What’s Your Family’s Most Memorable Gaming Moment? - £200 voucher to be won

[EllieSmumsnet]

We all know how special it is to spend quality time as a family, and gaming can be a brilliant way to bond, encourage problem-solving and teamwork. From navigating different worlds to friendly competitions, playing together can create memories that last a lifetime.

Nintendo games are great for this, offering something for everyone—from little ones just starting out to parents (and grandparents!) reliving their own childhood gaming days. Whether it’s a quick race, solving puzzles, or teaming up for a big adventure, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

We’d love to hear from you: What are your favorite family gaming moments? How do you use gaming to bring everyone together?

• Post your stories in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 VEX voucher for a store of their choice.

About Nintendo:
“At Nintendo, the mission is to bring a smile to everyone’s face by creating new surprises that can help connect people from around the world. The company first started in Kyoto, Japan back in 1889 with hanafuda playing cards and now shares their exciting visions through the world of entertainment and video games.”

Loads of memories playing Mario Kart 64 with my brothers and sister. Mostly involving lightning strikes (giving, and receiving) while the leader was on the hill up to the jump in Wario Stadium. Oh the rage. Attempting the Rainbow Road shortcut and failing miserably at it. Watching my brother go head to head with Ganondorf and winning. Then the dash down the tower..... D: Trading starters on Christmas Day between Pokémon Red and Blue with my brother. And every Pokémon game since.

Not just Nintendo. Literal years spent raiding and exploring World of Warcraft with my husband, brothers, and guild family. Little card games on holidays and at restaurants. There's not many board games I can beat my husband at, so those wins are always great. The most memorable (and lucky one) will be winning Cluedo on my first turn. Then doing it again the next round!

For me memorable for the wrong reason, playing bowling on the nintendo wii - batteries flew out of the back when my husband was going for a strike and went into the television screen - shattering the pixels. Kiddies crying for hours.

Completing the final level of GTA Vice City, it was epic!!! 😂

Kids are too young for that sort, but hoping to get the old Nintendo Wii out for the Christmas break.

Has to be playing ratchet and clank locked and loaded on the PS2 (Best console IMO) - collecting bolts, upgrading weapons and defeating Dr Nefarious - we played this game over and over

Has to be playing MarioKart on the nintendo wii, we had the game and the wheel for driving. I crashed every time - the children had hours of fun driving as their favourite character - I was always Princess Peach -and always came last.

Our most memorable was playing Just Dance 2023 Edition - watching the dance moves of both myself and my DH had us all in hysterics - leave your inhibitions behind you !

For me it was when we had Monopoly on the PS4 (still have it - and MIGHT get it our this Christmas) - it can take a while so we don't usually have 6 players - it saves setting up, counting money and putting the game away after.

Definitely playing MarioKart on the Switch New Year's Eve when I was alone with my daughters. It really helped me get through what could have been a miserable night.

Gaming gas special place for us. This thread has made me really nostalgic realising it! Because right back to the days of just having games on the old gameboys(ermm hello best game ever of Mario). Then there was the PlayStation where we did legi races and star wars. Or the olden day Tom raider(cheat codes a must)
Let's not even mention to the kids of today having to play games on the PC. We had aladin and the lion king. Then there was a hospital one and ssssh GTA! And then sims. My neighbour ws a a gamer so we had all access cheat codes.
Then with my brother on wave race. And stuck up a mountain in Norway and the only thing we all could do was play games.

We've always, as a family encouraged games. Arguments a plenty. Board game like cranium and pictionary. Of course monopoly (I'll be banker thank 😊 you)
Also uno
And cards game like go fish,pig,spoons and poker.
We have so many great gaming memories too many.

My 72 year old father beats us all on Just dance on the Switch every time. Hes unbeatable!

We used to have Mario Optmpics on the Wii competitions. Like all day long events. It was actually so much fun.

Has to be last year when my daughter got Nintendo switch and I got to get her into pokemon as I loved my Nintendo ds as a kid, and passing on my pokemon knowledge its a really nice feeling sharing something from my childhood with her. Oh and never get over not being able to catch the thing that ran away with a dragon egg in spyro on the PlayStation, always had to get my dad to the tricky quests haha.

Easy one - band hero on the Wii - we made funny Mii's for the songs, and had the guitar - we had so much fun - might just get it out of the loft for Christmas day.

We were all doing word games each on our devices against the clock against each other. Lots of laughing and friendly competition.

We had a deal or no deal game on the playstation- that was a fun game to play for Christmas or all of the family, any quiz game can be a real all inclusive game for all.

We had immense fun creating MII's on the nintendo Wii - even the pet's had a MII - occasionally we were all very fat - very skinny, very tall - the DC's thought the whole creation process was hilarious.

The first game which came to my mind was when we played Colin McRae Rally
in 1998- when we got the PlayStation 1 - we had hours of fun racing and setting times for laps.

More recently it's getting wins etc on Fortnite. We all love Fortnite, it's nice to be able to share that with the kids and have something in common and lots to discuss.
We also love other silly games like 1,2 switch which just brings joy to everyone.
Previously, it was also 4 adults completing levels on Mario for the kids. It's always fun chaos.

Probably when we all play games together we love the Mario party game, it's a way of us all having fun together when the weather us rubbish abd we don't want to leave the house.

Lots of memories re: playing Zelda on the N64, with our five year old insisting on us completing the difficult bits for them...

I was boxing on my niece & nephews’ Nintendo Wii & turned out to be really good at it - felt like a cool Aunty!

Playing Penguins of Madagascar on the Wii - absolutely hilarious especially after me and the in-laws had had a cocktail or 3.

Hide and Seek.
I think I'm might be winning, I've been wedged under this bed since just after lunch on Boxing Day.

I'm starving.

Driving around the Nintendo Wii track playing mario karts !

We also bought Mario at the Olympics for our DC's - very similar to Wii sports - we had hours of fun with the games and competing - but I don't think you can ever beat Wii bowling for a family gaming memory