We all have that one game that holds a special place in our hearts. What game is it for you?
For me, it’s Metal Slug. Growing up, every Monday, my parents would drag me to the laundromat after work. As a kid, it was a pretty boring, but I had my toys, origami books, and coloring books to keep me entertained. However, my favorite thing to do was playing the Metal Slug arcade machine with my dad.
My dad was great at the game, and he taught me how to play. Though I improved, I could never keep up. When I’d inevitably die, he’d let me take over his side to let me have a bit more playtime. My favorite part was when he’d share stories from when he lived in another country and would go to the local arcade.
Those moments are cherished memories, and even today, whenever I visit an arcade, Metal Slug is the first game I play, despite still being terrible at it haha
Honorable mention goes to Mario 64, another game that holds a special place in my heart. I got an N64 from a garage sale, and playing Mario 64 while at home, with my mom’s “chore” music in the background ignited my love for gaming
I have two that are forever up in the ranks. First is probably Street Fighter II for NES. Yeah, there was Mario and other classics, but SF2 was probably the first video game where I wanted to strive my damned hardest to get better. After getting wrecked over and over by older kids, I was determined to be good at this game and it was a ton of fun in the process. Thus began my lifelong love of video games.
Second is TMNT: turtles in time for SNES. It was probably the first time I enjoyed an activity with my father. He wasn’t around much but on the rare occasion he was, we would play the crap out of this game. He used to play with me until his thumbs cramped up. It’s always been a loving core memory of my father for my entire life.