I think my closest friend as a child was my game console. My Playstation 2 and I were as close as gum on an old shoe. I cared for it like it was a part of my body, and it took care of my feelings and imaginations with my favourite games. "Till death do us apart" was the vow, until it was actually fulfilled.
PlayStation 2
The first console we had, my brother and I, was actually the PlayStation 1. It was such a memorable time for us, playing with the popular PS1 right in our home. Sadly, we forgot to pack it back when we left a cousin's house, and so we just forgot about it as it was such a long distance to travel again. Soon enough, our parents bought us a PS2 console.
Having a brother to play video games with was just so cool. Although we had different levels of passion and zeal, as well as game favourites, the console brought us close in some ways as we played adventure games together or played against each other in player-versus-player games. Being the older brother, I was usually player one ninety-nine percent of the time.
Mostly, player one had master controls but came in to play when navigating game options and interfaces. We also always had agreements on what to play. It is different with the new games and consoles now, though, as both players have the liberty to navigate.
Again, I was more passionate about gaming than my brother, so I spent more time with it, playing solo games like Bad Boys 2, God Hand, Command Strike Force, and Ben 10, my favourites. I was always in a completely different world and had high concentration on those games while playing. Sleep didn't mean much to me, especially when there were tough levels to pass.
PlayStation 1
I got into trouble a few times, of course. Let's say I became so addicted to my game console and its games that I became way less efficient and effective with my errands. Nothing too serious, though. Mom would just ground me in such times.
We always needed electricity to be able to play the console. Unfortunately, it's not regular or consistent here. And so, whenever the electricy from the grid was returned, I'd dash to my console as fast as I could.
The PS2 controllers, Dual Shock 2, were the last wired controllers Sony made. Ever since—in PS3, PS4, and PS5—the controllers have been wireless. But there was something about having a pad (controller) with wires.
Since the Dual Shock 2 controllers were wired, there was always a limit to how far you could get from the console, defined by the pad's length. What that also meant for us if we ever suddenly dropped or pulled back the pad for whatever reason was that we were risking our console falling and damaging the pads. Rolling the wires of the controller brings back these memories.
Dual Shock 2 controller
Jeez, looking at the Dual Shock 2 controller up close makes me feel nostalgic. The good old days of tapping the buttons and moving the analog joysticks around. Some games sometimes require aggressive pressing of the buttons or moving the analog joysticks. And then I usually try to enter game combinations or cheat codes.
My memory was way sharper then. I could memorise game combinations for different games and deploy them when necessary in those games. Cheat codes, too. Sometimes, a little more could be unleashed, and so I learned a few things from some games on the internet.
I can go on and on and on about my childhood with video games and my PlayStation 2 game console, as well as the sleepless nights I had because of them. But at this point, it's clear that, if I could bring back something from my childhood, it would be my console and the happy times I had with it. I still have one of the Dual Shock 2 controllers, though, so I could keep it as a relic.