Today is March 10. Or, if you abbreviate it, Mar. 10. Mar10. Mario.
Yes, it’s Mario Day.
I’ve never pretended to be a big gamer. I don’t even go near most video games. But this is one I can get behind. Because I have spent my time making a certain little plumber run around.
Mario, of course, started out as Jumpman, part of the original Donkey Kong. He then grew into the biggest franchise character in video games. And the thing is, the games are fun. They have continued to evolve as game systems have changed, but the little guy still exists. And he’s still as popular as ever.
And although I spent my time shooting zombies and trying to rule the world, I always thought it was more fun to try to save the princess. Although I’m not sure she ever truly did need saving.
I can remember playing for the first time. Mainly because it took me quite a while to get a little coordination going. It took me a bit to stop walking off that first cliff. But I finally got it figured out, although I’m not sure I ever made it completely through any of the games.
Somewhere along the line, someone decided today should be Mario Day, because Mar. 10 sort of looks like Mario. And there are a lot worse reasons to celebrate a day.
I may even have to break out the old school game system and pop in a game or two. Just for the fun of it. Just don’t tell the grandchildren. They’re much better at it than I am these days, so I need to play alone. At least for a while.
