I’ve Decided to Start Playing Video Games

I decided I want to get into video gaming.

Well, truthfully, I’ve always wanted to. I’ve been entranced by the art, lore, and music from series like The Legend of Zelda and Bravely Default since practically forever. But my actual gaming experience has been limited to trying out Ocarina of Time on my brother’s 3DS when we were younger, and exploring Minecraft on my old roommate’s console before I moved out. I never invested in a console or computer of my own—I didn’t think I had enough time or money to justify spending either on games.

 But recently, my perspective on life has changed a lot. I realized my perfectionistic tendencies were causing me to postpone anything fun or meaningful—anything not completely necessary to get by and reach my goals—and it was sapping the life out of me. More specifically, I was holding myself to such an impossibly high standard, in my work and life, that I was constantly stressed out because nothing I ever did felt good enough.

So I decided to turn over a new leaf, and now I live in the present moment instead of always focusing on the future. My goals haven’t changed, but my approach to them certainly has. And I’ve decided to spend more of my time on the things I find exciting: anime and manga, toy collecting, and video games.

Of course, gaming can be an expensive hobby. Eventually, I want to buy a high-end PC (I have my eye on the limited-edition Evangelion-themed setup from Asus, although I’ll be lucky if I ever find the components second-hand). For now, I decided buying a 3DS or 2DS XL would be a more reasonable place to start.

However, even a 3DS with a few games would be outside my budget for a little while. I had just splurged on the UK-only limited-edition Blu-ray version of Nichijou, and I didn’t want to make another big purchase right away. So I added the devices and games I eventually want to find to my neatly-organized Amazon wishlist, and left it at that.

Coincidentally, my brother, Joe, who lives in South Dakota, got in touch with me the other day. We like to talk about the anime and video games we’re interested in. This time, he wanted to recommend I find a play-through of Red Dead Redemption, saying its story was so good it practically rivaled Breaking Bad. I said I’d wait until I could play it myself, as I’d recently decided to get into gaming.

Joe asked whether I was interested in PC or console gaming, and I told him about my plan to start out with something like the Nintendo 3DS XL. To my great surprise, he replied that he owned a 3DS XL that he didn’t want anymore, and that he might give it to me as a Christmas present when he visits during December. (His family usually drops by during holidays, as they’ve several relatives and friends nearby.)

I was flattered and delighted, but countered that if he didn’t mind mailing it to me now, I’d be more than happy to purchase it from him at once. He agreed, and said he also had several games he would sell me for “pennies on the dollar.” These included Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, which are two titles I’ve been especially keen to play. So we struck a deal, and he promised to mail me the lot when the post office opens on Monday.

So it seems I’ll get to start gaming a lot sooner than I imagined! =D

Joe gave me an incredibly generous price, and although it was still more than I spent on Nichijou, I decided it was worth it. I’ll just do some extra work this month if need be. Besides, it’s always nice to keep money in the family, and I’d rather have my brother’s used console than one from a stranger on eBay.

Besides the device itself (which is the beautiful Galaxy version of the 3DS XL), the games I’ll be getting include:

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

• New Super Mario Bros.

• New Super Mario Bros. 2

• Mario Kart 7

• Minecraft

• Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga

• Shovel Knight

The last two I’m actually getting on loan—Joe wasn’t interested in selling them, but he offered to let me borrow them until he visits again.

I’m really incredibly excited. For as long as I can remember, video games have been like a fantasy world that I could only look at wistfully through a small window. Now, I’ll actually get to experience them—and far sooner than I ever would have hoped!

It’s the little things, as they say. ^-^

Until next time,

A soon-to-be gamer,

Adrien <3

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