Did you ever blow air into a video game cartridge to clean it? I grew up in the ’80s. I vividly remember pressing and holding the reset button on my gaming console.
I got my first home gaming console—a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)—at age 9. This marvel, equipped with an NES Light Zapper and Power Pad, included a compilation of the iconic Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet games.
As I build my career in technology, I realize how video games like Super Mario Bros. sparked my passion for both technology and storytelling.
The Early Days
Before fancy next-gen consoles and graphics, there was 8-bit Mario in all his side-ways walking glory. Super Mario World (Super NES) is my favorite from the Mario Bros. franchise. I loved its uniquely destined characters: Yoshi, Bowser’s kids, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool. The gameplay mechanic of leveling up Mario to SUPER MARIO and unleashing fire flower projectiles was exhilarating!
Over the years, I’ve owned other gaming consoles, including a Sega Dreamcast. Tombraider: The Last Revelation was one of the games I enjoyed playing on Dreamcast. In Revelation, the game’s platforming featured jump puzzles that lead to a game over if mistimed.
The Tomb Raider series excels at connecting level design, story-telling, and puzzle-solving using the game’s environment. I’ve been a fan of the franchise ever since.
Creativity and Problem-solving
In the vast world of Destiny 2, players must collaborate. They must find unique approaches to conquering the gaming environment, especially in raids. Raids are end-game encounters that are the ultimate test of teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving skills.
Players work together as a 6-person fire team bound by the common goal of not wiping for the 50/11th time. My game motto is: jump, survive, or be near to survive!
Raids require a high level of coordination. Tactical planning is essential. This can only be achieved by a well-oiled fire team. Titans cast towering barricades to shield their comrades. Warlocks weave healing rifts to mend wounds. Hunters dart through the shadows and strike with lethal precision.
The first time I cleared the King’s Fall Raid with a fireteam, we struggled during the second encounter with Golgoroth. We faced its challenge where each player must take a turn holding the ogre’s gaze. I don’t even recall how many times we wiped!
The thrill of victory in a Destiny 2 raid is not just in the loot it yields. It is also in the moments of triumph over adversity. These moments are achieved through the collective wit of the players on the fireteam.
Video games offer a powerful tool for honing communication skills. They can enhance creativity. They also improve problem-solving skills in life. You can achieve this by finding innovative ways to progress through a game. You can also tackle puzzles.
Choosing My Path
In high school, I didn’t notice the early signs and hints that pursuing a technical career was feasible. I mean, people need to learn programming from the womb to be in tech, right??
I spent most of my twenties working as an employee in a cubicle farm. Then, I stumbled into coding when I launched a WordPress blog. I’ve been fascinated by the technologies that drive the web ever since.
I learned HTML, CSS, and the JavaScript (yes, “the JavaScript”). After much effort, I made a painfully slow transition into the tech field as a Front-end Developer. Just put me in the middle of a code base or tech stack. I’ll be ready to break something or create something!
Looking back on the video games that shaped me, I continue to find excitement and inspiration to create digital experiences and tell engaging stories that captivate audiences.
How did a favorite pastime or hobby influence your journey?