Last month, Electronic Gaming Monthly, in celebration of its 200th issue, released its list of the 200 Greatest Videogames of All Time. I have always loved videogames, and I have always loved lists. When the American Film Institute came out with their list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, I had check it out. That list led me to rent Casablanca, which I must agree, is a pretty great movie. One of my favorite books in my library (and if you knew the size of my library, you'd know that was quite an honor) is a work by Irving Chernev called "The Golden Dozen: The Twelve Greatest Chess Players of All Time". It not only lists the great masters, but gives the notations for at least 10 of each one's finest games. It confirmed my belief that the man I have patterned my own style of play after (although I fear I am far too aggressive for his tastes) was the greatest of all time. His name? Jose Raoul Capablanca, a GENIUS if I ever saw one. I have studied a few of the masters (not all, at least not yet) and Capa's style is so lucid and clear and elegant and unstoppable --Man!!
But I am here to talk about videogames, so I must end my digression. I remember EGM's 150th issue (over 4 years ago) where they put out a list of the top 100. Super Metroid took the top honors, and number 2 was Tetris. I must say, I had no problem with that. SuperMetroid was (and still is) the most atmospheric game of all time. The music, the visuals, the layout, the story, the ending -every aspect was superb. And this game was from an earlier era, before all the fancy graphics and professional voices actors videogames employ today. If you haven't played (and beaten) Super Metroid, I pity your soul!! And as for Tetris, what else needs to be said? It is an awesome game, a game even nongamers could pick up and embrace. It wasn't the first game I ever mastered (that would probably be either Space Invaders or Asteroids), but by the time Tetris came along, Nintendo had created Nintendo Power magazine to unify the Nintendo nation. If you posted a high score, you could take a picture of the TV screen and send it in, and they would publish the highest ones. Some people would videotape themselves playing through a game (I remember doing this for Kid Icarus and for Super Contra) as indisputable proof of their skills. Well, with Tetris, I routinely posted scores among the highest in the nation. This did a wonderful thing for me -it made me feel invincible. As a young loner and social misfit, it was good to excel at
something! I knew that anyone I played against in Tetris would lose, and that boosted my confidence and self esteem. I couldn't dance (still can't), didn't wear nice clothes, wasn't popular, didn't excel in school, and was generally persona non grata in junior high and high school, but I was all-world when it came to Tetris. That was something that got me through. When Street Fighter came out, it was the same story. The only person I ever played who could hold me was my brother. His character was Guile, and mine was Ryu, the brooding loner. I found myself relating to Ryu because in the ending, after he wins the tournament, he doesn't even show up for the ceremony to be celebrated. I can totally relate! Actually, now that I think about it, my favorite character was actually Chun Li, a teenage girl. But she lacked the power of her male counterparts, and so against strong competition, I would switch to Ryu. Going from place to place and beating all comers gave me a sense of self worth I didn't know I was lacking. So much for videogames being a waste of time.
Videogames have helped me develop the one trait that my wife can't stand, but probably would hate even more if I didn't have it: stubborness. Those old school games, man, they were tough. A game like Ninja Gaiden, you fought all the way through that game and you got manhandled by the boss, you started over. Period. There were no savepoints right outside his door! There were no unlimited continues! It was hard. These gamers of today are spoiled. I would play those old games and be frustrated when I got to places I couldn't get pass, but I would dig in and just keep attacking. You got 3 continues in Ninja Gaiden, and if you weren't good enough to make it to at least the fourth level without using a single one, you were setting yourself up to get your feelings hurt. So you had to have your stuff together. Your stuff had to be tight. And if it wasn't, you died. Period. And most likely, those sadistic programmers who designed the game would have someone on the screen taunting you. Ah, the memories. The point is, I took those experiences of being repeatedly denied and coming back until I was victorious and applied it to other areas of life. I am the kind of person who will do something 10, 20, 50, 100 times until I get it to work. Most people don't have the patience for that. I say, the probably never played Rygar or Blaster Master.
On top of the new list sits Super Mario Brothers. Ah, the memories. This is the game that really birthed the gaming industry. not Pac-Man, not Donkey Kong, not Pong. Super Mario ruled the arcade and the living room. I still have an original NES with some guys. I have my Super NES hooked up in the living room at this moment. I am truly devoted to gaming, even if I don't have the time to spend on it like I did in my youth. But the cool thing is, looking over the list, seeing games jump out at me like photos from an old yearbook, evoking sweet memories -like Robotron 2084, a game that actually brought my father and I (briefly) closer. He loved that game, and so did I. I remember him taking me down to 40th Street when I would go out to Philly to see him in the summer. He would get about 10 dollars and convert it to quarters, and I would look at the mountain of silver in his hands and think, "Wow, my dad is the richest man in the world!!!" He would give me and my brother a generous amount of quarters, and we would have a blast. I would go against him and get massacre'd every time, and I loved it. My dad NEVER, EVER "let" me win. How was that going to make me a man? Does this cruel world give you any breaks? Hey, I think he was on to something. I love you, Dad. I'm digressing. I'm like Kafka today. This is a huge post!! Man.
Anyway, seeing games of pleasure past got me all nostalgic, and I have been going back through the ones on the list the I still have. I beat Super Mario Bros. and SMB 2 within the last two weeks. My 3 three children watched most of my sessions, and were in awe. I let them play, and they died repeatedly. I told y'all the old school was no joke!! You gotsta BRING IT!! It was very cool to relive history, find hidden stuff buried in my mind, be reminded of how simple and enjoyable life can be. Sometimes, when I slow down for a minute, I actually feel like I've got it made. I can find joy in the little things. Finding Kuribo's shoe, or the Raccoon Tail, or a First Place Killer can bring a smile to my lips. Who knew.
