"Most of us can't chalk up our childhood video game experience to just one genre, one game, or one system. There exists multiple links that piece together our history. There isn't just one link in a chain. There are thousands of links, all combining to form the links to our past." Through this book, I want to focus on what we have left behind in this new generation of video games. Think of this book as a story of how I responded to the new and old elements of video game evolution. I'll explore how I learn to cope with these mechanics, good or bad. Nevertheless, I hope you remember these stories, and if not, enjoy a little slice of my history and the history of many others like me. These are The Links to My Past. These are The Links to Our Past.