[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ve blogged about a handful of other games that likewise changed things, leading up to this weekend post on Nintendo classics!]
Life lessons from some of the legendary system’s most iconic games.
1) Super Mario Bros.: There’s a lot I could go with here: the importance of siblings (for my boys); the need to yeet some turtles (for my wife). But perhaps the wisest lesson from Nintendo’s most enduring game is that we have to descend into the most potentially crappy places if we’re gonna find hidden treasures and save the day.
2) Double Dragon: From what I can tell, Double Dragon was the first console game to introduce two-player cooperative gameplay; certainly it was one of the most prominent early examples of that trend. I don’t think I really need to say much more about why we need solidarity and support to take down all the bad guys, do I?
3) The Legend of Zelda: I didn’t play Zelda back in the day (what can I say, I was more of a Gauntlet kid), but one thing I know is that at the start of the game Link has only a shield, and he has to talk with a mysterious old man to gain the sword that will be crucial to his survival. Don’t discount the wisdom of us elders, y’all.
4) Tecmo Bowl: There are various ways that one of the first football video games pales in comparison to 21st century classics like Madden. But one of those ways—the fact that individual players like Bo Jackson could become completely overpowered and dominate the game—I kinda dig. You all know I’m a huge fan of teamwork, but sometimes we gotta just do the damn thing ourselves, y’know?
5) Kirby’s Adventure: No matter how much the world throws at us, we just have to keep our appetite for adventure, taking in what life gives us and turning it into fuel for our continued growth and success. Kirby was a real one.
Next series starts Monday,
Ben
PS. What do you think? Video games, past or present, you’d analyze?
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