Personal Gaming History: NES Edition.
Well, here I am again. It is 12 am currently, and I just managed to get a rather fussy child into bed. The decision for the night is a toss up between writing or gaming. It really isn't so dramatic, I happen to know that I probably have two good hours before I really need to get to bed. Part of me just wants to pack it in, but I really need the moment of alone time. Tonight I am choosing to write, and I may not even finish, but it will be a nice start to my next post.
I am a bit shocked by my last post. I submitted it and initially regretted it because it made me feel like a failure or some deadbeat father. I was anticipating a backlash of sorts and what I received was support and to be honest I'm overwhelmed. I really do appreciate the encouragement and well wishes which were sent my way. I'm still learning to be a father, and I believe it will be a long arduous process. The payoff is great, don't get me wrong... but there is a rather steep curve of growth that has to take place. I'm still struggling with the new identity.
This blog is a bit of a retreat for me, kind of like my mind palace, where I can just discuss whatever I desire. I initially was going to theme it, but I really think I'm just going to stick to my interests. So you'll get everything from gaming, fatherhood, geology, and random tidbits which interest me.
I mentioned in my last post that I'm going to cover a bit of my pre-fatherhood gaming history. My time being engrossed with the gaming culture has been over a long span but it isn't typical, some may say it is even substandard. This post will mainly be about the NES and a few fragments from my humble gaming beginnings.
My first gaming console was the NES, and it was actually a hand-me-down from my father. It just happened to be something that was always in my house growing up that I claimed when I was about 5 and could understand it. I had a huge library, of mostly crap, but it was still hugely substantial. Where most people I knew only had around 5 to 10 games I had something like 30. I even had those unlicensed 31-in-1 bootleg multicarts picked up from an estate sale. Actually, I still have that particular cartridge and the picture below is the very one.
Some info:
http://bootleggames.wikia.com/wiki/31-in-1_Multicart
As far as consoles go I was behind the curve. I wasn't even born when the NES released, and the SNES came years after my birth so I probably should have been a SNES fanboy instead. I assume given the library amassed by my parents and myself they simply didn't want to jump ship. There was also a problem of visibility. None of my friends had SNES, I knew one guy with one, and the old kids all had Sega Genisis. So I remained tethered to the NES, and old school arcades right up until the N64.
I do feel like this happenstance gave me a much greater appreciation for old games. I still pick up NES cartridges from yard sales, thrift stores, and antique dealers when I can. I also still have the original NES system given to me... although it is a frustrating blinking mess. I truly feel like I had an authentic NES experience growing up simply because I lacked anything to compare it to, and it has had a lingering effect today.
A quick shoutout to my favorite games in no particular order:
Contra
Ninja Turtles
31-in-1 games (Mostly for Ice Climbers, Galaga, Pac Man, and Kung Fu)
Mario Bros 3
That's about it. I'll continue with other systems over time, but my next post will probably be something less time consuming and possibly a selection from one of my collections.