So, for all of us to have gathered here on this forum about bootleg games, we've surely had something that sparked an interest in knockoffs before it.
For me, it was a singing piglet plush at a friends' house from when I was very young, perhaps six or seven. We decided to play with it after she got it from some garage sale, but it did NOT act like piglet.
The first time we squeezed its hand, it sung allouette (a popular french children's song) in a badly compressed voice.
The second time we squeezed its hand, it let loose a BLOODCURDLING SCREAM. Badly compressed, but still.
It was terrifying as a child, and I never played with it again after that. I thought it was possessed. Looking back though, it was probably a pirate toy whose soundchip contained several mismatching recordings; allouette from some french child toy, and the scream from a halloween toy, perhaps?
That was my first experience of seeing piracy bastardize a character I knew well, but certainly not my last, being part of PGC now and all.
So, what was your first experience with pirates? It doesn't have to be a game, just as long as it wasn't legit! I'm sure there are interesting stories to be told.
