I have a Wii, and recently went on a buying spree for some old NES, Sega, and Super Nintendo games. I picked up the original Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 1-3, a few SNES games, and one of the most difficult games I've ever played, Fantasy Zone.
Fantasy Zone is an old game for the Sega Master System (before the Genesis) and was one of the first games I ever played. To this day, I still can't beat the game. If you have a Wii (or an emulator on your PC) I challenge you to try it... it'll make you rage...
One of the fun things I noticed was the wonder of 8-bit games on a 40" Hi-Def television. I was playing Super Mario Brothers when I noticed this:
I paused the game.
"Wait a second, is that little fucker flipping me off?"
And what do you know, he was...
Instead of being sincere and telling me to go to the next level, he's saying "BAHAHAHA, you got PUNKED, bro! Try again!"
That mushroom bastard...
What's funny is I'm playing these games with no delay or interruption. I remember being 8/9/10 years old and having to blow into the NES cartridges to make sure all the connectors were free of dust. Then insert the game. Hit power. Wait. Didn't work? Pull out, blow some more, try again. With the Wii, it's almost.... anticlimactic...
Half the fun of playing the games was getting your machine to work. It made you feel like an engineer, saying "There. *I* fixed it" when nobody else could...
Oh well. Saved the princess. Now off to Hyrule next, to see if I remember all the hidden things in Zelda. Huzzah!!!
Oh sweet sweet 8bit graphics. I love me some NES games. I rescued an old NES console from some old ladies basement once upon a time and soldered the power cables back together just so I could play the vintage cartridges on more time.
ReplyDeleteThen I learned the magic of emulating & ROMS-- a hacked PSP with a memory card with every NES, SNES and SEGA game ever is my everlasting road trip companion. The graphics may not be up to today's standards but they still rule imo. <* /nerd>
Man, poor Mario. After fighting off monsters and jumping over pits of lava, he's greeted with a big mushroom that just flips him the bird. Maybe someone should tell him that a woman he's been chasing after for 25 years and still hasn't gotten probably isn't the best dating prospect.
ReplyDeleteYou are so going to love my son's blog about old-school gaming. http://yesteryeargaming.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteIt's not so weird he's flipping you off, but more that he's wearing a diaper. Kinky lil toadstool.
ReplyDeleteThe old school games were often impossible to beat. I defy anyone to claim they beat Contra without using the Konami code.
Ahh I just fell down a nostalgia rabbit hole.
Sometimes for fun I'll still blow in the Wii's slot, for old times sake. And yeah, I know that sounds dirty.
ReplyDeleteThe most difficult game I've ever played is Ninja Gaiden - Black. I eventually beat it, but only with the help of guides.
ReplyDeleteOH I LOVEEEED Super Mario and when I was pregnant with my middle son I ruled Zelda. To the point I bought poster boards and hand drew out the maps for each level of the game. Oh yeah baby I had all three ways to beat it mapped out in my living room. I went after them again when we got our Wii and still play them. My kids love them as much as I do..
ReplyDeleteOh man I LOVE LOVE LOVE my old 8-bit games. I still have my original NES (the only gaming console I've ever had - sorry guys but I'm a superior PC gaming snob, hahaha). And let's face it, original NES is by far the best gaming experience EVER! Go go old school.
ReplyDeleteI had a point. What was it?
Oh! I also have a simulator for my PC and yes, it is a bit anti-climactic but at least I don't have to stress out over whether I'll get to play my game today haha. Cheers.
Oh, I might be older than everyone here, not sure, but I used to play Atari...ugghh...missile command. I broke a million easy, no sweat...oh yeah.
ReplyDeleteOldschool games were so well designed, they could make even simple platforming an engrossing experience.
ReplyDelete@Matthew
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I know Ninja Gaiden is because of The Wizard with Fred Savage. lol
@Lost
I played Mario (1,2,3) until I had bruised thumbs. Awesome.
New games are essentially the same gameplay-wise as the old classics. Just with more advanced graphics.
ReplyDeleteDear sir,
ReplyDeleteI beg to disagree with your interpretation of Mushroom's hand gestures. Clearly, Mushroom is giving Mario a common Western hand signal of encouragement, the double thumbs-up.
It is also a common idiom in the Nintendo world of "one-up", the green mushroom. In the color scheme the double opposite of red is green, therefore, Mushroom is merely helping Mario realize, subtly, all that he can achieve.
Sincerely,
The Ministry of r/gaming
I laughed for a good five minutes when you said the part about the "little fucker flipping me off" haha
ReplyDeleteI remember Fantasy Zone and the hours of frustration that I lost from my life. Strangely that I had a lot more staying power back then...these days I tend to give up and trade it in for the next new title
ReplyDeletethe double bird... what a troll toad is
ReplyDeletehahaha, that's so funny about putting it on the big screen and the little guy looks like he's flipping you off. I actually know what you mean about keeping the old school games around though. I never played any video games since MarioKart. I miss those little races.
ReplyDeleteP.S. If you don't like the denim with wiskers, skip them. Or get a couple H&M pairs in different styles if you're getting talked into them. hehe :)
~Dale
My husband and I own a bar and we keep an old school Nintendo there with a box of games. When a game doesn't work, and you're trying to make it work, all of the bar patrons suddenly become a game show audience - 50 people all yelling " Shake it! You have to blow in it! Press power and restart at the same time! "
ReplyDeleteWe wouldn't give it up for the world.