Get ready to power up, because September 12th is National Video Games Day—the ultimate celebration for all things gaming. Once upon a time, gaming was just for a small clique of computer programmers. Now the gaming industry makes more money than the music and movie industries combined. Wow!

So, grab your snacks and buckle up as we dive into the incredible journey of how video games and gaming tech have evolved over the years. And (since we’re all about phones) let's not forget the mind-blowing rise of mobile gaming from the days of Snake to the next-level phenomenon we see today.

Way back in the day, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth (or so it feels), video games were all about pixels and beeps. We're talking about classics like Pong and Space Invaders. For the time, these games were like magic in a box - where two rectangles bouncing a ball back and forth could keep us entertained for hours.

Fast forward a bit, and boom, we hit the era of the home console. Remember the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)? Mario and Luigi became household names, and we were all battling over who got to be player one.

Consoles brought the gaming arcade experience to our front rooms. And then the console wars kicked off in playgrounds across the country – which was better: Nintendo or Sega? These days it’s PlayStation vs Xbox, but the rivalry is just as passionate. Every generation brought better graphics, bigger games and more immersive storytelling.

2D platforming brought us plenty of classics, but the leap to 3D was a real gamechanger. Super Mario 64 made our jaws drop with its 3D world, and suddenly we were exploring entire worlds instead of just jumping over pits. Grand Theft Auto went from top-down 2D action to navigating city streets. And who could forget the thrills of adventures like PlayStation's Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII?

Gamers of a certain generation will remember Nokia’s classic game Snake. Controlling a snake sliding around eating pixels may not sound like much, but it was a worldwide phenomenon. And then there were giants like Tetris that made the jump from home PC to handheld.

With the launch of the iPhone in 2007, more and more people had powerful computers in their pockets. And that meant the ability to run bigger and better games.

Suddenly, our phones weren't just for calls and texts—they were our gaming consoles too. Angry Birds stormed in and became the face of mobile gaming's new era. Tapping and swiping our screens to slingshot birds? Yep, we were officially living in the future.

Mobile games have made gaming easier to start than ever – with millions of free-to-download games available at the touch of a screen. Whether iOS or Android, 3 billion gamers use mobile devices, making it the world’s most popular way to play.

Although playing online has been around for a while, faster internet speeds and more online devices have turned it into an online juggernaut. Now battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG have millions of players and can be played on everything from console to mobile. So, more people than ever are parachuting onto islands, scavenging for gear and duking it out to be the last one standing.

Today, we're living in the future we used to dream about. VR has been around for a while, but it’s never felt more real. Games like No Man’s Sky VR and Among Us have us exploring fantastical worlds and unravelling mysteries with friends from all over the globe. Augmented Reality (AR) has made our towns and cities a playgrounf to catch Pokemon!

AR and VR are blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds – and headsets from the likes of Meta and PlayStation are bringing VR adventures home.

It’s amazing how far gaming has come. And with such a huge evolution in such a small time, from the humble beginnings of Pong to the immersive worlds of AR and VR. It’s mind-blowing to imagine what could be next! And with the rise of more powerful smart phones, it seems certain that we’ll be able to play whatever we want anywhere we want.

So, whether you fire up Candy Crush or launch into Starfield, let’s celebrate National Video Games Day with hours of fun and adventure. Keep gaming!

This month we’re giving you the chance to win an £100 Currys gift card! 

To enter, all you need to do is tell us what’s your favourite video, mobile or board game! 

Simply type your response below and click send. 

We’ll select one random winner and we’ll message them via direct message here on the Community. 

The giveaway will be closed for entries at 23.59 (BST) on 20th September 2023.

Good luck!