It all started in the first house that I lived in with my family. I was three years old. It is hard to remember the story, so I often consult my father as to what happened that night. My family got a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) for Christmas in 1991. My brother and father loved playing it. I was a timid child. I would just sit there and watch them play.
According to my father, I was scared to play the game. The game in question was Super Mario World. Nevertheless, my father put the controller in my hands and taught me how to play. It was really simple. You used the B button to jump and the Y button to run. Also, you used the control pad to move Mario up, down, left, and right. There were other controls I could’ve used, like the A button to spin jump. But he wanted to keep it simple for a three year old.
I was resistant at first. I didn’t even know his ABC’s yet! But, I held onto the controller and kept playing. Then, I played some more. And more. Suddenly, I was in love with what was on my television. Bedtime came around, and my parents put my brother and me to sleep.
My father stayed up. He got all the way to the third castle, which was guarded by the infamous Lemmy Koopa. You see, Bowser was the final boss in Super Mario World. He had seven of his Kooplings guarding each of the seven main castles. My father was unable to beat Lemmy’s Castle. It was a challenge for him. Back then, gaming wasn’t exactly the booming industry that it is today. In 1991, the times were different. I mean, it was only nineteen years after the initial release of Pong! The word gamer hardly existed.
So my father struggled to get past that third castle. He stayed up until four in the morning trying to beat Lemmy’s Castle. Finally, he beat it! He was victorious and retired to bed. The next morning, he woke up and traveled downstairs to the living room. He found me in front of the SNES playing Super Mario World. What happened next either surprised him, or pissed him off. I had beaten Lemmy’s Castle in no less than three tries. He was dumbfounded.
According to my father, the reason I beat Lemmy’s Castle before he did was because of my patience. I didn’t try to rush through the level. Sure, there was a time limit of roughly four hundred seconds. But, I took that into account and took my time. For example, I waited for a Thwomp to pounce. On his way back up, I would run past him. That was the type of gamer I was. Slow and steady.
This story was not meant to put my three year old self on a pedestal. This story was meant to show you what you can do if you put your mind to something. I went from being a scared, little three year old toddler to being a brave, fearless gamer that could take on the likes of Lemmy’s Castle and beat it in no less than three tries. I would go on to play many Super Mario games as well as many other first party Nintendo titles. Super Mario World was my first love in gaming. This story is near and dear to my heart. Also, this story was only the beginning.
