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Video Games That Gave Me Power: How Gaming Shaped My Life | Culture of Gaming

I’m about to say something that most of you will completely agree with: games have an influence. Whether video games have recently entered your life, or have been with you for ages, the effect they can have on the person you become is astonishing. I can speak from experience that gaming has molded me into who I am. Some might feel that games serve purely as entertainment and nothing else, and to that, I say that’s fine. You’re entitled to your own opinion just as much as I am. However, that doesn’t change moments that games created for me. While plenty of games left a lasting mark on me over the years, only a few have resonated with me in a way that lingers to this very day. That’s what I want to share with all of you today, and maybe you can see the power that video games can have.

Super Smash Bros. Helped Me Value Family

It’s hard to believe isn’t it? A game that has a reputation of tearing people apart brought my family closer? Yes, it’s true. As the oldest of four boys, my family often entered many arguments. Anything from “Mom, he’s touching me!” to “Hey, that’s my Gameboy!” could be heard on a daily basis. Strangely, things changed with Smash. What would sometimes start as rage and anger would become laughter and excitement when we booted up the Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Don’t get me wrong, we would still want to rip each other apart when one of us won by one kill, but it never went beyond that. We all loved this series, and that strengthened our relationship. We learned to value each other as equal fighters, regardless of our age differences, on this battlefield. Even now, when we all get together, we take our Switches and duke it out on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It brings us joy and keeps our bond as brothers alive, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.

I know, it’s so cheesy, but I can’t help it. Kingdom Hearts, one of the most sappy and climactic RPGs out there, instilled in me the values of friendship and good vs. evil. By the time I jumped into the series, Kingdom Hearts had been around for a little while. I had seen my cousin playing this game called Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days and wanted to try it out. Little did I know that this would become my first step into such a deep and beautiful story. I continued to play both new and old games in the series, with each one teaching me about the value of friends and the connections the heart can make. Are these lessons a bit on-the-nose? Yes, but they stuck with me. Now, 24-year-old me tries to find the good in every heart I come across and value every connection I make in life. Some may call me a hopeless optimistic, but Kingdom Hearts showed me that light can always prevail.

Pokémon Made Me Want To Be The Very Best

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Just as the opening of the anime states, “I want to be the very best, like no one ever was!” Many might see Pokémon as a silly children’s game, but not me. Pokémon was my first video game, and it stays near and dear to my heart for many reasons. First and foremost, however, it showed me the value of working for what you want. Pokémon has a simple premise: you train your team of Pokémon on your journey to defeat eight gyms and the Elite Four to become the Champion. Sounds easy enough, right? While that may be true, there’s plenty that goes into achieving that goal. The team you have to construct, the trainers you have to face, and the growth you have to complete to be the best really exemplifies the idea of giving everything you have. The lessons that Pokémon has taught me have showed me that you need to put your all into everything to get the best of everything. I try to live by the Pokémon way everyday, and to that I say, thank you Pokémon. Thank you.

How have games shaped your life? Let us know in the comments below! For more content, check out our articles on Nintendo and Their Not-So-Family-Friendly History and Three Stages That I Want To See From Smash Ultimate’s Stage BuilderOtherwise, keep it here on Culture of Gaming for all things gaming!

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