Happy 25th Anni Nintendo Entertainment System

It's hard to believe 25 years ago today, the Nintendo Entertainment System, a console that would lead a gaming revolution, was launched. And it's also damn scary to think in increments of 20's and 25's when you're used to 5's and 10's. Ack! That aside, here are some of my NES memories.

After much car washing, allowance saving, and calculating, I bought my NES Basic System (Console, 2 Controllers, Super Mario Brothers) and Donkey Kong Jr. from Toys R Us in Springfield, Virginia. Yup, the same one not far from Springfield Mall. To go there with friends or as a surprise trip was electrifying, especially THAT one isle of new video games. If I went, I invited my neighborhood buds, and vice versa. It was also on said trips that while other parents went straight home, my Dad would think of 1000 different stops to make to prolong the agony before the joy of playing. Drove me crazy then, but I laugh now. Yeah, that first night, my babysitter (my friend's older sister) had the easiest job in the world while I played the "monkey with the diaper game." What? I loved the arcade games and lived for nights at Showbiz Pizza.

Any sleepover turned into an all night game and movie fest. We'd take turns working on Kid Icarus or playing simul on Ikari Warriors until almost passing out. Either that or we'd make Sprite Floats with marble ice cream (don't cringe, it's good stuff) and head to the basement and play pc games like King's Quest at my friend Kelly's house. For all the times we stayed over, played D&D, video gamed, watched movies, etc, Kelly's Mom was such a saint.

When we had one of a few cross country trips to visit relatives, I poured over my Legend of Zelda map, plotting, scheming, theorizing, so that when we got back, I could solve all the little questions (and pent up gaming want) my heart desired. Portable video games like GameBoy were many years away, so time away from the console was rough. REALLY rough.

Out of all the games, RPGs and shooters were my hands down faves. Ultima Exodus, Dragon Warrior, 1942 Gradius, Life Force, and Stinger were on regular rotation. LOVED the hours of blasting Maui Stone heads on Gradius as well as the crazy weaponry and coop in the sequal, Life Force. Sure, there was plenty of action time for Super Mario Bros, Castlevania, Bionic Commando, Metroid, and Zelda 1 and 2, but I grew to love a good shooter and good RPG. Dragon Warrior is still one of my all time faves. Didn't play Final Fantasy until it was reissued for GameBoy Advance many years later (and will likely download it for my iPod Touch).

While I never got R.O.B, the video robot, I had the Zapper light gun (Duck Hunt and Gumshoe), the NES Advantage arcade joystick, the NES Max controller with it's slider D pad, Arkanoid with it's paddle controller, and the NES Satellite 4 player adapter/wireless system. As a matter of fact, I acquired that last one when I went to the dentist and had to have wisdom teeth pulled. I was in a lot of pain and Mom felt bad for me, so she got me the Satellite. I looked like a mutant chip monk, but damned if that wireless system didn't work better than aspirin. ;) (Thanks Mom, I love you for that one, among many other reasons.)

My freshman year of high school we moved from Washington DC to Huntsville, Alabama and sadly, my interest in gaming got left behind with my friends in our nation's capital. Not long after the move, MTV took over my interest and my Nintendo started gathering dust. Sacrilege, I know. Not long after, I sold it all to kid during one of our garage sales who was more than thrilled to get it. In the end, the gear went to a good home. Even so, I still kick myself for not hanging onto my NES and games, along with my Star Wars figures from the 70's and 80's. (facepalm).

There are more memories of the gaming days, but these are the standouts and worthy of sharing. The Nintendo Entertainment System was (and still is) just an awesome game console. It brought my friends and I countless slack-jawed, zombiefied, glazed eye hours of gaming fun. And boy do I miss it! :)