It's a weird thought for me. The game that started it all for modern day gaming, Super Mario Bros., was originally released on the Famicom on this day (Sept. 13th 1985) 25 years ago. I personally predate Super Mario Bros. That is something I never really fully comprehended until this date. I knew SMB came out in 1985, but that little factoid always slipped passed my mind. I didn't get my gaming legs wet until a few years later. I was probably way to young to young to be playing video games back then. 1989? Is four too young to be playing games? It probably is. I don't care. Tetris, Mario, and Contra were awesome. I'm sure somewhere in the cosmos there is a Back To The Future like time line written on a chalkboard, and in 1989 there are several branches that shoot out leading to different realities. Perhaps in Earth-684 this blog is about political cartoons and is called "Illustrious Illustrations" and I wear a tam everywhere I go. I should buy a tam.
I was waiting for today. Today was the day I'd "relaunch" this blog. Not a real relaunch, since you can't really relaunch something that was never launched to begin with. I guess refocus would have been a better choice of words. Really, I'm writing this part as I go. It's a nice foray into the insanity of my mind. All the pieces are there, It's just up to me to attempt to assemble them in a manner that looks like I'm not loonier than a toon. I think a better focus for this blog would be more towards the personal interactions I've had with gaming and it's culture as opposed to just trying to be a mock journalist pretending like I know what I'm doing and reviewing things. I'm not that guy. YES, I might still do that once in a while, and I do want to keep writing about random silly gaming things, but THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE is what I want. Personal tales of my history with gaming, my present with gaming, my future with gaming, and my views on the industry and culture as a whole. Plus this is all I really can do. I'm a wordsmith, but I'm not exactly the most professional. My composition needs work, to say the least. Looks at all these commas. Man, I LOVE commas. To the point that I use them incorrectly quite a bit.
The first game I can ever remember consciously playing was Super Mario Bros. It was quite honestly the greatest toy I ever played with. I said toy. I realize that. It's a sort of heresy to think of games these days as anything else other than art or legitimate and standalone form of entertainment. Back then, as far as I was concerned, they weren't anything more than toys. I controlled the little brown and red dude across the screen and tried to get from point-a to point-b without dying. It was the greatest thing ever. I knew right then and there I needed that toy that my grandma had hooked up to her TV. Eventually, I did get that toy. And to this date, Super Mario Bros. and the numerous sessions of 2-player gaming with my dad on Contra remain some of the most treasured memories I have. That's why gaming will never stop being a part of the person I am. They mean more to me than just another way to kill time. They have, for better or most likely worse, shaped me and my personality to what it is today. Video games and The Simpsons.
This is just the start. Slowly but surely I plan on digging through on a more personal level about my history with games. A peek behind the curtain that is me. I have stories tell, memories to recollect, and truths to reveal. We've just spotted to the tip of the iceberg that brought the Titanic down. Join me and go down with the ship and see how deep down this thing really is.
Next week: The schoolyard and the early 90s.
