That title is actually from a character I love named B-Mo from Adventure Time, but this is about video games. Like I said, my first video game was based off the James Bond movie, Goldeneye. I loved this game and it was certainly a fantastic entrance to video games. When video game conventions still happened, I attended Retro Game Con in Syracuse, and competed in their Goldeneye tournament. I remember having my friends there with me, I remember sweating during the games, panicking that I was the youngest in the tournament, and I remember a wave of relief coming over me after each round when it was announced I had the most kills, winning the match. This may be my favorite game ever released, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best player in the room.
Of course, I grew up with games like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda, but I admit my personal game collection was unorthodox. Mario and Zelda were saved for the older kids and my Christmases were full of Star Wars and James Bond games: those were great years. I may have played more “advanced” games than kids my age, but I got to experience so much that I wouldn’t trade for the world. For example, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter gives context as to why Jango Fett was the man chosen for the Republic army’s clones. Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) pays him one-million credits to track down and kill a rogue Sith. This game also proves why I think Jango Fett is way cooler than Boba Fett; Jango killed a Sith with little-to-no trouble, while Boba needed most of the Galactic Empire’s help to kidnap Han Solo.
Before I ever completed a Mario or Zelda game, I played through Metal Gear Solid: a solid twenty-hour spy game heavily influenced by James Bond. I admit this game was heavy for a kid, but a lot of the references to inappropriate things were as heavy-handed as a Bond movie, so it was nothing new. The harder messages throughout it totally went over my nine-year-old head, though. The message of honor, empathy, obeying orders, and betrayal were missed.
Now that I’m twenty-one, I play this game at least once a year. I may still suck at it because it’s stealth-based, but I love everything about this game so much. Along with the well-written story, the music is oscar-worthy at times: sweeping orchestrations through heavy scenes, haunting compositions while the plot develops, and a pulse-pounding song for the finale all help tell the story of the main character, codenamed Solid Snake. After you complete the different endings, you’ll unlock a tuxedo for the main character to wear in subsequent playthroughs.
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