Gaming

I was born into this world in 1952, in deepest, grimmest Liverpool. Television was a rarity, soot covered houses lined grey, cobbled streets, and it was common to find houses shared by two families. It was a far cry from the Liverpool of today, but despite the grime it was a happy, safe place to live.

I did not grow up with television, and the only toys I had was a tin spinning top and a knocked together go-cart which gave me much fun as it rattled and skidded as it went.

It was to be many years before Pong was released to a world that was ignorant of this new form of entertainment, and we devoured it, utterly amazed at being able to play a game on our televisions. It was a simple thing, but it paved the way for the gaming systems that we now covet.

I was hooked by it, engrossed with wonder at how it all worked, and I fell in love with those sliding paddles and bleeping sound effect. It was succeeded by other games that were sold by the millions; the magnificent Asteroids; Space Invaders and countless variants which stoked our appetites and gave added impetus to an as yet infant industry. It wasn't too long before Arcades opened their doors to fanatical fans on the high streets and we poured in to this brave new world with our pockets jangling with change, eager to display our prowess and take on all comers for those coveted high scores.

Over the years I have played on many systems and have many favourite titles that bring a tear to this old man's eye, but for this challenge I must pluck the finest, the games which above all else epitomised what for me, were the pinnacle of my gaming years. So then, here they are in order of importance;-

1. Frontier Elite 2. (PC). Bug filled space exploration and trading game that had a complete star system within it for you to discover. Immense, difficult and magnificent. 5 Star.

2. Super Mario World (Nintendo SNES). The first of the great platform games. Huge, intricate and eternally replay-able. 5 Star.

3. The Legend Of Zelda, Ocarina Of Time (NIntendo N64). Beautiful role playing game that rewards perseverance with great satisfaction, tinged with emotion. 5 Star.

4. The Elder Scrolls Oblivion (Microsoft XBox). Fantasy Role Playing Game that combined hack and slash swordplay with Magic and unrivalled character development. A huge world that was open to the player from the start. This almost hit the number 1 spot due to its incredibly deep character development options and replay ability. 5 Star.

5. Pokemon (All Editions) Nintendo Gameboy Colour and upwards. Role Playing and exploration on a grand scale coupled with fantasy animal collecting and battling. I am happy to report that of all the games I have played, this is the only game I still dive into for some fun. At first appearance it appears to be a child's game, but dig beneath its charming exterior and you'll find a game that deserves to be in every gamers hit list. 5 Stars.

These are my top five titles. Every one is a gem, if you like computer games that is.