I guess I have always been a gamer. I really can't remember a time when I was without a game system. My parents used to rent the old NES and stay up late playing games, long before I started in on games. I guess I have my parents to thank for that.
I can remember them telling me that they stayed up one night playing Legend of Zelda. They were far, they had gone through 4 of the 9 dungeons and were prepared to traverse the Lost Woods. They were just exploring. Well, they finally got through the Lost Woods (this was before Nintendo Power, or GameFaqs, they did this all on their own), then lightning struck, and they lost all their unsaved data. This happens to people all the time. Power failures are a gamers worst nightmare.
I got an NES in the United States shortly afterwards. It was fun. I didn't really have that many games. I spent my allowance on renting games. I ended up buying The Legend of Zelda from a rental place. I didn't finish it for a long time. I didn't know video games much back then, plus, I was young. If a box cover looked good, I bought the game. Or, I asked for the game. I didn't have any money back then. But, the biggest thing to happen to me (and I am certain many others) was subscribing to Nintendo Power, and getting Dragon Warrior for free! It was great. This game was hyped up so much everyone had to play it. I was wrapped up in it. I mean, it was good and all, but It was hard for a 9 year old. I didn't get very far. I just played it, explored, gathered experience and such. My most vivid and fond memory of playing Dragon Warrior was back in the early days, shortly after the game arrived. My parents had foolishly hooked up a tv for me to play NES on. I was trying to get to Kol for the first time. I remember it being so hard. I walked into the town near death. I was such a small thing in the game, but for me it was a huge accomplishment.
My uncle got his own NES shortly afterwards and had his own games. He knew games better than me, and knew which games to get. He owned Ninja Gaiden II, and Final Fantasy. I borrowed them both, but Final Fantasy stayed with me for a long time. When he finished it, he gave it to me. It is harder than Dragon Warrior, but had so much more than Dragon Warrior. A group of four characters, each one having a different job. The combat had a touch of strategy. The music was better, and so was the graphics. Final Fantasy was just a better game. I loved it.
Video Games were not so big in my life though. I didn't rescue the Princess in Dragon Warrior until years later. I didn't get through Marsh Cave in Final Fantasy until around the same time. But, everything was about to change. 1991: enter the SNES. Some say SEGA's Genesis system was better, but I disagree. Why? I have a few reasons: Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. Granted, SEGA had some good games too. But nothing can beat the good ol' RPGs of the SNES.
Final Fantasy never really became big for me until Final Fantasy VI, which at that time was called Final Fantasy III. But, it wasn't long before I was wrapped up in the story and loving the characters. I still think Edgar is the greatest. From then on, it was all games, all the time. In Nintendo Power, around thesame time as Final Fantasy VI came out, there was a small game called Chrono Trigger. Well, I asked for it for christmas, and got it. Then I played it, and oh my. I may have been hooked before, but no game has changed my life as Chrono Trigger. For some reason that game has had a profound influence on my life. It was such a well designed game, better than any I have ever played. And, to this day, I still think Chrono Trigger is one of the best games ever made.
The story doesn' end there. My friends were talking about Secret of Mana, which I quickly got into. That game was a beautiful game to say the least. I wasn't Final Fantasy, no Chrono Trigger. It wasn't a very 'deep' game in terms of story (in comparison to those two anyway) but it was a damn well made game. The art alone made it a pleasure to play. The music remains some of the best video game music ever. This is what I call the Golden Age of Video Games. Squaresoft on Super Nintendo.

Good old times, they were.