been my thoughts many a time with such pursuits.

Lastly, I add in my love/hate genres: 1^st and 3^rd Person shooters. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many solid ones out there that I love, but I personally believe that some multiplayer modes has soured the genres for me a bit. I say this not because of the games themselves, but the shenanigans of individuals who feel the need to spoil everyone else's fun online. Just type in the words "angry gamer" into YouTube, and that's all the evidence you need to know what I mean. As for my favorites among 1^st Person shooters, I have grown to appreciate games that have done something different and interesting for the genre, such as BioShock, the recent Deus Ex games, Valve games, and Crytek games. I especially loved Borderlands, and cannot wait for the sequel. As for 3^rd Person shooters, I find games like the Gears of War series, most Rockstar games, and the survival horror giants (Resident Evil and Dead Space) to be among my favorites.

Well there you have it folks: my little history of gaming. It may only span several years, but it has been enough to see the value of developers who persist to change the status quo of their respective genres, whether with new graphics or compelling game play. If you ever want to chat or swap stories, my profile name on Pwned.com is PhoenixFusion. I will be trying to get a blog and Twitter account going soon, so look for that. I look forward to contributing more to the site, and any feedback you can provide. After all, I do it for you good folks who support an ever-growing and ever-changing industry, and for our mutual love for the gaming medium. Alrighty kids, enough reading: go get your game on!

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