Super Mario Brothers, a multi-million franchise that originated from an SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) video game in the 1980s, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Mario, as my playmates and I used to simply call it when we were kids, just reminds me of how happy my childhood was. I grew up during a time when street games and video games peacefully co-existed in every kid's afternoon agenda (or whole day agenda if it were the weekend or summer), unlike now when kids no longer go out and play, literally. All they do is slump in their little corner and tinker on their iPad or text on their mobile phone. Kids nowadays have an impaired set of social skills. Technology is to blame, if you ask me.
Us back then? Yes, we were a generation where video games were emerging. We, however, never lost the art of socializing with playmates. I, for one, did not have my own Family Computer (Japanese version of SNES). Well, we did, but we did not have much game cartridges to choose from. Our neighbor did. That is why I had to go to our neighbor's house everyday, sometimes wait at their gate early in the morning, just to get first dibs on the second controller of their Family Computer. The rest of our playmates will come by later in the morning and we (ideally) took turns on playing. That was how we rolled.
Childhood is/was the best. I'm now feeling the need to go down memory lane and pay homage to some of my favorite Family Computer games.
Mappy.
Circus Charlie.
Road Fighter.
Popeye.
Contra.
Galaga.
Ice Climber.
Balloon Fight.
Battle City.
These were the "Angry Birds" and "Temple Run" of our time. We were different, however, to the kids of today, because when playing video games, we didn't stick to a corner and keep to ourselves. We used to go to neighbors' houses, take turns, and continue to socialize with each other, with every sense of the word. If you'll ask me, I'd say it would've been better for such things to have remained the same.
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