(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

National Video Game Day took place over the weekend. Let’s talk games and see Massachusetts’ favorite video games while we do.

 

I’m a Gen-X guy, so I grew up immersed in video game culture. My earliest video game memories are from the arcade. I can remember playing the original Punch-Out!! (before Mike Tyson was tacked on) at Funspot in Laconia, NH. And I played plenty of Pac-Man at the Boardwalk Arcade in Wells Beach, ME as a kid. I still go there every summer. And now I take my kids.

 

My first at-home gaming experiences were with the Intellivision system. My Uncle Mike picked one up in the early ’80s and I’m pretty sure he ended up owning every game available on the platform. Night Stalker was a favorite of mine because it had creepy monsters. I think my Uncle still has the system and games stored away somewhere. I wonder how much it’s worth today?

 

Growing up, my brother and I had the Sega Master System. Which was great, because all our friends had the original Nintendo Entertainment System. So we got the best of both worlds: Sega at home, NES with our pals. I eventually bought a friend’s old NES off of him so I could play the Mega Man games. Mega Man 2 is still my all-time favorite video game. It’s a true classic.

 

Massachusetts’ Favorite Video Games: National Video Game Day

In honor of National Video Game Day on July 8, BetMassachusetts shared this study called What Are the Favorite Video Games in Massachusetts? They built the list by analyzing Statista’s data on the Top 10 best-selling video game franchises in 2022 and a year’s worth of the most searched-for video games according to Google Trends. Let’s take a look and see which games make up the Top 5 here in the Commonwealth.

  • 5T) Call of Duty

    My brother Nate kept gaming long after I stopped. He still does today. And this is a franchise he keeps coming back to.

  • 5T) FIFA

    FIFA is an unstoppable brand in the world of gaming. FIFA 23…and counting.

  • 4) The Sims

    The Sims video game debuted in February of 2020. Not only is it closing in on a quarter century, but it shows no signs of losing popularity.

  • 3) LEGO

    Video games are for kids of all ages. So is LEGO. So it’s no surprise to see this No. 3 placing. LEGO Star Wars is a blast to play, anyway.

  • 2) Pokemon

    Pokemon video games have already passed the 25 year mark, so the games now transcend generations, in MA and beyond.

  • 1) Minecraft

    Is there any surprise? I’d be willing to bet Minecraft would top this survey in any state, not just Massachusetts.