I was exposed to video games at quite an early age, as my neighbor ran a business with 4-button video games. She was very fond of me, so every afternoon I could go over to play for free until my mother called me home at dusk.
Back then, the term “breaking the game” originated from the legendary game Contra. I played it so much that I could easily overcome each level, and those around me could only watch in admiration.
Seeing that, my sister bought me a Nintendo Zapper (Duck Hunt Gun). So I said goodbye to the neighbor and started my journey… hunting ducks. Every time I came home from school, I would rush to my room, turn on the old TV, and start shooting ducks like crazy. But playing the same game over and over got boring, so I began to search for internet gaming shops.
The first game I played with my friends was Left 4 Dead 2. From then on, I started to make more friends instead of just playing games alone at home. What I remember most is the four of us sticking together through each level and dying many times at the final stage of the game.
To avoid becoming a game addict, I often set time limits for myself by bringing just enough money to charge my account for the hours I planned. Back then, internet cafes charged only two thousand per hour, so with just ten thousand, I could play comfortably until evening.
Then the next game I played, which I stuck with the longest, was League of Legends. When I first started, I only knew how to use the character Ashe who wields a bow and arrow, and my classmates even created a “curriculum” to train newcomers like me. I started playing from Season 5 and my rank was Gold 4. It was truly a very high rank for me back then. Through League of Legends, I formed my own team, and we became very close friends.
There were nights when my friends and I would sneak over to each other’s houses to study and play until after ten o’clock at night. No matter if it was rainy, windy, or hot, I always knew where I could meet my friends. Those are the most unforgettable memories. Even now, we still keep in touch and occasionally meet at our old hangout.
Now each of us is in different places; some are busy making money to support their lives, while others are striving to study for a brighter future. But whenever we plan to meet up, no one ever misses out. Although we may be far apart, our school days, painted together through video games, will always remain with us…