To the SNES days! (continued from part 1)

The SNES days was easily my favourite console era, hands down.  From the moment I got one, it shelved my Amiga for the rest of the time I had it (i’ll mention how I ‘parted ways’ with it later).

My Dad was originally against me getting a SNES.  I think he figured it’d do exactly what it did, and make the Amiga collect dust.  I mentioned before that he was an advocate of me using computers, for the ability to not just play games, but to utilize everything else (paint programs, music, typing etc), so pure gaming consoles never sat as well as a computer did with him.

So almost a year passed by since the SNES got released, and I wasn’t happy!  That was the least of my concerns though, as 1 week before Christmas, my Dad had gone to the Isle of Wight (a small island just off England) to visit my brother and his family.  A couple of days in, he had a heart attack (not the first by far, nor the last), so me and my Mum had to go down there to see him in hospital/spend x-mas there/come back home with him when he was well again.

Now, my Granddad was a real champion.  His generosity and kind heart was always noticed and I really couldn’t have asked for a better role model.  I think him and my Dad had spoken about the SNES, my Dad knowing i’d ask my Granddad for one for X-Mas, and my Dad also knowing my Granddad would get one for me without a second thought.  However, the circumstances were altered a bit by a kid’s X-Mas not only being ruined, but having his Dad in hospital (quite seriously ill) as well, so he caved.

Upon being surprised/presented with a SNES, which included Star Fox (aka Star Wing in Europe), my jaw hit the floor so hard it left structural damage.  It certainly took a lot of the bite outta my disrupted X-Mas, meaning my only worry was my Dad getting better.

So I had a day of playing my shiny (and given early) SNES, before it was off to the Isle of Wight.

I saw my Dad in hospital, played some games with Jason (my bro) and other than getting probably the worst sore throat ever due to attending midnight mass (the first and last i’ll ever go to) with their stupid amounts of incense, it wasn’t too bad an X-Mas.  My Dad got released soon after, and we came back home.

I’ll always remember me and Jason being on a SNES game rental rampage, to the point he even bought an American converter just to play some games (it was some kinda weird game import/rental/trade store).  I’ll also remember the look on my Dad’s face when he found out I had a SNES.. ‘you crafty bastard, lliam’ was the impression I got, and in a way, he was right.  Even then, my love for gaming would make me grasp at any chance to obtain or play a console/game, regardless of the morals or wishes of anyone.

I was a kid though, and slack should be cut as such.  That kinda thing is featherweight compared to what kids do nowadays.

Anyway (back on topic), the SNES was gaming entertainment in it’s purest form.  The platformers were fantastic, the RPGs were engaging and the fighting games were the best I had access to (and though inferior to their arcade counterparts, they were more than satisfying).

The SNES ruled supreme for a long time, and I enjoyed everything about it, down to a loyal monthly acquisition of any SNES magazine (perticularly NMS, Nintendo Magazine System).

The SNES lasted from my primary school, into the first few months of high school.  I remember sitting in some kinda aptitude test (so they could figure out what ability set to put you in for each subject.. like 1-3, 1 being for pros, 3 being for noobs etc), and throughout most of the test, I was looking out the window, engaged in thought, trying to solve a serious conundrum…

I know I need a grappling hook for Samus (Super Metroid), but where the hell is it?  I’ve been everywhere!

Indeed it was a perplexing issue.  On a side note, I scored in the top tiers for those tests.. somehow.

During the SNES era, I was lucky enough to go to Florida twice, once at 9, once at 10.  Most kids would save up to buy toys there, or spend it on crap.  Not me though, I saved up with just 1 intended goal…

To go to the Florida mall, and spend every last buck on SNES games, which is exactly what I did both times.

The first time I went, if memory serves correct, I bought Mortal Kombat 2 and Chrono Trigger.  They weren’t even released in the UK yet, and even when CT was released, finding it was fucking hard.

The second time, I got Yoshi’s Island 2 (s’alright, but not an all time classic), and Super Street Fighter 2, which just ruled, nuff said.  Super Street Fighter 2 was a bit funny though, and had some kinda regional protection on it though.  I couldn’t get it to work with my converter, so I took it to exchange it at a shop, hoping they wouldn’t notice (lol).  The guy knew the protection on that cart, and said to me about a new converter that works with these kinda games.

At that point, due to actually wanting to play SSF2, I had to look a bit silly and say that in reflection, i’d rather not trade it now and instead buy this fancy converter you speak of.  Transparent would be the word.

The most memorable games for the SNES era for me, would have to be Secret of Mana (I still love that game to death even now), Chrono Trigger (exactly the same as SoM in regards to timeless love), Zelda 3 (if the previous 2 games were 10/10, Zelda 3 only just fell short, at a 9.5/10) and Mario All Stars (due to me missing out on a lot of the NES Marios, All Stars brought me up to speed).

On the subject of timeless love for CT/SoM, you know you had some of the best times of yer life with a game (that might be lame, but true), when you remember a game, and it makes ya feel good, almost as if the game has implanted some warm memory of that time to be recalled at will.

Little did the SNES know however, a real giant of gaming was about to dethrone it, and every future console. (in part 3)

What makes the SNES a special console until this day is probably its graphics. No matter how good games look nowadays, the SNES games do too. There´s something about them that makes them not age; at all. They are eternal, so to speak. For example Super Mario World. I can compare it to, let´s say, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and they both look amazing in their own way. I bet the old SNES games will look just as good in ten or twenty years as they do now.

i wonder if part 3 will tell of the sega mega drive
loving it so far OTG

@Oefiwu – never had a mega drive :] and you won’t have to wait long for part 3 (s’already up lol)

Ah, the SNES….I totally skipped it. lol. I feel somewhat bad about it, but I made up for it later. I’ve played almost all the great SNES games on emulators a few years back. So fair enough…

As for Zelda 3 (A link to the past): Yeah, was awesome. Zelda 2, however, was not anywhere near “perfect 10/10″ like the first game. Maybe like a 6…..

ah the snes ^.^ favourite gaming system [tied with the ps2] because of the seriously stonking games i had for it. i mean, there was super mario world, zelda 3, ff 2 and 3 [american], CT, and my all time fav, super metroid. i had the super scope attachment too and 2 games for it, battle clash and metal combat [a 2 part series] which are my all time fav “shooters”. as a kid this was all i had gaming wise [wasnt allowed on the computer and didnt have the cash to buy a ps1 when it came out, or any other system] so i grew real attached to it.
and i like how the american pad had only purple buttons and the european had the green blue red and yellow =P i didnt learn that till recently.

I remember renting Super Metroid…once. I didn’t get anywhere, and I think that was because I didn’t realize you had to shoot doors to open them >_<

I remember renting FF6 (known as 3 at the time)…once. I didn't get anywhere because I couldn't even beat the first random battle in the game.

I remember renting Zelda ALTTP (I don't like calling it Zelda 3 for some reason although technically I guess it is)…once. I couldn't get past the first dungeon because I couldn't figure out to go behind the giant balls that shoot at you.

I was horrible at games back then, though I was only like 7-9 years old at that time… xD

I was still young when I was introduced to the SNES by my dad (I was like 5 or 6), so I didn’t really get into gaming until the PS1 was released. I still have my SNES though (with all of 2 games).

@Kurugi – haha, i was about that age too XD luckily i had a 15 year old brother that taught me well in the snes world =3

Me and my SNES had many good times together. from defeating Bowser (again…) in Super Mario World, to destroying the evil Motherbrain in Super Metroid. ah… good times.