Here we are with another small bit of writing by kurtin for your reading pleasure.  This post was inspired by a recent comment I made by having to reflect on video games I've been addicted to.  See this week's Friday Five, by Boudica to get involved and get to know more about community members in little pieces.  My response to that question about video game addictions had me reaching back in the vault, since video games have been a huge part of my life since kindergarten and the NES system!  I remember countless days waking up softly in the night, sneaking to living room, rushing to turn the volume down on the set so I could play Dragon Warrior at 2 or 3 in the morning until mom came in to escort me away from my addiction.

Those games really meant a lot to me as a means to escape and control a completely different world, and as just hours of good, old-fashioned entertainment.  I was, and still am, talented with video games, and perhaps that is a skill developed over the years.  I would recommend providing video game stimulation and entertainment to anyone growing up, but it is easy to let the world take control of a life.  Moderation is a big key, but I have not usually been the best at heeding my own advice.  Well, on to the topic at hand...my favorite video game of all time, only a step ahead of Dragon Warrior is Crystalis for the NES.

This game is a staple RPG that pushed the limits beyond those set by The Legend of Zelda for the NES.  I don't want to give away the ending or secret twists in plot, but I will just briefly come up with a spolier-free synopsis.  Your main character awakens from cryostasis to find a world being taken over by an evil power and his converts.  Your mission is to travel and seek out your other companion, since you two are the chosen ones to destroy this evil force.  Along the way you approach and defeat monsters while fighting in real-time and completing various quests asked of you by elders and certain village members.  There are unique dungeons, terrains, and monsters to fight, and some bosses can be tricky to fight in that real-time atmosphere.  You pick up many unique items to aid in the quest, you learn magic spells along the way, and you level up while collecting experience from fallen foes.  In the end you discover that the key to defeating the evil power is collecting all four separate swords that combine to make the ultimate weapon, Crystalis.  This RPG really pushed the limit on the Nintendo and prepared us for what was to come on the SNES.  Here is an image of what the basic gameplay looks like.

If you are into fun video games or the RPG genre, I recommend giving this game a shot.  You might find some of the puzzles/sidequests challenging since the game sometimes leaves the next step as more of a mystery for you to solve on your own.  There are secret items and special powerups hidden in various, tough-to-reach spots in the game.  NES games will never fade and can be challenging on levels higher than some of the high tech games of today, this might just be one of those classics.  I would be very interested in hearing other comments from those who have played the game before and either agree or disagree with my passion or promo for people to try and find it to play.