True Love! (In Pixel Form)

I'm sure we've all had our childhood crushes.

Some of us fell deeply in love with actors, actresses and movie characters.

Others of us were falling into love with each other, and playing spin the bottle before we even knew what kissing really meant.

I also fell in love...

My love was not a fleeting thing however and haunts me even now some days...

I was in love with Princess Peach!

Or... at least the pixels she was comprised of.

My love of Princess Peach herself was seconded only by my love of videogames all together.

So now I'm going to take us back to the days when graphics were bad and videogames simply had to speak for themselves. Here are some retro games that have standed the test of time and have provided countless hours of entertainment to (nerdy) individuals of all ages worldwide.

They're all mario games (I know, how typical, but Mario was my childhood! He just can't be beaten!) and I'll start from one of the earliest games to capture my attention.

Super Mario World

Released in 1991, this game is the most epic platformer of all times. Nothing beats this classic mario staple. This game is one of the games that firmly rooted Mario into the minds of people worldwide. It's the moment where they truly perfected the gameplay and style of the Super Mario Series, so that it's level of fun and replayability are at it's highest. Nothing is more gratifying than saving the dear Princess Peach at the end of the game, even if all you get in return is a kiss on the cheek.

Next: Super Mario RPG

This game combined all the fun and whimsy of mario with the strategy and enjoyment found in RPG's. The game, released on the Super Nintendo continued the Mario trend but took it in an interesting different direction. The storyline and characters were cute and cheesy, and the gameplay was very similair to the Final Fantasy games of that time. Although it sounds a little strange, the combination works, and turned RPG into something that was accessible to all age groups. This leads us to another awesome game...

Paper Mario!

This game, released on the N64 continues with the RPG battle system, while adding more fun elements such as badges that offer different abilities and the addition of partners that perform special attacks in battle. The partners also add to the storyplaying and are important pieces to solving the puzzle during the gameplay, doing things like hitting buttons and levers and open new pathways. Also... the graphics are adorable and the different locations are all enchanting and pretty.

Awwww. How cute.
The paper element isn't overused like it is in Paper Mario 2, but it still is in there enough to add an element of bizarre cuteness and charm.
In the second two, the inclusion of Princess Peach as a playable character added an extra element of fun for myself, with her being my favourite character of course.

All 3 of these games are even still occasionally played by me today, and still haven't lost their touch. So thank you to Mario and Princess Peach for shaping my love of Video Games into what it is today.

I may be a nerd, but I am proud of it ;)