I have not owned a gaming console since, that’s right, since the Atari 2600 (You have no idea how cool it was to have four brothers who could simultaneously play Warlords — online gaming has nothing on those bouts).
But at this time, I am drawn to get a GameCube. I am buying it because it is the only way to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Why is that important? Intuition.
I played Ocarina of Time at my friend’s place, but never owned the N64. I played through the beginning of the game and was captivated, but never completed the entire thing myself. It was very impressive, but I was poor.
Maybe Nintendo’s PR campaign has rolled over me. I read the Wired article about ‘mature gaming’ and was fascinated by Shigeru Miyamoto’s story and stance. I’ve read criticism of his and Nintendo’s philosophy, but it fundamentally makes sense, even if they mis-step at times. That is, make a commitment to games that surprise and delight.
To me, it is like playing improvisational music. You cannot be fantastic every time if you are truly taking the risks that are required to transcend the moment. If I were a dedicated gamer, I would sound like an apologist, but I'm not. I am interested in art. And I'm betting that beyond Zelda, it’s the GameCube that will host it.
So, I now own the Ocarina of Time Master Quest disc they are giving out to those who pre-order the new Zelda and no GameCube. But that's another story.
Posted by Mike at February 28, 2003 01:00 AM | TrackBackAh, “Warlords.” I'm sure I could still spend hours trying to demolish my enemies' square, pixilated castles. Anthropologists could spend pages trying to explain the fascination of the primitive graphics with its elegant smashing (square) ball.
I'm with Mike. I can say that I have not purchased a game system since the Atari 2600. Actually, Dad bought that anyway, so I guess I've never bought a game system! The last ones I owned were no less than 2 donated Super Nintendos — one from a former roommate and one from my very current wife. Without roomates, friends, or relatives, I would never have used a Sony Playstation 1 or 2 (damn “Tomb Raider” for wasting hours of my life!), Sega Genesis, or Sega Dreamcast.