I recently acquired a friend’s NES and about a metric crapload of cartridges.  He was moving, the price was right (even if some of the pins are bent and I really should replace the receptors).  When I was 11, I was forced to sell my beloved system in order to come up with the last little bit of cash to purchase a SNES (I had saved my allowance all summer).  I fondly remember those early morning Mario runs before school, the late night Zelda sessions with my Mom, sharing codes and cheats with my friends.

From 1991 until summer of 2010, my only feelings of nostalgia were gained from ROMs and emulators found on the internet, from DLC on the Wii Virtual Console, or re-releases for the GameBoy Advance (Played on my Gen1 DS).

But then.  OMG but then!  Feeling the square corners of the controller as they bit into my palm; sighing in frustration as I was forced to re-insert the cartridge time and time again to make the connection just right (I really should replace those pins).  It immediately, and with great force, thrust me back into my childhood.  That afternoon all those games and peripherals (finally, a PowerGlove: I’m so BAD) arrived, I disappeared into the past.

That feeling faded as I dreamed of 8bit princesses, octoroks and tetrominoes, waking up the next day, albeit an adult again, but a slightly happier one.  Now I boot her up and blow out the carts for the LittleGeek, who has, surprisingly enough, at the age of 3 already beaten World 1-1 in Super Mario Bros. – on the console it was meant to be played.

So I can relate to the teary-eyed reunion that YT user wageman1 presents in this touching short video.  Now if only we could figure out how to get the Zapper and R.O.B. to work on new flatscreen TVs – I’m not that keen on keeping a CRT around forever.

NES, you’ll always be my first.

-SnowytheGeek