~click for larger version~
......well, not QUITE like the above, but they have one that is very similar. You guessed it - I'm talking about Nintendo. This one is long because I have a lot to say on the subject, so if you don't like video games, I suggest you skip today's post.
When I was a child, there were many times we would visit friends and family throughout the year. I remember one of my cousins, five years older than me, loved to play this game called "Super Mario Bros. 3" on a Nintendo Entertainment System. Or......maybe she was playing "Super Mario World" on an SNES; my memory is fuzzy in that regard. Maybe she had both. Regardless, this was my first introduction to the world of video games. I still have faint memories of the classic music playing as my cousin cruised through Bowser's castle. It was through our friends and family that my brother and I became aware of this kind of gaming, and we loved trying it out every chance we'd get. At our cousin's, we'd play Mario and a volleyball game that I think was Kings of the Beach. At our mom's friend's place, we'd play Duck Hunt with that curious orange and gray gun. A little later from those years we made friends who had a Super Nintendo, on which I remember playing the original Mortal Kombat and Jurassic Park, and one who had a Sega Genesis, where I was first introduced to the Sonic games, respectively. We were fascinated by these games and wanted to play more. But at the time we could only play when we went to visit someone who owned them. We did, however, own several games for the PC, but these were old DOS games that I could go into a whole separate discussion about, so I won't bring them up here.
My first gaming console I could call my own was a handheld - a GameBoy, given to me by my parents. With it I got my first personal experience playing as the famous Mario in Super Mario Land, and I contracted the fever known as the Pokemon craze (which hadn't yet taken off) through my copy of Pokemon Blue. The GameBoy and its many reincarnations has always been a staple of my gaming collection, but my real big step into the world of gaming didn't happen until one birthday in 1997 (I think - again, my memory is a bit fuzzy here). My brother and I knew we'd be getting it for our birthday - we had asked for it. One day, not long before that birthday, we came home from school, and as we entered the house, we saw it. Our parents had decided to give it to us early - a Nintendo 64. They were playing Mario Kart 64 when we walked in the door - they were curious, too! The Nintendo 64 was beloved in my household, and I still own one to this day. On it I played many classic games I still love such as the aforementioned Mario Kart, Super Mario 64, Starfox 64, Cruisin' USA, Goldeneye 007, Banjo-Kazooie (my favorite underrated platformer of all time), both Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (my favorite Zelda game of all time), Kirby, F-Zero, Donkey Kong (technically Diddy Kong Racing, but I file that under Donkey Kong), and a host of others. The fun never seemed to stop in those days - it seemed like every time we got tired of one game Nintendo was releasing a new one with completely different, wonderful worlds to explore and play in. I was aware of the Sega consoles (which were beginning to die out anyway), and the looming menace of the Playstation; but to me, video games were nothing but Nintendo, Nintendo, Nintendo. At that time, I truly believed they were the pinnacle of entertainment.
After my experience with the N64, I was hooked. I was a thoroughbred Nintendo fanboy. So it came at no question that I had to have the next big Nintendo console, the Nintendo Gamecube. I also still own a Gamecube and will occasionally pop in a disc to power on some nostalgia of my teen gaming years. But gaming was never going to be the same for me again - my brother had already begun moving on from Nintendo, and soon was doing most of his gaming on the Playstation 2, and eventually the Playstation 3. Our enthusiasm for Nintendo would probably never get quite as high again after the release of the Nintendo Wii. I was so determined to get a Wii for my brother and I that I actually camped out on Black Friday to get one in a store that only had ten units to sell. By this time, the Xbox, Playstation, and the new age of PC games were dominating the world with stunning graphics; and I was discovering that my friends and those who I talked to about games didn't like Nintendo so much anymore. I realized that in the eyes of the masses, Nintendo was no longer the gaming juggernaut they once were - and since then I've felt very alone in my continued love for them. I find myself getting nervous whenever they do anything or whenever I want to get excited over a new game or console - because the majority of people I speak to about it will vehemently oppose Nintendo's actions and ridicule them. Soon, my own opinions were beginning to change.
I freely admit that my general taste in gaming has evolved. I've seen the library of games released for the Wii and the DS, and honestly, there are only a select few that I own. There isn't a whole lot being released currently by Nintendo that can keep my interest. So, over the last few years, I've become a PC gamer almost exclusively when it comes to current releases. In fact, I game a lot less than I used to - partly because of the trials and tribulations that come with PC gaming, partly because I'm an adult now and I'm trying to fill my life with more than just games. But I still keep Nintendo close to my heart; not in the same way I did before. Not as a hardcore fan, but as a lover of all games and out of respect and hope. Nintendo were the roots of my passion for video games; I respected them back then and I still respect them now, even though there's not much I want from them at this time. I want to continue to give them a chance because I still believe they're trying their hardest to come out with new and creative ideas, even if they don't always succeed. I seriously want to give the Nintendo 3DS a try someday, and I want to find out more about the Nintendo Wii-U slated for next year. I will continue to watch Nintendo closely and cheer them on for more success, but it's undeniable that my strongest love for Nintendo lies in their past. And it is my sincere hope that one day, just like Mario grabbing the top of the flagpole, I may see them reach that pinnacle again.
About the Picture:
For this image, I seriously debated whether it was better to draw Mikioi in the style of a character from the Mario universe, or draw him in my style wearing Mario's clothes. I tried the former, and I found the large nose to be a little too ridiculous, so I went with the latter. I designed the background after stage 1-1 in the original Super Mario Bros., including the odd little shapes and patterns in the bushes and ground, like you can see in this image. The Goomba is this guy, Kushiro (whom will also get introduced in a Pachi Profile soon). He's the only one of my main characters who is also sort of an animal/creature so it seemed fitting. I'm not sure why he's so scared - Miki's boot isn't that big!
Thanks for sticking around for the long one! Check back in this Friday for the final installment of my Nostalgia Week. I hope to see you there! :)
Great post! I like that you have been drawing your characters in unlikely scenarios. As you already know, I have a soft spot in my heart for video games. The Final Fantasy and Zelda series in particular left an impression on me (and continue to!). Looking forward to part three of your nostalgia posts.
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