What's the first simulation game you ever played?

October 27th, 2011

The year was 1991. Van Halen had just released their chain-saw sounding For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album. And it was the first time I played a simulation game, which would go on to become one of the PC's most popular genres.

The game: SimCity. 

It was a sun-splashed Saturday. I remember it fondly. With Van Halen blasting in the background, my buddy asked if I wanted to play a new game his father had purchased. 

"You don't even have to ask," I imagine saying. 

We approached a "rig" with Windows 3.0 installed — also a first for me as I was still running DOS at the time — and he clicked the SimCity icon. 

A full afternoon later, I was hooked. "Really, you can build a city and then Godzilla can wreck it?" I asked. 

Yup. Although you didn't really want Godzilla to mess up your "Farmville," I always secretly enjoyed it. And returned often to my friend's house over the next year to get my SimCity fix. 

That's my story. What's your first encounter with simulation games? Do tell.

P.S.—In addition to FPS cherry pops (below) and the above simulation retelling, I'm soliciting first encounters with strategy (turn based and real time) and RPGs (both traditional and action) from you, the readers. Email blake@alienwarearena.com with your story if interested. 

See also:

Comments

Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 
first comment!!!! my first was some sim game i cant remember which

"To die for the Emperor is better than to live for yourself" -

1
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 2
194 ARP
94/150, 56 ARP to go
94/150, 56 ARP to go
Sim City

GOD is a Superstition.

2
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 3
369 ARP
119/250, 131 ARP to go
119/250, 131 ARP to go
Ugh, Hagar VH. Not that great.

Wow, I can't really remember vividly what my first simulation game was. I actually never played Sims in my life. It just wasn't a game I wanted to try.
___________________________________________________
Image

New forums... Any Time Soon™

3
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
8412 ARP
6912/2147482148, 2147475236 ARP to go
6912/2147482148, 2147475236 ARP to go
M.U.L.E.
on a Commodore 64.

My boyfriend gave me an ultimatum, gaming...or him. I wonder what he's up to these days...

4
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 3
313 ARP
63/250, 187 ARP to go
63/250, 187 ARP to go
Roller Coaster Tycoon

Add Me on LOL Koch1987

5
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 4
513 ARP
13/250, 237 ARP to go
13/250, 237 ARP to go
SIm City Sim Farm Sim Hotel XD

6
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
29 ARP
28/99, 71 ARP to go
28/99, 71 ARP to go
I can't remember exactly which one I played first, think it might of been roller coaster tycoon.

7
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
1644 ARP
144/2147482148, 2147482004 ARP to go
144/2147482148, 2147482004 ARP to go
i think my first game was the sim holiday XD

8
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
11 ARP
10/99, 89 ARP to go
10/99, 89 ARP to go
Sim City and it was one of the best.

9
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
2520 ARP
1020/2147482148, 2147481128 ARP to go
1020/2147482148, 2147481128 ARP to go
I think mine was Sim City 3 xD I didn't understand shit in that game and I just wasted $22 bucks on a dumb game that looks like the pic above.

_____________________________________________________________
Image

It takes 47 muscles to frown,and 17 to smile.. It only takes 3 to end a life.. One shot, one kill.

10
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
3741 ARP
2241/2147482148, 2147479907 ARP to go
2241/2147482148, 2147479907 ARP to go
Sim City of course :)

11
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 2
138 ARP
38/150, 112 ARP to go
38/150, 112 ARP to go
For city building sim it was Caeser's 3 for sure. If where counting all simulations then it would probably be Star Wars TIE Fighter.

12
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 6
1248 ARP
248/500, 252 ARP to go
248/500, 252 ARP to go
Simcity 2000, for the SEGA Saturn.

Hmmm...

13
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 2
146 ARP
46/150, 104 ARP to go
46/150, 104 ARP to go
Sim City - it was teh hotness

~The fullness of win.

14
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 4
599 ARP
99/250, 151 ARP to go
99/250, 151 ARP to go
I believe it was either The Sims or Zoo Tycoon.

Eliminate the threat.

15
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 3
424 ARP
174/250, 76 ARP to go
174/250, 76 ARP to go
Hard to remember, but probably Sim City.

16
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
1842 ARP
342/2147482148, 2147481806 ARP to go
342/2147482148, 2147481806 ARP to go
Sim Theme park for the playstation :D

17
Posted Thursday, October 27th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
87 ARP
86/99, 13 ARP to go
86/99, 13 ARP to go
First sim was probably SimCity.

But more came to follow:
Free Enterprise
Multiple Sim games

"He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.

18
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 5
821 ARP
71/250, 179 ARP to go
71/250, 179 ARP to go
My favorite SimCity package would have to be SimCity Streets, where you could build the town and then drive through it.

"He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.

19
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 5
821 ARP
71/250, 179 ARP to go
71/250, 179 ARP to go
I think the first game like that was like SimCity, but I think it was called SimTown instead (either that or the cities were much, much smaller... you couldn't make a building taller than three stories...) But I loved that game! Shame I can't find the disc.

"A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

20
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
5072 ARP
3572/2147482148, 2147478576 ARP to go
3572/2147482148, 2147478576 ARP to go
I doubt it could called a simulation game, but I remember simant was the first of the sim series, but the first simulation game was simcity.

The first combat simulator I played in earnest was IL2, mainly because it was fun to start up different types of waves and have these great dogfights.

21
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
43 ARP
42/99, 57 ARP to go
42/99, 57 ARP to go
sims

If violent videos games taught me how to read.Would educational video games teach me how to destroy.

22
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 6
1195 ARP
195/500, 305 ARP to go
195/500, 305 ARP to go
ZOO Tycoon :D

my time has come.

23
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 7
6103 ARP
4603/2147482148, 2147477545 ARP to go
4603/2147482148, 2147477545 ARP to go
Civilization followed by Sim Ant and then Sim City

Laughing with the sinners.

24
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
12 ARP
11/99, 88 ARP to go
11/99, 88 ARP to go
hmm that would be sims castaway

25
Posted Friday, October 28th, 2011    Quote This Post
Level 1
53 ARP
52/99, 47 ARP to go
52/99, 47 ARP to go
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 

Add Your Comment

You are not logged in. To leave a message you must Login First.