Every so often nostalgia sets in causing me to reflect on exactly how I got to where I am today. I have a good life and do pretty much exactly what I want with it. Reviewing video games and gaming systems allows me to continue to enjoy my favorite pastime. As I was thinking of what to share with you guys today I went through a list of topics. I could counter a previous post on complicated games and give you my list of the easiest video games of all time. Nah… that would be too simple. I also contemplated really hard on reviewing the Fast & Furious Showdown for you. Great game, but no…
I sat and racked my brain on topics as I reminisced about my past and all of the games I have played in my lifetime. As our thoughts tend to do I drifted deep into childhood memories and all of a sudden pieces were coming together more than ever before. I ultimately had two habits as a child (and as an adult). Comic books and videogames have always taken up my free time and somehow I have been fortunate enough to turn that into a career. Yep, I have the best job ever!
Okay, back to the point of this story. I was 6 years old when my grandparents bought by sisters and me a Nintendo. It was the coolest thing ever. Within a few short months I could save the princess and was moving onto other games like Mike Tyson’s punch out. As technology increased my collection of gaming systems elevated. My house quickly became the one all the kids flocked to as this gaming craze really took off.
Around the same age I took an extreme interest in comic books. My favorites were Superman and Spiderman of course. Reading them weren’t enough. I actually enjoyed the art as much as I did the storyline. I began drawing and designing my own comics convinced that someday I would be responsible for carrying out the legacy of the superheroes I was growing up with.
So where is the correlation between the two? Well obviously my childhood spent indoors is one of them. However, that isn’t really where I wanted to go with that. Mainstream comics are generally based entirely off of years of continuity. The stories I have been reading for over 20 years are still being updated today. When a writer is given the assignment to write a Superman comic he/she is expected to follow traditions that were set long before they came around. The groundwork for these professionals has been set for them.
This connects with video games in the sense that we see expanding universes throughout them. Essentially a player is placed in a world where he/she is free to make whatever decisions they want to, but they are guided by a story that is out of their control. The character has pre chosen powers. So ultimately we don’t control what we can do, we do however control when and how we do this. So while I may not be designing or writing comic books, the job I do now (play games and review) is extremely similar to what writers and artist experience when updating their storylines and characters.
Another correlation between the two is the advances made over time. Today we don’t have to own a bulky council or blow into the game in hopes to make it work again. We can play a multitude of games from almost anywhere. Technology has also improved the way in which we view comic books. Through a digital comic book we now have easy access to our favorite heroes in only a few clicks. I am appreciative that my two favorite habits are more convenient than ever before.
So there you have my thoughts of the day. Comic books and video games absolutely connect on some level.
