Probably the very first game I can remember playing and actually being very good at was River Raid on the Atari 2600 console. Released in 1982 by Activision and designed by one of the very first female game designers, Carol Shaw, River Raid still remains one of the best shooters released on the 2600.

It's a simple affair where you take control of a jet plane and shoot down helicopters, battleships and other fighters. River Raid offered something a little bit different than the competition at the time and introduced a fuel gauge that could only be filled by flying over the clearly marked fuel tanks. As you progressed into the harder levels the fuel tanks would start to space out a little more, making sure that you planned a strategy to fight all the enemies, score the most points and still make it to a tanker in time. I remember the feverish way you ended up playing when you were almost out of fuel and the tension was almost too much to bear.

In 1983, I was in grade 3 at the time, and I actually won a competition in Queensland by getting the most points. I remember the day I got my Mother to take pictures of the television and you had to send off the photo so that they may see your score and soon after I got a little certificate saying that I was a Queensland record holder. Where that certificate is now or what the competition was I have no idea, just that I was proud as punch to be so damn good at such a tricky game for the time. God I loved that game!