Spurred on by the recent discussions of video games and violence, and spurred on by the emotional and often downbeat tone of that discussion, a user on Twitter posted a simple thought exercise. Rather than talking about the misery and pain of the week, what if people shared all the times Nintendo games changed lives instead?
Unsurprisingly, the tweet went viral with over 22,000 retweets and 31,200 likes, prompting a trending discussion where people began sharing tales of how Nintendo games have served as a force for good.
Retweet if Nintendo has ever:
Helped with your depression or mental illness
Been a place you found lasting friendships or even a partner
Introduced you to people in other states or countries
Improved your communication skills and teamwork
Inspired you
— Crimson Mayhem ∞ Infinity Train (@mayhem_crimson) August 7, 2019
Users began retelling stories of the first times they shared a Nintendo game with their parents. Others spoke about times how Nintendo games helped them while they were being bullied at school, difficult situations at home, or just being able to connect with people over a shared interest.
Being born with autism, I’ve gone through a lot of anxiety and other mental issues. Playing the games I love always made me feel better, especially the Mother series and it’s morals
— Max Winston and 234 others fallows you (@MaxWinston44) August 7, 2019
Nintendo/Sega related. Met my now wife online, and when Phantasy Star Online came out on Dreamcast, it was a great way to keep interactive with each other while we were so many states apart. A couple of years together after we moved in together and it re-released on GameCube 1/2
— Luis Ramirez (@LuRamrod) August 8, 2019
E ???? X ???? A ???? C ???? T ???? L ???? Y
Video games can help distract from the terrible life situations many people are put in and can be a constant source of joy for them, even the shooty violent ones.
— The Despair of Zetsubō (@DanGanGalaxy) August 7, 2019
Playing Animal Crossing w/ my dad on the GameCube was literally the first bonding experience I remember us having. I’ll cherish that forever. It was so peaceful.
— ????Drink Water???? (@Katweegee) August 7, 2019
Because of my love for pokemon I started to follow an artist, eventually I joined their discord server and made friends with the artist themselves and made other great friendships with it.
I ended up joining new servers and met my first boyfriend who took me out of a bad place— Falcon (@FalconPoof) August 7, 2019
The Pokemon franchise saved me from being socioeconomically excluded from the world around me. In a school setting where i lacked any tools to properly bond with people, it was my first hobby and first community. They didn’t mind my entry level english and lack of social skills.
— Prar @ dororo (@_Prar_) August 8, 2019
Ok.
So I was the bullied kid at school, on top of that, I had an extremely abusive family. (Mom/sister both narcs, dad was a pedo), so I got into gaming hard. My go to was the Mega Man series (I felt I needed a POSITIVE male role model after shit with my dad started.) (Thread)
— ????WolfenWings???? ???? ????????MAGFest????????!! (@WolfenWingsShop) August 7, 2019
X series came out and I fell even harder in, 13, almost 14 year old me ended up with a monster crush on X that I’m still stuck with, lol – I eventually found a D&D based RPG club based on the X series when I was about 16. Shit changed my life, I went from being the fat uggo kid+
— ????WolfenWings???? ???? ????????MAGFest????????!! (@WolfenWingsShop) August 7, 2019
To being a top performing “Maverick Hunter” even though my character was organic (and a furry, icon, that’s her!) My new best friends were X and Zero and the other “Hunters” in the club. My senior yearbook, my “shout-outs” to my friends were Roll, Zero, X, others in that club. +
— ????WolfenWings???? ???? ????????MAGFest????????!! (@WolfenWingsShop) August 7, 2019
This was 98 so I found a scanner and scanned the page so I could show them all.
Later on in life I also met my husband through this same series, and it was his idea to ditch the ideas of tuxedos and dresses, we had a cosplay wedding and he dressed up as X, my pastor as Mario..+
— ????WolfenWings???? ???? ????????MAGFest????????!! (@WolfenWingsShop) August 7, 2019
I remember being at my cousin’s house in the mid 1990’s and noticing they had a SNES playing SMW! Then some time later, my dad bought an N64 and I first played Mario Kart 64 and I kept bumping into the wall as a toddler because I had to learn about the control stick!
— Smol Tilly (@smolleni) August 7, 2019
Helped with my depression, helped me meet my GF and friends who are all in other states, helped me talk, inspired me to get into game design
— Sallie The Catgirl (Sal – commissions closed) (@TheRPGNerd) August 7, 2019
Pokemon Sun gave me friends in 7th grade
Kid icarus uprising not only gave me friends in 8th grade/freshmen year, it introduced me to my greatest friends online, in which we still shitpost about the game to this day
Smash bros brawl got me into writting with subspace— Mr.Jared (@jaredthebobcat1) August 7, 2019
If not for Nintendo, and more specifically Fire Emblem, I never would have met any of my current friends, including my 5 best friends, and my girlfriend.
Pokémon Emerald got me through a rough couple of years when I was a kid.
— Yatagarasu of the Black Eagles (@CorvusSin) August 8, 2019
I never had depression but Nintendo helped me during some tough times.
With the Mario Maker subreddit I’m improving my communication skill (and my english since I’m Italian).
So yeah
— YTPlayer03 – @BotW, SMM2 (Maker ID: QB6-Q84-38G) (@YTPlayer03) August 7, 2019
If I never played Wind Waker, I’d probably never go into video game development as a career goal, I’d probably never become an artist. I wasn’t serious about art, until I played this game and now it’s been my life for years and more to come!
— MirroredGiraffe (@GiraffeMirrored) August 7, 2019
All of the above. They saved my life, got me to meet a love intrest, also meet people from across the world, and helped me branch out to more people that i have known for a long time, but never really spoke to.
— Zanbot (@ZanbotYT) August 7, 2019
Alright. the SNES was my first console, it was a hand me down that I had, when I think the N64 was new. I played it all the time, I had lots of great games on it, Zelda, Mario RPG, Mario All-Stars, F-zero, Star Fox, Donkey Kong 1, 2, and 3. I loved it, it showed me a whole world-
— Emperor Penguin (@CitizenArtist55) August 7, 2019
of games, I played the system all the time, for years, until I think even when the Gamecube was out, and until it died on me, later my grandparents bought me a PS2 and I played that, the leap in graphics was kind of mind blowing because I only saw the SNES up to that point-
— Emperor Penguin (@CitizenArtist55) August 7, 2019
But that SNES will always be special to me. I also had a Gameboy Color, I only had Pokemon Red on it, but I played it a lot, never beat it but I played it a lot still, then that died. Then years later I got a DS and a Wii, and I played both of those until they died.
— Emperor Penguin (@CitizenArtist55) August 7, 2019
It’s not the first time we’ve heard, or covered, about games helping people through difficult times. The escapism of video games has a large part to do with that, but the illustration of other characters, environments and stories can often be a trigger to help us in our day to day life too.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/05/how-breath-of-the-wild-helped-me-through-depression/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/03/2017022821154600-F1C11A22FAEE3B82F21B330E1B786A39-410×231.jpg” title=”How Breath Of The Wild Helped Me Through Depression” excerpt=”I am standing at the foot of an enormous mountain, barely clad. Rain lashes me, and in the distance there is lightning and thunder. I am shivering, but I know – at least I think I know – that atop this mountain shelter awaits. The promise of a warming meal and a warmer bed. Perhaps companionship. But first, this mountain. One step at a time. One aching, tired, lonely step at a time.”]
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/07/i-was-homeless-and-video-games-saved-my-life/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/03/1-410×231.jpg” title=”I Was Homeless And Video Games Saved My Life” excerpt=”It’s getting dark. The few people left on the street are either actively ignoring you, or warily staring at you, half expecting you to jump up and mug them. You’re hungry, you’re tired, your legs are numb from sitting on the concrete. The six dollars in your pocket will get you something from McDonalds, but you were hoping to save it until you could find a few extra dollars for a hostel for the night. You sigh, and look down at your DS – battery low. Only a few more hours and then you’ll have to face reality again.”]
How have video games helped you through difficult times?
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