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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Happy 21st Birthday, Mega Man!!

So I was doing browsing some gaming forums like I usually do, when I read a message where someone wished Mega Man a happy 21st birthday. I cannot believe I'd forgotten the anniversary of my favorite video game character. For shame. I've only been playing the blue bomber's games for almost as long as he's been around. Really, screwed up economy or not, I should have remembered this!

Has it really been 21 years? Why, yes it has. On December 17th, 1987 in Japan, the first Rockman game hit the NES (he's called Rockman over there for all 3 of you that didn't know). The game made it to American in December of the same year as well, under the name Mega Man, only with far less appealing box art. Thankfully, said horrific box art didn't stop Mega Man from becoming what he has today.

My first encounter with Mega Man was the summer of 1989. I was haning out at a friend's place and like most kids back in the day, we were playing the NES. Of all the games my friend had, this one game really stood out to me. It was Mega Man 2. I wasn't very good at the game at all. I died on both Bubble Man and Wood Man's levels. But I was really liked the game and wanted to play more of it, despite my suckitude.

Long story short, that Sunday afternoon that I spent at my friends place is the reason I am now and forever will be a Mega Man addict. I don't care if the games are basically the same thing again and again. The little guy rocks and so do his numerous brothers. Thanks to the original Mega Man's creation, we have Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Zero and so on. Here's to another 21 years of Mega Man.

2 comments:

Tommy said...

Here's how I discovered the Blue Bomber.

It was through a NES gaming magazine (not Nintendo Power, it was something else), and when I was looking through the article on it, I was thinking to myself, "Wow, I can pick which one of these guys I want to fight first!"


So I rented Mega Man and I could never get past those lifts in Guts Man's level. It felt good to be able to beat the other guys, but I never could get to Guts. Not for years later.


Anyhoo, when Mega Man 2 came out, I was able to get it somehow (X-Mas? $100 prize from selling Cherrydale candy in Elementary?), and that really blew me away!

I forget how long it took me to be able to beat both of those games.

Reggie White Jr. said...

You got into MM with the first game? Nice. Those green platforms in Guts Man stage are a killer. I can usually do 'em now with little to no problems.

The first MM game I ever owned was MM3, my fav MM game.