L33t Gam3r

Remember that 80's movie The Wizard? It starred Fred Savage (and Jenny Lewis - no joke) as the older brother of a video game whiz who is running away from home to compete in a national tournament. It was my favorite movie as a kid, and I remember identifying so strongly with that little video game prodigy, which on reflection is sad considering he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and is misunderstood by everyone...

Anyway, video games played such a big role in my childhood, as they did for many boys (and girls) of my generation. They were something I was good at, and a common language between me and other boys my age, which was key because I didn't have too much else in common with them. Girls? Cars? Not so much, but I can beat your older brother in Street Fighter.

I was thinking about all of this recently, and hoped to find The Wizard in its entirety on YouTube. No such luck, but following the related links from the film trailer, I found myself watching clips of people playing video games - especially the early Marios, since Mario 3 features prominently in the movie.

Tonight, this was in my personal recommendations:



Holy. Cow. I vividly remember playing this game when the Nintendo 64 first came out. I could paint a clear picture of the moment for you, but if you didn't grow up with this game, I doubt you'll much care. Just know that this clip showcases a stunning feat of gaming. Aided by just a few inherent glitches, and recorded by a program as part of speed competition, this user blazes through the game without so much as a single wasted jump.

My jaw literally dropped in a few places watching this video. The span between 12:20 and 12:55 simply blows my mind. I cannot overstate how incredible this guy's skillz are. Of course, if you played this game, you already know that. Just watch the whole twenty minutes, and prepare to be amazed.

What I love is that nearly two million viewers have watched and appreciated this video. One (hopefully) ironic comment says: "I THINK I MUST COMMIT SUICIDE."

With the popularity of YouTube, there is so much more incentive to master a video game, knowing your insane preparation will be immortalized for all to see. I remember watching The Wizard and wondering why I hadn't heard of any national video game championships (they weren't nearly as popular then), and feeling like maybe if there were, people would finally appreciate my abilities. I remember going over moves in my head at night so that the next time I was at a friend's house I would really impress them all.

Thank you, YouTube, for bringing me back, and reminding me that even though the numbers are bigger and the community more accessible, our video game culture is still subject to the same underlying impulses.