Whilst my introduction to gaming was via the legendary Atari 2600, I discovered the power of immersive storytelling through Nintendo’s timeless characters.
Mario taught me patience through the eternal struggle of striving towards an unobtainable goal, whereas Link powered my love and imagination for the quest narrative, the sense of adventure, and what it felt to be a hero. A real hero, one forged by consequence of action and sacrifice.
But it was Samus that defined the term epic. Combining the frantic gameplay of the Italian plumber and the puzzle-solving elements facing the Hylian teenager, Metroid’s futuristic space locale embodied it with a brooding atmosphere that has since etched itself firmly amongst my most fond childhood memories.
One of the most heart-accelerating escape sequences of any game at the time was followed by this brilliant revelation:
In a nascent era of stereotyped digital heroes, thank you Yoshio Sakamoto.
And to poojipoo, thank you for making my childhood all that much more awesome.
tdha
