Local gaming slang

[Retrogameresource]

I have always been interested in people's local gaming slang.

For example, growing up in the 8 and 16 bit era any controller was called a "paddle" in my area. It actually was exclusively used and ubiquitous in my section of the city.

When I went to a centralized high school in my area that had kids from all sections of the city, no one knew what we were talking about. Paddle is still prevalent in my area even today.

Anyone else have any stories like this?

[Ziggy587]

I think I have two. Actually, I've been meaning to post this for the longest time. I've always wondered if others used these same terms...

When the SNES came out, the NES became the "regular Nintendo."

A lot of people I knew use to call a level or a stage a "board".

[Retrogameresource]

Holy shit we only ever used board for a level as well. I never heard anyone use that outside my area.

Regular nintendo was common in my area as well. Most people didnt say NES and no one ever said nes or snes as a word it was N E S or S N E S

[BoneSnapDeez]

A lot of people I knew use to call a level or a stage a "board".

I've only heard this in reference to single-screen arcade games. Donkey Kong and Pac-Man have boards, while Super Mario Bros. and Mega Man have levels.

And yeah, around here a "Nintendo" was the NES and "Atari" was the 2600.

[ZeroAX]

Does gaming slang in another language count?

Cause then I've got:
Boss = mother (guess it stems from mother of all monsters)
life = small canon (This I actually hear from people who gamed in the 80s and I'm gussing it stems from all the shooters where extra lives were represented by spaceships with primitice graphics)
level = piste/racetrack
nintendo = nidedo (nt in Greek is pronounced as a d )

[Retrogameresource]

Boards was even used for Mario and Mega Man when i was younger. Almost no one says board anymore though.


Also I definitely like the Greek slang. Mother for boss is pretty great.

[nullPointer]

One that I'm relatively certain was isolated to my friends at the time was the phrase we used for 'beating' a game. A game wasn't 'beaten', it was 'solved', as in, "Hey I finally solved The Legend of Zelda last night." I even kept my "Solved List" in a notebook next to the NES (right next to a box of index cards used for recording passwords, lol)

Although I haven't used this phrase in years, I'm still rather fond of it. Something can be 'beaten' with brute force, but you can't 'solve' something without the application of knowledge and skill. (although I will grant that somethings are solved via simple dumb luck)

[Segata]

Pretty much everything we say is what is universally said in the US.

[emwearz]

Pretty sure these were common but when I think but to early childhood these come to mind.

Extra life = extra man (after Mario pretty much all my friends starting saying 1ups)
100% a game = clocked (like the rollover of score on a arcade game / clocks)
Any video game console ever = The Nintendo (adults during the 90's / my mum still does this)

[Omerta]

Not sure how local it is, but when I was a kid you didn’t “beat” a game, you “conquered” it.

I also remember old people (like my parents that were in their 30’s) called game cartridges “tapes”. Pfffft... losers.