Games of Our Fathers

Father’s Day has already come and gone, but I didn't have a chance to write a post about my father due to my travels outside of the country. Now that I’m back and have trusty wifi and a laptop, I want to take some time and write about the man who is not only my role model, but the reason I’m the gamer I am today. I encourage all of you, regardless of the day, to thank your fathers and mothers as often as possible, especially if they had a hand in you becoming a gamer.

As a gamer well into his 20s, it’s interesting to look back at my past and think about the beginnings of my love for gaming. It may have been nearly 23 years ago that I first popped a cart into a Sega Genesis and began what would become a lifelong hobby and passion, but to this day I have vivid memories of my earliest experiences as a gamer. Still, no matter how many times I look back at my history with video games, there seems to be one constant: my father. Without him, I wouldn’t be the gamer I am today, for it was he who taught me how to hold a controller; it was him who introduced me to the likes of Sonic and Mario; and it is him who, to this day, still games with me.

Sadly, as the years go by, my father and I seem to have less and less time to game together. Still, when we finally find the time, I always have flashbacks of my 5-year-old self with my father sitting at my side in front of an old CRT as we save imaginary lands from evil and build memories that will last a lifetime. As a way to thank my father for all those wonderful memories, I decided to write letters from each stage of my gaming life as I’ve grown to be the gamer I am today.

Preschool Gamer

Dear Daddy,

Thanks a bunch for getting that Sega Genesis! It’s really, really fun to play with you when you get home from work. I like playing NHL with you, especially when I get to play as my favorite team, the Red Wings. I also really like playing Sonic the Hedgehog. He’s really fast and cool, plus he’s my favorite color! He is the best character because you call me your little hedgehog when you carry me on your shoulders. My favorit-est game is Toejam & Earl cause we get to play together a lot. The aliens make funny noises and do crazy things when they open presents, but it’s really hard to play all by myself. I really need you to help me get all the spaceship pieces, and it’s cool when we get to sit for a long time and play together. Thanks a lot for letting me play games with you. It’s the best part of the day.

Love,

Timmy

Elementary Gamer

Dear Dad,

The SNES you bought is really fun to play. I really like the new games we have. Every morning I wake up and play Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars before I have to catch the bus. Sometimes I almost miss the bus because I’m playing too much and you don’t like that, but it makes me very happy to play before school. I know that you don’t like RPGs as much as I do, but thanks for helping me beat that boss early in the game. Oh, and thanks taking me to Blockbuster every week to rent Earthbound. I’m not sure what’s going a lot of the time, and it’s really hard to play, but I want to play it all day and all night. I wish we could play these games together like we used to do, but RPGs are for one player only. But if you ever want to play games with me we can rent a two-player game. Or I can play my games while you watch. I like that, too, dad. I also like Command & Conquer on the computer, but I’m not that good at it so I like watching you play that more, especially when Tanya blows things up. Okay, I have to go play Earthbound.

Love,

Tim

Middle School Gamer

Hey Dad,

Firstly, the N64 is awesome! The graphics are so cool, and Mario is in 3D! Of course you already know this because you watched me play Super Mario 64 for the first time when we brought my N64 home. It took a really long time to save up enough money from my paper route to buy my very own console, but I did it and I was so happy to play it for the first time. When I asked you to buy me one and you told me to get a paper route, I thought I would never own an N64, and I was a little mad at you. But I worked really hard, and you helped me a lot by driving me around to houses when weather was bad. Remember when we got a few feet of snow in winter and we delivered the papers together in a blizzard? It was hard but we did it, and to celebrate you bought us some pop and meat sticks and the corner market. That was fun, even though I was super tired.

Still, I got good tips that day and was able to save up the $200 to buy the N64! And the best part is you can play a lot of games with me, like Wave Race 64. I’ve been practicing really hard to beat all your times and win all the races, so I hope you’re ready to play when you get home from work. Well, it’s time to practice my stunts in Glacier Coast as Dave Mariner (“Fatboy”).

See ya!

Tim

High School Gamer

Dad,

I don’t have as much time for video games as I used to, what with working at Dairy Queen a lot these days, but let me know when you’re done with the PS2 so I can continue playing Call of Duty. I didn’t know that shooters were so fun, but those D-Day missions really sucked me in. I didn’t think anything could drag me away from Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec or Burnout 3, but I’ve found myself playing Call of Duty and Black more often. It seems that our schedules are opposite one another a lot these days, plus my girlfriend wants to go out a lot (and she has a knack for calling when I’m in the middle of a gaming session). Still, I’m hoping one day we can continue trading missions in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs. I know it’s not co-op like we usually do but I enjoy the way you play. You’re a lot more patient and prefer stealth, but I just can’t help but go in with guns blazing.

Speaking of guns blazing, I’m still angry with you for not letting me buy GTA III. All my friends are playing it and I still don’t think it’s that big of a deal – I mean, I played Mortal Kombat as a kid and I turned out alright. However, you say you’re doing it for my own good and you have to draw the line somewhere, and there’s really nothing I can do about it. I still love you even though I’m mad at you, and maybe one day I’ll understand your reasoning, but it just doesn’t make sense to me right now. Aw crap, the girlfriend is calling me again – and I was just about to go play Final Fantasy X. She’s probably going to ask me to sell my games again…as if! Thanks for at least understanding that gaming is important to me (unlike some people).

Later,

Tim

Graduated Gamer

Hey Papa,

I can’t believe that time flies so fast. It just seems like a few years ago we were lighting the lamp in NHL ’94 and saving up to buy an N64 together. Yet here we are, you about to retire and me engaged to the woman I love, about to embark on another adventure in life. It’s been a long and rocky road to this point, and while girlfriends, seasons, schools, hairstyles, and just about everything else has changed or gone completely, I wanted to thank you for the one constant through it all – video games. Now I know that you’ve given me so much in my life, and believe me I’m grateful for it all, but gaming was really the one thing that has helped keep me sane over the last 20+ years. Growing up as an only child isn’t easy, particularly when the summers hit, and I often turned to video games as a source of comfort and companionship. I knew characters like Sonic, Ness, Mario, and Cloud better than I knew a lot of my friends, and while many people may think this is sad, it actually helped me find a place in this world.

As the years went on and I was able to get out of the house more, I still turned to video games to get me through tough times. When I had a tough day at school, the struggles of Zidane, Dagger, Vivi, et al to save the world put things in perspective. And when I needed to de-stress after a long session of doing homework, I could find that relief by dodging cops and competitors in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. So you see, video games give me a good outlet for emotions and tough times.

That being said, the most important thing I got out of gaming was the bond between me and you, dad. You did it right and started me out at a young age. I know the stigma that video games have faced through the years and that your method of bonding with me through gaming probably wasn’t a popular one, but trust me, it was the right call. Some of my most vivid memories are of us playing games like Toejam & Earl and Road Rash. I can recall sneaking peaks at the screen as you played Doom, even though I wasn’t supposed to, and of playing Command & Conquer because you did. And to this day, one of my favorite memories is of you beating that damn crocodile mini-boss for me early in Super Mario RPG for the SNES. I don’t know if you remember it, but I’ll never forget it as long as I live because it meant so much to me at the time. You know what they say – the smallest gestures can make the difference to a child.

And as I grew up I know that we had our fair share of fights and disagreements (GTA III, anyone?), and we grew apart a little during the high school and college years. Still, through those tough times I went back to video games as a source of familiarity, safety, and comfort. Even at our worst moments when it seemed like we’d never speak again, I had a connection to you that I could never sever. Whenever I boot up the N64, the SNES, or even the PS3, I’m booting up a long history of gaming that I wouldn’t have without you.

So thank you, papa. Thank you for opening my eyes to the world of gaming at such a young age. Thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson in responsibility by having me buy my own N64 (and then playing it with me). Thank you for looking out for me and trying to protect me from explicit content, even though I disagreed with you at the time. And thank you for continuing to game with me to this day. And even though sometimes we’ve been hundreds of miles away playing Battlefield 3 over Xbox Live, it still feels like we’re side by side, playing Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time all over again.

Your Son,

Tim, aka – Graduated Gamer

Game Series as High School Cliques

Okay, interesting twist time. We all know about the stereotypical Hollywood high school cliques seen in cheesy 80's and 90's movies. There's always a jock, a nerd, a skater, etc. Well here's my take on which video game series I think best fit those cliché high school cliques.

Jock – Grand Theft Auto

They’re the coolest kids in school, beloved by almost everyone even though they get into trouble from time to time. Sure they pick on other cliques and can be offensive, but they’re just so good at what they do. Whether you love or hate them, you still respect them from taking the team to the state championship…or something like that.

Geek – Lego Series

If there’s ever a series that has its hand in nearly every major player of geek-culture, it’s the Lego series of games. Batman, DC Universe, Star Wars, Marvel Universe, Indiana Jones – if it’s got a following of geeks ready to pummel you with useless facts that nobody else knows or cares about, Lego will make a game about it. I’m still waiting for my Lego: Doctor Who by the way. MAKE IT HAPPEN! 

Skater – Sonic the Hedgehog

He’s fast, he’s hip, and he doesn't give a damn that you like Mario more than him – he’s gonna keep living fast and hard and listening to Sonic Youth on his Walkman (see what I did there?). Seriously, the tennis shoes, the spiked hair, and the demeanor just scream Skater, and frankly, it’s perfect, especially because the sole purpose of everyone’s favorite blue blur was to bring attitude to the video game world.

Hipster – Minecraft

No matter how many clones released that are predicated on creative world design and a little bit of survival, Minecraft will always be the game to say they were doing it long before the rest of the posers. Like a hipster creates a look that we know took a long time to assemble yet they claim took no effort at all, so too does Minecraft have that feel of beautiful gameplay and simplistically stunning graphics that look as though they took little to no effort to create. When everyone is playing games like this in the future through our implanted brain chip virtual reality simulators, we’ll look back and appreciate Minecraft for making what was once uncool cool again.

Scenester – Saints Row

Oh Saints Row – always eager to fit in yet somehow only getting labeled as a GTA-wannabe. We know that you’re an open-world game, but GTA made it popular first. And those crazy antics and insane weapons? Well, sure they’re fun and all but it just seems like you’re trying too hard. Honestly, we appreciate you for what you are, but we simply cannot ignore the fact that you’re a poser that will never live up to the hype and awesomeness of GTA.

Prep – Final Fantasy

If there is any series out there more concerned with keeping up appearances, I haven’t found it. When you've been around as long as Final Fantasy and are known for not only setting trends but also destroying them altogether with your style and gameplay, you’re bound to be under a lot of pressure to do it time and again with every game you release. Sure, they’re always a candidate for prom king GOTY, and people always get excited about what new clothes innovations they release, but sometimes they don’t live up to expectations.

Nerd – World of Warcraft

I know I’m delving into generalizations and stereotypes here, but when South Park rips on your fanbase for being overweight, basement-dwelling social lepers, well, if the shoe fits… Seriously though, for a game as massive as World of Warcraft where people sink not just hours or days, but weeks of their life into it, you’re bound to be compared to the cliché nerd with a lack of fashion and social skills that make you a normal, contributing member of the gaming social ladder. Regardless, even if this offends WoW players, they’ll never read this because they’re too busy raiding or whatever the hell it is they do in that game.

Mean Girls – Call of Duty

Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Call of Duty? Seriously, it’s the series that walks into a room and everyone immediately hates them for one reason or another. However, with over 120 million games sold, the franchise has the clout to back-up its claim as the “popular” kids at school. Still, no matter how popular they are, they’re obnoxious in the way they belittle everyone else for not being them.

Emo – Metal Gear

Seriously, is there a more complicated and long-winded story line than that of Metal Gear? Every time I read up on the canon I feel like I reading a script of a damn soap opera. The series itself is said to not take itself too seriously, but then it goes ahead and creates lengthy, emotionally driven trailers for their upcoming game. The only things missing from this series is a soundtrack featuring Dashboard Confessional and Hinder (please God no).

Well there you have it - my take on video game series as stereotypical high school cliques. Have any other suggestions? Agree or disagree with my choices? Feel free to let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.