Meeting Mario

About a week ago, I introduced a piece of my husband and I’s childhood to my girls: Nintendo. Although we do have an original console in our basement with a plethora of games, I opted to buy the new mini version that has the games already installed.

As a kid, I wasn’t allowed video games of any way, shape or form. I got to partake in the fun when I went to friends’ houses or if I rented a system from our local video store.

I did, for a brief time, have Nintendo at my house thanks to one of my sister’s boyfriends. I can still remember hearing the story about the time my parents couldn’t find me for hours because I was holed up playing Super Mario Brothers. Maybe that’s why video games weren’t allowed to be a permanent fixture at our house?

My husband, on the other hand, had all of the different models, many of which still live in our basement, and is well versed in the art of early gaming. He is much more help to my girls now than I will ever be.

The night I bought the system we didn’t get home until after bedtime, so no playing was started until the next day. My husband was the first to open the box and begin showing the girls some of his favorites from when he was a kid. Being of the tech generation, where they don’t know what it would be like without smartphones, computers or the internet, the girls caught on quickly.

They will tell me of all of the different games they have played from Punch Out to Excite Bike, neither of which I have any experience. My husband does, so he is the go-to for this entertainment.

I did have a moment to sit down and play the other day and picked my favorite, Super Mario Brothers. I was a little rusty to begin with. I hadn’t really played at all since we put the Nintendo away several years ago before we moved. It didn’t take too long for the muscle memory to come back, and I started gathering toadstools and collecting coins through each level. I even impressed the girls when I knew where secret tunnels were located or extra coin blocks were hidden that the first time player wouldn’t know about.

After making it through about three levels, I went through all of my lives and the game was over. I had the urge to start it up again, but since it was hooked up to the kids’ television and it was nearing bedtime, I called it a night.

With all of the other sources of entertainment for my girls, I don’t know if they will get as into the NES as we did when we were younger. I do know that it will be the only gaming system in my house until the girls can purchase their own. I think the computer is good enough, for now.

It is really fun to be able to share a part of what we grew up with, with our kids, and make memories, since so much has changed. The girls didn’t even complain about the amazing graphics used for the games, which I think are classic.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at
jpierson@newtondailynews.com