How did we AFFORD so many video games? - My Retro Life

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

Your dad was so ahead of the curve. We are all appreciative of the epic nostalgia he caught on camera. Our generation was lucky.

[@SubieandFriends]

Holding a Marketing director position in the 90s was usually a very high paying position back then…..so forgive me for saying but your family was pretty darn well off….as a kid my cheap ass horrible parents only bought me 2 n64 games….for my whole kid life….actually for my entire life….that’s right only two games….but in reality it’s not about how much money your parents spent on you and on your gaming hobby but the fact that they genuinely wanted to see you super happy and they wanted you to experience such cool entertainment experiences that other kids were experiencing and especially what other kids were maybe not able to experience due to money issues……my parents would only give me like a shirt on Christmas and that’s it….I was always the kid who never had anything special on Christmas while everyone else got something so cool to play with…..

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

@@SubieandFriends All you can do is try and be better too your own kids

[@arthurfleck4320]

​@@SubieandFriendsdepends on WHERE you were a marketing director. He was a marketing director of a small business, which is nowhere near as high-paying as a marketing director of...say, Sears (at the time).

[@theycallmejpj]

No lie, you had more games in one Xmas than I did in my entire childhood

[@DDavEE]

I was about to say the exact same thing lol

[@j2323j]

Fax

[@gavinr9107]

I remember in the early 90's I sold my SNES to purchase a Sega Mega Drive. I only had Street Fighter 2, Darius twin (?) and Super Mario All Stars on the SNES. One of my sole reasons to purchase the Sega Mega Drive was just to get blood on Mortal Kombat. This was before Mortal Kombat 2 came out. Then the SNES had Donkey Kong Country, Killer Instinct and a few others come out. However I didn't regret as the Sega also had some good exclusives I enjoyed and I was far too young to be able to afford both.

[@Canthatcrazy]

10000%

[@claytonjones8358]

About two or three of mine..we were middle class and I had to buy all mine. Except for my birthday as a kid. Nintendo games were $50 at Toys R US...and a NeoGeo I remember was like $650-700

[@BF109G4]

I’m from Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 I’m a 90’s kid. My dad wasn’t educated but he was a legend. He loved buying me video games when I was young and he enjoyed watching me playing. My mom used to hide my video games when exams knock the doors and she would never give them back until my school report tells her good news. They are around 70 now. I love them both so much.

[@pooksthepossum]

I cried at the end when you thanked him. I lost my dad in September of 2021 to cancer. He was a Marine Vietnam veteran, and worked his whole life afterwards on the line for GM. He would come home oil stained and ran ragged! Looking back at my own Christmases and birthdays, and seeing my 90s nostalgia everywhere... Every toy and every video game holds an image in my mind of him, his hard work, and his absolute love for his children staring back at me. That man went through hell his whole life so we didn't have to. Semper Fi and rest in peace, Dad.

[@deadshotninja4852]

Im so sorry. I don’t want to brag here but i still have my father

[@antikz3731]

@@deadshotninja4852 thats fucking unnecessary

[@jaxson3887]

Very similar story with my dad

[@jakep8484]

My dad was a Vietnam vet and passed away from cancer in 2019, I have a daughter now that he didn't get to meet but I'm going to play the same snes games I played with my dad. Found the same crt tv we had when I was a kid and I'm fixing it up to play games on it with my daughter.

[@jesspace4069]

RIP good fathers

[@chrisbee1984]

Yes, you were the kid who had every game - we all knew one growing up and would say 'gee they are lucky', although thinking about it now, you weren't lucky because of the games, you were lucky because you had a great family, a great mom and a great Dad. Now that is really what makes someone rich. I think it is great.

[@RighteousnessWillPrevail]

He was rich because of the games too because the characters in the games can be loved too.

[@Canthatcrazy]

Your dad was ahead of his time!! If he was our generation he'd 100% have been a streamer/collector ❤

[@markb7040]

Upper Upper Middle for sure, not a bad thing but no need to downplay it. Your folks worked hard and achieved top spots so give them their due credit

[@laksoysoy]

remember he's the only child.

[@LukeEganLyrics]

I take your point, but people have no idea how rich the US middle class was in the '90s.

[@lizardman7364]

No dawg, in the 1990s the middle class in America was incredibly well off. Not at all like today.

[@ninjapirate83]

I'm 39. Same story. My Mom was a manager at McDonalds and my Dad was a Welder. I had a TON of games. You gotta be thrifty, there's always a way. Got a ton of used games, from garage sales, swap meets, presents. I would probably get maybe 1 or 2 brand new games a year but always looking for deals and bargains for older games.

[@ShinobiWan1]

I think the two best things about your home video footage, is the excitement from your parents when they give you something, and your genuine reaction of joy in receiving them. They loved you very much, and it shows. Thank you for sharing

[@5dollarshake263]

Your father is such a legend for capturing this all on tape and you are a legend for taking that footage and editing it and creating one of the greatest youtube channels of all time. The amount of nostalgia and emotion your videos give me is immeasurable.

[@Scuba_Bro]

It’s really nice that your carrying the tradition and love of video games to your daughter! Saw it in one of your other videos where she got splatoon 3. She seems like a really sweet kid and really enjoys the gaming experience like you did. I think your dad would be super proud 👍

[@33Dannyb]

My dad would let me rent a game every single weekend without fail. So if I really liked a game I’d rent it multiple weekends. And if I really liked the game I’d ask for it for my birthday or Christmas. I lived for the rental lol. It wasn’t until I became a teen that I started to figure out ways to actually buy more games for myself. My dad had a lot of patience.

[@ivan95glz]

Man it's not even about all the video games you receivedas as a kid , I find more amazing and heart warming that you have so many videos of a time when you were a kid and your parents were Young this is the best nostalgia you can ever ask for. Thanks for the content, my friend.

[@kuramakun84]

This is by far one of the best Gaming channels on KZbin. Your experience are similar to most of us growing up albeit some experienced it slightly different some grew up with no father or mother. Or where slightly less fortunate but all in all we all grew up with video games that we all remember and love. You are incredibly lucky to have had a awesome dad who recorded these amazing moments.

[@TechFanChris516]

This was a great way to honor all your family, and especially your parents, for making your childhood special for you and your cousins. You were so lucky to have a family who loved video games as much as you. I didn’t have as many games growing up but I did have an amazing family who did all they could do to get me what I had. I always loved seeing how much you appreciate your family in your videos.

[@ricardosousa11]

Just discovered this channel, such an amazing nostalgic feeling, you're so blessed your father registered all this, really really special watching this.

[@orangeTadpole]

“Enough to make a grown man cry” is a pretty good description of this heartwarming channel.

[@sammylane21]

I got all misty eyed when you gave thanks to your loving parents. My Retro Lide, good man, you were and are rich in the way that matters most, and that is you had and have a loving family that loved enough to give a magical XMas. Remember, Thrifty means being smart with your resources and that's a good piece of advice to give to your kids.

[@clleo888]

Rich or not is not important at all, I felt every bit of love from your mom and dad!

[@NoThanksnothanks]

40 bucks in 1989 = $95 today. I remember saving everything to buy a game. The sucky part was, my parents were so poor Nintendo Power was off the table. We never knew what was good or bad, this is before the internet. A lot of times I bought on box artwork. Didn’t matter though it was a new game and I played the hell out of crappy ones.

[@TheGoldwingz]

Im addicted to this channel, its so dear to me and this is my probably my favorite video of them all, it's so heartfelt and beautiful. Thanks parents everywhere for providing for us and sacrificing for our happiness 😊 and thanks Tyler for sharing such a beautiful archive of valuable priceless moments with us!!

[@ZefTillDeath8878]

You're literally living a life of Richie Rich as a kid. The family may have been upper middle class, but you had it good being the only child. I've never known any kid in my life that had this much stuff. Anyway, love your videos and thanks for sharing.

[@jimmypeeps8471]

I wasn't upper middle class, I had two brothers and I had that much stuff. My parents would go all out on Christmas and even a decently "expensive" birthday gift every year, like a new game if I wanted.

[@PatrickRockwell24]

@ZefTillDeath8878 The one kid in my neighborhood who was an only child who got spoiled, even he didn't have that much gaming equipment and his Christmas and Birthday presents used to fill up the entire living room and spill INTO THE KITCHEN. lmao His Birthday was right after Christmas.

[@imyanigmw]

Thanks for sharing these memories. I remember my brother and I having some pretty amazing Christmas times too. As a parent now, you can honestly say it's all worth it if you have a grateful child.

[@lordhoweproductions3733]

Tyler…you’re channel is incredible. I have such a great time watching and reminiscing on your videos. There was no time like the 90’s to grow up in, wouldn’t change my childhood for the world. Keep doing what you’re doing brotha!!

[@jc4446]

Definitely got the family involved . Man the most games I received during Christmas was 3 one Christmas , RE code Veronica , shenmue and rainbow six all for Dreamcast . Two games became the standard each Christmas which was still pretty awesome 👏

[@truthByFire]

Touching. Sorry your dad isn't there with you anymore. Seems like quite a guy who put a ton of joy and light in your lives.

[@xemplays2299]

You made me realize how much my parents went above and beyond for me and my gaming hobby. I had a similar childhood before my mother became ill, and even then they still provided a ton despite all of that going on. I want to thank you for sharing your experience and all the personal footage, as it gave me a huge nostalgia trip myself. I’ve subscribed to your channel and cannot wait to see more!

[@lancelance7918]

The average household income in 1994 was $34,000. To most of America you were rich. Not like owning a yacht rich, but like taking at least a couple of trips out of town a year rich. Most people I knew never left the state much less had video game collections. (Texas) haveing 4-5 games in the late 90s was a lot. We all had to trade in and rent games. Ask your mom how much you and your dad made in 1994 and I'm betting you would be in the top 10% of American households. Or in debt possibly ... Also love the content and appreciate the sharing of the home movies. Very cool. Edit : here's from the conversation below, if you dissagree with me thats fine. Were basing this off of our definition of rich, you may have a different view since rich is a social construct with many different viewpoints kind of like who consideres what to be "cool".: "his dad was a marketing director. That's an executive. "How much does a Marketing Director make in Houston, TX? The average Marketing Director salary in Houston, TX is $185,129 as of May 01, 2023, but the range typically falls between $165,150 and $209,254." -salary com- That's top 5% from his dad alone. That's "rich" to me"

[@MrGittz]

I think you’re overstating things a bit here. He was an only child, both parents worked and he had family. My parents were by no means rich, not even close, but they saved up all year to make Christmas and birthdays really special. If you looked at the presents under our tree every Christmas you’d think “Wow. They must be rich”. But nope. I just had parents who wanted to make my childhood special and who went without so their kids could look back at all of it with fondness & love.

[@lancelance7918]

@GuyX 1 did you live in one of the richest suburbs in Texas and have a parent who was at an executive level at a local TV station? I'm not saying he was rich because he got a few nice games for Xmas. I have a feeling you were ok off as well since you didn't notice the house and the neighborhood and all the other little things. When you come from below the average wealth in America you would call that a rich life. I don't think I'm overstating it, I think maybe you haven't been average poor or lived it. It really is hard to see if you haven't been there and I get that. We really do keep up segregation of class in this country.

[@MrGittz]

@@lancelance7918 Wait. Whose parent was an executive at a TV station? He said his dad worked in marketing/PR for a local home theatre company & his mom was involved in sales? And no I didn’t live in Texas. And yes I do have experience living in poverty, my parents just knew how to manage what little they had. We never went to Disneyland or major vacations. They budgeted their money so they could take us to the movies or McDonald’s every so often and the only time we got new things was Christmas or birthdays. Maybe a surprise here or there. But 300-400 dollars for Christmas isn’t extravagant by any means. Middle class isn’t rich. I grew up during this time I knew poorer kids than me with video game collections bigger than mine. So it all depends on what kind of parents you have. Do they spend their money on themselves? Do they live within their means? I don’t think Tyler’s family was rich. They were well off but not rich. Rich implies luxury & BMW’s or Mercedes. Nothing I’ve seen from these videos gives me that impression. He had more video games than normal and I wish my family had a video camera to record our christmases and bdays. He’s very lucky that way.

[@lancelance7918]

@GuyX 1 my comment didn't post so sorry if I post twice. his dad was a marketing director. That's an executive. "How much does a Marketing Director make in Houston, TX? The average Marketing Director salary in Houston, TX is $185,129 as of May 01, 2023, but the range typically falls between $165,150 and $209,254." -salary com- That's top 5% from his dad alone. That's "rich" to me and most Americans. Not like rich rich but BMW and MB rich for sure.

[@KadzietWolf]

@@MrGittz My parents growing up didn't have a lot of money. We barely ever got new things. Barely every went shopping. But birthdays and christmas? Gifts up the ass. And those were the only days. Doesn't mean you were rich.

[@UXHeWrote]

These videos are so lovely. Each one makes me cry. We're roughly the same age, so we share a lot of similar gaming memories. The first gaming system I had was a Commodore 64. No one had a Commodore when I was a kid. It was ancient tech by that point. Released in 1982. I remember having it in the 90s. But because of that, my mum was able to get me a ton of games. I remember having drawers full of Commodore 64 games. Spoilt for choice on what to play. The neighbour's kids had an NES but I never felt left out with a C64. Later my dad bought me my SNES, my Gameboy and my N64. And I'm sure none of those were cheap at the time. I didn't have a ton of games but I had enough. I never knew my parents weren't rich. My dad told me later in life they were living paycheck to paycheck. Literally paying bills using cheques so that they wouldn't be cashed for another 7 days until he'd been paid again. I think people without kids forget what parents sacrifice just to give their kids everything possible.

[@perryplays35]

dont feel bad for having a great family.. we dont hate you we appreciate you

[@justafanofnerdculture7602]

I just discovered and subscribed to this awesome channel today. I'm a huge gamer myself, particularly of games from the late '70s/'90s. I love the fact that you and family have so much love for each other, as it's so obvious watching these videos and hearing your stories. Your dad, in particular, seemed to be the coolest guy on the planet. The cool dad that every kid wanted to be their dad. I lost my dad on 02/01/09 but, unfortunately, we never had a good relationship. Long story short, he was the exact opposite of your dad. When I was a kid, my way of escaping was Sci Fi, fantasy, horror, action figures, wrestling and, of course, video games. My wife and I are currently going through a separation that will eventually lead to a divorce. Watching your videos today are somehow helping me be more optimistic for the future. I can't explain it, but these videos have been very, very therapeutic for me. It's even inspired me to play some games again, which is something that I haven't done in quite some time. Thank you for sharing your gaming memories with us and thanks to your dad for all of the awesome footage. May your dad continue to fly easy, Sir.

[@tetsuoakira8294]

Your videos are actually taking me back and unlocking core memories of MY OWN, that I had forgotten about...so at the expense of sounding cheesy, that is the real metric of wealth in all this. That you have these memories recorded and that because your Dad made the simple decision to record those moments, it has affected so many others in a positive way.

[@airgreek]

Man it is so hard watching some of these videos so emotional

[@Abandoned2377]

What i love about this is how the entire family supported it and it was bond between father and son. Its rare to see especially at that time a family fully support their kids hobbies especially if its gaming.

[@Slothretro]

I grew up in the 90s as a motel kid. Now that I'm an adult I'm buying all the things I missed out on! You guys weren't rich y'all just had people that hooked you up 😊

[@spencermarugg4098]

dude your family was very well off. But there’s no shame in that. As long as you are good people than I am happy for your prosperity!

[@tysonk-t2130]

I love the woman smoking in the same room as the children at 0:43 😂😂. I look at old pictures from when my cousins and I were kids in the 80’s and 90’s and all the adults have cigarettes right by our faces. There is a picture of me blowing out candles on my 7th birthday cake and there is a full ash tray right beside the cake. 😂😂

[@PatrickRockwell24]

Yeah, both my parents were smokers until about 2005ish. It seemed like everybody smoked in the late 80s and early 90s. I used to hate smelling those cigarettes while in the car. smh

[@hisham_hm]

4:40 At this point it's clear that his parents got into the hobby of hunting and collecting games (which is a hobby in itself even if you don't play them yourself!), and he was the lucky kid who got along for the ride

[@htv31]

Watching all your videos gives me so many memories growing up

[@TheKamotechunks]

This video made me cry, i remember my late dad who always provide for us and bought things beyond their budget. 😢

[@carpediem1300]

I just discovered your channel, also from Houston. I simply love your videos, thank you for the nostalgia and sharing your childhood with us 😢❤

[@joes9545]

I think it’s crazy that the price of video games and consoles have remained largely unchanged since literally the 70’s/80’s despite inflation.

[@nunyabusiness9013]

Really? Microtransactions and season passes say hi. Don't remember it even being possible to spend thousands on a single game back then.

[@joes9545]

@@nunyabusiness9013I don’t believe I have ever fallen into that trap with the exception of expansion packs. But I get your point.

[@nunyabusiness9013]

Trust me, game devs are making thousands of times more profit than they did in the 80's. Also I remember new NES games being 50 bucks at Toys R US (with a few exceptions that were 60). Now the base price for a new game is 70.

[@joes9545]

@@nunyabusiness9013I was never talking about profitability simply system and game prices. Plus using your example, $50 in 1990 is approximately $115 today adjusted for inflation.

[@GarseJanacek]

They couldn't justify raising the prices when the dollar is worth 2.5 times less than it was 30 years ago.

[@notthistime51]

Im 32 now, never took many photos of my family, it was harder to back then. Without videos and pictures, sometimes its hard for me to remember them. But When I watch your videos I remember. Thank you.

[@PaulHindt]

It's wild that your dad was picking up Japanese import consoles and games back then. That was the kind of thing I'd only dream about as a kid, reading about such things in the pages of Nintendo Power. I didn't own an import game myself until I had my own job and after eBay had appeared on the scene. I started picking up a couple titles here and there in the early 2000s.

[@alexelectricx]

My family also bought a ton of video games. With 3 young boys we owned NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Gameboy, Sega CD each with 30+ titles over the years.

[@jimmypeeps8471]

That's what people don't seem to understand, is that the economy was BOOMING back then. If you couldn't afford these things or thought someone was rich for having them, you just didn't realize HOW POOR your family really was then. Or your parents maybe had drinking problems, didn't buy them as much stuff because they were too deep in addiction to have the extra money or didn't care enough to buy them for their kids.

[@AP101083]

As I said before you are my reflection: We both had a great Father and Mother and childhood We both lost our father (me 15 years ago) My father just collected like you with me also all these special Games besides the common ones (import Saturn, DC, Neo GEO, PC ENGINE, Master System etc) When i watch your video's it's like seeing myself again when i was a child. Really nice you have shared all of this.

[@teachermatt]

I used to get 1 or 2 games for Christmas and on the years with big releases of new systems I would get the system and 1 game. My neighbor and his brother would get more than a dozen games and sometimes a system or multiple systems at Christmas. His parents never even wrapped the games - they were just in a trash bag with any other game stuff he bought for them. His dad was a doctor and flush with cash, so it was no surprise. It was great for me also because I got to play a ton of games and systems I never had myself.

[@carl5381]

we didn't even have a NES until you were on the later years of SNES/Genesis and totaled four or five games. Dude, your parents may not have been rich but they were living very comfortably to have the disposable income to drop that kind of money for entertainment. Even still, I'm glad you got to experience the childhood some of us always wanted up until a certain point. It's beautiful. Be thankful for those times because those are times some of us have never experienced and will never get back in this life. Create your own and don't forget.

[@StephanieJackson100]

It's so awesome your parents were not just supportive of your gaming, but we're avid gamers themselves. My parents thought it was a waste of time and money. I didn't really get to have my own game collection until I was a teenager and got a weekend job. I'm 44 now and still love the retro stuff. Of course now everything I play is on my PC emulators to save money.

[@nostalgiajunkieakaetherethi677]

Loving all ur content I've been following the past few years and it never disappoints to either inform me of something I didn't know about or scratch that nostalgic itch 💪

[@drewalexandervideography]

Love it! I can see that your father had a passion for documenting family moments and had an incredible eye for shooting quality video utilizing the consumer gear of the time. I can only imagine what he would have been able to capture with the newer cameras today. This video reminds me of how my family fueled the gaming habit for my 3 brothers and I growing up in the 90s. Albeit we didn’t have near the collection of games that your father documented, we did own quite a few per console (NES, Sega Genesis, PS1, N64) during that time. Not to mention the numerous DOS and later Windows games we played on the PC (386, 486, P1, P2, P3) during the 90s as well. We still scratch our heads at times of how our parents and family managed to buy us so many games during those years. We were an average middle class family with a modest means of income with my dad being a pastor and my mom being a stay at home mom that picked up extra side jobs when she had time.

[@IxQuit]

Man, I'm not gonna lie, I got a little teary eyed when you started talking about your mom and how she spent her bonus money to give you an amazing Christmas in '94. I'm not an only child, but I was the youngest by 9 years, so my 2 older siblings always talked down about how I got more than they did when they were my age. I was spoiled, not gonna act like I wasn't, but when they were younger my mom was still climbing her way up the ladder, and by the time I came along she was in a much much better place financially. So yeah, anyway it reminded me of something my mother would do for us kids, she loved Christmas.. She's been gone for almost 16 years and I miss her everyday, that little part of the video really hit me in the feels and I just wanted to say thanks for the amazing job on your videos and keep up the great work!

[@RectWizard]

Your channel is one of the best retro gaming channels I’ve seen. I get So many emotions watching your content. I’ve laughed, cried and learned so much. Thank you for sharing your gaming journey and your family with all of us 😊

[@nickpantchev5154]

I watch a bunch of youtube gaming channels but been watching these for the past month, so much nostalgia as I grew up gaming in those times. I remember christmas 94 getting street fighter 2 and a genesis 2 or 91 getting an nes. My dad was not a fan of games and gotta say you had a pretty cool dad that knew whats up. Great channel .

[@donnieslaugh5657]

Parents sound amazing, not because they spoiled ya but because of how you describe them. Lucky guy to have such loving and decent parents. Father past away but he's still with ya in spirit. Love the channel keep up the fun and fascinating moments coming🙂

[@G18999]

Gaming connects people through generations. It is a beautiful medium and your videos are like a time machine into nostalgia greatness. Unwrapping video games for Christmas is one of the best memories a kid can have!

[@AThousandDetails]

Man, I was like you, my family gave me tons of videogames and consoles for birthdays, christmas, eastern, etc.. And they were also thrifty, getting games and consoles directly from distributors or cutting deals in stores ahah. My Dad and Mom didn't taped as much, but I gotta convert my Super 8 and VHS tapes to digital format and show my kid when he's old enough the Christmas gift opening time and my faces and joy in opening a brand new console or a stack of brand new games. Unfortunately I lost my dad in 94, and since that time we didn't taped as much all the occasions, but the gaming saga continued. Your channel does make a grown man cry for sure, with tears of joy and fond memories. Love the stories, the memories, keep it up! My mom was also into the Printing Business, which is even more funnier ahah

[@dan1one]

While I didn’t quite get as many games as you did. I certainly got all the ones I wanted, all the popular ones. And was by far the most spoiled child of my group of friends. However, like you the feeling that remains in me is one of immense gratitude and awe of the mindset and love my parents must have for us to indulge us in a crazy activity like videogames in the 90s which is by no means as mainstream as it is right now. Beautiful videos thanks for sharing.

[@sgt7512]

KZbin finally got the algorithm right! Got a Sub here. Now, your dad knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn't buying you games...he was giving you the memories you are sharing now. Makes me think of my dad too, he passed years ago, we were huge NES players. Thank you for sharing.

[@HorrorGoreCrew]

Love your videos.....your life was so similar to mine that its like looking into a time machine of my own life. I still remember my first copy of mega man.....being like 4 yrs old playing mario on nes its insane

[@JamesScholes]

I think with you being your parent's only child (single children tend to get spoilt more than siblings do) and your Dad into games was one of the reasons why you got plenty of games throughout your childhood too.

[@paulio7250]

I remember the excitement of opening a box and hoping it was a console/game! Thanks for bringing back the memories! 💛

[@The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

I had a friend with thousands of games too. Not because his parents bought him tons of em. Nah. Because his uncle was a computer engineer and hacker and had brought back a Famicom Disk System back from Japan and adapted it to work on the NES (really just a dumb connector). A couple of boxes 3-inch Mitsumi quick disk floppies and some trips to Blockbuster, and he had a full library. Great times, I'll never forget it!

[@simpletools6805]

it was so heartwarming when you showed videos of your daughter at the end parenting is a different game now and children grow up quickly guide her and protect her and be her best friend

[@Chris-lt8up]

Your dad loved video games, too, that helps. My grandma played nes and snes so see ended up buying me lots of games.

[@tekdrudge]

Now days it is rare to find a "New In Box" game on the shelf at a store 3 years after it came out. In most cases if you want a physical copy of an older game you have to buy it used.

[@andrewlacerenza667]

Your childhood videos remind me so much of my childhood during the holidays. My Italian family always treated their kids, nephews, nieces, or grandkids with tons of great gifts at Christmas.

[@jnmonsanto]

You had an amazing childhood and amazing parents -- you were blessed in many ways. Thank God for your father and for his recordings. He seemed like a really really good father and I always get emotional when I'm watching your channel. Although my own parents weren't gaming aficionados like yours, I see my own childhood in your dad's videos. I wish we could go back to those days. Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us. I believe your dad would be REALLY proud of you. ❤

[@johnlittle3430]

Yeah, this was decidedly different to my experience growing up. Like every working class kid, the only times I would get a game would be Christmas, and MAYBE my birthday. I rented a lot, but there were a few consoles I owned literally no games for. Once the mid '90s rolled around and I was a newly minted teen working after school jobs, things changed, and I think that's why the 32-bit era will always be my favourite. It represents not only a huge leap forward for gaming, but it came along at a time when my own independence was blossoming and I could save up and use my own money to buy games, so the two are naturally linked for me in my memory in that way.

[@gregrecupero8701]

Just found your channel. Binged watch like 7-8 of em. Your video footage from back in the day makes the stories you tell better! Keep up the good work!

[@GarseJanacek]

Don't feel like you need to explain yourself to anyone. Just be happy with what you had.

[@keomo]

Hey Tyler! I just found your channel. Thank you for sharing all the old home video footage, your knowledge and experiences. This is golden!! Amazing xmas presents and now we are also being gifted through you sharing all of this. Love it :)

[@ajay1888]

Yall are very blessed to have had similar childhoods like this. I only experienced Christmases and birthday celebrations until the age of 12. I ran away from a toxic home at 13 and was basically homeless until I was old enough to work and get my own apartment at 17 years old. 12 years old in 2004 was the last time I ever had a childhood lol but I love watching these videos I reminds me of the rare moments when my dad bought me a game the feeling of renting and buying a new game in the 90's was like nothing else

[@MW-jm8qb]

I never had so many games. You were very lucky. I had to ask for money as gifts, pool it up, and buy a game(s)….. you were so so lucky.

[@brooks9184]

I kinda grew up in a similar way. Always got tons of games for Christmas and Birthdays and all of my friends thought of me as the rich kid that gets everything. My parents were never rich. Both had greats jobs and had a nice house, but it was more they wanted us kids to have the best times. Never missed a baseball game, always went above and beyond for holidays, but it was to see us make the memories we did as kids.

[@t.yop9]

You had wonderful parents and that made you want to be a wonderful parent. Hopefully your daughter will look back upon her childhood as fondly as you did yours. That's really the hope of every good parent.

[@RoadAgain]

Man, your videos are the best thing on youtube right now. The way you share precious and personal moments willingly , and by doing so stiring up our very own nostalgia , is quite generous. We may not have a time machine on a Delorean invented yet, but these videos will keep doing the trick till then. Just thanks

[@therealmaskedheel]

I grew up in a single-parent household with an older sister. However, I still got a lot of stuff thanks to my uncle who really helped make Christmas and birthdays better than what it could have been. I had an Intellivision, NES, Genesis, PSOne, and N64 as a kid. We even had a home computer in the late 80s when it was really commonplace yet. However, I only had a handful of games for each console. I had to rely on friends to get my SNES fix and to play all of the classic NES games that I didn't own. Thanks for sharing these videos. It's really a breath of nostalgia fresh air on KZbin that isn't just basic game reviews and "best/worst of lists".

[@warmsignal]

My parents would go somewhat overboard on Christmas when it came to toys and video games. My parents weren't gamers or collectors, but I think they just wanted to give us the childhood they never really had. They didn't make a whole lot of money, but they would just charge it during the holidays and pay down the credit card debt over time.

[@StiffAftermath]

I just wanted to know how your dad got the import consoles and its imported games... And, my dude....your channel is one-of-a-kind! Such a gem!

[@sicc2977]

My dad passed away when I was 6. he was 26. I'm turning 30 this November so when you looked up to the ceiling and thanked your old man. I felt that deep

[@greyskywarren6028]

I grew up with getting one game for Christmas or my birthday. I saw my friends getting multiple games - just in their stalkings!! To see a stack of games 10+high on Christmas in your video, I can't begin to imagine what that was like. My parents did what they could - we weren't poor by any means, but I was just as happy getting a single game as my friends were at getting 8-10. I was envious, yes - but never unhappy. Love these videos, bud. Keep up the good work and blessings to you and your family.

[@monitor-mindtheover-void6712]

I'm 20 and I've never seen a console or a physical copy of video game my entire life, so yes you were (kinda) rich and had an amazing family❤.

[@LEXICON-DEVIL]

8:29 This picture explains it all haha. 2nd from the left looks like a retired mobster. 😁

[@Dezeberbro]

This is awsome you can see all the raw emotions and how while I was about video games it’s the bond that’s was shared in your family during all those times. I’m glad your parents captured all that on film

[@nicholas.alan85]

Please...PLEASE keep making more videos. I'm absolutely FASCINATED with your channel. If I want to boost my mood I pop on one of your videos. Thank you.

[@cmdrdredd]

My dad did the same thing, bought games that were discounted but thought might be cool and we also bought used games from a local video rental store that offered them for sale after they had been rented out a bit. I only got a couple games at launch over the course of time. The major ones I remember getting day 1 were Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat 2. I think there were some others on PC later once I built a PC for gaming. I also remember getting some things from Toys R US when they used to have the big display case with consoles and accessories on display. My dad often asked to buy the floor model but would get a small discount on them because the box was opened. That's how he got me a Sega Genesis for Christmas when it launched. I saw him haggle down the manager for Lethal Enforcers with the light gun from the local video rental place because it was missing the instruction book. Stuff like that. I'm sure some of my friends thought I was somehow rich, even though we lived in the same neighborhood and weren't wealthy at all. Back then though we could rent games, all the games we wanted. That's how I played most of the games I did play. Every Friday we would go rent a new game. I'd often ask my good friend who also had the consoles I had which game I should look for. Sometimes I'd even bring my friend along and we would pick out something to play together, then get pizza and stay up all night. Good times.

[@cadecrusader]

That’s pretty cool Tyler, love the videos of your childhood memories. I’m sorry to hear about your dad, hope you and your family are happy and healthy!

[@shawnnicolas4939]

These videos bring back some unforgettable memories ...I thought I was a lucky kid but you were on a whole other level.

[@TylerMusicBoi]

My parents also bought me a lot of games and consoles for cheap. Back in 1999, I got a Super Nintendo in the same fashion you got your Master System in 94. My uncle was getting rid of his system. He kept all the boxes to the games and even the console too. He gave my parents a great deal for it. And because it was 1999/2000, SNES games were dirt cheap so any other games I wanted, they were relatively easy to come by back then. My parents mostly ran on a one income household. My dad being the breadwinner. But my mom took on many side gigs including babysitting, working concession stands, etc. It’s how I got a lot of my Christmas and birthday gifts well into my teenage years and I’ll forever be grateful my parents did everything they could to make sure I had great gifts each year.

[@Obenfiquista81]

WOW... Crazy... I had 4 games on my NES days and maybe 5 on my Sega Mega Drive (genesis) days as well... It was crazy anytime i had someone from school borrowing me a new game like super mario 3 (i didn't even sleep that night), or Gargoyle's Quest II and Mission Impossible... Damn, those days were amazing!!

[@vikingzombie2487]

His parents went out of their way to make an enjoyable Christmas for their kid and I can appreciate that. My parents weren’t rich but worked their ass off for me and my brother to have exactly what we asked for.

[@NoThanksnothanks]

I remember u talking about asking about master system games at toysrus and getting them cheap. Ur Dad was an OG collector.

[@Kaizoku-o_PirateKing]

I don't see why you have to explain yourself, but perhaps you get this question often. I'm new to your channel but I'm in love already with your content! I absolutely adore the flashbacks of you and your family. I'm going to be a father in the near future and I hope to share similar experiences as you and your parents did. Thank you so much for sharing this video!

[@robwaters8848]

Although I agree with your statement that he has no obligation to share this detail, I think it's a reasonable question (at the risk of hypocrisy). When the majority of us were kids there were weeks, months, or even years between the new games we would receive. During this time you crossed your fingers that the cover art for a particular game translated itself to a fun gameplay experience. That's why there's so many stories and memories of kids having to trade/borrow games from others via school or neighborhood get-togethers. Stacks and stacks (even THAT'S an understatement) of games received for Christmas and birthdays was a monumental rarity. Its totally reasonable to be curious about just how this was possible and in addition, further questions about his upbringing. Now let me double back, he has no obligation to share his private financial upbringing with any of us, not would I ask him on a personal level because it's literally none of my business. I simply appreciate the love he puts into every one of his videos and vicariously experience some of the highlights of his upbringing. TLDR: The curiosity isn't unfounded, but he has absolutely no obligation (as you said) to divulge. His content speaks for itself and we're all fortunate his wonderful father documented it ❤️. Much love.

[@ShadowDragon-cw7wb]

Kudos to your dad for filming when game collecting was awesome!!!

[@-thejapanator-5398]

Hey Tyler happy to start the train of comments here and taking the opportunity to wish you guys the best in 2023. Really like your content reminding me of my childhood too. Keep up the good work and best of luck on the interwebs :).

[@teadrinkerfication9160]

‘We weren’t rich, we were middle class’ to me that’s rich 😂 love your vids tho ❤

[@SDK2006b]

Wow - it's great to see the history and the good times you had receiving and playing these games. Thanks for sharing 👍 I'm a dad and spoil my son like this too - he's always had big Christmas, Birthday and lots of gifts in between these as well.

[@herpyderpyderp]

i had been watching your videos and always thought: wow, his family must be rich! not only because of the games, but also for having a video camera, something that in my mind only rich people could afford in the 80's.

[@BKDDY]

I had a similar family, but I had a much older brother so by the time I was born there were already a ton of games to play. Was blown away when in 93 my dad bought me a 3do & games for Christmas when it was almost $1000 for all of it when he was only a truck driver. Have some of the best memories with that system though.