The NES was one of those systems that I never owned growing up because it was always around, so I have memories of playing Life Force and Blaster Master, but they aren't as etched into my brain as TurboGrafx or SMS games. Man Life Force is difficult! I wonder now how as kids we got so much enjoyment out of these games, and I remember why I kicked a hole in my bedroom wall.
But then I remember almost always playing these games with a friend or two. If the game wasn't multiplayer, we'd take turns. Playing these ridiculously challenging games with a friend makes all the difference. (and if I thought *I* had a temper playing some of these games, some of my friends would put me to shame!)
Not too long ago, my little brother was in town for the weekend and we got a 12-pack of beer and spent ALL NIGHT playing Super Mario Brothers 2. That was so much fun. Dying over and over and over and over again and being able to share that misery and laugh at your buddy for making the exact same mistake as what killed you last is what really makes these games entertaining. Playing them alone doesn't hold nearly the same magic.
Anyway, there's my random rant for the day...
(I still have a SNES pad that's taped together from being thrown at the wall too many times!)
