HIDE N’ GO GEEK!
I love Mario Bros. There, I said it. It speaks to my cartoony soul. And let’s face it, there is a TON of imagination packed in those games, a true pioneer for many wannabe replicas to follow. This week I splurged and bought myself a Wii console with the original Mario Bros. 25th anniversary collection, and boom, I’m young again. Level Up!
I struggled a bit at first, battling pangs of guilt at indulging in vids at my age…whatever that means. A couple rounds of Mario 2 (my favourite!) put those concerns to rest quickly! My motto of measured distraction = playful construction stands firm. I aim to use it as a tool, you see. At junctures of creative blocks when the ideas won’t flow, when words get stuck or my drawing sucks, video games are as effective a recalibration device as washing the dishes or going for a walk. Also, there’s plenty of educational theory to support the playing of video games with purpose, including this interesting piece on Interest Driven Learning with Video Games. As long as video games can be used and not abused, for relaxation or education, ideas beget ideas, regardless of how we digest them. Hell, they can even be a portal to learning!
So ya, this jester is out of the video game closet. If you need me, I’ll be dipping into my Mario worlds with giddy abandon. Here’s some hilarious sidebars I had to include:
Super Mario Bros. 2 features enemies and items different from the preceding game. The playable characters can pick up and throw objects at opponents to defeat them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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