It's hard to really describe to younger generations just what it was like.

I'm an elder millennial (1984) and the changes to games within my lifetime has been breath taking and staggering.

The first game I remember playing is River Raid on my brother's Atari. I was a vaguely plane shaped black block.

A couple years later, I find myself playing Super Mario Bros. A few more and it's SMB3 and I'm holding a gameboy in my hands on the road trips to Florida to see my grandparents.

Then the jump to SNES and Genesis. Seeing that depth and life seep into the characters... The music gaining in complexity...

I even had a Sega CD and I remember how mind blowing it was when Sonic turned and ran towards the back to go through a loop instead of just side to side.

Then for it was PS1 with Final Fantasy 7... Graphical cut scenes like moving works of art.

After this point, yes there was still obvious and sometimes bigger jumps... But this is where it all was SO different each generation. Not just seeing extra small details and polishes. Large, discrete jumps forward

I wish I could give my wonder to anyone who never got to experience it. It was an amazing time to live.