As mentioned in a prior blog post (link here), I am a big fan of both nostalgia and video games from my childhood. With the final video in our series, I wanted to go into a little more depth regarding some of these picks and also their meaning to me and gaming as a whole. Video games have been a big part of my life and while I don’t get to play them as often as I once did growing up, I still enjoy their meaning and the stories behind them. For these four different games, I wanted to share some personal anecdotes from each and also the stories behind their place in my life. I also will go over some of their different cultural impacts as well.
With this also being the final video in the series, I wanted to briefly thank you for all taking the time to read this blog at any point in the last couple of months. I love sharing some of my favorite hobbies and interests as they relate back to business and connecting with new people. As time has gone on, I have also made a point to reconnect with my childhood as things get more hectic in this world. So would love to hear your thoughts on some of your favorite games or memories in the comments below or on Twitter as well. Thank you for the time and looking forward to hearing your feedback!
-Super Smash Bros.
-Grand Theft Auto
-Metal Gear Solid
-Love/Hate Madden NFL
-Love of mini consoles
Images via Nintendo.com, Rockstar Games, Konami.com, Electronic Arts, Sega.com
Throughout 2020 I have watched several various shows of varying degrees of caliber. Some better than others (Tiger King, the original Indiana Jones trilogy) to the not-so great (90 Day Fiancee, but shout out to my guy Big Ed). However during this time, I re-visited one of my all-time favorite classics: John Carpenter’s Escape From New York starring Kurt Russell. While Carpenter’s film did not achieve any major awards, his film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing more than $25 million at the box office. The film was nominated for four Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Direction. Its main character, Snake, has since become an icon in various mediums from video games to music and he is probably one of the most underrated action icons of the 21st century. That being said, I wanted to highlight his contributions to popular culture and being a diversified icon.
Big Trouble in Little China’s Jack Burton is another famous Carpenter character. Image via HeroesWikiFandom
That glorious soundtrack: Carpenter’s work regarding sound is well-known. His work on the original Halloween is chilling and iconic in terms of nostalgia and his scores on both Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China hold a special place in my heart. The music is performed by Carpenter himself and is a triumphant melody of glorious synth music with Snake being the spearhead. Yeah, I might be biased since I grew up with these melodies, but his soundtracks are some of the best known tracks from the era. Carpenter has even gone on to perform these songs with his son at various venues. So obviously the diversification of the film has gone a bit further than originally anticipated.
The Metal Gear Solid connection: If you have read my earlier blog posts, you know I am a huge fan of video games. Although none might be closer to the top of my list than the iconic Metal Gear Solid franchise spearheaded by creator Hideo Kojima. In his quest to establish a signature action icon for his new video game, Metal Gear, Kojima went through a couple incarnations of the character’s image. Initially, the artwork of the original Metal Gear game the main character resembles the Michael Biehn incarnation of Kyle Reese in The Terminator. Though in his later appearances, the Metal Gear Snake resembles Russell as he portrayed Snake in the film. Later on, art director Yoji Shinkawa said that his appearance is based off Jean-Claude Van Damme’s physique and his facial appearance is that of actor Christopher Walken. In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Snake uses the alias “Pliskin” to hide his real identity during most of the game which is also the last name of the character in the film. Though Kojima later established that the connection to Carpenter’s film was not intentional, the roots of this relationship were definitely a great boost to each other.
Legacy: Snake’s impact on popular culture might not be as profound as other famous characters of his generation, but his niche is certainly well-deserved. His likeness went on to inspire a sequel to the original film, the campy “Escape from L.A.”, a novelization, a comic book and even a board game (got to love that 1980’s capitalism). If this blog has helped me reflect on anything, it is shedding the light on characters and stories that have inspired me in my careerand who wouldn’t get inspired by a grizzled and disgraced ex-special forces operative? I even keep a picture of Snake at my desk today, weird I know, but I am superstitious. So comment below with your favorite action movie icon!
I think we all have a favorite sleepover or birthday party scene from our childhood. In my case it usually involved Pizza Hut, WWE Confidential early in the night and definitely some Toonami: Rising Sun (hmmm, maybe that will be another article down the line) late into the evening. While the participants changed from time to time, it absolutely always included some kind of video game console and some multiplayer mayhem that was a key element of an awesome night with the boys. As time has gone on, I look back fondly on these memories and wanted to share with you all my top favorite video games from my childhood and their impact on a generation.
Image via Wikipedia.com
WWF No Mercy (Nintendo 64): Touted as one of the greatest wrestling video games of all time, No Mercy was a staple of anyone that had a Nintendo 64. Between the crisp gameplay and all of the iconic “Attitude Era” wrestlers, there was a lot to love about No Mercy. However, sometimes in life all good things must come to an end as the relationship between as No Mercy was the last wrestling game to be developed by Asmik Ace and AKI for the Nintendo 64. Nonetheless, the game was also a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies and has a 89 overall rating on Metacritic.
Kirby Super Star (Super Nintendo): Before we get into the mini review, I just want to give a shout out to Peavine Elementary School in Reno and my friend Aaron Palone, the king of Super Star. Man, what is there not to love about the pink puff ball floating around in this insanely addictive platform adventure from the Super Nintendo? The answer my friends, is almost nothing. Super Star was both a critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies in Japan. The game was a strong mix of difficulty, platforming, an awesome soundtrack and beautiful visuals. I look back fondly on those memories from my elementary school days so if this read sways you to check it out, it is available on the Super Nintendo Classic which is also a great study in micro-sized nostalgia.
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube): While there are certainly stronger main Mario titles in history (Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy), Sunshine was the first title that I completed 100% and man what a rush that is. Shout out to my little sister Molly for being there along the way with me along with my trusty helping of double stacks from Wendy’s (luckily I found track and field later on in my life to save my insides from failing). That being said, I vividly remember all of the glorious maps and endearing characters from this title that looked gorgeous and made everyday a vacation when playing thanks to its tropical visuals, soundtrack and of course, stellar gameplay. The game sold over five million copies worldwide by 2006, making it one of the best-selling GameCube games.
Super Smash Bro. Brawl (Nintendo Wii): Part of the iconic Super Smash Bros. series, Brawl is arguably the perfect fighting game (yeah, I said it). In fact, while you are reading this list, I just want to take this opportunity to throw out an open challenge to anyone that thinks they can beat me in Brawl. While I am not usually one to boast, my skills on this fighting game were near the top of the totem poll amongst my friends. Sure I might be a little rusty, but Brawl is always a joy to play. In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. As of 2008, it is the eighth best-selling Wii game of all time, with over thirteen million copies sold worldwide. Just goes to show that people love the idea of Link swinging his sword right into Mario’s face.
Pokemon Red (Game Boy): Man I don’t think there is a better way to say “I’m the coolest guy in the room” than by owning an original purple Game Boy Color. That item is just drenched in success. Before I get carried away, my point being is that this was the device I used to conquer Pokemon Red and spent over 100 hours playing on and yes, I do not regret a single minute of playing. Pokemon is a phenomenal series, sure it might be kind of corny at times but it was a core staple of many of my peers’ childhood and always so rewarding to play. So leave me a comment below with your favorite game from your childhood or challenge me in Brawl (at a perfectly acceptable social distancing ratio).
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