From the time I was a young boy the release of a new Nintendo system has been a milestone in my life. First there was the original NES. I wasn’t quite old enough to be excited about it’s release, but I still got one! I have fond memories of guilting my parents into buying one and getting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. After years of good memories with my trusty Game Genie, it was time for the SNES. Still a young boy with no purchasing power, and with a price tag of $200, I was yet again unable to enjoy the splendor of a new videogame system at its release. Eventually though my NES and all that went with it was off in the mail to Funco, which would be the first of many videogame sales.

The sale of my NES led to the purchase of the SNES, and of course, Street Fighter II, Mario Kart, and Star Fox to name a few. As the N64 approached I was finally in High School. Still not a member of the labor force, I was again resigned to selling my beloved Nintendo system for its successor. My memory of this occassion is quite clear…we brought the system home from Toys R Us with the brand new Super Mario 64. It seemed as though videogames had been turned on their head forever. Nights of Mario Kart, GoldenEye, and NHL ensued during the High School years.

By the time GameCube arrived I was a proud employee at the library, saving my money for months before the launch. For the first time in my life I didn’t have to sell my old console. The GameCube and I had a great time, but it also saw my life change from a teen to an "adult." With that transition came a change in my videogame habits. Gone are the 2 a.m. gaming sessions that marked High School and College. Videogames have always been a part of my life, so I’m almost glad to see that excitement come around again with the pending launch of the Wii.

If I was in High School or College I would probably be running to Gamespot to try the Wii, but instead I have quietly been reading every article I can find on the web. I’ve cashed in my credit card reward points (that makes me old!) to finance this new purchase. I’ve once again leveraged my previous Nintendo console (though for different reasons than in previous sales). I’ve even bought Nintendo stock!  When exactly a Wii will be at Toys R Us and available to me, I don’t know. I sit here and patiently await the release of an exciting new Nintendo console…maybe I’m finally growing up?

Hmmm…no, not really….

In case you haven’t heard, there is a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie on the way! I haven’t read much, but it appears to be completely computer animated and with a very classic look. Computer animated might just be the ticket to a great movie. The original three were a little hokey because people dressed up in bulky turtle costumes don’t come across as very ninja-like.

It comes out in March, and this is one piece of childhood nostalgia that I will be watching closely.

Well, the job at East didn’t work out. If only I had passed my CSET a little bit earlier. It’s ok, there will be other possibilities. I’ve got been June 20th when I found out about my test and the beginning of school to find another job. Here’s for hoping!

On a happier note, Stacie and I bought a refrigerator. Freakin’ exciting huh? haha. It’s funny how what you find fun and exciting changes as you age. When I was 7 ninja turtles ruled, but now that I’m 23 a new refrigerator is cool. Gotta love that.