Mario is my homeboy.

1080p? Wireless controllers? 120 gigabyte harddrive? Blu-Ray?

I will trade all that nonsense in for my Super Nintendo. Thanks.
There comes a point where commodification shatters life’s simplicities. Growing up, Mario was my homeboy. My brother and I escaped into the world of Mario, and even ended up naming our dog Princess after the lead heroine. The game was simple, you run, jump, and save the girl. Back then, there were so few games available that nearly everyone played the same games. If for some reason you had the rare privilege of introducing someone to the world of Mario or Nintendo…you could literally teach them in minutes. I remember my dad used to hop in and play with us every once in a while.

These days the game systems have changed. The technological changes seen in the video game industry over the past 10 years are down-right incredible, but some fundamental functions of these video games has been lost through this transformation.

New video games seem to be centered around extensive individual game play, where you don’t need to have real live friends by your side. The social aspect of video games has been lost. Rather than calling up a buddy down the street, kids these days are playing with strangers from across the country, often twice their age, through online play.
Even if you do call up a friend to play by your side, it usually takes nearly an hour to explain all the complicated button combinations, and that’s assuming he is interested in learning. Mario took minutes, I will go ahead and teach you again real quick: run, jump, save the girl. Got it?

I have a hard time picturing Mario rolling around in a lowrider, strapped with his glock, making blood spill and picking up prostitutes. Mario was a gentleman who saved the day. Now we have 7 year old kids aspiring to be thugs through Grand Theft Auto. Here is a glock, go get em Tiger…?


Don’t get me wrong, I fully appreciate a little Guitar Hero after a long day, and nothing brings the boys together like a good game of Madden, but I can’t help but miss the simplicity of Super Nintendo. I still love my Xbox 360, and I guarantee that someday I will buy my kids the new game system that everyone other kid on the block has. I guess the lesson of the day is to embrace change.


PS: It looks like I am not the only person getting nostalgic these day, this link should give you a good laugh.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stadium-Events-Nes-game_W0QQitemZ110499541029

Also, beings that I created this blog to make people smile, I decided to add a music video each week.

Keep your head up like your nose is bleedin,
TJF