CriticalKelly is by far one of the most unique people I have gotten to know over the last six months. I often find her infuriating, but, oddly enough, I almost just as often find her insightful. She asked me to repost this for her, and since I liked the message, I figured why not?I’m also about to go pick up the New 3DS I’ve been hunting, so I’ll be back with more later this afternoon. Thanks based Toys “R” Us.
GUEST POST by CriticalKelly
When I was Young, I wasn’t like the other kids around me. I Talked Far Too Much, and I Thought Far Too Much. What I wasn’t supposed to do, i did Far too often; and what was Expected of me, I did Far Too Little.
By the time i played my first vidya game, the idea of ‘sacrificing’ my social time to stay home and play, wasn’t really a sacrifice at all, it was Sanctuary; from the accusing looks and confused stares I so often garnered from my peer group.
I Played and I Played. Long~ Hours of play…
I struggled.. and i failed.. Over and Over.. To Be Honest, if I had a lot of games to play, i probably would have quit and tried something else, but that wasn’t how my induction to gaming began; and honestly, i’m Grateful. Because that limitation was the catalyst. Necessity is sometimes the Best motivator. It pushed me to succeed, To Prove to Myself —
I CAN Beat This Game. I’m Good Enough to Beat This.
They werent some impossible puzzle, they were designed to challenge me, and I had a chance to overcome it; and that’s what Set my Sights on Doing.
And So I Did- I Beat Revenge of Shinobi. I Beat Megaman X. I Beat Illusion Of Gaia. I Beat Shadow of the Colossus. And you know.. I Learned Something else too;
You Can’t always Win, but You can Always Try.
Winning is a Destination, its the journey, and HOW you get there, that Determines how much You Enjoy it. Some of my favorite Games are the ones i NEVER could quite Beat.
Zelda 1 OR 2 (i know). Secret of Mana. All the Megamans Before Megaman X. (heh) Chrono Trigger.
One Small Request
If you have a Niece or Nephew, a Son or Daughter, Please, Don’t let a PS4 or XBone Be the first (or ONLY) Vidya Experience they have. Let them enjoy the early classics, dust off that SNES or Atari 2600. Let them play Joust, or Super Mario World. & Play The Game With Them Too. Recount those stories you remember, from when you Played them with your Friends. Their Taste and appreciation for Gaming will Grow because of it.
Video Games Taught Me How to Try.
By Trying, I don’t just mean banging your head against the wall. But Trying something NEW each time you attempt it. Figuring out where you are weak, and making yourself Stronger. I realized eventually, a Weakness, can be a Strength, and a Strength can be a Weakness. It’s all in how you approach it.
Versus. Titles like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat & Soul Calibur taught me the Fun of Competition. Single Player Games Taught me how to escape, and they made me want to become a video game designer. They Taught me that what’s Fun by yourself can be IMMENSELY More Fun with someone you enjoy playing with. The Lore and stories from the first God of War got me interested in learning about greek mythology. These Stories Matter, Retelling these Old Stories in New Ways brings them to a new generation & Gets them Excited About Them.
Lets Not Be Boring. Sparking the Imagination of Young People Matters.
And you can’t do that if you hide Life From them. We Wont be able to Express Ourselves if we’re afraid of offending everyone. We Must Be allowed to this Freedom, To attempt to stifle Freedom of Thought, Or of Expession, under the guise of “Social Justice” is Laughable. But Also Criminal imo. It’s a slap in the face of each man woman and child that has lost their life on Both Sides of Each War, Securing Those Freedoms. Please Remind them of this every time they pop Up With another half-truth.
One Last Thing
And all those old games are Still There. Still Fun. Still Here for us to enjoy. and for the next generation to Enjoy. Let them Enjoy Them. And lets help Make Sure the Next Generation of Games.. and of Gamers are free to enjoy the artistic creations to come.
