I’ve loved all things Nintendo ever since I got my first pre-owned Super Nintendo back in 1994. Money was always tight growing up. Both my mum and stepdad were heavy drinkers, spending most evenings at the local pub, seeing just how much they could put away before blacking out. It wasn’t exactly the happiest time of my life.
A few years earlier, I had seen my dad for the last time. He had started a new family and decided the best thing for him was to cut ties with his old one. There was no goodbye, no hug, no tears — just silence and absence. I was left behind, an unwanted reminder of a past he no longer cared for. All I wanted was to be loved by the person who gave me life, but that love never came.
So, who could that child turn to? Who could bring joy and comfort to a life that felt so uncertain?
For me, it was a little grey box with green, blue, yellow and red buttons, my SNES. I can still remember blowing the dust from a cartridge, slotting it into place, and pressing the power button. The TV screen glowed to life, a new world of amazing colours as Super Mario World began. Watching Mario free Yoshi from his green-and-white egg for the very first time is a moment etched into my memory. As Koji Kondo’s cheerful, melodic music filled the room, something inside me clicked, I had found my escape, my safe place.
There’s just something magical about Nintendo games. The bright colours, the quirky characters, the endless sense of adventure, they always felt so vibrant and alive, bursting with imagination and hope. Nintendo may not have chased cutting-edge graphics since the GameCube days, and honestly, I’m glad they didn’t. They’ve always focused on something far more important: creativity, heart, and fun.
Since that first SNES, I’ve owned every Nintendo console — except the short-lived Wii U. But let’s be honest, who actually had one of those?
Now it’s 2025, and I get to share this love with my son. Watching him play Mario Kart, Super Mario Odyssey as well as all the retro consoles, seeing that same spark of excitement in his eyes that I felt as a kid, it’s an incredible feeling. It’s like life has come full circle.
I know some people aren’t happy with Nintendo’s current pricing or business decisions, and I get it. But for me, Nintendo has always been about something bigger, about family, fun, and imagination.
It’s about finding happiness, even when life feels dark. And for that, I’ll always be grateful to the company that helped me smile when I needed it most.
As you grow as a person, you start to realise that we all have our demons. We all live with elements of mental health struggles. For me, letting go of the past has been an important part of healing, trying to become the best version of myself I can be. Find your happy place, stop doomscrolling, and seek out the little joys in life.
Take a walk, listen to the sounds around you, watch the world go by, keep your phone in your pocket and when you get home play some Nintendo.
