The King Nintendo Fanboy recalls the first time he saw a NES.
My best NES memory is also my first. I was probably around four years old when I went to a friend’s house. We were hanging out when I eventually noticed a strange box and controller in his TV stand.
Being curious I asked my friend, “What is that?” He responded by saying, “Nintendo!” I remember being completely perplexed and quickly asked what that was before his mother uttered the words, “Show him!”
I was soon shown what became my all time favorite NES title, Super Mario Bros. I told everyone I loved Mario, having seen the TV show before, but didn’t even know it was a video game until that moment. I was eventually handed the controller and couldn’t believe I was controlling what was on the TV screen. I had a computer back then, with some games, and had played a few arcade machines before, but this experience was totally different. Soon after I was shown Duck Hunt, since it was the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cart, and couldn’t believe I could shoot a gun at things on the screen.
I remember walking away from this magical experience thinking to myself, “It’s possible to control, and practically be in, TV shows.” My mind raced at all the possibilities gaming could bring. I was a huge Ghostbusters fan at the time and thought to myself, I could live my dream of becoming a Ghostbuster through a Nintendo game, though we all know how well that turned out.
Begging my parents for a Nintendo Entertainment System of my own quickly followed, but that’s another story completely. The truth is, I don’t think anyone could have predicated the effect on my life this one special day would have. If they had known, I wonder if my friend’s mother would have uttered the words, “Show him!” Regardless, I’m very glad she did.
