Growing up With Video Games

Video games played a huge part in my upbringing

While many believe they are a waste of time

I give video games credit for helping build my character

and who I am today

some of the consoles and games

I mention here are probably older than half of you watching

my very first console was the (Filipino accent) "Nintendo Family Computer"

AKA the "Famicom" {uu}

if you are unfamiliar with this, you might recognize the

American counterpart: The Nintendo Entertainment System-

The N.E.S

they're generally known to be the same console

with a few differences

honestly, you put red on anything and that's my bias

this console blew my mind as a kid

I had a humble selection of game cartridges

-yes they weren't even CD's yet-

and half of which were niche and foreign

*BUT*

if I turned on my Famicom without a game inserted it would boot up a menu

which had over 100 games.

Tetris, Small Bee(?), Billiards, some tank game

was anyone else's like that??

was mine modded??

I dunno. but it was awesome! (wow Dom)

and it blew my friends' minds too when I showed it to them

not long after, I then got. The "Game Boy" (oh my god YES)

YES, that brick of a handheld console where I first discovered Pokémon

and all it's glory~

I still remember that one time as a kid

I was chillin' after swimming lessons

sitting on a bench playing my Game Boy

waiting for my parents to pick me up

another kid in my class was passing by and noticed I was playing Pokémon Red

having the game himself, we naturally talked about how fun it is

then he started talking about game cheats (N O)

and that's when he opened my eyes to:

THE DUPLICATION GLITCH

"You possess forbidden knowledge!"

basically at a certain part of the game, if you met the specific requirements

you were able to duplicate the items in your inventory (OHMYGULAY)

to a virtually infinite amount

this meant endless Masterballs

allowing you to catch any Pokémon effortlessly

endless elixirs, allowing your Pokémon to fight f o r e v e r

and endless Rare Candies, allowing you to level up your Pokémon without having to fight at all

and consequentially it was also when I discovered that

although cheats did add a fun aspect of being overpowered

and being able to OBLITERATE the Elite Four

and my rival "Ta-e(?so sorry if i got that wrong)"

using a single move,

I felt a sense of emptiness and lack of achievement because

my victories weren't earned through genuine effort,

but through dishonest methods

the destination was the journey, and the hardships I overcame along the way

is what made the end that much more satisfying

the cheats kill the game and it's purpose

there was no more journey

and that lesson rippled throughout my childhood,

and paved my way into adulthood

well! good thing that was already like my FOURTH playthrough of red

so I didn't feel guilty too long

and continued to become a Pokémon Master

by cheating (DOM NO)

OH wassup Abra? You gon' try to teleport outta here again?

*small lip smack* nuh-uh, not this time!

you gon' join me today...

I have enough masterballs to catch you

aand ya bruthers and sistuhs

right now and in the next thousand lifetimes..

so go ahead, try and teleport.

I'll come back

DUring that time!

I also had the super Nintendo! Known to contain many legendary

games that still hold a place in people's hearts today

Turtles in Time, Super Mario RPG and Super Mario World, Mega Man X2, Donkey Kong Country,

Earthbound, Super Metroid, and The Link to the Past

But you know what game I probably played the MOST?

THAT'S RIGHT freakin Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Fighting Edition

look, as cool as it was to watch people in tights save to city from

monsters via martial arts,

the megaswords have always been my favorite part about the shows

and this game allows you to play AS them

and beat the crap out of OTHER megaswords AND monsters!

and to 7-year-old me?

dat was da bomb diggity

I looked it up recently and apparently it was pretty doodoo

and didn't do that well

but I still remember having lots of fun with it

things don't need to be the best of it's kind for you to enjoy them

just because Captain Falcon's mid-tier doesn't mean I can't have fun kneeing people in the face

and then going "Yeeahh. YEAAHH, ya like that??"

(some guy) "Ye-ye-yah actually. I-I thought that was pretty cool...

Good job, man!"

(kawaii Dom) "hehe, thanks!"

my NEXT console was the N64.

Of which I was I was introduced to the franchise that is still my favorite game series to this day

and yeah you probably guessed it from that last reference:

YES! *epic music plays in background* It's Super Smash Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, and Fathers!

If you considered all the time I put into all of these games

*weird Dom noise* EXCEPT BRAWL

I'm pretty sure I've copped in well over a thousand hours (GODDAMN DOM)

Smash has such a simple concept that can appeal to all types of people

you try to beat each other up and knock your opponent(s) off the stage

so that they fall into oblivion and literally explode (basically)

s i m p l e !

but despite that it can be complex when taken competitively

due to the numerous mechanics that aren't so obvious at face value

"Complexity delivered in Simplicity"

in a way that's what I strive for my work to be like

I then went through most of the Nintendo consoles that followed.

I went through Sony's PlayStations 1-4

I kinda skipped the Microsoft line except for that used Xbox 360 I got off Kajiji a couple years ago

so I could play Just Dance and try to impress Claire

But nothing really beats the bonding I've done and the friends I've made more than through PC gaming

Especially those online.

I like to think the circle of friends I'm in now have lasted this long because of the times we struggled together

As well as against each other in video games

Playing games together with strangers has taught me patience when working with an unfamiliar team

Something you might find yourself doing often in real life

It's taught me that people I've never met before can enjoy the same things I do

Despite having different backgrounds and cultures

It's opened my eyes to the actual size of the world

and it's population

Large and diverse in a sense that games can be universal-

that there are gamers everywhere

but seems small enough that people who are hundreds or thousands of miles apart can create long lasting relationships

because of a simple common interest

Here's a few more shout outs to video games that have made great impacts in my life

The Zelda franchise. For immersing me in such believable worlds full of lore and fantasy

Minecraft. For giving me for my design cravings and applying them to a simulated open world reality

that virtually had limitless possiblities

League of Legends. For teaching me that having skins doesn't nessecarily make me a better player

and also for allowing me to befriend people I know today

because we all learned to hate ourselves together

*twinkles* S O L I D A R I T Y

OH! And MapleStory for teaching me that people online are really lonely and..

horomonal...

VIDeo games are just- awesome, man!

and I believe we're in the biggest gaming generation! (ain't that right..)

anyone can find a game that suits their tastes

do you like beating the crap out of other people with cool combos and special skills?

fighting games.

are you looking for something that focuses on character growth and storytelling?

roleplaying games.

do you have a good sense of tempo and coordination?

rhythm games!

are you looking for something with less commitment and immediate reward?

mobile games!

-unless it's a gacha game..then...it's the exact opposite

commit HOURS grinding those gems just so you can roll a four star salamander for the sixth time

*sharp nose inhale* Damn you Puzzles and Dragons

*more inhales* MM damn youuu

and now we've got Virtual Reality taking big leaps in development

who knows what kind of video games we'll be playing in ten years?

what if..

...we're in a game...

..right now..?

(some dude) "staaahhhpp"

with the continuous advances in technology the communities that revolved around video games are no longer niche nor underappreciated

game design is so much more accessible now and indie games have proven to be some of my favorite titles

however, disregarding the game developers themselves,

many people's careers today revolve around the video games themselves, and the culture around it

you think that was a self-sustaining lifestyle 15 or 20 years ago?

people literally play games for a living now

honestly, if I didn't take the animation route, I probably would've become a gaming channel

(another random guy where are y'all coming from??) "

"wait. w-what are you thinking?"

(Innocent Dom mode) Nothing.

"Doomm."

*nervous dom breathing*

(woah who dat)

"NNNNnNnNNNnnNnnNnNNnnNNN-"

many people today may still think video games are a waste of time

and I guess if you lack self-control and prioritize them over your responsibilities

then yeah, that may be true

but the culture of video games is a great influence as to why I am who I am today

and has brought me together with people I would've never expected to meet otherwise

and I'm sure a lot of you share the same belief

video games have helped me keep my sanity during the lows in my life, and have made the highs even more enjoyable

the video game culture is always growing. and I'm never worried about a shortage of entertainment

BHUT what I DO have a shortage of is time. And unfortunately haven't been able to game as much as I used to

HOWEVER during my work and travels I can still take in content through Audiobooks with Audible

and now Amazon Prime members can start their membership and save 66% on their first 3 months by going to Audible.com/Domics! Valid until July 31st

That's like 3 months for the price of one! With the Audible app you can enjoy your audio books wherever and whenever! They're yours to keep for LIFE

And you can re-listen to them EVEN if you CANCEL your membership! As a member, you'll receive 3 credits every month. which you can spend on 1 Audio Book and 2 Audible Originals, REGARDLESS of the price!

If you haven't got the time to play or watch others play video games, why not listen to some of these video game related titles from Audible?

Ready Player One, Bio Shock Rapture, Replay: The History of Video Games, and Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America

Once again, that's Audible.com/Domics or TEXT DOMICS to 500-500 for a 30-day trial with 3 Audio Book Credits. And until July 31st, Amazon Prime Members can sign up and start their first 3 months at 66% off.

Enjoy!

Closed Captions Done By: Twitter: lu_the_artist Insta:lillu.draws