Common Loot

I have an interesting relationship with handhelds. I have always wanted one at a young age because I found them to be a great way to play games when you’re not at home. I could also play games with my friends and feel like one of the cool kids in school. Later in life I would see no real use for them unless I wanted to multitask and it wouldn’t be till around five years ago where I would fully appreciate their versatility. Today, I can’t imagine my life without some sort of gaming handheld device. Between my daily commutes to playing games on a smaller screen so that my child doesn’t experience the varying levels of violence, handheld gaming is integral to my general happiness levels. I’m just like a Sim, apparently.

So, as part of the oncoming launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, I am going to share my experiences with a wide range of handheld devices, talking about a new handheld every other day or so. Since handheld gaming has been my primary way of experiencing a slew of titles for the last five years, I feel like I should share that experience and I invite you to share your own. While this type of device came into my life a bit later, this journey actually started around 24 years ago on one faithful Christmas morning. 

A Game Boy Christmas

It was 1998 and I was around 12 years old at the time when I asked my parents for a Game Boy Color and a copy of Pokemon for Christmas. All my friends at school played and I wanted to be cool just like them. But also, how could you turn down the commercial that was thrown in between each Saban-based show that played after school. During the cusp of every episode of Power Rangers, I saw the commercial where a bunch of animated Pokemon climbed onto a bus. The driver would then drive the bus into a junkyard clamp where it was crushed. As the mechanism slowly opened, a Game Boy was revealed, featuring all the Pokemon who were all screaming for their lives just a mere ten seconds ago. Horrifying by modern standards. 

I never thought twice about that commercial, and despite the morbid theming of it, it sold me. I wanted to play Pokemon. It would only be a matter of time before my love for gaming would rub off on my two younger brothers, Nick and Luke, who were around the ages of eight and four, respectively. Nick could barely read and he didn’t have the patience. Luke couldn’t read but he was enamored by the art and the profound cuteness of Pikachu, a character so powerful it became the mascot of the entire franchise. 

I remember that Christmas day as I opened my gifts which consisted of heavy metal albums, some clothes, and maybe a live performance DVD or two. But as I opened up everything I was eagerly awaiting the Game Boy Color. I used to do this thing where I would only put one or two items I really wanted on my Christmas list in hopes that would be the thing I got. I was playing the odds at a young age, and in this case, my efforts were thwarted.

My two youngest brothers got two gifts that were of equal shape and size. Nick opened his gift to reveal a Game Boy Color! Luke then proceeded to open his up with some assistance to reveal another Game Boy Color! I was hoping there would be one more box of equal shape and size, but there was none. Those were the last gifts of the day. They each got to pick between the single copy of Pokemon Red or Blue editions.

I was confused and till this day I support a theory; I believe that one of those was intended for me but my parents mixed up the labels and they couldn’t do anything to rectify it. In this case, they placed hope in me that I wouldn’t make such a big deal of it, and I didn’t. I was upset but that was when I realized that with both of my brothers each having a copy of Pokemon, it would open up the gates of competition between them both, and I would be the arbiter of their rivalry. 

The Rivalry

Siblings fight. That is a thing that just happens no matter what. It doesn’t matter the age, whether you are five or fifty, animosity can always show up. It’s just when you are young, the fights are quite trivial. My brothers fought via Pokemon. When they were handed their console and respective Pokemon game, the urge to fight each other took over, but there was a big hurdle that both must overcome- playing the game. 

Nick was old enough to play games but he had no interest in actually playing the game. He just wanted the Pokemon. Luke couldn’t read at all. So instead of playing my own game peacefully in my own room or on the bus, I had to play both of their games so they could eventually fight each other. 

This was my first real experience with a handheld gaming device. This would echo throughout time. I always feel like I am constantly trying to make up for that moment where I was denied something I clearly wanted. But isn’t that most of us these days? We collect vintage toys and records to make up for the lack of their presence in our youth. We buy games in hopes that we can find that sense of enjoyment and escapism. But as we get more money we lose time and handheld devices are my way of taking that time back.

Since those days, Pokemon has become the most profitable franchise of all time. Children and adults still play the series till this day. It spawned an anime adaptation with a slew of movies that captures the essence of these pocket monsters. It would launch my love and appreciation for the small screen and eventually fuel my own kid’s love for the lovable creatures. 

Oh, and as for my brothers and their Pokemon rivalry… that ended quite quickly. I handed them both their Game Boy Colors with completed files. They took one look at the game and then immediately dropped them. I haven’t beaten a Pokemon game since then.

Next Time

My next piece will be about the next major step in my handheld gaming life. There are plenty of handheld devices to discuss, some I completely forgot that I even owned! So stay tuned because we still have to go over one of my favorite handhelds of all time: Sony’s PlayStation Portable, or PSP. 

Do you have a favorite handheld or silly Christmas story revolving around mis-attributed gifts? Let me know!