So, I know most parents guard their kids from playing too many video games. I get it…the prevailing thought (and I’m sure there are lots of stats to back it up) is that these games will melt young minds into nothingness…at least outside of moderation. 😉
But, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to share that I’ve gotten to a deeper level with Mr. Super Mario…much deeper than any pipe will take you in the levels of the game.
Last year, you’ll recall, I dedicated many hours to beating Super Mario Bros. 3. This year, I went backwards and managed to conquer Super Mario Bros. 1. I have to say, I think this game was harder than the other one for many reasons. But the main reason is that unlike when you lose all your lives on a world in Super Mario Bros. 3 and are able to start over just with the first level of that world, in Super Mario Bros., you have to start over at the beginning of the game every single time. It’s wicked hard, but it turns out that it was almost as therapeutic as baking…and has a lot fewer calories.
You all know how much I love lists, so here we go.
5 Things I Learned from Super Mario Bros.
- Mario is the perfect man. I’m serious. He’s a good listener, he’s very patient to continue to play all those levels on an endless loop, and who doesn’t like a mustachioed guy that will fight to rescue a princess?! EVERYONE LIKES THAT.
- You can’t fight fire with fire and live to tell about it. For those of you that haven’t played, in the game Mario can get “flower power” which basically means he can throw fire balls to kill bad guys. In all of the fortresses that you have to pass to make it to the next world, there is all manner of fire. The thing is, if Mario throws his fire balls it has NO EFFECT on any of those fiery obstacles. Kind of like life, right? If you’re dealing with a difficult person in your life, fighting fire with fire isn’t going to get you anywhere. A lot of things can die from that scenario – your credibility, your character, and achieving future goals. So, even though it seems like a good idea ALWAYS, just say no. Jump over the fire and live to fight another day.
- Just when you think you have an obstacle beaten, it comes back with a vengeance. So, I never knew this but at the end of it all you beat the final level and then the game sends you on “another quest” right to the beginning of the game you just beat…but everything is kicked up a notch. Bad guys are faster, replaced with other bad guys that are harder to kill, and levels are more difficult to beat right off the bat. I cannot tell you how many times this has happened with me in real life.
- Coins are an investment. In almost every level, there are coins for the taking. Now, you don’t have to collect them. You could jump right over them and go on your merry way. But for every 100 coins you collect, you get an extra life. And since (as I mentioned above) you have to the game completely over every time you run out of lives, these are an investment in stamina. But that’s true in life, too, right? Saving a little bit of money or investing it in something that matters, it all adds up. Even though at the beginning you never think you’ll get 100 coins, every single one matters. I’ve never been very good at the maths, but this concept is definitely an important one for me to grasp and apply to my own finances.
- You have to bust a lot of bricks to uncover the rewards they bring. Almost every level of the game is composed of bricks. Some bricks have an extra life mushroom in them, some have several coins, and some are just…well…bricks. But the moral of the story is you have to try in order to find unexpected rewards. Bust those bricks because you never know when all that hard work is going to yield something cool.
My time spent with Mario was well worth it…hey, it was cheaper than a counselor! 🙂 Happy Monday, everyone!
XOXO,
Amy
Amy's Colorado Adventures! 