When I was little, I just couldn’t do without my favorite game, Zoo Tycoon. I would wake up early on weekends to play it. I would rush to finish my homework everyday in hopes of getting time to build another exhibit or two.

I first played the game at a friend’s house. I came home excited and immediately began to beg my parents for the game. After months of waiting, I finally found the disc waiting for me under the Christmas tree.

I remember starting a zoo in a small town. I cared for a family of polar bears as my zoo grew in popularity. I went on the internet to find cheats to unlock secret animals like unicorns and mermaids. And of course, there were the times I spent laughing maniacally as I barricaded the exit and unleashed a swarm of velociraptors upon the zoo’s unsuspecting visitors.

Zoo Tycoon was the first video game I really enjoyed, and every now and then I like to pop the disk in my computer for a trip down memory lane.