Nintendo for the Non-Gamer - Beczilla

        

     Happy 2020 (when do we reach the moratorium on wishing a Happy New Year) and I am under siege by the amount of entertainment there is at my disposal.  There are so many movies, tv series, and reboots it’s dizzying.  And then there’s the books - oh boy - there’s the books.  My backlog is multiplying at alarming rates, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always loved film, music, and literature - I was never in short supply of any thanks to my outrageously cool parents and my equally inspiring college friends.  But other than some minor Tetris, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro, I’ve largely ignored gaming for the bulk of my life.  

  I met my husband Darrel in 2007.  I was dazzled by his wits, his musical ability, and his humor.  I was not as impressed by a huge part of his social life… you know where this is going.  Even though we met through a mutual friend (a university pal of mine, a Smash teammate for Darrel), I mostly didn’t “get” gaming.  Some of my best friends played Halo which I found disturbingly dull (I’m still not into shooters), and the Wii provided nominal diversion.  But Nintendo didn’t start to worm its way into my heart until 2013.

  The Wii U had its faults, which you can hear in great detail on the Nintendo Jump Podcast, but the juggernaut that slammed through my apathy of gaming presented itself on this console in the form of Earthbound.  Ness’ adventures were just so weird.  I loved it.  I took to Facebook to chronicle my accomplishment - I had completed my first video game ever.  My bookworm to gamer girl ratio was still a heavily lopsided 98:2, but I was on my way.  

In the post Earthbound 2013-2017 era, I certainly hit my gaming sophomore slump.  There were a few exceptions to my apathy.  I attempted a no-kill run of the stunning Pikmin 3 (it’s harder than it sounds), I fell in love with the Greenies in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, and I nearly crumpled into fetal position after my first encounter with the Redeads in the remastered The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.  But I still felt like an outsider, unable to cross the threshold into actually being able to hold my own.

Herein lies the magic of Nintendo.  I grew up with a Game Boy, a Sega Genesis, and a PlayStation in that order.   So it had been a while since I had ready access to a Nintendo console.  There has never been anything from Sony or Microsoft that has remotely captured my interest like the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer in 2016.  And on that March 2017 day when there was, almost miraculously, a Switch with Breath of the Wild in my living room, everything changed for me.  I was almost angrily impatient waiting for Darrel to surrender the console so I could get a turn.  It seemed like Nintendo had made a console with a library of games for people like me - inept non-gamers.  Yet, Darrel enjoyed it too.  So did everyone I know who had tried it.  

Here are some of the titles I’ve fallen in love with during this incredible three year journey.  I suggest any and all of these to gamers and non-gamers alike.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - If you know me at all, you aren’t surprised by this.  BotW is a gorgeous and ensnaring gaming experience and allows each player to tailor-fit gameplay to their liking (raise your hand if you’re a completionist like me)!  The mechanics are fluid and intuitive, the story is profound without being sinister, and I simply can’t play enough.  

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - I love a good RPG, and this is a phenomenal starting point for me with the Fire Emblem series.  Each character (there are many) is so diverse, and this game gripped me hard.  It’s amazing to me how everyone who has played seems to have a vice-like allegiance to their house.  Bring on the Ashen Wolves, but I’m a Black Eagle 4-ever.

3. Gris - Short and sweet, the style choices made by the developers evoke a nostalgia akin to hearing a favorite song you haven’t for a while.  There’s also an NPC (look at me, using the jargon) that is one of the most charming and heart stirring creatures ever.  

4. Octopath Traveler - If I could travel the earth with Tressa, Olberic, Primrose, and H’aanit, I would.  This game has it all: an unconventional but beguiling art style, some of the most gorgeous music I’ve heard anywhere (listen to “My Quiet Forest Home”), and a rich set of storylines that stir up emotions in the most wonderful way.  This game inspires a lot of the same feelings as reading a good book does for me, and there’s not much higher praise from me than that!

I’m creating my own gaming identity.  While it isn’t prodigious or particularly skilled, it is mine - and I’m enjoying every minute of cultivating it.  Because Nintendo bridged the gap for me, I’ve found how fulfilling and exciting gaming can be, with a Discord community who never cease to cheer me on.  I’ll always be grateful that Nintendo created games for the non-gamer… or maybe that description doesn’t apply to me anymore.