Monday, March 11, 2013

Memories


I remember playing Super Mario Brothers for the first time, and marveling at the high-end graphics, the level design, the enemies.  It was fascinating, and didn’t cost money to play. 

I had just completed 2-2 and got past that damn Blooper, when I got a call. I let the machine get it ‘cause I was in the groove, and heard a friend leave a message wanting to go out.

Ahh, crap.

Now I don’t want to turn this into a kids have it easy today diatribe, but back then you had to make a choice between your console and socializing.  Back then if you were knee-deep into a game, and something came up, there was no way to save your progress.  You could pause, sure, but your only long-term solution was to switch off your console, live your life, then start over from the beginning the next time you wanted to play.

It sucked…hard.  Although, I was glad I didn’t have to pay for each restart.

When I eventually got the first PlayStation it came with something I didn’t quite understand at first:  memory cards.  For what?  For saving your progress…  You mean?  Yep, finish a world in Spyro, save your game, take a call, leave the house, enjoy your time, and come back to a virtual bookmark the next time you boot up your system.

This is truly what is meant by technology making life better.

It was so freeing.

And although it may be true that kids today do have it easier, thank goodness.  Imagine BioShock without saves, or Uncharted.  Dark Souls, as difficult as it is, would be unplayable without saves.

In my mind, periodic saves did more to change games than almost anything else in the last few generations. 

No comments:

Post a Comment