September 23
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Video games aren't what they used to be.
There will never be a Mario game more difficult than the original Super Mario Bros. for the 1983 Nintendo Entertainment System.
It's sadistic how hard the game was.
If you spent 40 minutes getting to the second-to-last level and died, there were no "save points." You had to go all the way back to level 1 and start over again.
Same story with the original Legend of Zelda.
It saddens and confuses me that eight-year-old me beat the entire game start to finish, and 37-year-old me can't even find the second dungeon.
They don't make games like this anymore.
These days, it's all about comfort, an enjoyable player experience, and selling in-game upgrades. Games aren't made too difficult, because then people won't want to play.
But there's something to be said about the games of old. They were transformative.
Not just for the hero in the game, but for the person playing.
Because beating one of these games required perseverance and patience. You had to actually level up your game-playing skills and get better at the game.
And you had to battle the desire to throw the game console out the window.
If you could beat Super Mario Bros. without using a level-skipping cheat code, you attained a Jedi level of concentration. You became a changed person.
And when we can apply that level of resilience and determination to real life, it gets even better. So long as we're leveling up every day.
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For parents, students, and anyone else who believes that music can and should be a meaningful part of everyone's life.
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