Where it all started

Originally written 7/12/15

News came out today that Saturo Iwata, the President of Nintendo, had passed away. It was really yesterday but it was a private thing for awhile. I guess maybe it’s time to buy a WiiU. Maybe trade in my Vita towards it, sort of a one dying system for another type trade.

I don’t need a new console. I don’t need any of my consoles. I am a gamer though and I owe it to Nintendo because they were the ones that started it all for me. I would go to my friend Matt’s house after school in first grade and he had a Nintendo Entertainment System , or NES, for short.  I have so many memories with that big gray box from the games we played to having to blow in the cartridge almost every time you put a new one in because that’s just how games were back then, kids.

Mario Bros was the very first video game I saw, like many people my age at the time. There I learned don’t jump under the first block because the Goomba will get you. Or, having to run and jump to get to that far away ledge. I still play that game no  and it’s one that will always hold up.

A teal Gameboy with Pokemon Yellow and Super Mario and the 6 coins were a couple presents for my tenth(?) birthday. It took me months to figure out how to even leave my room in Pokemon and I remember freaking out after I finally walked on the stairs to go to the next room only to go right back up and scrambling to do what I had just done again. To this day Yellow version always holds a place in my heart and when it was released on the 3ds all the sounds and sprites took me back to those days when things were just simpler.

I got a Gamecube as my first home console as growing up with a single mother I wasn’t handed anything and always had to treat my stuff with care because if it broke I sure as hell wasn’t getting another one anytime soon. I’m glad that was the case though because it makes me care so much more about things knowing that if something happens it would be my fault and my responsibility to get a new one if it really meant that much to me.

I look back on my past a lot, probably more than I should, but one thing is constant and that’s video games. Nintendo started that for me and so many others and I don’t think a lot of people that play games would be who they are if it weren’t for Nintendo in one form or another. Maybe it’s time to go relive those memories and dive into the virtual console of the WiiU that has all my childhood games and more. I’ve made plenty of dumb purchases in my time but mayb this would be a good one.

Rest in peace Mr. Iwata. Thank you.