My Gaming Pedigree (2)

Been thinkin' about writing the second part of my self introduction - especially since something is screwy with my router and it appears that it won't let me be online for any gaming goodness. Yes I am pouting. No, I'm not angry...I'm highly annoyed. I'll work up to angry if I can't figure out the problem. First part of my pedigree can be found here, if you are feeling sequential. My timing of events may be slightly off but hey, its how I remember it.

So time keeps on slipping into my future and I'm more solidly into my preteen/teenhood, as even better looking (if not playing) games start showing up in the arcades ( Dragon Lair or Space Ace? Paperboy? Pole Position? Gauntlet (A fav)? Anybody? No?). Atari had some newer, prettier system they released during this and there was that Coleco thing but neither seemed to really peek my interest.

And then the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) released.

If I could figure out a way to make those words shine gold with a shaft of light and a heavenly choir accompany them believe me, I would. Finally something that was more on par with the graphic quality of my my arcades games....and with it they released the first of my new electronic game addictions - Super Mario Brothers . Like Pac-Man this game rocked my world, the music, the puzzles...it was the game to play at that time. ('til Metroid.. Zelda, Golgo-13, Final Fantasy...Metal Gear too somewhere methinks. Ok. I'm not despite the appearance here that easily amused in my games these days, but these games were smashing, set standards at the time in their genres, right? It was an exciting time to be discovering games. Things were new.)

Now Atari had been giving me games, true but really the system was looking and feeling dated that controller compared to the NES? Come on! (Incidentally, I was still playing on my Atari Night Driver a great game as well as trying to understand what made some fool call ET The Extra Terrestrial a game (it was a gift!). ET was one of the earliest forms of movie franchise rape...I was obviously too innocent to know that then...). But the Atari compared to the NES (known as Famicom in Japan btw, though you probably knew that) was graphically superior, sound was better. It was the new hit. I dropped my loyalty in the face of greed and converted to Nintendo.

Oh...I spent hours greedily gathering gold coins, jumping, warping and searching for secrets with that plumber. The feeling of satisfaction and the pleasure of earned bragging rights when I talked about that hidden coin at the end of that level none of my peers had found...I loved it. I wasn't always best, but rarely among the worst. I played for the fun, the challenge, the discovery and love of it.

My peers at this time btw were mostly boys with a few girls as exceptions. The girls largely were into mall behavior (make-up, flirting and stuff). My sisters (who never quite got my electronic fascination 'til MUCH later) made sure that I was versed in this "essential" behavior and my best girlfriends at times would drag me by my fingernails away from my console to the mall with them for the fun of "hanging out to be seen" (And no, the wenches would not let me anywhere NEAR the arcade on those trips.) And though fun at moments and admittedly valuable to know some of those lessons born of that behavior, I realize as I type this that I was forced into teen-girldom as much as I was dragged when it came to games vs. mall behavior. I mean, I knew I was a girl. And there was no mistaking it for anyone who looked at me. I was a reasonably social girl, I dressed well and I learned the opposite sex appreciated that on some level. And while those I hung out with knew all this too... when gaming it just didn't matter if I looked super hot or just a regular teen...we were trying to kick each other's asses and have some fun. In those moments there was only a goal to be reached and the sound of someone groaning in defeat to be relished. I just wanted to play and play well.

....And it was pretty much like that for me until David XXXX screwed up my view and surprised me with my first slobbery, uncomfortable kiss a "reward" when he lost to my superior Duck Hunt skills (I was a bad mamajama with a Zapper people!). Then I admit stuff got ...jumbled (for a first kiss it was pretty awful sadly (I was not ready for that) but I'm not mad at him. It had to have been his too.... gosh I hope so...for his sake.) That moment made me realize even if *I* was just about the game, others might not be. It was a good lesson to learn. See, who says being a gamer can't teach you life lessons?

Anyway, likely to his chagrin he discovered that if his strategy was to rattle me (which I think was his cover excuse for it), it didn't work. I was grossed out certainly (let me repeat horrid first kiss) but I never tossed a game to impress a boy no matter how much I might've liked him, and definitely (in his case especially) if I wasn't interested in him. I did learn from him if a guy couldn't take defeat without being a schmuck, that was way more telling about his personality than weeks of dating courtship (I find this still largely holds true, btw). And if anyone outscored or played me, I appreciated the challenge and tried to learn from it 'cause I just had to get better. I had to get at least one win in. It was just in my blood, I love a challenge. Iif I had to lose for while to learn how I to play better, well...I had that patience to go for the long victory and take the jeers on the way. This is still true for me actually....

But I'm really digressing here. Sorry .

Anyway, l'll pick up the pace. NES was the new drug until my buddy showed up with a system that not only challenged the NES in every area but would also be key to changing my life and career path. All 16-bits of it. And unlike the very kid friendly looking NES this system was black, more adult, cool hip. And had a funky little blue mascot who moved like nothing I had seen before and made my poor Mario (and his slightly in better shape brother Luigi) look like tired old pixel men.

That was when a one word PR campaign became a cool catch-phrase for goofiness too.

And that's where I'll pick up next. Talking about Hedgehogs leading me down a path no one foresaw...as viable anyway. And also how my computer gaming exposure had pirates, musical tones and a polyester pervert that revealed way too much about myself as I achieved without cheats for help a perfect score.

Anyone else have games they played on the NES that are forever in your gaming heart?

Thanks for looking!