A Day to Remember

Super Mario Bros. 3, arguably the greatest Mario game ever created, was released on February 12, 1990. I recall talking about it for months before it came out with my brother, mostly stuff we'd read about it in Nintendo Power. Back then, neither of us had jobs (we were 8 and 6), so saving money to buy a game was a long, arduous process. I still remember thinking it unfair that I needed to save US$53 for a $50 game (6% NJ sales tax). So, it was with some disappointment that, as the release date for SMB3 rolled around, we didn't have enough money to get it. We went to school talking about it, dreaming of the day when we'd be able to play the most anticipated game of our lives.

I have a very vivid memory of being picked up after school, getting in the car, and still talking about it with Dan. Then Mom turned around and handed us a plastic bag. "I had to go to three stores to find it," she said, as Dan and I screamed in excitement.

I also have a tremendously vivid memory of Dan and me getting home and rushing upstairs to our room to play the game for the first time. Unwrapping the box, removing the cartridge, opening the NES, blowing inside it to clear out any dust, and starting it up. I had never seen such cutting-edge graphics before! And only a few screens into level 1-1, Mario had a tail and was flying (though it didn't occur to me until years later that using a raccoon tail for flight was a little ridiculous). Anyway, looking back, I'm sure I thanked Mom profusely, but just in case...Thanks, Mom. You rock hard.

So what does all this have to do with today? Februrary 12, 1990, was the only day that I have ever gotten a video game the day it came out. Today, October 29, 2002, will mark the second, as I stop by Toys R Us on the way home from band to pick up Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I can hardly contain myself.

October 29, 2002 - 03:01 PM