E3 2006 - A Nintendo Memoir

Growing up, I had a dream. I didn’t want to end world hunger or find a cure for a debilitating disease. No, my dream was simple; I wanted to go to the Electronic Entertainment Expo and play video games.

Since the inception of this industry and press-only convention, video game fans throughout the world fantasized about being able to play newly announced games months, or even years, before they hit store shelves. Football fans have the Super Bowl, competitive eaters have Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, and gamers have E3.

Rather, gamers had E3. Though the gathering is still around, and there are reasons to believe that this year’s convention might be of great interest, it underwent some unpopular changes recently, making the convention of 2006 the last E3 as we knew it.

At that time, I was actively involved with my college newspaper. During the Spring 2006 semester I had been placed as Assistant Arts Editor, and I found every excuse I could to write about the gaming industry. Halfway through the semester it occurred to me that my position in the media could qualify me for access to the Electronic Entertainment Expo. I, along with another editor Eric Iberri, eagerly sent out for a request to register. Despite cutbacks in attendance numbers, we were both approved for registration. We did not know it at the time, but we had just been given the right to attend the most exciting E3 yet for Nintendo fans.

By the time the first day of the convention came around, Nintendo had announced which games would be playable at the Wii’s coming-out party. However, this lack of surprises didn’t make the day any less exciting. If anything, it fueled our anticipation. Knowing that we would be among the first to play games like the newly announced Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 made it surprisingly easy to pull myself out of bed two hours before sunrise so that I would make it to E3 on time.

To avoid L.A. traffic, Eric and I had decided to use two forms of transportation that were new to me: the train and the bus. The latter form of public transportation was by no means a high-class experience, which I’m sure the hobo sleeping in the back could attest to, but after that slightly dirty experience, we had finally made our way to the Los Angeles Convention Center, home of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Upon entering the huge building, we promptly made our way to the registration room to inform the staff of our presence and to receive our press badges. Much to my surprise, the badge came attached to a Nintendo lanyard, which featured all of their current systems, including the Wii. To some, this item was simply a way to hang their badge around their neck, but to me it was a precursor to the amazing day that was ahead.

After a short wait, which included a complimentary breakfast and free gaming magazines, we finally made our way into the main hall. The media was allowed into the convention an hour early, so we left the majority of the crowd waiting outside and headed directly for the Nintendo booth.

Unlike most game demos at E3, there was an additional line just to be able to see the Wiis, which Nintendo had enclosed in their own mini-convention. We quickly lined up for a wait that lasted another hour-and-a-half, but at least we were kept entertained. Nintendo had hired multiple people to be displayed on screens on the wall and converse with attendees via a webcam-type setup. That was an interesting enough experience, but as we approached the last screen before the entrance, we were greeted by a familiar voice.

“It’s-a-me, Mario,” we heard Charles Martinet, the voice of many famous Nintendo characters, say. Though we technically did not meet him in person, it was a welcome surprise to be able to converse with the popular actor.

By this point, the media’s extra hour had expired and the remainder of the crowd was allowed in, resulting in a mad-dash to Nintendo’s booth. Luckily, only a few gamers were trampled in the stampede, but the high interest in the Wii had made the line to enter exceed four hours for the majority of the convention.

Shortly after witnessing this crazed entrance, we were finally allowed in. This whole experience was what I imagine entering a popular nightclub would be like. As we were finally granted access to the inside, V.I.P.s were greeted by the bouncers and let inside without any wait. Our senses were bombarded with music turned to 11 and flashing strobe lights sure to cause seizures. Celebrities had their own, roped off, section, where they could relax without having to rub elbows with the commoners. Of course, the whole disco delusion disappeared once I remembered that everyone was here to play video games.

After making our way through displays of the Wii Remote and various conceptual controller shells, including the Zapper, we reached what we had been waiting for: Wii game demos.

Metroid Prime 3 was the closest of the big-name titles, so we queued up to experience the game before the line grew any longer. While we waited, many of us took turns on the adjacent, line-less, WarioWare: Smooth Moves. When I finally had a chance with the game, I eagerly slipped on the precautionary wrist strap and began following the wacky on-screen commands. My first experience with the Wii saw me pumping up a balloon, shaking hands with a Nintendog, and doing the hula.

I returned to the Metroid Prime 3 line, not exactly sure why I was so willing to do such embarrassing activities with a large group of people watching me. As we drew closer to the demo of the first-person adventure game, my focus changed to watching others trying to cope with the controls. This learning experience seemed to help as I finally got my hands on the game and was able to adjust rather quickly to the intuitive, yet initially confusing controls. Unfortunately, the line behind me had grown to walkway-blocking length, so the Nintendo staff had decided to shorten the demo time. Though I was unable to reach the climactic boss fight at the end, the few minutes I had played of the demo had left me enthusiastically awaiting the final game.

After leaving the crowded Metroid demo area, I began to explore the rest of Nintendo’s Wii exhibit. Unfortunately, I could not find the Super Mario Galaxy demo. I began growing concerned that Nintendo had opted to only show the game behind closed doors to select individuals. Since I could not find the highly anticipated Mario game demo, I decided to jump in line for Nintendo’s new racer, Excite Truck. Much like Metroid, this game had a learning curve as I adjusted to the new control scheme, but by the time my race had come to a finish, I was impressed with the unique method of steering.

Luckily, I had spotted the Mario demo while waiting in line for Excite Truck. The game demos continued around another turn, and the demo I sought was in the corner of this region. I willingly waited another hour to experience Mario’s galactic adventure, while Eric chose to try some of the other games like Wii Sports and, his personal favorite, the Japan-only SD Gundam: G Breaker.

Much like with the Metroid demo, the Nintendo staff had decided that the line for Mario Galaxy was too long, so the length of the demo should be shortened for those playing the game…beginning with me. Luckily, the woman working this particular demo was kind of enough to see that I was disappointed with this decision, so she allowed me to reach one of the three possible ends to the demo as long as I hurried.

Since I knew I had to rush, I was concerned that I would be unable to adjust to the game like I had in the previous games. Fortunately, Mario Galaxy’s controls came naturally - a testament to the game’s superior design. I forged my way through the game’s breathtaking environments, areas I would be unable to experience again until Super Mario Galaxy’s release in late 2007, and eventually reached one of the end-level bosses; a huge mechanical character that had to be scaled to find its weak-point.

After this awe-inspiring finale to my Wii experience, Eric and I decided to inspect the rest of the convention. There were some fun times to be had at the rest of the show. The DS had a very strong showing with many new games to be played. I also attempted to have a conversation with the Japanese-speaking composer Hajime Wakai as he watched my experience with his most recent project Star Fox: Command. Even some of the non-Nintendo games being showcased offered some fun times. Despite this, everywhere I went, I heard people talking about the Wii. It was obvious that this year’s E3 was all about Nintendo’s new console.

At the end of the day, we exited the convention center and started our trek back home. I knew that today’s activities were experiences that I would remember for years to come. As I sat down on the train, I was relieved to get off my feet. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning and standing all day had made me unbelievably tired. I knew that my exciting day would be ended by an hour-long train ride, but at least I had a bunch of gaming magazines to read.


The giant sign greeted attendees from the street


Charles Martinet, best known for being the voice of Mario, chatted with those waiting in line


The first sight upon entering the Wii booth


Nintendo displayed an early version of the Wii Zapper


A view of the DS Bar from the outskirts of the Nintendo booth


Thanks to Eric Iberri for the above photos!

Random Thoughts on Wii's Upcoming Releases

Wii owners have had a surprisingly large amount of top-tier titles come from Nintendo in the short time since the system’s launch. In less than a year-and-a-half, we’ve been fortunate enough to experience new entries in the Zelda, Mario, Paper Mario, Metroid and Smash Bros. series. If everything goes as planned, Mario Kart can be added to that list come the end of April. While Nintendo’s urgency to release an update to every one of their blockbuster series has meant great fun for gamers, it does leave one question. What’s next?

A quick glance at Nintendo’s upcoming releases hints that they don’t want you to know the answer to that question. At least, not yet. With the exception of Disaster: Day of Crisis, Nintendo has no announced projects after the May 19 release of Wii Fit. In a recent interview with GameTrailers TV, NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the lineup of games for the latter half of 2008 will be announced at E3 in July. That means that, for at least a couple of months, the energy of Nintendo fans, which is usually reserved for anticipating upcoming releases, will instead be spent on speculating the possibilities (because, we all know, the energy of gamers can never be used to do anything even remotely productive). Consider these random thoughts the beginning of that speculation.

The most reasonable place to start would be Nintendo’s second-tier franchises that appear most likely to see a Wii edition, based on their recent successes. Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Star Fox, Wave Race and 1080 Snowboarding seem like the most obvious choices for Nintendo to work with.

Of these likely titles, Animal Crossing seems to be the most definite. A second sequel to the cult hit has been hinted at often, but never officially confirmed by the Big N. It is speculated that the game would take full advantage of the Wii Connect 24 online service to allow visits to friends’ towns and interact with them in real-time. It is even possible that the series could take a slightly more MMO approach and allow dozens of people to live within the same village.

An update to the Pikmin series, like the Animal Crossing series, feels more like a question of when than if. Shortly after the Wii’s unique functions were revealed, series-creator Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned that the pointing abilities of the Wii Remote would work well with the RTS style play of the first two games. With this newly added functionality, the next version of Pikmin could allow for more complex levels and strategies.

Though the series has been the subject of a certain amount of ridicule ever since its first GameCube edition, the Star Fox series is another obvious choice for Nintendo to bring to the Wii. Thanks to the identity crisis these games have been having recently, there is no telling what genre the game would be. While the third-person action, adventure and strategy genres lent each of the last three editions a bit of their own unique appeal, I think that it is safe to say that most gamers would prefer a return to the series’ space-shooting roots. Motion controls could add the extra bit of individuality that the series always tries to give each of its games, without venturing into an even more offbeat genre. After all, do we really want a Star Fox music game?

Surprisingly, there has been very little speculation for a new Wave Race. However, it seems like an easy solution to help fill the usual gaming void in the late summer months. The Wii Remote can effortlessly mimic the handlebars on a wave runner, and the game would not require the precision movements of car driving games that have put many gamers off of this control method.

An update to 1080 Snowboarding is a distinct possibility, thanks in part to another one of the Wii’s controller options: the upcoming Wii Balance Board. Those who have experimented with the contraption claim that it could translate very naturally to a snowboarding game, much like it has in the skiing mini-game in Wii Fit. However, a full game release for this title may be pushed aside in favor of a new medium. A 1080, or similar snowboarding game, seems likely to be considered for a release on WiiWare, with additional levels available as downloadable content via Nintendo’s approaching Pay and Play service.

Though it makes the most sense to consider Nintendo’s more recent franchises when contemplating their upcoming releases, it is much more entertaining to imagine the possibilities of the company resurrecting some of their long-forgotten classics. An update to Kid Icarus, Mario Paint, or even Duck Hunt would be sure to bring a smile to any Nintendo gamer’s face.

A new version of Kid Icarus, which is heavily rumored to have been in development for a while, would be the perfect triple-A title to release during 2008’s holiday season. The series’ archery-driven action could be developed into many different styles of gameplay. A Metroid Prime-style first-person adventure could work for the game, as could a Sin and Punishment-style rails shooter, or even a mixture of the two. All that matters is that the game, if it eventually is made, not squander its potential to be the next Nintendo developed powerhouse.

On the complete other end of the gaming spectrum is Mario Paint. The series made the leap to the failed Japan-only Nintendo Disk Drive system in the form of the Mario Artist series. These games let players create a number of different types of artwork, including polygonal 3-D models. A Wii version of the game could include all of the ideas from the Mario Artist series that most gamers never had the chance to experience. However, the core of the game would be the painting mode, which would benefit greatly from using the Wii Remote as a virtual paint brush. Additionally, the Wii’s online capabilities would make it easy to share your masterpieces with friends at any time.

The final game in this speculative piece is probably the least likely to happen, but a new Duck Hunt game would be a notable release for anybody growing up in the eighties. Almost every person from this era has fond memories of bringing the Zapper right up to the television screen to shoot ducks without aiming, and growing angry at your in-game dog when he laughed at you for missing one. The game would require a huge overhaul to give it enough depth for a modern-day console release, though. Giving the game an adventure backdrop with a story about the hunter’s participation in duck-hunting tournaments could do the trick. Or, perhaps, the basic trick-shooting gameplay would be better suited to a lower profile WiiWare release. Either way, I would be happy, just as long as we can finally shoot that darn dog.

I’d like to end this article by opening up the speculation to you readers. What Nintendo games would you like to see updated for release later this year? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Review

Some of you readers may have been wondering when I planned on posting the review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl that I have been teasing you with since the inception of this blog. Well, here it is. Though this piece of literary brilliance is, admittedly, late in coming, I have a good excuse: I’ve been having far too much fun with the game to pull myself away long enough to write an article about it.

For Nintendo fans, a huge part of Brawl’s fun is discovering every bit of fan-service that the game has to offer. Every facet of the game is oozing with nostalgia, and finding every bit of Nintendo history hiding on the disc can quickly become an obsession. As in Brawl’s predecessor, Super Smash Bros. Melee, there are over 500 trophies to collect, each including a descriptive paragraph detailing many of the characters from the company’s rich history. However, the collectibles do not stop there. During play you can also find or unlock various music discs.

Each disc unlocks a new musical track from almost all of Nintendo’s big hits, and even some you may have never heard before. This music ranges from a medley of classic NES game songs to fully orchestrated versions of more modern music. Making these tracks even more desirable is the customization that they offer. As your song collection grows, you can change the rate of frequency in which the songs play within the levels, allowing you to hear your favorites often and your least favorites never.

Rounding out the list of new collectibles are over 700 stickers, each containing promotional artwork for even the most obscure Nintendo titles.

It may seem odd that I spent the first 275 words of my review detailing the game’s many collectibles without even mentioning how the game plays, but there is a reason for this. Brawl feels as if its primary mission is to give a giant high-five to the Nintendo enthusiasts around the world. Everything from said collectibles to some very special unlockable characters and stages do just that. Heck, the game even includes a list of every Nintendo published game release.

However, what makes Smash Bros. Brawl truly special is that even without a single recognizable Nintendo character, it would still be one of the most fun gaming experiences available on any console.

The core experience of playing Brawl is very similar to that of Melee. Two to four characters square off in a frantic battle with controls that are simple enough for most “expanded audience” players to understand, but with enough depth for the more experienced gamers to develop really complex strategies. Of course, even the best strategies aren’t of much help when a Nintendog pops out of an assist trophy - which makes a character appear that can either help or hinder your gameplay - and blocks your view of the screen.

This unpredictable nature is what makes Smash Bros. such a special series. It manages to take the best of both fighting and party games and mesh them together to create a game that can even the playing field for all players, without hurting the integrity of more hardcore matches. Brawl continues this tradition and improves upon it with fun new items, such as final smashes - which allow a player to unleash a character-specific finishing move - and the aforementioned assist trophies, as well as interesting new levels like the Wario Ware stage, in which miniature challenges will appear and reward success with an upgrade. There is nothing quite like fighting a frantic battle and witnessing everyone stop moving because a “red light, green light” style challenge appears.

While the hallmark of Smash Bros. has always been hectic matches with a group of friends, fans of single-player experiences will find a great deal of content to keep them satisfied for quite some time. The most satisfying single-player mode is the Subspace Emissary, a side-scrolling adventure featuring almost all of the game’s characters. This is a fairly lengthy quest that features fun boss fights and a huge collection of cinemas.

Of course, if you aren’t in the mood for a story mode, the Brawl still has plenty to offer solitary gamers. The Event mode tasks players with completing a match under specific conditions, such as defeating 50 enemies in a set time frame. Plus, players could try to beat their best score on one of the target tests, where the objective is to hit all the targets within an obstacle course. Also, lonely gamers can get their multi-player kicks by playing friends or strangers in online matches. Clearly there is a variety of ways to play Brawl, and I haven’t even mentioned half of the modes (both for space and to prevent spoilers).

This abundance of ways to play is a large reason why the game is so fun. It allows you to play the way you want to, and before you can tire of one mode, you are off enjoying the next. No two gamers are likely to play exactly the same way. In my first five hours of Brawl, I played through the Classic mode with one character, challenged the target test with a few characters, played through a couple of levels in the Subspace Emissary, played some on-line battles, spent some time enjoying the various trophies and music tracks I had unlocked, then played through the Classic mode with a different character before finishing off with a half hour of the Event mode. When my friend came over to partake in some multi-player battles, I discovered that he had spent most of his time working through the Subspace Emissary. We represented two very different, but ultimately very rewarding, ways of playing Brawl.

Fortunately, Brawl does not have any major problems. However, when playing a game as thoroughly as this game encourages, you are bound to find some issues with it. For one, controls are the same in regular battles as they are in the Subspace Emissary, and they are not as tight as they could have been had they been designed for a platforming game. Also, it would have been nice if each character had an individual target test obstacle to complete, as it was in Melee, rather than the five different courses for all the characters to share. And, of course, fans of Playstation 3 and Xbox 360’s online services will be disappointed with Brawl’s limited online matches.

While Brawl would have greatly benefited from addressing these issues, it is difficult to fault the game for a few nitpicky problems. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game of great ambition that succeeds on almost every level. It may have taken more than six years, but Nintendo has finally given its fans a reason to stop playing Melee.

Score: 10/10

Brawl Breaks Nintendo Record

Everyone knew Super Smash Bros. Brawl was destined to be a big hit, which is why it should come as no surprise to find that the title has officially been confirmed to be Nintendo of America’s fastest-selling video game. More than 874,000 copies were sold on March 9, the game’s launch date. As of this Monday morning, more than 1.4 million units have been sold.

The series’ previous installment, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, was the system’s best-selling title and could have been an even bigger hit had anyone actually owned the console it played on.

Despite rumblings that Brawl may be the final installment in the Smash Bros. series, these sales numbers make it almost painfully obvious that this is probably not the case. If there is one thing Nintendo knows how to do, it is milk a cash cow for all it’s worth, and Smash Bros. is mooing pretty loudly.

Expect a full review of the record-breaking Super Smash Bros. Brawl very soon.

P.S. Sorry this post is so short, but my game’s on pause.

Mario Kart Wii Racing to Stores Late April

After months of speculation, Nintendo officially confirmed today that Mario Kart Wii is set to release in the United States on April 27. This means that North American gamers will have to wait until after their counterparts in Japan, UK and even Australia gain access to the game in early April.

Mario Kart Wii is scheduled to borrow some concepts from the similarly blandly-titled Mario Kart DS. This includes online play and the inclusion of 16 classic tracks from previous entries in the series. Unfortunately, a recent article in Nintendo Power stated that the Mission Mode would not be making a return in this iteration.

The new addition to the series will also be bringing some new features to the race. For the first time in series history, the number of racers will change from eight to 12, making the famously frenzied races even more hectic.

Additionally, if you were never a huge fan of Mario characters or karts, you now have an alternative to both of those issues with the inclusion of bikes and the ability to play as your very own Mii.

Also, following in the footsteps of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii will allow for complete customization of how the game is controlled. Four control options are available; the GameCube controller, Classic Controller, Wii-mote and Nunchuk, or the included Wii Wheel. The latter is a holder for the Wii-mote, similar to the Wii Zapper, and is intended to replicate the feeling of actually using a steering wheel.

Expect a review of Mario Kart Wii shortly after its release date.

Game Boy's Forgotten Gems

For the third straight post, I am unveiling a new series of articles that will continue through May. These “Forgotten Gems” articles will examine three of Nintendo’s more obscure - but awesome - games. A different system will be highlighted in each of these pieces. This week, let’s take a closer look at the forgotten gems of Nintendo‘s original handheld wonder.

BALLOON KID

In the first few years of the Game Boy’s life-cycle, Nintendo was keen on releasing sequels to some of their favorite NES titles. These years saw the release of well-remembered classics like Metroid 2: Return of Samus and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Less remembered, however, is the sequel to the relatively obscure classic Balloon Fight.

Balloon Kid retains the simple gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. The player’s on-screen avatar is held afloat by a small group of balloons, and well-timed button presses will keep the character floating to avoid obstacles. However, the original’s Joust inspired play is left for multiplayer bouts, while the main game is more reminiscent of Balloon Fight’s sub-game Balloon Trip. In the process, Nintendo created a unique forced-scrolling, story based platformer.

Balloon Kid’s protagonist Alice sets out on a quest to rescue her younger brother, who just happened to be carried away by a large grouping of balloons (never mind the Cold War; I’m pretty sure 99 Luftballons is about these sinister kidnappers). Her quest takes her through a variety of lands, in which she must evade everything from birds to camp fires. Balloons, left as a trail by her brother, serve as collectibles.

While Balloon Kid is a very fun game, it is easy to see why it never really gathered a fan base. The childish characters and artwork likely turned away fans of the original Balloon Fight. Additionally, the game has a relatively steep learning curve which surely frustrated younger players that took to the game’s colorful box-art. However, Nintendo fans with some patience and a tolerance for cartoony characters should thoroughly enjoy this title.

SOLAR STRIKER

Nintendo is not particularly known for creating shoot-em-ups, but as they were first breaking into the arcade gaming scene, many of their creations belonged to this genre. Game historians will likely remember that one such game, Radar Scope, was expected to be their first breakout hit in the US; at least until it fared horribly in focus testing. The company ended up using Radar Scope’s cabinets to house Donkey Kong, effectively ending their interest in shooters and creating a tradition of character-based action games. From there, Nintendo never looked back…well, except for a short period of time when they created the next forgotten gem, Solar Striker.

In addition to being Nintendo’s last vertical shooter, Solar Striker also has the distinction of being one of the only games of its type that is actually fun on the Game Boy. The game play is slower than current-day shoot-em-ups, but well placed enemies and patterns make the game surprisingly addictive.

So, why was Solar Striker destined to be forgotten? Well, after the industry crash in the early 80s, shoot-em-ups have continuously struggled to find anything more than a niche market. This is especially true on the Game Boy, where puzzle games and platformers ruled. Still, this is a game that shows a different side of Nintendo, and gives us a hint of the types of games they would be making today had Radar Scope not floundered.

MOLE MANIA

In this intriguing action-puzzle game, you take charge of Muddy, an obviously-named Mole that is tasked with rescuing his wife and children from the evil farmer Jinbe. Each of the areas Muddy visits contain progressively harder brainteasers in which he must lead a heavy ball to the exit door in order to break it down and advance. Muddy maneuvers around the playing field by burrowing underground. However, the holes left by venturing under the terrain can hinder the movement of the ball, so every move matters, especially in the more complicated levels.

The game’s worlds have a similar, though more linear, feel as dungeons in early Legend of Zelda titles. In each area, Muddy’s immediate purpose is to find a way to open the door which leads to the next area. After working his way through all of the regions in the map, Muddy then encounters one of the many memorable bosses, such as a kangaroo that is bested by placing a tack under him when he jumps.

Most players will have a fun and challenging time just seeing Muddy through to the end of his quest, but there is incentive for more experienced players to keep playing after the end-credits. The game tallies a score for each world based on how many areas have been cleared and how many items have been found. Obtaining a perfect score on each of the worlds is half the fun of the game.

With everything Mole Mania had going for it, the game seems like it should be one of the Game Boy’s fondly remembered gems. Unfortunately, it suffered from bad timing. In America, it was released toward the end of the Game Boy’s lifespan, when few people paid the grey brick much interest. In Japan, Mole Mania was released shortly after Pokemon, so the only way it stood a chance of standing out in that country was if you played as a character named Muddychu or Moleimar.

Fortunately, the game plays as well now as it did then. Mole Mania comes highly recommended.

My SNES - A Nintendo Memoir

Before jumping right into this weekend’s feature story, I wanted to give a brief background on its origins. Unlike other articles you will see on this blog, this one was written a couple of years back in a Feature Writing class. Our assignment was to write a memory piece and the following is what I came up with. I enjoyed writing the article so much, that it became part of my inspiration for the creation of Nintendo Awesomeness, as well as a series of new memoir articles that are intended to be the hallmark of this blog.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please look forward to future additions to this series.

For the past seven years my Super Nintendo Entertainment System has brought me more joy than I could have ever asked for. I could never forget beating Super Metroid, or the first time I played Earthbound, after searching for the game for two years. Even more importantly, I will never, ever forget the day I finally laid my hands on my very own SNES. That day was Christmas morning of 1998. But in order to give my tale more meaning, allow me to begin in 1992.

My family bought a Sega Genesis that year. My parents informed my three brothers and myself that we could get a new 16-bit video game system. We were only able to choose one, however, so the debate of whether to get a Genesis or a SNES began. The deliberation did not take too long, though. My brothers really liked sports games; something that the Genesis had a lot of. That is basically what it came down to. I would like to say that I had a part in the decision, but I was only six and my opinion on the Gulf War probably meant more to them than my views on the console war.

So at the end of the day, we welcomed the Genesis into our loving home. Accompanying the system were two or three sports games for my brothers and the pack-in copy of Sonic the Hedgehog for me. I won’t lie, I loved the Genesis and I still do. I have many fond memories of playing Sonic and Revenge of Shinobi, and requesting the aid of my brother to get me through difficult sections of the games. For years, I never really thought about the SNES or the games for it. I was perfectly content with the system I had and never really desired a replacement. However, that changed in1995 when I became friends with a Nintendo fan.

The Nintendo fan and I would spend a lot of time at school talking about video games, and even more time playing them at his house after school. As a Nintendo enthusiast, he had a large library of NES and SNES games, many of which I had never even heard of. Needless to say, discovering classics like The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Donkey Kong Country was a welcome surprise. As much as I looked forward to playing his newest games and reading about upcoming titles in his latest issue of Nintendo Power, it never really occurred to me that I could own these games as well.

By 1998, things were different. The Nintendo fan and I were no longer good friends, and the Genesis and SNES were no longer big names in the gaming world. The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 had been out for some time, providing gamers with a new era of gaming. 3-D games like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider were ruling the market, making the sixteen-bit systems of the early nineties obsolete. Stores were beginning to clear out the old games, including a local video store, which had used Genesis and SNES games marked down to two for ten dollars. I only took interest in the Genesis sales since it was the only one of the two systems that I owned.

By October of that year, all thoughts of owning a Super Nintendo had been long-gone from my mind, which is exactly why I never expected to find one in the stores while looking for Nintendo 64 games for my brother. Nintendo had recently released a remodeled version of the SNES in the attempt to cash in on the system one last time. Apparently it was not too successful of an attempt because these SNES model 2s were selling for the extreme value price of $30. I thought “surely my parents will buy it for me now.” I thought wrong. Despite the low price point, my parents were insistent that I did not need another video game system, especially a defunct one.

After a month of begging for the system and getting the same negative results, I came to the realization that it was almost December and Christmas was right around the corner. I made up my Christmas list as soon as possible, placing the SNES as item number one. If memory serves me correctly, it was also numbers three, five, seven, 14 and 15. I thought for sure that come the 25th, I would be sitting under the tree, opening my very own Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

After weeks of impatient anticipation, Christmas morning arrived. My tradition of waking up far too early continued and, as usual, my family gave in to my nagging after a few short minutes and got up as well. After looking through the stockings and passing out all of the gifts, we began to open presents. My first gift was a Genesis game bought from the two for ten dollars sale. My second was as well. So was my third, and my fourth. With every Genesis game that I opened I grew happier, but I also slowly began to realize that I probably would not be getting a Super Nintendo. I figured that there was no way my parents would buy me a new system when I had all of these games to play. I looked forward to playing my new copies of Battletoads and Double Dragon, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition and Virtual Bart, and as I opened up my twelfth Genesis game, I became content with the fact that the rest of my gifts would probably be more Genesis games.

Just as I had come to peace with that fact, I picked up a slightly heavier gift. I slowly tore off the wrapping paper to reveal the words “Entertainment System.” Realizing what I was unwrapping, I quickly finished the job to reveal my very own SNES. Without hesitation, I got up and started running around my house like a crazed weasel filled with excitement. After I calmed down, I finished opening my presents. I was not prepared for all of the games I would receive. Classics like Super Punch Out!!, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Star Fox and Mega Man X were all in my possession, and I could not have been happier.

As soon as everyone finished opening their gifts, I proceeded to set up my Super Nintendo. With a little help from my brother, I got the system up and running in just a few minutes. I knew that I wanted to try all of my games before I really got involved in a single one, so I put in Super Punch Out!! I quickly learned how to dodge attacks and provide offense of my own: Boxing had never been so fun. After defeating the first two characters (both by TKO), I was torn about what to do. I didn’t want to stop playing, but I knew that if I did, I could try out another game. I decided to stop Super Punch Out!! and play Star Fox, which provided the exact same problem. I did eventually try every single SNES game that had been given to me, and as soon as I did, I went back and tried them all over again.

Unfortunately, my game playing had to come to a temporary pause after a few hours as I was called away to partake in my family’s traditional Christmas dinner. As much as I enjoyed home-made lasagna, I could not help but think about my newly acquired games. With each forkful I stuffed into my mouth, a new thought would enter my mind: “I wonder what the second level of Star Fox is like” or “I bet I can beat that boss in Mega Man X next time I try.”
By the time I was able to get back to my SNES, it had been a whole two hours, but I went right back to where I left off. Now if I could only decide which game to play next.