It's the Game Boy's 20th anniversary, and I feel like I ought to honour the little white brick. Problem is, I have no idea what I can say that hasn't already been said. Writing all my good feelings towards the ancient Nintendo handheld that served as a springboard for the portable consoles I love today feels awkward, like writing a letter to a friend who's bailed you out of jail. Game Boy, I want to say “thanks” to you...but the thought of doing it makes me blush and squirm. There just aren't any suitable words for how much I care about you. I'll take you out for beers.
The Game Boy vaulted me into “real” gaming; it was my first console after the Colecovision/Atari 2600 Frankenstein that introduced me to gaming, but didn't necessarily make me fall in love with the pastime. Sure, I had previously been mystified by Super Mario Bros, but I wouldn't own an NES until late in the system's life. It was games like Super Mario Land, Double Dragon and Final Fantasy Legend taught me that video games could have form and structure; they could be more than a score-counter. They could have goals, and tell stories.
When I managed to separate my mother from Tetris, of course.
They could also affirm the crummy nature of the human race. I would have many video games stolen from me as I grew up, and I imagine I'll have still more spirited away from under my nose, but my first real story of loss came during a dark time when my parents were forced to put their house up for sale. This meant a lot of showings, which meant a lot of strange kids slipping away from their parents to rummage through our cupboards with snotty noses and sticky paws. One day, after one such showing, our copies of Super Mario Land and Double Dragon went missing. Theft is a serious accusation to make without any sort of proof, but daaaaaay-um, I owe those kids a kick in the teeth.
But before Mario was whisked away to another castle, I started and finished Super Mario Land all on my own. It was the first side-scrolling adventure I completed by my lonesome; back then, it seemed so expansive. A fairly recent replay reminded me of how tiny the adventure actually is. Oh, youth.
Now that I'm loosened/boozed up, I can say it. Thanks, Game Boy, for being my first “real” game console. When I'm rich, I promise I'll acquire a million of you and build a castle by the sea.
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